Ninja techniques. Martial Arts of Japan

Ninjas are mysterious ghosts hiding in the shadows. They are able to make their way to the most protected stronghold in order to inflict a mortal blow to the enemy. The skills of these elusive mercenaries instilled fear and awe in people, gave them the image of the terrifying demons of the night. To date, everyone knows about noiseless killers - children play ninjas, hundreds of films are being shot about them, animated works are being created. The image of a man in dark clothes, throwing shurikens and running along the walls, is firmly entrenched in the public consciousness. Therefore, it is difficult to say today what the ninjas really were, what is true, and what is just a beautiful story.

Yamabushi

The appearance of the first ninjas is due to monks-hermits living in the mountains. They professed the Shingon branch of Buddhism and called Yamabushi. These people possessed exceptional knowledge about man and nature. They were masters of herbalism and the manufacture of poisons, could both heal illnesses and kill. Also, Yamabushi were connoisseurs of acupuncture and had abilities that greatly exceeded the possibilities of the common man.

Yamabushi tempered themselves with grueling training, because they believed that the body is an excellent tool for educating the spirit. The peasants loved and respected these mysterious hermits, as they could heal the diseases of people and animals, save crops and, as the legends say, even managed the weather. The knowledge of Yamabushi in the natural sciences was significantly ahead of their time - they were well versed in astronomy, chemistry, botany, medicine, which only strengthened their belief in their superhuman abilities.

The emergence of the first ninjas

Over time, the hermit's ruthless training began to bear fruit - they learned to masterfully master their body and mind. Yamabushi could consciously control not only their breathing, but also the pulse. The settlements of monks began to attract people who did not find a place in society. Among them were also ronin, skillfully wielding a sword and other weapons. They contributed to the practices practiced by hermits.

The fact that these people lived in the wild, made them masters of disguise, and also gave them the ability to wait. After all, in the mountains there was no hurry and bustle, so common to the rest of the world. This endowed the predecessors of the ninja with boundless patience and qualities of character, inaccessible to the common man in the street. They could confidently survive in the wild and instantly hide in the natural landscape. Such outstanding achievements have attracted to Yamabushi those in power who want to use their unique skills for their own purposes.

Ninja classes

What did the legendary shadow warriors do? Often their studies were much more prosaic than shown in movies and books. Ninja techniques allowed them to play any role. It was almost impossible to meet one of them in classic black clothes, hiding their faces. Ninja always corresponded to the environment in which he had to work. If he was in the company of samurai, then he behaved like a samurai and was dressed accordingly. Among peasants and beggars he was dressed in rags. The actor's play of such a scout was so skilful that she could deceive even the most cunning enemy. Often the work of the ninja was so quiet and smooth that it was impossible even to find out that he was here.

Contrary to stereotypical opinion, these geniuses of camouflage very rarely participated in contract killings. They mainly engaged in reconnaissance, secret information mining and sabotage in the enemy camp. That is, the ninja was an analogue of James Bond, and not ruthless hired assassins, although, apparently, they were attracted to such activities, as they mastered the techniques of hand-to-hand combat perfectly.

Who were the ninjas?

To be a skilled mercenary, the ninja had to rebuild his whole life. Therefore, they did not occupy a certain place in the Japanese hierarchy, but were outside of it. In the ranks of ninjas you could meet representatives of any class. In the movies, the confrontation between samurai and spies dressed in dark clothes is often shown. But in fact, the main customers of the ninjas were samurai, constantly fighting with each other. Moreover, if one of them went bankrupt, he often switched to one of the ninja clans, where the samurai combat technique was very useful.

Met in such clans and commoners. However, there is no evidence that they stood up for the peasants and protected them from the samurai. Most likely, these are only beautiful legends, romanticizing the image of a ninja. It is important to understand that the soldiers of the night were mercenaries and did any work for which they are ready to pay. That is, the decisive factor in the life of their clans was money, not moral values and beliefs. Who pays the most, they will help. Therefore, the techniques of ninjas were directed more toward espionage and the extraction of classified information than to the elimination of the enemy.

The Time of Ninja

It is believed that the ninja clans finally formed around the 10th century AD. In those days, their services were used by grandees to resolve their conflicts. Secret ninja techniques are ideally suited for gaining an advantage in the struggle for power. The services of Shinobi were especially popular during the unification of Japan. This occurred around 1460-1600. Then all parties to the conflict used the services of a ninja to gain at least some advantage in this monstrous war.

However, in the years that followed, the shogun Tokugawa decided that it was too dangerous to leave freedom-loving clans. Moreover, since ninjas were mercenaries serving the one who pays well, their services could be used against him, which was not at all in the plans of the ambitious shogun. As a result, he pitted among themselves the two largest clans - Iga and Koga. The bloody confrontation between them resulted in the fact that most ninjas were destroyed. The survivors were weak and disunited, which made them swear allegiance to Tokugawa.

Shinobi and war

In films, it is often shown how hordes of ninjas storm fortresses or cut themselves with samurais. However, to participate in a direct confrontation was illogical for the soldiers of the night. Combat techniques of ninjas were designed to quietly eliminate the goal or conduct guerrilla warfare, but certainly not to confront the enemy in the open field. Of course, a direct encounter left no chance for the mysterious saboteurs. But they were competent strategists and did not allow war on the rules of the enemy. But their help could have a decisive influence on the outcome of the war, since the ninja who infiltrated the enemy's fortress could make a lot of noise, organize a sabotage and demoralize the enemy.

Maskers could penetrate into the camp of the enemy both in peacetime and during large-scale military operations. Their goal was to become commanders or strategic targets. Also, the information that these fearless scouts had obtained could give their employer a decisive advantage, to reverse the outcome of the war.

Ninja techniques

To date, like mushrooms after the rain, piled all kinds of schools to teach the art of warriors of the night. In them, fans of films about ninjas portray themselves as skillful assassins and scouts. However, these people, most of them invent ninjutsu techniques to get money from trusting students. In general, it is difficult to say that the art of Shinobi was as structured and understandable as, for example, karate or judo. There is no evidence that they all used a single technique to achieve their goals. Rather, they were general principles and methods of survival in extreme conditions.

The training of the ninja was reminiscent of the training of a special unit soldier, not the martial arts of Japan. But there are still thousands of enthusiasts throwing shurikens and performing complex acrobatic stunts in stylized black suits. The whole industry grew up around this lesson. Everyone who has firmly decided to become a modern ninja, can go to the store and buy himself a suit, shurikens and all kinds of chains. Having entered the Internet, you can easily acquire a "sword ninja" and become the coolest in the region. How did the warriors of the night actually learn?

Clan structure

Over time, the ninja clans became clearly structured and fully formed structures. In such a clan an outsider was almost impossible to get into. Knowledge passed from father to son and was carefully guarded from other people's eyes. Especially jealously kept scrolls with the techniques of ninjutsu, training an outsider was punishable by death. Each clan specialized in special, peculiar only to it, techniques. Some of them were experts in the conduct of sabotage, someone preferred poison, and someone was being fed by insidious ambushes.

Inside the Sinobi clans there was a clear hierarchy. The top group was engaged in signing contracts, signing contracts, joining unions and withdrawing from them. There was also an average layer, the purpose of which was to control the execution of orders from above. At the bottom of the hierarchical ladder were ordinary performers. That is, the ninja clans were serious organizations with severe discipline and a clearly defined hierarchy.

Ninja costume

Habitual black suits, for which one can recognize a ninja, are, rather, a product of cinema than a reflection of the real state of things. Black color is not the best way to mask, since it is very rare in nature. Therefore, most often used different shades of brown and gray colors. It was they who allowed to merge with the surrounding world most fully. The notorious sword of the ninja was also not a favorite weapon of the elusive scouts. They preferred chains, plows, pulling spears, shurikens and other tools that were easy to hide or give away for the tools of peasant labor.

The masking suit of shinobi was used infrequently, since in most cases the soldiers of the night were disguised as surroundings in order to reach the goal in the most simple and effective way. In the ninja costume, there were a lot of pockets in which were placed medicinal herbs, poisons, needles and shurikens, as well as other weapons of warfare.

Specialized tools

In the arsenal of ninjas were not only the techniques of hand-to-hand combat and cold steel. Also, they skillfully used hooks, ladders, ropes and other things that could be used to enter the palace chambers or cross the fortress wall. Even the Shinobis knew a lot about the use of explosives, which helped to sow panic in the enemy camp or break a hole in the wall. Ninja shoes have also been adapted to carry out their tasks.

Often they carried special breathing tubes. The techniques of the ninjas allowed them to stay under water for a long time, breathing through a thin tube. But the most powerful weapon of these cunning scouts was their knowledge of psychology. They could play any social role, get into the confidence of the right person. Ninjas were able to control their own consciousness, which allowed them to experience the hardest trials without experiencing any discomfort.

Nobunaga Oda

No matter how much the ninjas tried to refrain from direct participation in the war, they did not succeed. Nobunaga Oda, a tough military leader who wanted to unite the country, managed to destroy the Iga clan - the strongest organization of the Shinobi. He left no stone unturned in the area where this mighty clan settled and, as a result of a brutal confrontation, managed to defeat its enemies. The surviving clan representatives dispersed throughout the country. However, this victory was given to a brave samurai uneasy. Many thousands of soldiers fell at the hands of ninjas.

Ninjutsu today

Modern ninjas hardly study the martial arts of Japan. They do not run on walls and do not throw needles. Intelligence agencies have significantly changed their working methods over the past centuries. Of course, the training methods used by ancient spies are still relevant today. For example, in special units that need to be able to survive in the wild and fight in the forest. But the videos with the names "Ninja receptions for beginners" or a variety of "Ninjutsu for Dummies" are just a literate commercial move and have nothing to do with the mysterious warriors of the night. However, the Shinobis and their unique way of life are a valuable cultural heritage that should not be lost.