Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu (忍術^?) sometimes used interchangeably with the term ninpō (忍法^?) is the martial art, strategy, and tactics of unconventional warfare and guerrilla warfare as well as the art of espionage purportedly practiced by the shinobi (commonly known outside of Japan as ninja).^[1]

While there are several styles of "modern ninjutsu," the historicity and lineage of these styles is disputed. Some schools and masters claim to be "the only true and legitimate heirs" of the art, but Ninjutsu is not totally centralized like modernized Martial Arts such as Judo or Taekwondo.^[2]

Etymology

The main character nin (忍^?) is a phono-semantic compound composed of two greater characters. The upper character ha or jin (刃^?) is the phonetic indicator; its meaning of "edge of the sword" is therefore irrelevant here. The lower character kokoro or shin (心^?) means "heart" or "soul". The compound means "stealth", "secrecy", "endurance", "perseverance", and "patience".^[3] Jutsu (術^?) means "art" or "technique". Hō (法^?) meaning "knowledge", "principle", "law" or "system" when found with the prefix "nin" carries the meaning of ninja arts, higher order of ninjutsu.

History

Ninjutsu was developed by groups of people mainly from the Iga Province and Kōka, Shiga of Japan. Throughout history the shinobi have been seen as assassins, scouts and spies. They are mainly noted for their use of stealth and deception. Throughout history many different schools (ryū) have taught their unique versions of ninjutsu. An example of these is the Togakure-ryū. This ryū was developed after a defeated samurai warrior called Daisuke Togakure escaped to the region of Iga. Later he came in contact with the warrior-monk Kain Doshi who taught him a new way of viewing life and the means of survival (ninjutsu).^[4]

Ninjutsu was developed as a collection of fundamental survivalist techniques in the warring state of feudal Japan. The ninja used their art to ensure their survival in a time of violent political turmoil. Ninjutsu included methods of gathering information, and techniques of non-detection, avoidance, and misdirection. Ninjutsu can also involve training in disguise, escape, concealment, archery, and medicine.^[5]

Skills relating to espionage and assassination were highly useful to warring factions in feudal Japan. Because these activities were seen as dishonorable, Japanese warriors hired people who existed below Japan's social classes to perform these tasks. These persons were literally called "non-humans" (非人, hinin^?).^[6] At some point the skills of espionage became known collectively as ninjutsu, and the people who specialized in these tasks were called shinobi no mono.

18 Skills

According to Bujinkan members Ninja Jūhakkei, the eighteen disciplines (jūhakkei < jūhachi-kei) were first stated in the scrolls of Togakure-ryū. Subsequently they became definitive for all ninjutsu schools by providing total training of the warrior in various fighting arts and agarter.

Ninja jūhakkei was often studied along with Bugei Jūhappan (the "18 samurai fighting art skills"). Though some are used in the same way by both samurai and ninja, other techniques were used differently by the two groups.

The 18 disciplines are:^[7]

1. Seishinteki kyōyō (spiritual refinement)
2. Taijutsu (unarmed combat)
3. Kenjutsu (sword techniques)
4. Bōjutsu (stick and staff techniques)
5. Sōjutsu (spear techniques)
6. Naginatajutsu (naginata techniques)
7. Kusarigamajutsu (kusarigama techniques)
8. Shurikenjutsu (throwing weapons techniques)
9. Kayakujutsu (pyrotechnics)
10. Hensōjutsu (disguise and impersonation)
11. Shinobi-iri (stealth and entering methods)
12. Bajutsu (horsemanship)
13. Sui-ren (water training)
14. Bōryaku (tactics)
15. Chōhō (espionage)
16. Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment)
17. Tenmon (meteorology)
18. Chi-mon (geography)

The name of the discipline of Taijutsu (体術^?), literally means "body skill" or "body art". Historically, the word taijutsu is often in Japan used interchangeably with jujutsu (as well as many other terms) to refer to a range of grappling skills. The term is also used in the martial art of aikido to distinguish the unarmed fighting techniques from other (e.g. stick fighting) techniques. In ninjutsu, especially since the emergence of the Ninja movie genre in the 80s, it is also used to avoid the undesired bravado of explicitly referring to "ninja" combat techniques.

Weapons & equipment

The following tools may not be exclusive to the Ninja, but they are commonly associated with the practice of Ninjutsu.

Composite & Articulated Weapons

• Kusarigama (kama linked to a weight, either by a long rope or chain)
• Kyoketsu shoge (hooked rope-dart, featuring a metal ring on the opposite end)
• Manriki, Manriki-gusari and Kusarifundo (chains and weighted chain weapons)

Fistload Weapons

• Kakute (rings resembling modern wedding bands with concealed, often poison-tipped spines, typically worn by kunoichi and enabling ninja to quietly strangle enemies with the pointed ends against the neck or throat)
• Shobo (a jabbing or piercing weapon, similar in shape to kubotan and yawara, but often featuring a center grip ring)
• Shuriken ("ninja star" slashing weapons that could also be thrown)
• Tekko (an earlier version of brass knuckles)

Modified Tool Weapons

• Kama (weaponized farming blade, plural= Nicho-Gama)
• Kunai (multi-purpose tool)
• Shikoro (Used as a tool for opening doors and stabbing or slashing)

Projectile Weapons

• Fukiya (Japanese blowgun, typically firing poison darts)
• Makibishi and Tetsubishi (caltrops)
• Shuriken ("throwing stars," could also be used as slashing weapons)
• Throwing spike (darts, sometimes poison tipped)
• Yumi and Ya (Traditional Japanese bow and arrow)

Raking, Catching & Trapping Weapons

• Jutte (sword-catching device similar to the Sai, but with only one prong)
• Sai (sword-catching device similar to the Jutte, but with two prongs)
• Tekagi-shuko and Neko-te (hand "claw" weapons)
• Tactical Strike Brace (multi-purpose tool for offense, defense, disarming, killing,hanging, and climbing)

Staffs & Polearms

• Hanbo (small staff)
• Yari (traditional Japanese spear that's similar to the Naginata)
• Nagamaki (pole arm with roughly equal length blade and handle)
• Naginata (traditional Japanese pole-arm used by women and samurai. Example: women might protect their home with a naginata)

Swords

• Nihonto (commonly referred to simply as 'katana' — long, curved, single-edged sword)
• Wakizashi (short sword that can be hidden on the ninja's body, also a backup weapon and faster than a Nihonto and a Ninjato)
• Ninjato (short-bladed weapon similar to the samurai katana)
• Tachi (slung sword)
• Tantō (dagger)
• Bokken (Traditional wooden sword use in Japanese Martial Arts)
• Shinai (Used in Kendo)

Stealth Tools

• Kaginawa, or Grappling hook (climbing and Hojojutsu composite tool that also functioned as a makeshift gaff hook weapon)
• Rop 

(Source: Wikipedia)