About Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu has been stereotyped in many forms of video games, Japanese animation and movies. Many people may think that this martial art is a fluke because of its intense media attention. Ninjutsu is in fact, a real martial art with lots of history behind it.

The Word Ninjutsu

The word itself means “edge of the sword.” But the characters used to create the word have meanings of “secrecy”, “mystery”, “sworn art”, and “stealth.” These words show that the art has a bit of a mystique to it and how it holds great meaning. The words “law” and “knowledge” form a higher form of ninjutsu.

History of Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu started off as an elite form of spying back in 500 A.D., and is still used today but as a form of martial arts. It was formed by a group of people who believed stealth and spying were necessary during assassination attempts. It became more known in feudal Japan, where ninjas not only used the art to deceive, but also trained using weapons, advanced forms of archery, and even making types of medicine. Many emperors and royalty thought of ninjas as “non-human” due to their unique talents.

Ninjutsu Weapons

The most common weapon is the kunai, a short and sleek sword that can cut through quickly. A cliché yet very used weapon was the shuriken, a throwing spiked star. Poison tipped darts were also used through bamboo shoots, as well as yuami and ya, traditional Japanese short bow and arrow. Ninjas were also the first to use brass knuckles in fistfights. The naginata was a pole with a sharp sword tip on it and many women had it in their homes in case intruders would step foot.