In ancient Japan there were incidents of various powerful communities taking part in wars. They chose to fight during the day, on the battlefield or in an open space.
But even behind this sunlight, there was another community in the dark world that took their training to another level. These highly skilled secret soldiers are called "ninja" or "shinobi", meaning "someone who is in hiding".
What we now think of as a ninja is a man in a black robe, whose face is covered with cloth, and who carries objects such as swords or blades.
However, in the 12th century, ninja meant spies, who, in the guise of ordinary people, tried to find out secret and important information. They often took the form of blacksmiths, garment sellers, artisans, or monks. Many of them became so skilled at this task that they spent many years or even their entire lives spying without the knowledge of the people around them.
Once the conspiracy grew in Japan, the demand for ninjas gradually increased, and at the same time ninjas began to practice self-defense and attack. They became experts in various types of martial arts.
They created an art called 'Taijutsu', a combination of judo, jujitsu, akido, karate and kung fu. The purpose of this art is to remove the opponent from the fight by injuring him severely as soon as possible. But all this was not enough for the ninjas. So they became proficient in different types of weapons.
For this reason, various castles and other important places in Japan were guarded by very skilled samurai. As a result, the task of spying became much more difficult and many times ninjas were caught and killed.
The training of ninjas started from a very young age. They are trained in different ways, to become a skilled ninja. Ninjas are trained to survive even in the most difficult of circumstances (environments).
How to climb a tree or a wall quickly, how to stay away from hunger and sleep, how to walk in silence, how to stay under water for a long time, etc.
The ninjas had a tradition of their own conduct. With which they would face life and death. And the ninjas had a document or scroll called "BanSenShukai" about this behavior.
Also, ninjas have a means of pointing to elements of nature. With which the ninjas used to refer to elements like fire, ice, water, soil, lightning, wind, etc., and it is known as "Kuji-Kiri". And all this helped to confuse the ninjas' self-confidence and enemies.
Most of the ninja's weapons were used indoors or in small spaces (rooms or corridors).
Shurikan & Kunai
Shurikan is a star-shaped blade, and Kunai is a kind of Japanese knife. But ninjas threw it not to kill, but to deter or warn the enemy.
But many times in self-defense they would hit the body of the enemy. Sometimes there are even cases of poisoning in these weapons.
Makabishi
It can be called small iron cut. This weapon was very useful when the samurai chased the ninjas. It was not very visible, especially in the dark, so it is capable of causing serious injuries once it has hit the feet.
Tekko-Kagi
Taco-Kagi was quite useful in the face-to-face attack. Its iron nails could be lightly scratched.
By attaching the shackles to a sickle, a small mass of iron or stone is given at the end. It is very difficult to use. However, if used properly, it is possible to get much better results. Shackles in particular have a technique with which the opponent can be easily injured.
Ninja-to Sword
In fact, most ninjas prefer Lucky's Ashes or Katana Sword. These were very sharp and the ninjas used them in a timely manner.
Ninjas could also escape from enemies by making special bombs.
The ninjas emerged as a serious threat in the 14th century. Then they could be rented for money. They then killed many samurai, wise men and common people.
Many times they would make surprise attacks from outside the fort or would sneak in and mix poison or medicine in the food.
Girl ninjas also had a position in Japan, and they were called "Kunoichi". They would enter the fort as housewives, or in other guises, and get very close to their target.
In the 16th century, ninja families began to be divided into different clans. Among the most powerful dynasties, however, were the Iga-Ryu and the Koga-Ryu.
The province of Iga Ninja is located in a hilly village, while the Koga Ninja live on either side of a river or fountain. The location of ninjas in different regions teaches these two ninja families to create their own method.
And this is how some ninjas became historical warriors with their skills and methods. One of them is "Hattori Hanzo".
He was born in Iga village and according to their tradition he was trained as a ninja from an early age. At just 18 years old, he was recognized as a samurai. He was very good at spear or spear. His bravery and brutality on the battlefield immortalized him in Japanese history.
Ninja Hatori had the greatest contribution - once he bravely rescued a woman and her child from a castle from the enemy.
The ninjas were one of the most iconic figures in ancient Japan. In history, ninjas were seen with special respect. Many stories, comics, cartoons, books, movies, games have been made in Japan based on these ninjas. The interest of the outside world in ninjas has not diminished yet. Even today, when tourists go to Japan, one of their interests is to see the performances of ninjas.
One of the oldest groups of ninjas in this era today is the "Kawakami Jinichi". It is said that he is the last ninja of Japan and that is true!
(He is now 60+)
But like other ninjas of the present time, he has decided not to teach ninja training to anyone. He wants to keep ninja privacy with him. He is currently the Honorary Director of a Ninja Museum next to Tokyo, Japan. Many tourists visit there every year.
According to him, there is no need for ninjas in this modern age.
Excellent one