Chapter 2: Discussion

Chapter 2

DISCUSSION

A. Definition of Ninja

A.1. Ninja and Ninjutsu

                

            Ninjas are known as legendary shadow warriors from ancient Japan.  Their style of fighting are not by spells or runes (as shown in Naruto and other popular anime) but by ninjutsu.  Ninjutsu is not a martial art, it is an independent art of warfare that was developed mainly in the regions of Iga in Mie Prefecture, and Koka in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

            The jobs of ninjas are divided into two main categories; the first one is performing espionage and the second one performing strategy, these two jobs use Ninjutsu as their methodology.  Espionage is similar to the job of modern spies, collecting evidences and facts that they can use against the enemy.  Strategic performance is skills that reduce the enemy’s military and intelligence. The better the strategy that can be made against the enemy the more immobilized the enemy would be. In ninjutsu, every loophole is considered and made a plan for. There are plan A’s and plan B’s till plan Z’s.

               

            Ninja’s are generally peaceful warriors. They attack the enemies only after reducing the enemy’s military prowess.

“Ninjutsu was called the art of “entering from nearby, wherein ninja would constantly gather intelligence concerning the enemy, thinking of ways to beat the enemy, but not fighting the enemy directly.” (http://iganinja.jp/en/about/ninja.html)

For short, ninja’s who attack their enemies directly and without a strategy or plan are considered low class ninjas. And the Japanese warriors who think rationally when in war are considered great and powerful in contrast.

A.2. History or Ninja

            The ninja started with a bunch mountain nomads or ascetics. Ascetics are people who are trained for abstinence, only consuming a minimum amount of food and water and trained to make do without worldly pleasures and luxuries. These ascetics lived in hills around towns which are the capital of Japan. Buddhism by that time was being established. Ninja practices show heavy influence of Buddhism and the Chinese way of fighting and the ancient writings of Chinese Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu emphasizes fighting styles with spies and espionage, strategies and operations chock full deception.

               

            By the end of Japan’s Nara period, the Yama-bushi (people who lived in the mountains) cult started to exercise their beliefs with other people. They advertised vulgar ideas, superstitions and medicinal biases. Their actions were noted by the government and pretty soon their cult was declared as illegal. However, this did not stop the Yama-bushi. The young men who were included in the cult decided to conduct their own secret orders.

               

            The hostility of the government towards this cult did not end, and the people included in the cult were forced to learn ways to protect their selves.  Priests turned to guerrilla warfare, what would later evolve to bujutsu, the martial art of eighteen methods- karate, bojutsu, kenjutsu, etc.

               

            By the end of the Heian period, the first book about ninjutsu appeared. It was written by the great Genji Warrior Yoshitsune Minamoto, an entitled the “Book of Eight Styles of Kurama.” It wasc reated in central Honshu. Kurama was the mountain in where young ascetics were trained to fight, this was also where Yoshitsune mastered the martial arts when he was a child. The book emphasized the art of flying/ jumping, for Yoshitsune was known to be a great leaper.

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            After the establishment of ninjutsu, the ninjas began to come up. Three levels of power were established.  The leader was called”jonin”, usually the head of the family. The “chunin” a middle class ninja and the lowest was called the “genin”.  The Iga area in Japan began to be well known for its ninjas.

To quote an adaptation of Jack Hoban’s work “Ninpo: Living and thinking as a warrior” “History had taught them that they must be prepared to protect their family and their lifestyle. They perfected a system of martial arts that has earned them the reputation for being the most amazing warriors the world has ever known. It is this reputation that initially attracts most people.” (http://www.winjutsu.com/ninjakids/nk_history.html)

            This is because the area back then was so poor that people were killing other people just so they could gain their livelihood. It was a dog eat dog world and to survive, they had learn ways to defend themselves. (https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/vol9no2/html/v09i2a06p_0001.htm)

B. Ninja: Then and Now

B.1. The Three Iga Ninja Grandmaster

B.1.1. Hattori Hanzo

            Hattori was also called as Devil Hanzo,  this was to distinguish him from another ninja from Tokugawa name Watanabe Hanzo and also, to page homage for his skills. Hattori  began his training at the age of eight, climbing mountains and seeking instruction from the most hardcore ninja masters in Japan. He went to his first battle at the age of sixteen and served at Anegawa and Mikatagahara after. His most valuable contribution came in 1582, just after the assassination of Oda Nobunaga. He single handedly saved a troop of ninjas  from clan betrayal using his leadership skills and connections to the samurai in the the Iga province.

           
             Quoting from the website www.badassoftheweek.com , “Another thing to keep in mind when discussing the attitudee of Hanzo Hattori is that we probably don’t know half of the things he did in his lifetime, because most if it was behind-closed-doors cloak-and-dagger type insanity”

            Hattori Hanzo was not only known as one of the great ninjas masters by name only, but also in actions. This is a far, far cry from what we see in “ninjas” today.

B.1.2. Momochi Tambanokami

           

            Momochi Tamba was known as a dogo, a clan lord, situated in Nabari. In reality, he was known as one of the three powerful  Iga families which has control over the ninjas. Oda Nobunaga, who once felt threatened by the ninja, send 10000 soldiers to attack the “devilish and monstrous country”. Under his power, Momochi handled the ninja of the Iga province and gave word for battle. He was able to repulse Oda Nobunaga’s forces successfully, not only once but twice.

            “There are many uncertain points concerning Tamba's life. Some theories suggest that he was the same man as Momochi Sandayu the ninjutsu master of Ishikawa Goemon, who was a very famous thief in Japan.” This came from the website ludoninja.blosgpot.com, a blog which discussed things related to old day ninjas and ninjutsu.

               

B. 1.3. Fujibayashi Nagatonokami

            Little is known about Fujibayashi Nagatonokami, except for the fact that he was one of the leader of the most famous Iga ninja in the history of Japan. He was in charge of northeast Iga, and was in control of all the ninja  there.  Though the three families were very powerful, they still had ot admit defeat when feudal lord Oda Nobunaga attacked the Iga province with a troop of 50000 soldiers. Many Iga ninjas and families were killed and slaughtered. The Iga warriors resisted in the end, but eventually had to surrender. Nobunaga declared a ceasefire and allowed some of the ninja to escape.

            Manisha Kundu-Nagata, author of the website lipikazuo.blogspot.com mentioned that “There were many schools of ninjutsu during the feudal era. The two most famous main styles of ninjutsu were Iga-ryu ninjutsu which originated in Mie prefecture and Koka-ryu ninjutsu which originated in Shiga prefecture.”

           It was believed that the three ninja masters practiced both techniques but majored in one, and this made the three of them powerful and highly respected in their time.

B.2. Modern Ninjas

                B.2.1. Jinichi Kawakami

            You would be surprised to know that there are still ninjas living in the modern world. The last ninja however, does not practice his lifestyle as one, instead Japan’s last ninja lives his life as an engineer. Jinichi Kawakami is a 63 year old ninja who can hear a needle drop in the next room and kill from 20 paces with a 5-pointed steel star. He is the 21’st head of the Ban clan, a dynasty of secret ninja’s. He began training for the ancient art of ninjutsu at the age if six under a Buddhist master.  He practiced his hearing by training his ears to hear a needle drop from the next room.  Though Kawakami is very skilled, he has decided to not pass on the art anymore because he believes that ninjas do not fit in the modern day.

               

                        Matt Blake, author of the article entitled “Japan’s Last Ninja: Engineer, 63, who can hear a needle drop in the next room and kill from 20 paces is the last in 500-year line of Japanese assassins “ quoted Kawakami:  “We can’t try out murder or poisons. Even if we can follow the instructions to make a poison, we can’t try it out.”

                        Though the concept of the ninja is very much alive, the people who consist of the lifestyle are dying. Like aeta’s ninjas have outgrown their time and it is believed that they are not fit to live in the modern world anymore.