In popular culture, the image of the ninja is pretty romanticized. This warrior crouching under the cover of night is able to cope with any enemy and pass through any obstacle. This article will tell you how to get one step closer to your favorite characters.
Ninja in history
It doesn't matter why you need to learn how to become a ninja. Perhaps this is for you such an interesting way of working on yourself or the desire to conform to a certain image. To begin with, we turn to the history of this social phenomenon.
The self-name of the ninja is shinobi no mono, "those who hide." Despite the popularization of the image of the ninja as an ideal hired killer, their main activity was espionage, sabotage and intelligence on the territory of the enemy. The heyday of the ninja clans fell on the Middle Ages - they were hired by large feudal lords to collect information about their noble rivals. The Shinobi battle technique was designed primarily for defense in cases where the ninja were nevertheless declassified, and not an open attack.
The ninja was characterized by a clan structure. Knowledge was inherited, and the sons of Shinobi had no choice but to become a ninja. At 11 years old, or even earlier, the boys began their education. Gradually, all the tricks and methods used by the Shinobi began to be considered as a separate discipline for the preparation of secret spies - the ninjutsu, or the "art of stealth."
The art of being a ninja
Ninjutsu is not so much combat training as knowledge about espionage, survival in extreme conditions, and intelligence techniques. For battle, Shinobi used all the martial arts techniques known at that time, adapting them to their needs:
- due to the fact that often had to fight not in open space, the ninja weapons were shortened;
- preference was given to silent methods of warfare - a bow shot, asphyxiation;
- We studied both methods of a surprise attack, and unexpected stunning of the enemy or bringing to a state of shock in order to gain time for flight.
How to become a ninja girl
There were also female ninjas called kunoichi. Their preparation for espionage was different from men's: less attention was paid to power methods, and more to training in stealth, handling poisons and, of course, using female charm. Often kunoichi pretended to be geishas or artists.
One of the legendary kunoichi women is Motizuki Tiemé, who lived in the 16th century. Her husband, Motizuki Moritoka, was reputed to be almost the best espionage master at the time in Japan. When he died, Tieme, contrary to tradition, did not go to the monastery, but continued the work of her husband. Mochizuki Tieme created and led a group of female ninjas. She recruited her participants and, one might say, pupils from peasant girls, beggars, street performers and even prostitutes. The main weapon of these women was cunning, dexterity, flexibility and, of course, beauty.
"Bansensyukai" - a medieval textbook
In the XVII century, the noble family of Tokugawa was able to establish and ensure peace in all Japanese lands. Ninja as masters of espionage for neighbors gradually became unnecessary. In order to preserve their knowledge and pass it on to their descendants, the Shinobi masters published several works on ninjutsu. The most famous of them is the “Bansensyukai” of 1676. The title of the book is translated as “A Thousand Rivers Flowing Into the Sea”. It consists of 22 chapters in which you will not find detailed practical lessons on how to become a ninja. For a start, a reader will have to familiarize himself with the philosophical considerations of the author of the book, the medieval sage Samuji Fujibayashi. Some parts are devoted to military strategy, weapons and even astrology.
Myths around the ninja
The prevailing image of the ninja exists largely due to films of the mid-20th century. It was then that dressed in black shinobi brought to the screens of movie theaters.
The costume is completely black - in fact, a myth that arose at a later time. Ninja dressed in the colors that best match the natural setting - dark brown, gray, ashen. In such camouflage, they really could merge with surrounding objects in the dark. There was no need for a special costume during the day, and the ninjas wore normal clothes so as not to stand out from the surrounding crowd.
How to Become a Ninja: Self-Mastery
In order to be a ninja in the modern world, it is not necessary to spy on someone and arrange sabotage. The behavior of secret warriors is characterized by iron endurance, patience and self-control.
A closer acquaintance with the eastern martial arts as a whole will help to approach the image of a mysterious spy from the Land of the Rising Sun. This also includes wellness exercises like qigong. Shinobi prepared to feel comfortable in the most adverse conditions. Take an example from them - temper not to be afraid of the cold. Hobbies for other sports are also useful for the future ninja:
- sprinting to develop speed - you are unlikely to have to run away from enemies, but in order to become a real ninja, you need to be quick and dexterous;
- long-distance running - in order to become hardy;
- rock climbing - ninjas must overcome any obstacles;
- swimming - sinobi should be kept afloat for a long time;
- free diving - the ability to dive to great depths without scuba diving would help the spy to escape from pursuit;
- Orienteering - how to become a real ninja without tracker skills?
In conclusion, I would like to recall that the Shinobi tried not to engage in open battle unnecessarily. Use age-old wisdom and train your endurance - let the acquired fighting skills never really come in handy for you.