what is a real ninja?

[Tsing Tao]

This may seam like a pathetic question to many people who study ninjitsu ar simmilar forms of martial arts, but one might find it interesting with just how many people have a "ninja" misconception. i would like this thread to be a serios discussion on what you think a true ninja is.

[hafer34]

I feel that too many people are too concerned with being the image of a ninja. A true ninja studies the art of ninjutsu because of what the art gives to you, like any martial art you study in order to protect yourself and others. I think its time to move past the black mask and gauntlets and bring this ancient art to reality. A true ninja protects his family from harm and helps his friends when in need. You study this art as a way of life and to better yourself. When your heart and spirit is given to the martial arts then you can consider yourself a ninja. There are no more battles against samurai, only a life threatening attack you might face someday.

[Tsing Tao]

thank you finaly someone else who thinks the same way i do.

[Infesticon #1]

I doubt it's someone who wears a black suit with "NINJA" written on the back in a chinese script whilst carrying various weapons, black of course, with ninja written on them.

I guess the idea of a ninja is that they wouldn't stand out at all.

[ns_oni]

i totally agree with the first 2 posts, but i still think tradition is very important. depends what type of person you are i guess.

[Tsing Tao]

you are right in the tradition aspect, but is the ninja tradition the same as hollywood tradition?

[hwardo]

The art of ninjitsu is still practiced today, but practioners don't run around in ninja costumes throwing darts and poisoning people and the like. They have a unique, comprehensive system of strikes, jointlocks and take downs, the work with traditional weaponry, etc. If you think about it, being a ninja isn't that much different from being a kareteka-- its just a different tradition.

[heretic888]

Hee, look at my sig. :cool:

[Cain]

Well same as someone does karate we call 'em karateka, we call someone a ninja if they practise ninjutsu.

Except that "Ninja" sounds darn cooler than "karateka" ;)

|Cain|

[heretic888]

Well same as someone does karate we call 'em karateka, we call someone a ninja if they practise ninjutsu.

Actually, the vast majority of people that train in Ninpo do not refer to themselves as "ninja". That's the popular consensus, anyway. ;)

[Tsing Tao]

is ninjitsu the only reason that they we are called ninja or is it deeper than that? i believe that it is not just the style of martial arts thet we study but the conduct in which we use it.

[Rikimaru33]

I believe with all of you guys but as someone like me i really like to stick to tradition because it seems that we are losing alot of it now adays. I don't take ninjutsu yet and i'm currently in taekwondo but when i see people at tournaments now adays it isn't the same. When you compare "Forms" now to the "Forms" then....hm...forms used to be the skill you had of the staged fight and acting like there is someone there...now its who can flip the most and do a really cool jump spin kick into the splits with 2 kama in they're hand. It DOES show they have great acrobatic and concentration skill but if i were to see someone go in the tournament and do a traditional form, the nice and easy beautiful graceful moves, i probably have more respect to them then the other guy, granted if they're better or not. So if you were to say what is a real ninja. I would say it is someone who studies the art of ninjutsu, granted whichever style it is, and takes the whole study of it to art and connects that art to they're own soul and person then they are a true ninja. Whether or not they are in all black with ninja painted on the back, if they have the self determination to ignore what others think and focus on they're own goal they are a ninja to me at least.

And remember ninjutsu is just one other type of martial art...therefore if you are a true ninja...you still have much to learn.

[heretic888]

is ninjitsu the only reason that they we are called ninja or is it deeper than that?

*shrugs* Depends on who you ask. And its 'ninjutsu'.

So if you were to say what is a real ninja. I would say it is someone who studies the art of ninjutsu

Again, that depends on who you ask. Contrary to your claim, most of the high-ranking practitioners of "ninjutsu" do not refer to themselves or their students as "ninja".

art of ninjutsu, granted whichever style it is

There are only three ninjutsu ryuha that still exist: Togakure ryu, Gyokushin ryu, and Kumogakure ryu. If its anything else, it ain't ninjutsu. Now, Ninpo, on the other hand.... :D

Laterz.

[Tsing Tao]

very nicely put Rikimaru33. that is the exact veiw of a ninja that i wanted. I feel the same way as you. You have the veiw of real tradition and not hollywoods. Hollywoods tradition is what has caused this misconception of ninjas. and as you have seen and pointed out to be a true ninja or martial artist we have to realize that we have never realy completed our training we are still in the basics.

[heretic888]

very nicely put Rikimaru33. that is the exact veiw of a ninja that i wanted. I feel the same way as you. You have the veiw of real tradition and not hollywoods. Hollywoods tradition is what has caused this misconception of ninjas. and as you have seen and pointed out to be a true ninja or martial artist we have to realize that we have never realy completed our training we are still in the basics.

Actually, Hollywood was simply taking up the conception of the Ninja held by the Japanese since the time of the Meiji Era. Its nothing new.

[Rikimaru33]

thanks tsing, and my sensei has put it very well when you become a black belt that just means you've finished basic training, you don't fully understand that ONE art until your the highest possible, which even though on paper and tradition it may be 10th dan or higher, there is no end.

[Tsing Tao]

Very true again. My Sifu taught me that even though you may be at the top of one style it soesnot mean that you the best. to become the best you must know and be superior to everyone else in every kind of martial arts. this is of course impossible.

[totality]

yes, the whole ninja image has been completely destroyed. so-called practicioners of ninjutsu, forsaking the old traditions of flipping around and killing people!

today we true ninja have moved to using lasers.

i hope you all enjoyed that post :D

[SilentNightfall]

Just a simple point to make. Contrary to popular belief, there are more than 3 Ninjutsu schools out there. Remember that only 1 of the 9 Bujinkan schools is fully a samurai ryu. The other 8 are either fully Ninjutsu or have roots in Ninjutsu. Take care, all.

[DrUnKNiNjA]

hhhhmmmmm i believe that Masaaki Hatsumi put it very well "Ninpo began as training to become a moral people and to learn to endure in whatever social condition one is in; to know and accept one's fate, and to live for human beings and all other creatures. The person who masters all of these is a Ninja." (Masaaki Hatsumi) in the days of old most ninja were peasants and farmers, some of them were ronin samuria, but one fact still remained, there was something evil in the hearts of men to make an art as powerfull as this and most arts have that history to them.. to me my understanding of being a "ninja" is knowing that i will never have to use my art... but when i do its to protect and only to protect (myself, my family, my loved ones) and that go's for any art if you can do that then you are truly "ninja".. :)

[Ninjabucky]

So destroying pplwho want to harm you is ok then

I think, therefore i am, i destroy therefore i endure

[DrUnKNiNjA]

a martial artist that is pure to his martial art knows when his life is threatend, most of the time its just bodily harm people want to do to you, but when a weapon is involved that means, ok this is now a life threatening situation its kill or be killed, or
if your family is taken hostage, you know situations like that.....

human life is too precious to throw away or take away i would always try talking before fighting and i believe you should too NinjaBucky

[Zankuro]

Historically, an actual ninja was generally from the 'untouchable' class, and was trained specifically for the task they were to perform. They would poison, gather information, assasinate, etc.. but were the grunts of a spy network.

What most people think of as ninja were really rural samurai. If you asked a samurai if he were a ninja, it could be considered grounds for him to kill you.

The black body uniform actually originated from the movers in kabuki theater. True ninja didn't wear the infamous sabel garb.;)

[SilentNightfall]

And actually, Ninja were not historically assassins. The Ninja originated in the mountainous regions of Japan where the people were cut off from the rest of society. Ninjutsu developed as a means of survival against those who feared the Ninja and called for their extermination. Ninja were definitely not rural samurai. Totally different philosophy. Samurai were devout to the shogun or their daimyo. Ninja harmonized with their surroundings and only killed if need be to survive. Some Ninja did serve as military advisors in war-time, however, and were used for information gathering as well. The assassin bit is just the work os literature of the times that depicted Ninja as killers. Hope this helps clear things up.

[DrUnKNiNjA]

you read and wrote my mind Silent:) :)

[SilentNightfall]

Great minds think alike, no?

[DrUnKNiNjA]

but fools never differ, ;)

[Taiso]

I think that you can never actually call yourself a ninja without changing what it is. Which where people who used unorthodox strategies for their time and kept their art to themselves living in remote who started training from 4-5 areas using their skills for variouus things eg. information gathering or even assasination and if their identity was discovered it would mean death. So can actully really call themselves a true ninja in the modern world as it is today.

[SilentNightfall]

Once again, the assassination bit is incorrect. Ninja killed only when it was necessary.

[Taiso]

that is what i meant the so-called ninja who were assassins tended to be rogue ninjas or as stephen k hayes says "thugs in black garb" although there were some great ninja bandit heroes such as Sasuke Sarutobi and Goeman Ishikawa

[SilentNightfall]

Yes, that is a correct statement. After war-time, there were a few rogues who did hire themselves out for their skills and some did, in fact, take up assassination jobs. This, however, is not what the true Ninja lived for.

[Taiso]

yes as the shogun tokugawa rule brought peace to japan it strangely peace rather than battle that pretty much destroyed the ninja of old.