Ninjas

Guide Note

Clad entirely in black, their faces hidden behind a cloth mask, Ninja assassins creep through the darkness unseen, using the element of surprise to snare their victims. Before any defense can be raised, the Ninja slays their prey and disappears in a haze of smoke.

This image of the Ninja as a master of stealth and espionage is part of the popular culture, seen often in movies, comics, and video games. Although there are some inaccuracies to the way we view Ninjas today, the picture above is not far from the truth.

Fast Facts

1. Ninjas are mammals ^[1]
2. Ninja means "one who practices the art of stealth"
3. Ninjas originated in the Koga and Iga regions of Japan
4. Female Ninjas were known as kunoichi
5. Ninjutsu is still taught and practiced today

The original Ninjas were mountain people living peacefully in fifteenth century Japan. When the powerful ruling classes (the Samurai) sought to persecute them and deny their freedoms, the Ninja fought back. Using what the Samurai considered to be "dishonorable" tactics, the Ninjas mastered the art of guerrilla warfare to outwit their more powerful enemy. Against the Samurai's larger numbers and better equipped armies, the Ninja developed techniques that allowed them to successfully fight what would otherwise have been an unwinnable war.

Over time, the skills of the Ninja warriors developed into the martial art of Ninjutsu (or Ninpo), sometimes translated as the "art of stealth" or the "art of perseverance," both of which were needed to survive in violent times. Ninjutsu incorporates both armed and unarmed combat, in addition to the mastering of pyrotechnics, disguise, strategy, espionage, and entering and escaping unseen. These skills were passed down in secrecy from teacher to student. The Ninja honed their art over the centuries to become some of the most extraordinary warriors in history.

Although the Ninja were often assassins, it was in the name of fighting for their families and communities that they killed. Only the rare rogue Ninja hired out these skills for money rather than for their ultimate goal of peace. And it was only later, in Japan's Kabuki theatre, that Ninjas began to be portrayed as always wearing black.