Modern Ninjutsu

Have a look at hanako.co.uk, Paul's site has a good level of the history of the schools and he is always adding more.

 

One of the things that will help to reason through these questions is to understand why people from hundreds of years ago - up to today - practice these skills and study the special strategy and philosophy of ninpo / ninjutsu.

And because the evolution of ninjutsu spans so many hundreds of years, it is reasonable to believe that the characteristics of the art, its practicioners, and the political / social climate of each era was (and is) different.
Adhering to one set "this is the way it was, and it was never these other things, and this is the way it is now..." belief is fixated and static in form.

And back to the why study and live the lifestyle question:
First determine how you're going to get the information - the sources are mainly legend (must learn to discern fact from fiction), sparse recorded history, info from experts, and our own reasoning (does this make sense?).

If you are going to study ninjutsu in a modern setting (not time-travelling to see the ninjutsu of old), it is a good idea to have a firm belief in what ninjutsu means to *you* - but it is too limiting to only accept one vision of the whole history of the art and its people.

<shrugs> I dunno.
Look to the past to see how ninjutsu was, how and why it was used, and make whatever comparisons you want to your own life. Practice accordingly.

The original question is what techniques that are still practiced today were used in feudal times. Again, first remember the different motivations for learning such things (keeping the history alive, evolving skills, learning practical knowledge for survival situations, etc.)

Where I train, we do learn the stealth, survival, traditional weapons, etc. for the above reasons - some to appreciate the history, others for practical reasons, many for both.
That is why the majority of training time is spent on unarmed self-defense (including some weapons of course), because that is what most people would find useful and practical.

 

Paraphrasing Hatsumi Soke, the modern Ninja have the opportunity to return to their original roots as "warrior-mystics" for want of a better term. To paraphrase a distinction of his I also read, Shinobi did not mean Ninja. He described one particular (historical) Shinobi as a thief as opposed to a Ninja, although he was celebrated as the latter by some at the time.

 

You have got to be reading too many comic books. :bang:

(Sorry to bring this up, but I just found it and can't let it stand unchallenged.)

 

Well what part of the statement are you challenging then? because I can't see anything wrong with the latter part of it....not sure about the beginning bit though.

Kalifallen has come a long way since that post was written and has started training in the Bujinkan and will obviously have a clearer picture of ninjutsu now than she did back then.

 

Ninja were peacekeepers hired in secret to protect towns???? And they were used because the samurai could not do things due to their sense of honor?

 

Nah, I don't really get that either.

I thought this statement was fair enough.

I'm sure when Kalifallen comes back online she'll be able to back up her claims with source material. Of course that's if she can be bothered, looking at the age of this thread and since her post was made way back in June......and that's erm, last June

 

Why do you feel the need to jump on people and insult them when they appear to be misinformed???

There’s that much dodgy info out there that it’s a task to sift through and find the good stuff…..that’s one of reasons these forums exists.

I made a similar mistake in one of my posts and Ssshh was kind enough to point me in right the direction and give me a new source of info. All of us started somewhere!!

 

It lets people know how irritated I am at seeing so much bad information being passed off as fact for others to parrot and spread.

It is not the misinformation that bugs me. It is the way it is presented as if the poster actually knew what they were talking about. It is presented as if it were an established fact instead of something out of a bad comic book or Rick Tew's web page.

 

This is a reply to whoever stated that modern day Ninjutsu/Ninpo practitioners are the equivalent to ancient Ninja.

I believe Kurohana and Mr. Seago explained this in a thread several months ago, but I'll reiterate the main points.

People who practice Ninjutsu are not Ninja...they are people who practice Ninjutsu.

The Ninja had bloodlines...specific jobs...specific locational regions...a timeline of several hundred years ago.

I also practice Okinawan Karate. Does this make me an Okinawan peasant farmer? No...it makes me a modern day guy who practices Okinawan martial arts.

If a 16 year old practices Marine Corps Close Combatives, learns how to shoot an M-16, and buys a set of cammies, does he have the right to call himself a Marine?

HELL NO! Go through boot camp, go through years of specialty school, spend some time patrolling hostile borders, get shot at, get shot, get injured, go patrol some more..

Then you can call yourself a Marine!

May you achieve
Satori, the modern day Ninjutsu-ka

 

this should answer all your questions on Ninjas

informal but informative. will put an end to the cynics.

 

Um, about that link -- it's been posted many, many times before.

 

So many times and so annoying in fact that I want to delete any post that contains it. It's old, annoying and does nothing to help.

 

Oh you mean the link.

Sorry, I just found it amusing.

 

One night last year we learnt how to use shadows and night lighting to move around your surroundings. I wouldn't necessarily call it assassin stuff though.

 

Ninja's can fly though, thats one thing thats fact..

 

Darn straight we can. Why, I hop on a plane and fly to Africa at least once a month.

 

Yeah and I fly all the time too, I'm an Air Steward

 

Yeah you look the type!!!!

I think Grimjack if we knew a bit more about you then others would not think you were jumping on people's backs all the time, most people have been to the ninja chackin, why not you?

 

He has checked in mate