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We've all heard of the ninja - some more, some less. Born and raised in the clans of assassins to fight against the eternal enemies of the samurai. Crouching like a shadow in the night, peasant warriors who are paid the highest price for special assignments.
But what if none of this is true? What if modern ideas about ancient ninjas are based on 20th century comics and fantasy? Historian Anthony Cummins and a team of like-minded people translated ancient Japanese scrolls to bring the truth about the ninja to his contemporaries.
Ninja used to be called differently
The hieroglyphs for the word "ninja" were read as "shinobi-no-mono" in the medieval period. "Ninja" is a Chinese tongue-in-cheek reading of these characters that became popular in the 20th century.
First mention of ninja
For the first time, ninja are mentioned in the Taiheiki chronicles "The Tale of the Great World", written around 1375. They indicate that the ninja were sent on a windy night in order to penetrate enemy territory and set fire to houses.
golden age of the ninja
The ninja flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries when wars were tearing Japan apart. After 1600, peace came to Japan, and the art of the ninja began to gradually fade away.
historical record
There are very few records of ninja during the war period; it wasn't until peace came in the 1600s that ninjas began to record their skills. The most famous source is the colossal "ninja bible" of the Bansenshukai, written in 1676. Currently, there are approximately 400-500 ninjutsu manuals in Japan, most of which are still kept secret.
Samurai were not the enemy of the ninja
Often in films, samurai and ninja are portrayed as enemies. In fact, the term "ninja" refers to a warrior of any class in the samurai army, and the position of a ninja was akin to modern forces special purpose, attached to the main forces. Many samurai mastered the art of ninjutsu.
Ninjas weren't peasants
Films also often depict ninjas as coming from a peasant class. In fact, a ninja could be of any origin. Only after 1600, when peace came to Japan, did the official position of the ninja in the samurai clan decline to a new social position called "doshin" - "half-samurai". Over time, the status of the ninja fell, although they retained a higher position than most peasants.
Ninjutsu is not a martial art
Many consider ninjutsu to be a martial art, a system of martial arts that can still be learned today. However, the idea of a specific form of martial arts practiced by the ninja was introduced by a single person in Japan between 1950 and the 60s. This new combat system was introduced to America during the ninja boom in the 80s and became one of the most popular misconceptions about the ninja. So far, not a single medieval mention of this form of wrestling has been found.
shurikens
Shurikens have almost nothing to do with ninja. These specially shaped blades were used in many samurai schools as secret weapon, and only in the 20th century public opinion connected them with the ninja through comics and cartoons.
Ninja mask
There is not a single historical mention of a ninja wearing a mask. Surprisingly, according to ancient manuals, ninjas did not wear masks. They hid their faces behind long sleeves if the enemy was close, and when they worked in a group, they wore white headbands, allowing them to see each other in the moonlight.
ninja costume
Ninjas are usually presented in canonical costume. In fact, the "suit" seems like a uniform only to the Western eye. It's just traditional Japanese clothing, complete with a mask. Black Japanese clothes can be compared to the black modern suit in London. In medieval Japan, people used to wear masks outside to hide their faces.
Ninjas didn't use straight swords
The popular ninja sword today is a sword with a straight blade and a square guard. The origin of this myth is difficult to trace. Almost straight swords (with a 1 mm curve) existed in medieval Japan, and square guards too, but they began to be associated with ninja in the 20th century. Ninjutsu manuals indicate the use of conventional swords.
Secret language of hands
Ninja are known for their secret sign language called kuji. However, he has no real connection to the ninja. The Kuji language most likely originated in India, and then found its way to China and Japan. This is a series of ritual gestures designed to ward off evil in certain situations, as if a Christian were using a crucifix. The association of these gestures with ninja again appeared in the 20th century.
Ninjas don't use smoke bombs.
The image of a ninja with a smoke bomb is universal. Although not completely wrong, it is misleading. Ninja manuals don't include descriptions of smoke bombs, but they do contain hundreds of other recipes, such as earth mines, hand grenades, torches that are not afraid of water, Greek fire, exploding and poisonous gas.
Nobody knows the identity of the ninja
This is only half true. Ninja agents were divided into those who could be seen (young ninja) and those who remained hidden (yen ninja). The identity of the hidden ninja was a mystery, and they could carry out missions incognito. On the other hand, a group of ninjas could be hired openly, they moved with the army, they had their own barracks, they were freed from daily camp activities and were well known among their own.
Ninjas have black magic
The image of a ninja killer is obscured by the image of a ninja wizard, a combat mage. In old Japanese films, ninjas are shown using magic to outwit their opponents. Curiously, ninja skills contain certain magical rituals, from a magical hairpin that helps to become invisible, to sacrificing a dog in order to gain the help of the gods. However, the standard skills of the samurai also contain an element of magic. At the time it was widespread.
Ninjas weren't assassins
Ninja didn't learn how to kill from a young age so they could be hired by other clans. Most ninja specialized in special operations, propaganda, espionage, infiltration, and explosive craft. The use of ninjas as assassins was secondary and ninja manuals rarely raise this issue.
Hattori Hanzo is a real historical figure
Hattori Hanzo gained fame from the movie Kill Bill, but he was a real samurai and a skilled ninja. He became a famous general and earned the nickname "Devil Hanzo". It is believed that in his youth he led a group of ninja and gained strength under the wing of the future ruler of Japan. There is a legend that he wrote or inherited one of the oldest ninja scrolls in the universe.
Most ninja misconceptions come from the 20th century
True ninja ended with the samurai period at the end of the 19th century, when Japan stepped onto the path of modernization. Although books on ninja existed as early as the Middle Ages, the first ninja boom in Japan occurred in the early 1900s, when information was scarce. Books on the subject became popular and between 1910 and 1970 many books filled with errors and speculation were published by amateurs and enthusiasts. All of these errors were translated into English during the ninja boom in the 1980s.
The ninja scrolls are encrypted
It is believed that the ninja scrolls are encrypted to keep their secret. It has to do with a misunderstanding of the Japanese way of writing down a list of skills. In Japan, there are often scrolls that simply list certain skills and abilities. For example, the expression "Fox Technique" or "Invisible Cloak Technique" means nothing without a proper explanation, but that does not mean that they are encrypted.
If the ninja fails the mission, he must kill himself.
This is a Hollywood myth. There are no documents indicating that the failure of the mission leads to suicide. In fact, manuals teach that it is better not to complete a task than to do it hastily and cause problems. Better wait for the next opportunity. There is historical evidence that a ninja could kill himself and burn the body to hide his identity if caught.
Superhuman strength
Some believe that ninjas have more physical strength than ordinary warriors. However, only a small number of ninja were trained in the fighting style of the Special Powers. Many ninja lived hidden life in enemy territory, just doing normal daily activities or traveling and spreading rumors. The recommended abilities for a ninja were: disease resistance, high intelligence, quick speech, and goofy appearance (because people usually ignore those who look stupid).
Real ninjas don't exist anymore
Some people in Japan call themselves masters of the ninja schools, dating back to the samurai times. However, they have yet to provide evidence for their claims. This means that there is not a single documented ninja left.
Real ninjas are cooler than fictional ones
While fictional ninjas have ruled people's hearts for over 100 years, the new historical truth turns out to be more interesting. With historical ninja manuals published in English, a more realistic and surprising picture is revealed to the world. Ninja can now be seen as part of the samurai fighting machine, each with a distinct set of skills in different areas such as espionage, covert operations, reconnaissance behind enemy lines, surveillance, explosions and destruction, and psychology. This new and improved image of the Japanese ninja is admired for the depth and complexity of the samurai martial arts.
Sand and other finely dispersed materials have been successfully used to blind opponents in group battles and duels around the world (smoke screens and choking gas were usually used for large battles) and at all times - from ancient ages before modern society. But they were especially famous for the use of "eye destroyers" - metsubushi and gansubushi- Japanese ninja spies who skillfully used this auxiliary weapon to defeat the most powerful fighters of their time. We will talk about how to make metsubushi (metsubushi) with your own hands at home below.
Mentioning metsubushi usually refers to several similar concepts - a physical technique that makes a person close his eyes (for example, hitting the eyeball with his fingers), a specially prepared weapon, or reflecting light using a mirror or polished surface. The second option has become widely known in the world under the name of "eye destroyer".
As a rule, metsubushi consists of two components - this is the actual "basis" of the weapon, which, getting into the eyes, Airways the enemy forces him involuntarily to be distracted from the attack, and the container, which allows you to transport the base and use it as soon as possible.
The foundation
First of all, you need to decide on the goal of making metsubushi: if you want to get a full-fledged self-defense weapon, then the first advice is to contact professional manufacturers of gas cartridges and aerosols for protection. Otherwise, you will take on an overly responsible burden of creating something on which the life and health of you and your loved ones may depend in the future. For all other cases, we can recommend the following:
- For training, a technique with a live opponent is best as a basis. flour(any) - it is quite finely dispersed and "in flight" creates a white cloud of a size depending on the spray technique. An even lighter option - small ash, left after funny barbecues or lighting night fires. The ash stays in the air longer and is less noticeable on clothes. For weighting in the mixture, you can use semolina- metsubushi in this case is required to be thrown directly into the face of the enemy.
- For making more authentic and dangerous species basics can be used: fine salt(be careful - with a well-aimed hit in the eye, it can completely deprive of vision!), ground black or red pepper(a classic even for modern types of weapons), crushed glass, iron sawdust, rubbed dried nettle, sand, simple earth dust. All this can be used in pure form, as well as mixtures. As a practice, you can look at the "volatility" of each of the proposed options and create your own combat composition, blinding, suffocating and crippling the adversary. And then all the same go and buy a spray can, so that, what good, not to cripple yourself.
Container
The most elementary way to transport a metsubushi is in your own pockets. As necessary, the damaging composition is simply scooped up from there and catches the eye of the attacker (for example, you can deal with a handful of change). But for the majority of more or less effective foundations, this option is not suitable, therefore, from the alternative options, you can always choose the most convenient one for yourself.
The prevailing qualities of the ninja (those heroes that we so often see in the anime http://alive-portal.ru/anime/) were considered cunning, ingenuity and perseverance. Their main subjects were horse riding, stick fighting, military strategy, the art of stealth and disguise, escape and disappearance, pyrotechnics and explosives, sword fighting, kusarigama (a chain weapon consisting of a 2.5 m chain with a weight on one end and a sickle on the other), spiritual purification, the art of penetration, spear, water training, unarmed combat, meteorology, espionage and geography.
MYTH #1: THE REAL NINJA IS A MYTH
This type of wrestling and its fighters began to appear in Japan 800 years ago. This means of defense was necessary for the peasants to defend themselves against samurai and other armed warriors. Ninjutsu is considered a unique and purely defensive martial art. Its main principle is to avoid battle if you can, and if you can't, kill the enemy. The ninja first tries to avoid any conflict: he throws sand into the eyes of the enemy to blind him, and hides. But if the battle started, then the ninjas are merciless. not without reason Japanese emperors they were used as bodyguards, spies and assassins.
MYTH #2: NINJA CAN PREVENT A SHARP SWORD WITH BARE HANDS
Ninjutsu master Hatsumi is the patriarch and founder of the Bujinkan school. He professed the Takamatsu school and served as the personal bodyguard of the last Chinese emperor. He shows his students the tricks and says: "Try to avoid any contact and fight." He shows them how to parry with a sword, though he basically just avoids them. And he does it very cleverly, sometimes using special means(metal claws).
Dexterity and ingenuity help the ninja to repel melee attacks. Everything happens at lightning speed, and therefore it seems that the ninja fight off a sharp sword with their bare hands.
MYTH #3: NINJA WEAR MASK AND BLACK CLOTHES
Modern ninja, serving as bodyguards, wear the most ordinary clothes and everyday costumes. And 800 years ago, ninja wore simple peasant dresses without black masks on their faces.
MYTH #4: NINJA CAN VAPORIZE IN THE AIR
This is a consequence of the main rule of the ninja: hide, run, disappear. At the slightest opportunity to avoid a fight, a real ninja will not miss it. He will do his best to evade the war (fight, fight) using dodges, withdrawal, threatening (frightening) throwing of shurikens (thrown weapons in the form stars with sharp ends). To hide from the enemy, they used smoke bombs or threw sand into the opponent's eyes, confusing the enemy in order to disappear from view.
MYTH #5: NINJA KILL WITH ONE HAND TOUCH
In the high school of ninja, there are techniques that allow fighters to block the arteries of the attacker with the touch of their fingers. There are blows to the temple that cause death in the ninja's arsenal, but such techniques are taught only to those students who will never use them.
Such techniques are studied more for theory than for practice. Although the main pain points for touch, ninjas learn at the very beginning of their studies (this is the basis). These points are located on the neck in the region of the eyeballs. Ninja use this knowledge only in extreme cases, when there is no other way out to neutralize the enemy.
MYTH #6: SHURIKEN IS A SPECIAL MURDER WEAPON
In fact, shurikens were used as a secondary weapon in order to inflict wounds on enemies, distracting them from the fight. Shurikens were of two types. Hira-shuriken - a household item of peasants - its tips were sharpened and sharpened to inflict wounds. Bo-shuriken - advanced military weapon with sharp spikes up to 20 cm, but it was also created not to kill, but to intimidate rivals.
MYTH #7: NINJA ONLY USE ANCIENT JAPANESE WEAPON
The new ninjas adopted modern views weapons, but before they used only their own and not necessarily ancient. Instead of shurikens for throwing, for example, coins sharpened along the edges were used. Often they resorted to the help of gunpowder and various homemade bombs.
Ninja students had a special subject - kayakujutsu, where they studied various powder mixtures, taught how to make and install smoke and explosive bombs and bombs on the ground. Ninja were among the first to use smoke screens and bomb explosions to distract enemies.
MYTH #8: NINJA SHOULD BE STRONG
Ninjutsu masters point out that this is not the main thing. Ninjutsu teaches a person to skillfully and effectively use his body, and it does not matter here whether you are fat or thin, tall or small. Such a quality as foreseeing the actions of an opponent and the ability to outwit him is necessary. Thanks to smooth and well-balanced movements, the fighter takes control over the actions of the opponent and over the course of the fight itself.
Ninjutsu teaches natural postures and the fluidity of all movements. Of paramount importance here are the movement and position of the legs (support of the whole body). The balance of your movements and the judicious use of techniques familiar to the fighter are important. A true master is always relaxed and focused. It takes a fraction of a second to perform a striking technique.
MYTH #9: A PIRATE (BANDIT) WILL DEFEAT THE NINJA
If speak about fair fight, then the ninja will win without a shadow of a doubt. But pirates and bandits are not used to obeying a code of honor. Using all available means and methods, they can outwit the ninjutsu master by using a pistol at the most unexpected moment. In this case, the ninja will be defeated. Thanks to the deceit and the lack of any noble canons of the pirate, the crook will outplay the naive and noble ninja.
Shuriken (literal translation: "blade hidden in the hand") - hidden japanese weapons, intended for throwing; although sometimes used for strikes
Unlike a pirate, a ninja will seek a peaceful solution to the problem to the last and cold-bloodedly use every oversight of an opponent. The pirate, of course, looks more menacing, but the ninja acts smarter.
The mysterious ninja warriors used various types of edged weapons, and we will be introduced to the most deadly types of them. this post.
katana
The katana was the primary weapon of every ninja. The sword was made from several layers of steel, which an experienced gunsmith folded several times. The katana of the shadow warriors was different from the samurai - it was almost 20 centimeters longer.
Fukibari
These blowguns were used by ninja warriors when attacking. The tips of the darts were poisoned with the strongest poison, which made it possible to quickly deal with even a stronger opponent. Interestingly, in modern Japan there is a sport of shooting from fukibari.
Kusari Fundo
Kusari-Fundo is very similar to the Central European flail, which was used by both ordinary peasants and professional warriors. An experienced ninja could only fight two or three opponents with this weapon.
Kusarigama
This is a variation of the kusari fundo, where a sharp sickle is attached to the end instead of a weight. It could be thrown at an opponent and then pulled back by the chain.
Tekko-Kagi
A versatile weapon used for both attack and defense. Having only tekko-kagi in his arsenal, an experienced warrior could disarm a samurai armed with a katana.
shuriken
Shuriken is one of the most famous ninja weapons. Contrary to popular belief, it was rarely used. Shuriken is convenient to confuse the advancing enemy, and moistening it with poison - try to get into an unprotected part of the body.
kunai
Many of the weapons of the ninja are descended from conventional agricultural implements. And the kunai is no exception: the peasants used it as a spatula, but the ninja pierced the kunai fastenings in the walls.
Makibishi
This is a medieval version of modern police road spikes. Properly made makibishi always fell with their tips up and could detain a whole detachment of mounted warriors.
Kakute
The weapon is a ring worn, as a rule, on the middle finger. The spike was turned inward, which ensured the surprise of the attack. Sometimes he was smeared with a potent poison.
Matsubishi
Matsubishi served to blind the enemy. The basis of this simple, but very effective weapon was the shells of nuts and eggs. Any irritant was placed inside - from gunpowder to ground pepper and broken glass. Matsubishi were thrown in the face - and samurai helmets did not provide eye protection.
