![]() ![]() ![]() The ninja used a katana that is shorter and straighter than usual. It is a standard katana, which is designed to be strong and flexible. Of all the equipment ninjas carry, nothing is more important than the sword. Ninja Gear (Photo Credit: BBC News Japan) The biggest difference with a samurai costume however, is that a cowl is wrapped around the ninja’s head, revealing only the eyes. Just like the samurai, they wore cloth gaiters over their calves, black tabi or Japanese socks, waraji or straw sandals. They also tucked the jacket inside their trousers. Unlike a judo or karate garb, ninja jackets used no ties to prevent it from being caught by protrusions when climbing a wall. The ninja costume is simple yet well designed for its purpose. This color can easily be spotted under the moonlight so a dark navy blue dye was usually used. However, it is a myth that ninjas wore jet-black clothing. Nevertheless, it is obvious that if a ninja was to perform the role of infiltrating a castle secretly at night, then the choice of a very dark costume is a sensible one. ![]() The idea of the ninjas wearing an all black costume is so ingrained in popular culture, but in actuality, they tend to disguise themselves to blend in with the environment or the enemy. A true ninja is an individual with mental and physical soundness, who endures adversity while maintaining integrity, and seeks altruistic harmony with nature and people. Through rigorous training, the ninja learns to stretch the limit of his abilities through perseverance, seishin, and the spirit of wa. He also needed to be in superb physical shape to enable him to scale walls and be an expert in unarmed grappling techniques.Īside from physical abilities, a would-be ninja is required to develop shinshin-funi (lit. A young ninja would have a more extensive curriculum, covering skills in explosives, blending of poisons, as well as fieldcraft and survival. Important skills would also include mastery of the samurai sword, spear, bow, and is expected to ride well and swim. They also need to learn to walk quickly and stealthily and thus developed the “nanba style.” Ninjas would grow bamboo and hemp and would jump over them as part of their exercise. They are expected to be able to run fast and jump high. Ninjas often trained deep in the mountains developing superior level of vision to be able to cope with different lighting conditions. This technique will come in handy when hiding underwater for hoursĦ – A Shonin (ninja leader) evaluates the trainee before he is sent to his first missionħ & 8 – Acrobatic skills that allow them the ability to “fly”ġ0 – Training in using the yari (long spear) Ninja Training (Photo Credit: Ninja by Stephen Turnbull)ġ – Learning to balance exceptionally wellĢ – Breathing underwater using a bamboo tube. They were minor landowners who, just like any daimyo of any size, emphasized the value of family and loyalty. The most celebrated “professional” ninjas were leaders of the provinces in Iga and Koga. Like so many martial arts traditions in Japan, their skills were passed down from father to son or more usually from sensei (master) to chosen pupil, who may not always have been a relative. In the mid 15th century onward, certain samurai families began to develop particular skills in intelligence gathering during feudal warfare. However, ninjas were despised because of how they contradicted the samurai code due to their use of secretive and underhanded methods. The ways of the ninja are an unavoidable part of samurai warfare, and no samurai can ignore the utility and fear that they represented. Many opportune deaths may be a result of clandestine activities by ninjas but because they work in so much secrecy it is impossible to prove them. ![]()
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