Is Ninja wrong?

Question

Is it even a real type of fighting or did someone just make it up i heard that real ninja didnt even have a martial art they just studied lots of different ones that suited them so one person in a ninja clan might have studied one thing and another studied something else depending on what suited them better being that it was a life or death sort of thing

Answer 1

The Ninja, or Shinobi, were assassins, thieves and murderers. The problem is, there's no real record of these people actually existing prior to the 1940's. There are people claiming lineage from long ago to Ninja clans, but there's no real way to tell if they're telling the truth or not.

In any case, ninjitsu does exist and it's a legitimate martial art. It's focus is speed, balance and quick, precise movements. Whether this originated from the Ninja is unknown as they would have fought with weapons.

Answer 2

What does it take to make an art: a long linneage with alot of paper, or a collection of moves that, when practiced on a regular basis, work with extreme effectiveness?

To say the Ninja did not have an art is to say the Samurai did not have an art, since the art did not appear from the heavens as is. All arts evolved, due to experience, necessity, style, codes, social and political dictums, etc etc.

What differentiate the Ninja from other traditional schools was the emphasis on epsionage, secrecy, stealth and invisibility. Unlike the samurai, who could practice an iia draw (a drawing of the sword that cuts the opponent at the same time), since the ninja (or anyone else) were forbidden to carry swords in public, awareness of such a technique was meant as a way to avoid it, not how to use it (unless one was impersonating a visiting master, and such a technique would be used to demonstrate one's cover, but that is a rare instance.)

As for the ninja relying primarily on weapons, the primary emphasis was on completion of the mission, by whatever means such could be accomplished. Any tool, including one's hands and feet, were thus acceptably employed, which is why the samurai held them in such disdain. While the samurai's primary weapon, and purpose, was the use of their sword in combat (in service of their daimyo), the ninja's primary weapon and purpose was in completion of the mission. If that meant using every weapon they had, so be it; if it meant using no weapon at all, and leaving no trace, so be it.

Ninjas, literally, were shadows, trained to be empty of individual purpose except in service to their clan. The best spy, thief, assasin is the one who does not exist, and if they do not exist, how can they leave of record of what they have done? Their right and/or wrongness has more to do with the cultural impression they make (within their own culture and within others outside) than in the skills they employed.

A samurai is only as honorable as the code he follows: a ninja is only as 'evil' as the purpose he serves.

Answer 3

Khnopff71's answer is very close historically. Ninja is not wrong. Ninjitsu is a way of life and incorporates many other aspects than what is taught in more Orthodox martial arts. Check the web for the Bujinkan system which incorporates three schools of traditional ninjitsu. It focuses on tai-jitsu or unarmed combat but also teaches weaponry as well. As for most of the rest of the answers given to this question; It amazes me how many people have so much to say about something they no nothing about!

Answer 4

Well, there *is* ninjitsu, but I'm not sure just how legitimate ninjitsu schools are, mainly because ninjas were very secretive (comes with the territory of being covert assassins) and I don't think they typically kept written records of their techniques or practices. So there isn't a lot of concrete information on ninjas.

However, to clear things up, ninjas were assassins. They trained to take out their targets as quickly and stealthily as possible. Engaging in a fight would take too long and attract too much attention.
So ninjitsu isn't a "type of fighting" ...more likely, they focus on assassination techniques (like flying metal disks or poison darts).
I imagine they probably studied martial arts anyway, since there was always the possibility of a physical confrontation.

Answer 5

It's made up. They may have been a real thing in the past but they are no longer.

Now it's a money making scheme to take advantage of the ninja movie craze of the 80's.

The closest thing we have to real ninjas now is the Special Forces.

Answer 6

Ninjas were made up in the mid 20th century for movies. There are traditional "Ninjas" but they were not the enemy of Samurai as films would depict. There were commons theifs who were called nInjas. There were Samurai who worked for their bosses in less honorable ways, and these may have been called Ninjas. But there was no formalized school called "ninjitsu" in Feudal Japan.

Answer 7

No a Ninja is someone who practices ninjitsue

Answer 8

Ninja is never wrong. You got questions, ninja got answers.

Answer 9

yes...ninjas didnt fight empty handed like in the movies..they use weapons..only a fool would fight empty handed..they would make any thing thier weapon...even some thing as simple as a rock is more usefull than you empty hands..check out Stephen Hayes..or Haynes..he is an American Ninja...

Answer 10

No, but Ninja Tunes for sure.