Ninja

Ninja
Weapons	Ninjato, Black Eggs, Shuriken, Blowgun, Kusarigama
Origin	Feudal Japan
Activities	Fighting the samurai and assassination
Service	1500s-1700s
Battle Status	Lost vs. the Spartan
Experts	Lou Klein (Ninjitsu Master) Michael Lehr (Martial Arts Expert)

"Just when you think you're fighting your fight, you're actually fighting ours."
- Lou Klein, Ninjitsu master

The Ninja, legendary master of death from Japan;
vs.
the Spartan, battle-field butcher from ancient Greece.

Ninja Symbol

Stats

• Height :5'2"
• Year : 1600s.
• Weight : 135 LB
• Armor : none
• Gear : 10 lbs
• Symbol - Shurikans

History

Spies, Scouts, Guerrillas, Terrorists and Assassins have existed since the dawn of mankind; however it is believed that many concepts of unconventional warfare in East Asia originated from the legendary Yellow Emperor of China Huangdi (2700-2300 BC). Sun Tzu's The Art of War further influenced and evolved the concepts of irregular warfare that the Ninjas later adopted.

The Lin Kuei (Forest Demons) were a clan of irregular warriors in southern China who (in a manner similar to Shaolin Monks) lived in isolated mountains where they were forced to defend themselves from bandits using unorthodox warfare, terrorism, brutality and martial arts to ambush and intimidate their enemies. It is possible that Lin Kuei who immigrated to Japan maintained their guerrilla warfare and traditions that would eventually influence Ninja clans. At the same time however; the Lin Kuei's origins are difficult to confirm due to lack of historical records. It is possible that they were formed in circa 1500 BC. Despite this; the Lin Kuei are sometimes referenced in modern culture due to their infamous myths and potential connections to historical Ninja.

Prince Shōtoku (Born February 7, 574 – Died April 8, 622) was the first regent of Japan to use a developed and complex spy network; although it's debatable if Shōtoku's spies would classify as Ninja, they did perform some tactics the Ninjas would adapt into their own warfare and Shōtoku did call his spies 'Shinobi'. Otomono Sahito was Shōtoku's greatest Shinobi and is credited as being the first true Ninja; however Otomono might be a mythical folk hero since there is little historical evidence over his existence.

En no Gyōja (living in the late 600s AD) was a Japanese mystic that created the religion of Shugendō. The Shugendō monks were isolationists with a strong spiritual connection to nature. Many aspects of Ninja meditation, philosophy, and myth are of Shugendō origin. Some Shugendō monks even formed Ninja clans to maintain their religious practices: which were repressed by some Daimyō who saw the monks as extreme cultists.

Very little information about the origins of Ninjas exist. However it is believed that around the 11th Century many Japanese warriors and Samurai interacted with Chinese and Korean monks and Shaoline: most likely of the secretive Mikkyou Buddhists. The combination of martial arts helped develop the early techniques of Ninjutsu, especially the Ninja's agility and disobeying the cultural norm of Japanese society. The Ninja clans developed in secluded areas across Japan, especially in mountainous villages. Eventually some of the farmers of these areas would learn ninjutsu to rebel against the oppressive Samurai clans.

The Iga Province is believed to have been the main headquarters or origins of the Ninja. Their temples housed many Ninja training schools and sometimes had trap doors for Ninjas to hide in if the temple was invaded.

Ninjas often served as spies and manservants beginning in the 15th Century, when the political unrest combined with the samurai's strict bushido code created a growing need for men willing and able to commit deeds not considered respectable by conventional warriors.

As the stories of Ninja assassinations erupted, the Ninja clans created myths to makes their enemies believe they had superhuman feats. Such myths include invisibility, magic, animal like speed, teleportation, cloning and superhuman climbing skills. Hattori Hanzō is credited for spreading such rumors as part of his propaganda strategies.

The Second Tenshō Iga War (1581) allowed the Oda clan to conquer the Iga Privince using a massive army and brutal pillaging. After this, the Iga Ninja would no longer be an independent warrior but a mercenary for other clans.

The Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century hired Ninjas on a massive scale. This was a revolutionary policy as other Samurai clans refused any affiliation with the Ninja. It is believed that Tokugawa feared ninjas, like many other Shoguns did. However he knew that befriending the Ninja would make it less likely for them to assassinate him and his allies. Some of Tokugawa's elite Ninja assassins and bodyguards worked in the palace as gardeners, giving them the perfect disguise as counter-spies. Affiliation with the Ninjas also allowed the Tokugawa Shogunate to have access to a massive spy network, which would locate and crush rebels and enemies with ease.

Some historians cite the Shimabara Rebellion of 1638 as the end of the classical ninja. When christian rebels lost the revolt, the Japanese Tokugawa government cracked down on potential future uprisings and minority groups, which included ninja clans. Some historians argued that Ninjas may have survived but kept their activities self-censored to avoid attention. Very little written or historical evidence of ninjas exist after 1638: with the last confirmed reference being an order to commit espionage to the Ninja named Sawamura Yasusuke.

The Boshin War led to the founding of the Empire of Japan. With Japan fully unified and using modern guns, the repressive regime was able to crack down on rebels and criminal organizations: including many Ninja clans. Also with such unity, Japan no longer had any need for assassins or revolts during the long period of internal peace after the war ended. It is believed that this was the beginning of the end for the classical Ninjas.

The Meiji Restoration was an Imperialist revolution that rose up against the Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi; who showed significant weakness by submitting to extortion led by American Commodore Perry. Perry's Black Ships were modernized while the Japanese technology was 200 years behind that of the USA; it was obvious that Japan could not fight against Western Empires and basically became a puppet. This led to the Shishi: a pro-imperial organization of assassins that committed terrorist attacks against both Westerners and Shogunates. It is unclear if the Shishi had any links to Ninjas, since both organizations were secretive. The Shishi were more conventional and accepted modernization: quickly following a 'Japanese spirit, Western technology' military philosophy.

Many Ninjas formed underground societies and crime organizations, many would evolve into modern day Yakuza.

The modern state of Japan was formed after WWII when the USA occupied the country between 1945-1952. During this time the US puppet government heavily influenced the nation with westernization and western culture. After the Korean War the USA allowed Japan to form its own government in exchange for a military alliance against the rising communist powers in Asia. This alliance led to a cultural exchange which allowed Americans to hear the stories of the Ninjas and led to their popularity in cinema and fiction. The few people alive today who still know and mastered authentic ninjutsu refuse to have successors to pass down the martial arts, techniques and history of the Ninja.

Ninjas rarely used armor as speed and stealth were their greatest assets. Their outfit is the Shinobi Foku, which is tight enough to prevent the cloth from rustling yet still layered enough to be warm. This outfit is actually dark navy and not black, as the night sky is more blue than pure black. Normally Ninjas dressed as civilians in the daytime or in cities. Fokus existed under multiple colors; brown for mud and dirt, green for plants and trees, blue for water, white for snow. Fokus were very common type of clothing, so it is possible for a Ninja to be in full uniform without drawing too much attention so long as they don't provoke suspicion. Even the fukumen (mask) was commonly worn by civilians. Tabi Boots are specially designed shoes that has rubber padding to make the Ninja quieter when they run. These boots combined with the silent ninja gait made Ninjas produce virtually no sound.

Weapons

Weapon	Ninja	Kills
Close Range:	Ninjatō	123
Mid Range:	black egg	0
Long Range:	Shurikans	0 4
Special Weapons:	Kusarigama	220
Total		347

Deadliest Warrior: The Game

• Close Range: Ninjato, Wakizashi
• Mid Range: Kusarigama, Kyoketsu Shogi
• Long Range: Shuriken, Blowgun
• Special Weapons: Black Egg
• Armor: Shinobi Shozoku, Tatami-Do
• Brutal Finisher: After blinding the opponent with the black egg, the Ninja stabs him through the heart from behind. As the victim falls over dead, the Ninja spins his sword around several times, before sheathing it.

Battle

The battle starts with the Spartan standing in a forest with his Spartan Shield and Spear in hand. Above him, the Ninja watches him while hidden in the treetops. He quietly jumps down and sneaks up behind the Spartan. As he gets close, he draws his Ninjato. When he gets close enough, he yells and swings the sword. The Spartan quickly throws his shield arm back and block the sword with the Shield. He turns around and thrusts his Spear, but the Ninja rolls away and tries to hide within the thick grass.

The Spartan pulls out his Javelin and thrusts it into the ground. He hears the Ninja and turns to see him spinning the ball and chain from his Kusarigama. He throws the iron ball at the Spartan, who blocks it with his shield. The Ninja starts to swing his Kusurigama again, but the Spartan charges at him and kicks him. The Ninja swings the iron ball at the Spartan again, but like before, the Spartan blocks with the Shield. He swings it around a third time, but instead swings at the Spartan's leg. The chain wraps around and trips the Spartan, sending him to the floor. The Spartan sits up and grabs the chain. The Ninja tries to pull the Kusurigama away from the Spartan, but the Spartan keeps a firm grip. In a desperate move, the Ninja breaks the chain with the sickle and rushes at the Spartan with it. The Spartan knocks him away with his Shield and then gets back up with his Spear and Shield. The Spartan tries to stab him with the Spear, but the Ninja kicks the Shield and runs away.

The Spartan chases and eventually catches up to him, trying to thrust his Spear again. The Ninja dodges and breaks the Spear in half with his Kusurigama. He tries to stab the Spartan with the broken spear, but the Spartan once again blocks with the Shield. This time, the Spartan swings the Shield and sends the Ninja flying back. The Spartan pulls out his Short Sword and advances towards the Ninja. The Ninja pulls out a Black Egg and waits for the Spartan to get close. He then jumps in front of the Spartan Shield and throws the egg at the Spartan's face. He kicks the Shield and jumps back. The Spartan blindly swings at the air while the Ninja tries to retreat. When the Spartan regains his senses, he sees the Ninja running away and runs after him.

The Spartan runs to a part of the forest where the trees' branches and roots become thick. He slowly climbs through the trees and makes his way to a darker part of the forest. With his Javelin at hand, he looks for the Ninja while keeping his Shield up. The Ninja pops out from the trees and tries to shoot him with the blowgun. The Spartan blocks the darts with his Shield and throws his Javelin. The javelin goes off target and misses the Ninja, giving him more time to run away. He runs back and pulls out Shuriken. He turns around to throw them, only to find that the Spartan has already caught up. He quickly throws one at the Spartan, but the Shield protects the Spartan as he knocks over the Ninja. The Spartan pulls out his Short Sword again and swings at the Ninja, but the Ninja runs out of the way. The Ninja jumps onto a tree and prepares to lung at the Spartan with his Ninjato. However, he waits too long, so the Spartan holds out his Sword and impales the Ninja when he jumps. The Spartan smashes him away with his Shield and then stabs him one last time with the Short Sword. The Spartan yells "SPARTA"! in victory.

Expert's Opinion

After the fight, the experts gave their opinions. All of them stated the same basic fact: The Ninja, though skilled in stealth and killing an enemy quickly, was meant to be used against an unaware opponent. The majority of the weapons in the Ninja's arsenal were meant to hinder or blind their opponent, giving them the chance to finish them, and that the blade was the only real killing weapon, anything else would only hinder, but not kill, the Spartan. In a straight up fight against a Spartan, bred and raised for direct combat, who knew he was there, simply hindering him was not enough. The biggest advantage for the Spartan was his shield, which was used as an offensive weapon just as much as a defensive one.

Trivia

• Ninjas are portrayed in fiction as being the foil and archenemy of the samurai, the samurai using discipline and honor, while the ninja fights dirty and unorthodox. In actuality, most historical ninjas were samurais themselves such as Hattori Hanzo. Samurais also recruited ninjas during the Sengoku period and beyond.
• Ninjas rarely wore black outfits in the daytime. They created their own style of camouflage or colored outfits to resemble the terrain they would hide in for their ambush; green for trees and hedges, brown for mud, ect. But most of the time, they just wore casual clothing to look like civilians.
• At 5' 2" the Ninja is the shortest warrior yet. At 135lb, the Ninja is tied with the Samurai as the lightest generic warrior featured on the show. Since Ninja were peasants, they were relatively malnourished compared to a warrior within a conventional army or powerful empire.
• In Japan, the word 'Nin' means endurance, perseverance, stealth, and concealment. So a Ninja is a person who is an expert in these attributes.
  • The word Ninja means spy. The word Shinobi means scout.
• The traditional Ninja outfit, the Shinobi Foku, was very common among Japanese peasants (which is what most Ninja were). It wasn't a unique outfit. Even Ninja masks were common.
• Except for the Samurai and army, owning weapons was outlawed in Japan. Ninjas would use improvised weapons, but would still use weapons that were outlawed like swords. Since many Ninjas were enemies of the Samurai-led government, many Ninjas went underground and formed early Yakuza gangs.
• While Ninja are known for their lack of honor, many times they showed superior loyalty to their leaders than the Samurai, who are famous for their honor.
• Shaolin Monks influenced similar assassins on the Asian mainland. Bladed fans and false chopsticks were examples of assassination tools that looked harmless.
• Contrary to popular belief; a majority of Ninjas has little to no combat skills. Ninjas were primarily scouts, spies and occasionally assassins: but never designed to be warriors. Their superhuman feats were primarily myths and propaganda created by the Ninja themselves to scare their enemies. The majority of Ninjas had little to no combat abilities since the majority of Ninja tasks required no fighting at all.
• Secrecy was so important for Ninjas that they would commit suicide if they were going to be arrested.
• Masaaki Hatsumi invented a 'Godan Test' that he claims allows a Ninja to detect attacks from directly behind them. There are however many skeptics and criticisms about the Test.
• Ninjas were instructed to maintain a weight of about 130 lb in order to stay agile. The Deadliest Warrior Ninja is slightly above this at 135 lb, which would still be considered accurate despite being considered a 'heavyweight' for a Ninja.
• Ninja avoided eating onions, garlic, meat and fish to avoid having an odor.
• Similar assassin groups include the Indian Thuggees and Jewish Sicariis.
• While there are many Ninja jutsus (martial arts and tactics), it was rare for any Ninja clan to be a master of all jutsus. Instead; clans would specialize on a specific jutsu (while also using the basic jutsus most clans universally used).
• Ninja would avoid eating pungent food and constantly clean their clothing to reduce body odor in order to further maintain their stealth.
• Ninja Weapons [1]

Other Weapons

• Tantō
  • A very short sword used either as a sidearm or for assassination.
• Daggers and Knives
  • Kunai
    • A sharpened farming trowel made into a wide headed knife that (as expected from a trowel) acted as a small shovel as well; allowing it to be used as a weapon or to dig under walls and fences. While fiction depicts it as a throwing weapon, and it can be used as such [2]; historically it was better for close combat. The thick blade was also useful for prying open locks and doors.
  • Modified Chopsticks / Hairpins and other Hidden Blades
    • Ninjas sharpened common household items into daggers and other weapons. This was to make the Ninja look defenseless and innocent.
    • Canes and flutes can also be used to hide knives or swords [3]. Zatoichi is a famous example of a fictional swordsman with a cane-sword.
  • Rope Dart
    • A dagger on the end of a rope, chain or long piece of fabric. This weapon was more common in China, however Ninjas had their own variant. This weapon was rare though, as it required significant amount of skill and wasn't as lethal as other chain or rope weapons the Ninja had: although it was one of the lighter chain/rope weapons.
• Makibishi Caltrops
  • Sharp yet small objects that can be scattered across the ground to impale the enemy's feet. Like the Shuriken, this is designed to slow down a pursuer to allow a Ninja to flee.
  • Bishi (water chestnuts) have a natural caltrop appearance and can be made into a Makibishi by sun-drying them. Ninjas did prefer metallic caltrops; but Bishi were arguably just as effective.
  • Caltrop and Punji Sticks Pits were trap-holes used by Ninjas, but it was difficult to guarantee a kill with such traps unless the Ninja could lure their enemy into it. It was more designed to protect certain pathways.
• Torinoko Smoke Bomb
  • A small gunpowder grenade that creates a cloud of smoke; allowing the Ninja to retreat or to blind his enemy. This technique was called the 'Noroshi no Jutsu'. This led to the myth that Ninjas could teleport using clouds of smoke, like Naruto's "Substitution Jutsu". Most were 20 grams and 15mm in diameter. Some Torinoko also functioned as flashbangs.
  • Ninjas occasionally used explosive bombs; however since Ninjas wanted to stay silent, they avoided this.
• Kama
  • A single handed farming scythe modified into a weapon. Can be used to hook enemy weapons. Some Kama have a billhook design.
• Kusari Fundo and Manriki-Gusari Chains
  • Ninja used chains, some of which weighted with an iron ball or ring, to entangle enemies and their weapons. The iron ball varies in weight, but the heavier depictions can harm or even kill enemies wearing heavy helmets like the Samurai Kabuto. Spinning the ball around your head creates a 360 protective zone, able to block other melee weapons. The speed and randomness of the weapon made it very unpredictable to the eyes of the Ninja's opponents.
• Chigiriki
  • A combination of a staff and a chain. This chain could hide inside the staff to allow the weapon to appear like a walking stick.
• Nata
  • A japanese machete. Since many Ninja were farmers anyways, this was a somewhat common improvised weapon for them.
• Nunchaku and Batons
  • A farming tool for thrashing grain improvised as a weapon. Noticably one of the Ninja's less lethal weapons due to being so lightweight and blunt. However the rapid movements did make the movements of this weapon difficult to detect and avoid.
  • Ninja also were willing to use batons as well, which were identical to Nunchaku except without a chain or rope turning the stick into a flail.
  • Nunchaukus and flails were made out of many types of materials; metal and wood primarily.
• Sai and Jutte
  • Single handed weapons noticeable for having a hook that could catch enemy blades. The sai was a stabbing dagger and the Jutte was a baton. These hooks could also catch the fabric of an enemy's clothing to entangle and disorient them.
• Shuko
  • A band with metal claws worn on the palms. This weapon can block sword strikes; creating the myth that Ninjas could catch weapons with their hands. The weapon also assisted Ninjas in climbing walls or trees.
• Tekko Kagi Claws
  • Metal claws worn on the arms or hands
• Tekken
  • Brass Knuckles, normally spiked.
• Kakute Rings
  • Rings with sharp spikes; normally worn on the middle finger. Because the spikes are so small, these weapons were normally poisoned.
• Spiked/Hooked Arm Gauntlet
  • Pieces of armor for the arms with hooks to catch weapon. Shoulder or leg pads can also have these hooks. Sometimes this armor was only used for visual intimidation rather than self-defense.
• Spears
• Matches and fire-starting tools for sabotage
• Poison; either to assassinate or to make blades deadlier.
  • Food was frequently poisoned. One method was to drip the poison into the food. Ninjas could easily do this if their target was under a tree. [4]
  • One infamous assassination was when a Ninja poisoned garden flowers; knowing that the Samurai lord who owned the garden frequently sniffed his flowers.
• Various tools for unorthodox travel
  • Water Shoes to walk across water
  • Kaginawa Grappling Hooks
  • Collapsable Ladders
  • Ashiko Cleats
  • Tekagi Shuko climbing claws (can also be used as a weapon)
  • Gliding Suits
• Matchlock Arquebus (used primarily by Sugitani Zenjubo)
• Kunoichi (female ninja) used their sexiness to trick or distract their enemies. [5] [6]
  • Steel Fans containing sharp daggers were used by the Kunoichi. [7]
• Fake tree bark or hollowed boulders
  • Ninja sometimes can deploy certain paper sheets painted to resemble the natural environment.
• Wooden/Straw Decoys
  • Ninjas would set up substitute decoys to confuse their enemies. This technique was called the 'Migawari no Jutsu'.
• Naruko Clappers
  • Tripwire noisemakers that act as an alarm system. Used by farmers to detect wolves, pests and thieves; it can also alert Ninja of incoming threats.

Martial arts

• Focusing on agility and surprise
• A Ninja did not need to be mastered in all arts, infact such a Ninja was rare.
• At least 18 different disciplines (jutsus/ninpou)
  • Seishin-Teki-Kyo'yo' (Spiritual meditation)
    • This is where Ninja Hand-Signs originate from
  • Taijutsu (Unarmed Combat)
    • Has various subgroups
      • Karate
        • Primarily focused on striking unarmored opponents with solid punches or kicks
      • Kung Fu
        • Chinese martial art focused on agility
        • Frequently used with lightweight weapons
      • Jujutsu
        • Designed for fighting against Samurai armor by exploiting joints or using the weight of the armor as leverage for grabs and throws
        • Sometimes used with light weapons and daggers
      • Fudoza
        • Is literally using martial arts while the Ninja is still sitting on the ground.
  • Weapon-Based Fighting Styles
    • Kenjutsu (Sword Combat)
      • Iaijutsu (Sword Quick-Draw)
        • An attack that is done simultaneously with unsheathing the sword. This technique can be done in a fraction of a second. It can strike an opponent or counter an attack. Samurai also knew this technique; so the Ninja would have their scabbards abnormally large so they could draw their sword much faster. This technique is normally use deceptively to appear vulnerable.
    • Bojutsu (Staff Combat)
    • Tantojutsu (Knife Fighting)
      • Shurikenjutsu (Knife Throwing)
    • Sojutsu (Spear Combat)
      • Naginatajutsu (Naginata Combat)
    • Kusarigamajutsu (Scythe and Chain Combat)
    • Kayakujutsu (Fire-based Combat)
      • Fire and explosive weapons were primarily used to sabotage or to make Ninjas appear superhuman. This inspired the rumor that Ninjas could launch fire from their hands or mouth.
    • Some Ninjas knew Kyujutsu (Archery) as well; although this was rare as archery required years of experience to master.
  • Guerilla Fighting and Hit-And-Run combat
    • Hensojutsu (Disguise)
    • Shinobi-Iri (Stealth)
    • Bajutsu (Horseback Riding)
    • Sui-Ren (Swimming)
    • Boryaku and Bujutsu (Military Tactics & Strategy)
    • Choho (Espionage)
    • Intonjutsu (Escape and Hiding)
    • Tenmon (Basic Meteorology)
      • Ninjas would plan attacks on days where visibility was low; fog and cloudy nights were best case scenarios. Ninjas also benefited from rain as muddy roads can slow down their enemies.
        • Noroshi no Jutsu
          • A Ninja would use smoke producing gunpowder to hide their appearance in order to infiltrate a static position like a castle.
    • Chi-Mon (Basic Geography)
      • Ninjas frequently constructed secret tunnels to ambush and flee. This was commonly used to enter enemy castles.
• 'Bunshin no Jutsu' were styles of movement designed to fool an enemy into thinking that the Ninja could create phantoms or clones of itself. This movement could be complemented by having multiple Ninjas pretending to act like each other. This is also dubbed 'Cloning Jutsu' and the 'Afterimage Technique'.