Ninja - Real Warriors or Mythical Creatures?

Ninja' s Origins

The word "ninja" if translated from Japanese means "spy," and "ninjutsu" implies "the art of espionage." In Japan the legendary spies appeared somewhere in the 6th century A.D. The ninja's last professional union existed up to the 17the century. Later on, from time to time there appeared rumors about the feasts of some lonely ninja-warriors; however, the art of ninjutsu lost its actuality and, as the result, faded into the background. Still, a thousand of years of its existence significantly influenced the history of the Japanese society and culture.

Ninja were the personalities with the names known to nobody and the faces seen by no human beings. The mercenary warriors fulfilled espionage tasks, delivered secretive documents, and finally could eliminate, or simply kill, unwanted individuals. The ninja traced the movements of the enemy's army and sought the military leaders' lives.
The similarity of ninja and samurai is rather relative - proper education since the childhood, clan unions, severe training, military discipline, and strict obedience to the code of behavior. These two groups of people were responsible for fulfilling absolutely different missions. The samurai, having been brought up in the house of their mentors since the childhood, were destined to serve to him and guard him, and consequently guarded their own lives and honor, lived according to their special moral code.

As for the ninja, they were mercenaries and had no intention to correlate their activities to the concepts of honor or dishonor - they were ready to serve to the one who would pay them more money. The samurai would do everything possible not to lose their face, or not to be humiliated by their enemy - in other case, according to bushido, samurai's code of honor, they would perform hara-kiri. In contrast, the ninja were completely preoccupied by one thing - to fulfill the necessary task, no matter what it would involve, with crime elements taken for granted - winning in a dishonest battle, stealing, lying, killing, abasing themselves, wheedling, or bribing. The samurai were proud of belonging to their caste and could enjoy a number of privileges in medieval Japan. Ninja were a sort of outcast members of society, they had no opportunity to be honest with people around; otherwise they would have been killed by someone from their own clan.

Some knowledge reminding the art of ninjutsu was initially described by the Indian Brahmins but it implied the ways to stay healthy and defend oneself by the means of asceticism, living consistent with strict rules of religious life, training and learning more about the nature. It also comprised strengthening one's body, organizing one's breathing process, working out the skills of forecasting the weather, the knowledge of medicine, poisons, herbs, and the certain philosophically-religious views upon life and death. Such methods were first brought from India to China together with Buddhism, and in the 6th century into Japan. Japan of that time represented a young aggressive state and the precious knowledge was perceived there, re-comprehended, and used in the military aims - espionage, assassination, delivering dispatches - the asceticism of the Indians was completely transformed into another realm.

However, we should not view this problem just from one negative prospective. We may feel shocked because of ninja's cold-blooded murders, or we are probably delighted by their almost perfect art - it depends on our way of perception. But it is a matter of fact that the ninja brought some discipline to Japan that could have been called "the empire of chaos" for many centuries.

In the country with no morality the ninja were determined to follow the moral code of their clan that actually was sacred for them. In the society where robbery, brigandage, murders became part of every day life, the ninja killed neither just because of the money, nor lead by their own greediness or blood lust, they obeyed to the order. It is true that the ninja were mercenary killers, or death-machines, but they appeared as the outcome of their epoch.

True Facts or Fables about Ninjas?

Despite of the fact that there is a lot of information about ninja, it is rather difficult to find whether it is true. There a very simple explanation of this fact - because of the secretive nature of everything related to the Ninja activities, it is impossible to discover any official records left by them of their activities, culture, or training peculiarities.

Consequently, the life and activities of ninja had always been surrounded by a lot of mystique. People were afraid of ninja but they respected them. People's fears provided ninja with great psychological advantage - if the opponent believes in your superficial abilities, his will becomes completely paralyzed.

The magic abilities of ninja in fact were represented by perfectly mastered skills of a well- trained, resourceful, smart but still usual person. It should be mentioned that ninja themselves contributed greatly to creating and spreading numerous legends about their mysterious personalities.

Among famous superstitions about their super abilities are the following- the ninja were believed to be able to become invisible, walk along the ceiling, fly and breath under water, turn into any animal or bird, know how to escape if bound by chains and ropes and keep themselves from illness and death. They were also believed to be real magicians supported by evil spirits.
Initially the ninja were found among the samurai inhabiting the borderlands close to the enemy's lands. Then the specific character of their training and skills created the necessity to detach them from the multitude of other warriors. Having united into clans, the ninja offered their services to one or another lord, fulfilling absolutely different tasks and spreading legends about themselves.

Some of these legends were true, or partially true, but many of them were just lies. It is rather impossible to say for sure, but most probably the ninja did not wear black clothes as often as they are said and depicted to, as the best way to stay unnoticed was to be dressed the same way as everyone else. Not so many ninja were real martial arts masters as they had no need for this, and just a few of them could count on winning the fight with a samurai. It should be also mentioned that the so-called ninja-to (some special type of ninja sword) was later invented in literary works. In reality the ninja used usual short swords. Their trump card was suddenness, as well as active use of darts (shuriken - throwing stars and knifes) and poisoned weapon.

In the process of uniting Japan, Oda Nobunaga destroyed the major ninja settlements. During the Tokugawa period the survived ninja changed their qualification to become the officials and spies of the secret police who were responsible for worming secrets out of craftsmen.