Bujinkan Carroll Dojo

Ninjutsu: A History

Ninjutsu and Bujinkan

While it is common to use the terms Ninjutsu and Bujinkan interchangably, the Bujinkan contains nine schools, three deriving from the ninjutsu tradition, but the other six descending from the samauri tradition. (Bujinkan...)

Ninjutsu (sometimes used interchangeably with the term ninpo) is the martial arts practiced by the shinobi (also commonly known as the ninja).

Origin

Ninjutsu was developed by groups of people mainly from the Iga Province and Koka, Shiga of Japan. Throughout history the shinobi have been seen as assassins for hire, and have been associated in the public imagination with other activities which are considered criminal by modern standards. Although thought to have come from Chinese expatriates ninjutsu is believed by its adherents to be of Japanese origin. It is believed to be strongly influenced by the strategic principles of Sun Tzu. Throughout history many different schools (or ryu) were developed which taught their unique version of ninjutsu. An example of these is the Togakure-ryu. This ryu 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).

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

Skills relating to espionage and assassination were highly useful to warring factions in feudal Japan. However, because these activities were seen as dishonorable, Japanese warriors hired people who existed below Japan's social classes, literally called "non-humans", to perform these tasks. At some point, the skills of espionage became known collectively as ninjutsu, and the people who specialized in these tasks were called shinibi no mono, and later, ninja.

Ultimately, the skills of ninjutsu were so essential to conducting warfare that some samurai began to practice their techniques, as well incorporating ninjutsu into their formal schools of martial arts (ryu).

To avoid misunderstandings, "ninjutsu" should just refer to a specific branch of Japanese martial arts, unless it is being used in a historical sense.

Ninjutsu: 18 Schools

According to Bujinkan members, the eighteen disciplines (juhakkei < juhachi-kei) were first stated in the scrolls of Togakure-ryu and they became definitive for all ninjutsu schools, providing a complete training of the warrior in various fighting arts and complementary disciplines.

Ninja juhakkei was often studied along with Bugei Juhappan (the "18 samurai fighting art skills"). Though some of them are the same, the techniques of each discipline were used with different approaches by both samurai and ninja.

The 18 disciplines are[8]:

1. Seishin-teki kyoyo (spiritual refinement)

2. Taijutsu (unarmed combat, using one's body as the only weapon)

3. Kenjutsu (sword fighting)

4. Bojutsu (stick and staff fighting)

5. Shurikenjutsu (throwing shuriken)

6. Sojutsu (spear fighting)

7. Naginatajutsu (naginata fighting)

8. Kusarigamajutsu (kusarigama fighting)

9. Kayakujutsu (pyrotechnics and explosives)

10. Hensojutsu (disguise and impersonation)

11. Shinobi-iri (stealth and entering methods)

12. Bajutsu (horsemanship)

13. Sui-ren (water training)

14. Boryaku (military strategy)

15. Choho (espionage)

16. Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment)

17. Tenmon (meteorology)

18. Chi-mon (geography)

Today the main focus of ninjutsu deals with the techniques relevant to armed and unarmed combat.