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The significance of the Ninjutsu term can be perceived according to various levels of comprehension. Kanji " Nin" is read " Shinobi" in Japanese and includes two concepts. On the first level, it represents the endurance, perseverance, the will. On the second level, the direction becomes secret, hidden, invisible. By separating the upper part of " Nin" one sees Kanji " there; Ha" who wants to say blade. This Kanji carries also the features of Kanji " To" who means Katana, the Japanese saber. For the lower part, it is Kanji " Shin" that one discovers. The character " Shin" wants to say spirit, heart, heart, feeling. And finally, Kanji " Jutsu" mean art, technique, method - is the art of the Ninja, these warrior-spy of the feudal Japan that the tradition represents vêtus dark tunics and of a hood. Nowadays the ninjutsu is often compared to the Bujinkan and has its derivatives ( Jinenkan , Genbukan ) which comprise the lesson of nine schools, each one specialized in a quite precise field and of which only three claim ninjutsu ( gyokushin ryu , togakure ryu and kumogakure ryu ). These schools are currently under the responsibility of Masaaki Hatsumi, which lives in Tokyo and has more than 70 ans.

STYLES

> Nowadays Ninjutsu is always taught in rare schools, of which Bujinkan Dôjô, the academy of Hatsumi Masaaki rested by its Master Toshitsugu Takamatsu, and who includes nine schools of Jujutsu and Ninjutsu:

Shinden FUD-ry Dakentaijutsu Kukishin-ry Taijutsu Hontai Takagi Yshin-ry Jtaijutsu Gyokko-ry Kosshijutsu Kot-ry Koppjutsu Gikan-ry Kopp Taijutsu Togakure-ry Ninpo Taijutsu Kumogakure-ry Ninpo Gyokushin-ry Ninpo Togakure ryû, Kumogakure ryû and Gyokushin ryû Ninjutsu include the tactics of combat and espionage of Ninjutsu, as well as the philosophy of Ninpô. Gyokko ryû, Kotô ryû and Gikan ryû are not schools of Ninjutsu strictly speaking but were practiced by Shinobi as by Bushi. The other styles were used by the class of the samurais.

Parallel to Bujinkan Dojo d' Hatsumi appeared Genbukan Dojo de Shoto Tanemura, which studied in Bujinkan and prétent to teach Iga Ryu and Koga Ryu.

The 18 disciplines Ninja (Juhakkei Ninja)

According to the members of the Bujinkan, the 18 disciplines ninja were initially described on the parchments of Togakure-ryū, and they became thereafter common to all the schools of Ninjutsu.

According to Bujinkan, the Juhakkei Ninja was often studied at the same time as the Bugei Juhappan (18 disciplines of engagements of the Samuraï S). Even if some of these disciplines are the same ones, their respective techniques are used differently at Samuraïs and the Ninja.

TECHNIQUE

The clans ninja were governed by a very strict hierarchy:

Jonin was chief which contacted the silent partners to which it offered the services of its genin, and defined the missions; only its Chunin knew its identity. Chunin was assisting jonin, and served D intermediate between him and the genin. Genin was the executor whom one sent on the theater of operation to achieve the missions that one entrusted to him. Eighteen fundamental fields of competence (bugei juhakkei, bugei juhappan) were taught with the warriors of medieval Japan, and the ninjas did not escape from it (one speaks then about ninpo juhappan):

- Seishin Teki Kyoyo (spiritual refining): the ninja worked with the development of a major and acute knowledge of itself, of its forces and weaknesses. Exercises of mental endurance, perception and prospect were exempted in parallel with its physical drive. - Taijutsu (techniques with naked hands): it included/understood: Dakentaijutsu (strike fists and feet, bloquages), which included Koppojutsu (breaking of the bones) and Kosshijutsu (striking of the nerves and muscles) Jutaijutsu (seized), which included Nagewaza (projections) and Shimewaza (throttlings) Taihenjutsu (silentieux displacement, roulades, jumps, falls), which included Ukemi (falls), Kaiten (roulades) and Hichojutsu (jumps) Ninja Ken (sword ninja): the sword ninja with right, short blade and with only one edge, is regarded as the first weapon of the ninja. - Bôjutsu (techniques of the stick): the Togakure ninja used the bo (long stick of 6 feet) and the hanbo (3 feet), as well as canes and bludgeons of various sizes. The shinobi-zue, similar outside to canes of walk, concealed blades, chains, or darts. - Shurikenjutsu (techniques of the blades of jet): the shuriken were dissimulated in pockets secrêtes, and were used to harass the enemy. Togakure-Ryu used a special star of jet with four points, named senban shuriken. The bo shuriken were right darts. - Yarijutsu (technique of the lance): the ninja of Togakure-Jutsu learned the handling from the lances standards Japanese women as weapons of combat with average outdistances. The lances were seldom thrown at the time of the combat. Togakure-Ryu also used the kama-yari (" lance-faucille"), a lance which measured more than 2 m 50 and was provided with a hook at its end. - Naginatajutsu (techniques of the halberd): one made use of it to cut the bulges of the horses. The ninja of Togakure-Ryu also used the bisen-to, a massive fauchard. - Kusarigama (chain and sickle): the chain of this weapon was used to catch the adversary, which one struck with the sickle to which it was attached. The kyoketsu-shoge, a similar weapon, was preferred of Togakure-Ryu. - Kayakujutsu (fire and explosives): the ninjas were experts in the installation and the use of explosives aiming demolishing and at sowing confusion. The training of the use of the firearms appeared thereafter. - Hensojutsu (disguise and usurpation of identity): the work of espionage required the capacity to assume false identities and to move without being seen on the theater of the operations. The ninja was to know to be disguised quickly in seven traditional characters: travelling acrobat (Sarugaku), itinerant ascetic (komuso), monk of the mountain (yamabushi), itinerant actor (hokashi), buddhist monk (sukke), farmer (tsunegata) and merchant (akindo) Shinobi iri (furtive methods): the work of displacements (in silence; to cover long distances), intrusion in inaccessible places (to cross the walls, to remain in the shade…). - Bajutsu (horsemanship) - Sui ren (technical watery): to swim silently; to use special boats; to fight under water. - Bô ryaku (strategy): the training of the nonconventional tactics of fraud, the political plots… - Cho Ho (espionage): art to locate and recruit spies. - Intonjutsu (escape and dissimulation): the ninjas were experts in the techniques of " disparition" at will, which made a great use of nature. Goton-Po (5 elements of escape) was based on the erudite use of the ground, water, fire, metal and wood. - Ten my (meteorology) - Chi my (geography)

In Kukishin-ryû, one speaks about Happo Biken, the " 8 ways and the swords secrêtes" :

Taijutsu (displacement of the body), Hichojutsu (jumps), Nawanage (jets of cord) Karate (combat with naked hands), Koppojutsu (breaking of bone), Jutaijutsu (projections) Sojutsu (lance), Naginatajutsu (halberd) Bojutsu (stick of 1,8m), Jojutsu (stick of 1,2m), Hanbojutsu (stick of 0,9m) Senban Swims (star jet), Tokenjutsu (jet of blades), Shurikenjutsu (star jet) Kajutsu (fires and explosives), Suijutsu (watery techniques) Chiku OJ (construction and penetration of fortresses), Gunryaku Heiho (military tactics) Onshinjutsu (dissimulation), Hensojutsu. (disguise) Ken (sword), Kodachi (short blades), Jutte (stick) The traditional behavior of the ninja (shinobi shozoku) is black; a hood covers the head and a mask dissimulates the bottom of the face.

The 18 disciplines are:

Seishin-teki kyōyō (spirituality)
Taijutsu (combat without weapon)
Kenjutsu (combat with the sword)
Bōjutsu (combat with the Bō or long stick)
Shurikenjutsu (combat with the Shuriken)
Sōjutsu (combat with the Lance)
Naginatajutsu (combat with the Naginata)
Kusarigamajutsu (combat with the Kusarigama)
Kayakujutsu (Explosive S and Pyrotechnical)
Hensōjutsu (disguise and animal camouflage)
Shinobi-iri (technique of flight and of effraction)
Bajutsu (technical equestrian)
Sui-ren (technical watery)
Bōryaku (military strategy)
Chōhō (Espionage)
Intonjutsu (technique of escape)
Tenmon (Meteorology and astral Projection)
Chi-my (Geography)

Techniques of combat

The bujinkan gathers various techniques of combat:

koppô taijutsu : fights with naked hands using knowledge of the skeleton for better wounding or controlling the adversary;
ninpô No ken : fencing, whose practice of the long saber (daïto) and the saber runs ( kodachi );
Shinobi kenjutsu : control of the saber Ninto ;
yari jutsu, so jutsu : fights with the lance;
Shuriken jutsu : to launch objects, edges (knives) or not, of which the throw of the senban ( senban stroke jutsu ), the famous star with points;
kajutsu , kayaku jutsu : use of fire (fire, explosives, firearms);
bisentô jutsu , Naginatajutsu : fights with the halberd;
kisha jutsu : fights and shooting with the arc with horse;
fukiya jutsu : Blowpipe;
jojutsu , bôjutsu , hambô jutsu , rokushaku bo jutsu : fights with the stick;
suiton jutsu : Swim of combat;
shime jutsu : Throttling;
shoten jutsu : Climbing and techniques for " to go up to the cieux"
onshin jutsu : art to disguise themselves and become invisible;

Various disciplines

ninja No kiai : union of energies, the breath (concept undoubtedly close to that developed by the Aikido);
gunryaku : military strategy;
tenmon : meteorology, astrology;
tonpô, goton, juton : techniques of escape;
yugei : music, painting, dance, art of the courtesy and the conversation…
torinawa jutsu : to bind the adversary with a cord;
kyusho jutsu : use of the fingers to strike the vital points
shinobi iri : art of the infiltration
genjutsu and yôjutsu : art of the illusion (are connected with the Hypnose)

One should not confuse: ninjutsu (historical art), budo taijitsu (modern synthesis made by hatsumi ), bujinkan (name of the school) etc

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