View source for Ninjutsu

{{Short description|Techniques and skills used by ninja}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox martial art
| logo = ninja kanji.svg
| logocaption = The [[kanji]] for "[[ninja]]"
| logosize =
| image =
| imagecaption =
| imagesize = 224x433 pixels
| name = ''Ninjutsu''<br>(忍術)
| aka = ''Ninpō'', ''Shinobi-jutsu''
| focus = 
| hardness/difficulty = Non-competitive
| country = [[Japan]]
| creator = 
| elements =
| parenthood = [[Military tactics]]
| famous_pract =
| website =
}}

{{nihongo|'''''Ninjutsu'''''|忍術||{{IPA|ja|ɲiꜜɲ.dʑɯ.tsɯ|}}<ref name=NHK>{{cite book|script-title=ja:NHK日本語発音アクセント新辞典|publisher=NHK Publishing|editor=NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute|date=24 May 2016|lang=ja}}</ref><ref name=daijirin>{{cite book|script-title=ja:[[Daijirin|大辞林]]|publisher=[[Sanseidō]]|editor-last=Matsumura|editor-first=Akira|edition=4th|date=5 September 2019|lang=ja}}</ref>}}, {{nihongo|'''''shinobi no jutsu'''''|忍びの術||{{IPA|ja|ɕi.no.bʲi no dʑɯ.tsɯꜜ|}}<ref name=daijirin/>}} and {{nihongo|'''''ninpō'''''|忍法||{{IPA|ja|ɲiꜜm.poː|}}<ref name=NHK/><ref name=daijirin/>}} are terms for the techniques and skills used by [[covert operative]]s, [[irregular warfare]] specialists and intelligence gatherers in pre-modern Japan known as [[ninja]]. Some of these techniques are recorded in ninja scrolls, several of which have been published and translated. The study of these scrolls have changed the perception of ninja and ninjutsu.<ref name="In Search">{{cite book |last1=Cummins |first1=Antony |title=In Search of the Ninja The Historical Truth of Ninjutsu |date=2012 |publisher=History Press |isbn=9780752483559 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Xc7AwAAQBAJ}}</ref><ref name="Unmasking">{{cite book |last1=Turnbull |first1=Stephen |title=Ninja, unmasking the Myth |date=2017 |publisher=Pen & Sword Books |isbn=9781473850439 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c9hgDwAAQBAJ}}</ref>

While there are martial arts schools that claim to be [[Modern schools of ninjutsu|modern styles of ''ninjutsu'']], the historical lineage of these styles only go as far back as the 1950s. 

==History==
{{Main|Ninja}}
Spying in Japan dates as far back as [[Prince Shōtoku]] (572–622). According to [[Shōninki]], the first open usage of ''ninjutsu'' during a military campaign was in the [[Genpei War]], when [[Minamoto no Yoshitsune|Minamoto no Kuro Yoshitsune]] chose warriors to serve as ''[[shinobi]]''(ninja) during a battle. This manuscript goes on to say that during the Kenmu era, [[Kusunoki Masashige]] frequently used ''ninjutsu''. According to footnotes in this manuscript, the Genpei War lasted from 1180 to 1185, and the Kenmu Restoration occurred between 1333 and 1336.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Masazumi|first1=Natori|last2=Mazuer|first2=Axel|last3=Graham|first3=Jon E.|title=Shoninki: The Secret Teachings of the Ninja: The 17th-Century Manual on the Art of Concealment|date=2010|publisher=Destiny Books|location=Rochester, Vernmont|isbn=9781594776670|edition=1st}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=September 2015}}

The history of Ninjitsu school recorded around the 12th century, when Daisuke Togakure and Kain Doshi formalized the teaching of Chinese and native Japanese guerilla tactics to which somewhat considered as counter-culture of the time. As a samurai, Daisuke lost his lands and title after defeated in a regional conflict. Refused to committed [[Seppuku]], Daisuke travelled to the mountains of southwest Honshu in 1162. Here, he met Doshi, a Chinese warrior-monk. Daisuke abandon his way of [[bushido]], and worked with Doshi formulate the guerilla art of war called ninjutsu. Daisuke's descendants founded the first ninja-ryu, org ninja school, the ''Togakureryu''.<ref name="thoughtco ninja">{{cite web |title=The History of Japanese Ninjas; Feudal Warriors Who Practiced Ninjutsu
|author=Kallie Szczepanski
|date= 17 July 2017 |url= https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-ninja-195811 |publisher=Thoughtco}}</ref>

''Ninjutsu'' proper was most likely developed during the [[Nanboku-chō period|Nanboku-cho period]], used by samurai fighting on both sides of the conflict, and was further refined after the [[Onin War]] and throughout the [[Sengoku period]], where many rising samurai warlords used ninja to gather intelligence and commit secret raids on their enemies. In the chaos following the Onin War, ''[[jizamurai]]'' from the [[Kōka District, Shiga|Kōka]] and the [[Iga Province]] began to engage in guerrilla warfare in order to protect their lands from bandits, rogue [[yamabushi]], and larger samurai forces. The ''jizamurai'' that lived in Kōka and Iga were self-sufficient and did not answer to the [[shugo]] governors of their lands, in which the local samurai of both regions operated as ''de facto'' independent confederacies – the [[Kōka ikki|Kōka]] and [[Iga ikki|Iga ''ikki'']] – and formed an [[Iga–Kōka alliance|alliance together]] which persisted until the conquest of Kōka by [[Oda Nobunaga]] in 1574 and the conquest of Iga in 1581.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}}

Many different schools (''[[ryū (school)|ryū]]'') have taught their unique versions of ''ninjutsu''. An example is the Togakure-ryū, which claims to have been developed after a defeated samurai warrior called Daisuke Togakure escaped to the region of Iga. He later came in contact with the [[Warrior monk|warrior-monk]] Kain Doshi, who taught him a new way of viewing life and the means of survival (''ninjutsu'').<ref name="Hayes">{{cite book|last1=Hayes|first1=Stephen K.|title=The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art|date=1990|publisher=Tuttle|location=Rutland, Vermont|isbn=0804816565|edition=17th}}</ref>{{rp|18–21}}

Today, the last authentic heir of ''ninjutsu'' is [[Jinichi Kawakami]], the 21st head of the Koga Ban family, honorary director of the [[Ninja Museum of Igaryu]], and professor at [[Mie University]], specializing in the research of ninjutsu.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://iganinja.jp/en/exp/learning.html |title=Study/Circles｜Ninja Iga-ryu - Iga-ryu Ninja Museum |publisher=Iganinja.jp |date= |accessdate=2013-10-30}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/01/31/last-ninja-becomes-university-ninjutsu-professor-in-japan |title="Last Ninja" Becomes University Ninjutsu Professor |publisher=Crunchyroll |date=2012-01-31 |accessdate=2013-10-30}}</ref> In 2012, Kawakami chose to be the end of his line of ''ninjutsu'', stating that the art has no practical place in the modern age.<ref>{{cite web|last=Oi |first=Mariko |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20135674 |title=BBC News - Japan's ninjas heading for extinction |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |date=2012-11-23 |accessdate=2013-10-30}}</ref>

==Training==
The skills required of the ninja have come to be known in modern times as {{nihongo|''ninjutsu''|忍術}}, but it is unlikely they were previously named under a single discipline, rather distributed among a variety of espionage and [[survival skills]]. Some view ''ninjutsu'' as evidence that ninja were not simple mercenaries because texts contained not only information on combat training, but also information about daily needs, which even included mining techniques.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|title=Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan (The Secret History of Ninjutsu)|last=Zoughari|first=Kacem|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|year=2010|isbn=978-0-8048-3927-3|location=North Clarendon, VT|pages=[https://archive.org/details/ninjaancientshad0000zoug/page/47 47]|url=https://archive.org/details/ninjaancientshad0000zoug/page/47}}</ref> The guidance provided for daily work also included elements that enable the ninja to understand the martial qualities of even the most menial task.<ref name=":2" /> These factors show how the ''ninjutsu'' established among the ninja class the fundamental principle of [[adaptation]].<ref name=":2" />

[[File:Bansenshukai-v8-diagram.jpg|thumb|This diagram from the ''[[Bansenshūkai]]'' uses [[divination]] and [[Religious cosmology|esoteric cosmology]] (''[[onmyōdō]]'') to instruct on the ideal time for taking certain actions.]]
The first specialized training began in the mid-15th century, when certain samurai families started to focus on covert warfare, including espionage and assassination. According to Turnbull, the ninja was trained from childhood, as was also common in samurai families.

Outside the expected martial art disciplines, a youth studied survival and scouting techniques, as well as information regarding [[poison]]s and [[explosive]]s. Physical training was also important, which involved long-distance runs, climbing, stealth methods of walking<ref name="Green 2001 359-360">{{Harvnb|Green|2001|pp=359–360}}</ref> and swimming.<ref name="Deal 2007 156">{{Harvnb|Deal|2007|p=156}}</ref> A certain degree of knowledge regarding common professions was also required if one was expected to take their form in disguise.<ref name="Turnbull 2003 14 15">{{Harvnb|Turnbull|2003|pp=14–15}}</ref> Some evidence of medical training can be derived from one account, where an Iga ninja provided first aid to [[Ii Naomasa]], who was injured by gunfire in the [[Battle of Sekigahara]]. Here the ninja reportedly gave Naomasa a "black medicine" meant to stop bleeding.

With the fall of the Iga and Kōga clans, ''[[Daimyo|daimyō]]'' could no longer recruit professional ninja, and were forced to train their own ''shinobi''. The ''shinobi'' was considered a real profession, as demonstrated in the 1649 ''[[Shogun#Shogunate|bakufu]]'' law on military service, which declared that only ''daimyō'' with an income of over 10,000 ''[[koku]]'' were allowed to retain ''shinobi''. In the two centuries that followed, a number of ''ninjutsu'' manuals were written by descendants of Hattori Hanzō as well as members of the Fujibayashi clan, an offshoot of the Hattori. Major examples include the ''[[Ninpiden]]'' (1655), the ''[[Bansenshūkai]]'' (1675), and the ''[[Shōninki]]'' (1681).<ref name="Green 2001 358">{{Harvnb|Green|2001|p=358}}; based on different readings, ''Ninpiden'' is also known as ''Shinobi Hiden'', and ''Bansenshukai'' can also be ''Mansenshukai''.</ref>

[[Modern schools of ninjutsu|Modern schools that claim to train ''ninjutsu'']] arose from the 1970s, including that of [[Masaaki Hatsumi]] ([[Bujinkan]]) and [[Jinichi Kawakami]] (Banke Shinobinoden). The lineage and authenticity of these schools are a matter of controversy.<ref>Ninja Skills: ''The Authentic Ninja Training Manual by Antony Cummins'', Watkins Publishing {{ISBN|1-78678-062-3}}</ref>

===Tactics===
Most ''ninjutsu'' techniques recorded in scrolls and manuals revolve around ways to avoid detection, and methods of escape.<ref name="Green 2001 358" /> These techniques were loosely grouped under corresponding natural elements. Some examples are:

* ''Hitsuke'': The practice of distracting guards by starting a fire away from the ninja's planned point of entry. Falls under "fire techniques" (''katon-no-jutsu'').<ref name="draeger smith 1981 125">{{Harvnb|Draeger|Smith|1981|p=125}}</ref>
* ''Tanuki-gakure'': The practice of climbing a tree and camouflaging oneself within the [[Leaf|foliage]]. Falls under "wood techniques" (''mokuton-no-jutsu'').<ref name="draeger smith 1981 125" />
* ''Ukigusa-gakure'': The practice of throwing [[Lemnoideae|duckweed]] over water to conceal underwater movement. Falls under "water techniques" (''suiton-no-jutsu'').<ref name="draeger smith 1981 125" />
* ''Uzura-gakure'': The practice of curling into a ball and remaining motionless to appear like a [[Rock (geology)|stone]]. Falls under "earth techniques" (''doton-no-jutsu'').<ref name="draeger smith 1981 125" />

===Disguises===
The use of disguises is common and well documented. Disguises came in the form of priests, entertainers, fortune tellers, merchants, ''[[rōnin]]'', and monks.<ref name="Crowdy 2006 51">{{Harvnb|Crowdy|2006|p=51}}</ref> The ''Buke Myōmokushō'' states,

{{quote|''Shinobi-monomi'' were people used in secret ways, and their duties were to go into the mountains and disguise themselves as firewood gatherers to discover and acquire the news about an enemy's territory... they were particularly expert at travelling in disguise.}}

[[File:Komuso Buddhist monk beggar Kita-kamakura.jpg|thumb|upright|A ''[[komusō]]'' monk is one of many possible disguises.]]
A mountain ascetic (''[[yamabushi]]'') attire facilitated travel, as they were common and could travel freely between political boundaries. The loose robes of Buddhist priests also allowed concealed weapons, such as the ''[[tantō]]''.<ref name="Deal 2007 161">{{Harvnb|Deal|2007|p=161}}</ref>

==Equipment==
Ninja used a large variety of tools and weaponry, some of which were commonly known, but others were more specialized. Most were tools used in the infiltration of castles. A wide range of specialized equipment is described and illustrated in the 17th-century ''[[Bansenshūkai]]'', including climbing equipment, extending spears,<ref name="Turnbull 2003 48">{{Harvnb|Turnbull|2003|p=48}}</ref> [[rocket]]-propelled arrows, and small collapsible boats.<ref name="draeger smith 1981 128">{{Harvnb|Draeger|Smith|1981|p=128}}</ref>

===Outerwear===
[[File:Kuro-Shozoku-Ninja-Costume-at-Iga-Ninja-Museum.png|thumb|left|upright|Kuro shozoku ninja costume and waraji (sandals). The image of the ninja costume being black is strong. However, in reality, ninjas wore navy blue-dyed farmers' working clothes, which were also believed to repel vipers.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}]]
[[File:Gappa travel cape and zunin with kusari armor.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Antique Japanese ''gappa'' (travel cape) and cloth ''zukin'' (hood) with ''kusari'' (chain armour) concealed underneath]]

While the image of a ninja clad in black garb (''shinobi shōzoku'') is prevalent in popular media, there is no hard evidence for such attire. It is theorized that, instead, it was much more common for the ninja to be disguised as civilians. The popular notion of black clothing may be rooted in artistic convention; early drawings of ninja showed them dressed in black to portray a sense of invisibility.; Turnbull uses the name ''Buke Meimokushō'', an alternate reading for the same title.<ref>The ''Buke Myōmokushō'' cited here is a much more common reading.</ref> This convention may have been borrowed from the puppet handlers of ''[[bunraku]]'' theater, who dressed in total black in an effort to simulate [[prop]]s moving independently of their controls.<ref name="Howell 1999 211">{{Harvnb|Howell|1999|p=211}}</ref> 

The ''[[tenugui]]'', a piece of cloth also used in martial arts, had many functions. It could be used to cover the face, form a belt, or assist in climbing.

The historicity of armor specifically made for ninja is ascertained within the Bansenshukai. While pieces of light armor purportedly worn by ninja exist and date to the right time, there is  hard evidence of their use in ninja operations. Depictions of famous persons later deemed ninja often show them in [[Japanese armour|samurai armor]]. There were lightweight concealable types of armour made with [[Kusari (Japanese mail armour)|''kusari'']] (chain armour) and small armor plates such as [[Karuta (armour)|''karuta'']] that could have been worn by ninja including ''katabira'' (jackets) made with armour hidden between layers of cloth. Shin and arm guards, along with metal-reinforced hoods are also speculated to make up the ninja's armor.

===Tools===
[[File:Ninpiden kuroro kagi breaker.gif|thumb|upright|A page from the ''[[Ninpiden]]'', showing a tool for breaking locks]]

Tools used for infiltration and espionage are some of the most abundant artifacts related to the ninja. Ropes and [[grappling hook]]s were common, and were tied to the belt. A collapsible ladder is illustrated in the ''Bansenshukai'', featuring spikes at both ends to anchor the ladder. Spiked or hooked climbing gear worn on the hands and feet also doubled as weapons.<ref name="Mol 2003 121">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=121}}</ref> Other implements include [[chisel]]s, [[hammer]]s, [[drill]]s, [[pickaxe|picks]], and so forth.{{citation needed|date=November 2025}}

The ''[[kunai]]'' was a heavy pointed tool, possibly derived from the Japanese [[masonry]] [[trowel]], which it closely resembles. Although it is often portrayed in popular culture as a weapon, the ''kunai'' was primarily used for gouging holes in walls.<ref name="Turnbull 2003 61">{{Harvnb|Turnbull|2003|p=61}}</ref>

The ''[[mizugumo]]'' was a set of wooden shoes supposedly allowing the ninja to walk on water.<ref name="draeger smith 1981 128" /> They were meant to work by distributing the wearer's weight over the shoes' wide bottom surface. The word ''mizugumo'' is derived from the native name for the [[Japanese water spider]] (''Argyroneta aquatica japonica''). The ''mizugumo'' was featured on the show ''[[MythBusters]]'', where it was demonstrated unfit for walking on water. The ''ukidari'', a similar footwear for walking on water, also existed in the form of a flat round [[bucket]], but was probably quite unstable. Inflatable skins and breathing tubes allowed the ninja to stay underwater for longer periods of time.<ref name="ratti 1991 329">{{Harvnb|Ratti|Westbrook|1991|p=329}}</ref>

''Goshiki-mai'' (go, ''five''; shiki, ''color''; mai, ''rice'') colored (red, blue, yellow, black, purple)<ref name="japandaily-2630">{{cite news |last1=Runnebaum |first1=Achim |title=7 Things you didn't know about Ninja |url=https://japandaily.jp/7-things-didnt-know-ninja-2630/ |access-date=14 April 2022 |work=Japan Daily |date=22 February 2016 |quote=Based on the combination of colors they dropped, or the number of grains, the Ninja could make over 100 different codes.}}</ref> rice grains were used in a code system,<ref>{{cite web |title=10 Stealthy Ninja Tools You Haven't Heard Of |url=https://allabout-japan.com/en/article/2010/2/ |website=All About Japan |access-date=14 April 2022 |language=en |date=February 28, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Communication of ninja |url=http://xn--2048-ku3hs36n.jp/eninja5.html |website=Ninja Encyclopedia |publisher=Ninja Lurking in History |access-date=14 April 2022 |location=Japan |archive-date=3 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220703112835/http://xn--2048-ku3hs36n.jp/eninja5.html }}</ref> and to make trails that could be followed later.<ref name="Yoda-978-1-4629-0882-0">{{cite book |last1=Yoda |first1=Hiroko |last2=Alt |first2=Matt |title=Ninja Attack!: True Tales of Assassins, Samurai, and Outlaws |year=2013 |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |isbn=978-1-4629-0882-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kUHRAgAAQBAJ&dq=goshiki+mai&pg=PA110 |language=en |quote=Goshiki-mai: These dyed rice grains were used to create discreet trails that could be followed either by the original dropper or by sharp-eyed comrades}}</ref><ref name="Bull-978-1-932897-51-7">{{cite book |last1=Bull |first1=Brett |last2=Kuroi |first2=Hiromitsu |title=More Secrets of the Ninja: Their Training, Tools and Techniques |date=2008 |publisher=DH Publishing Inc |location=Tokyo |isbn=978-1-932897-51-7 |page=95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n1heJafilrAC&dq=goshiki+mai&pg=PA95 |language=en |quote=DH Publishing is Tokyo's #1 publisher of Japanese pop culture books for the English speaking world.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu Weapons |url=https://onlinemartialarts.org/bujinkan-budo-taijutsu-weapons/ |website=Online Martial Arts |access-date=14 April 2022}}</ref>

Despite the large array of tools available to the ninja, the ''Bansenshukai'' warns one not to be overburdened with equipment, stating "a successful ninja is one who uses but one tool for multiple tasks".<ref name="Green 2001 359">{{Harvnb|Green|2001|p=359}}</ref>

===Weaponry===
Although shorter swords and daggers were used, the ''[[katana]]'' was probably the ninja's weapon of choice, and was sometimes carried on the back. The ''katana'' had several uses beyond normal combat. In dark places, the scabbard could be extended out of the sword, and used as a long probing device.<ref name="Adams 1970 52">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=52}}</ref> The sword could also be laid against the wall, where the ninja could use the sword guard (''[[Japanese sword mountings#Tsuba|tsuba]]'') to gain a higher foothold.<ref name="Adams 1970 49">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=49}}</ref> The ''katana'' could even be used as a device to stun enemies before attacking them, by putting a combination of red pepper, dirt or dust, and iron filings into the area near the top of the scabbard, so that as the sword was drawn the concoction would fly into the enemy's eyes, stunning him until a lethal blow could be made. While straight swords were used before the invention of the ''katana'',<ref name="Reed 1880 269 270">{{Harvnb|Reed|1880|pp=269–270}}</ref> there's no known historical information about the straight ''[[ninjatō]]'' pre-20th century. The first photograph of a ''ninjatō'' appeared in a booklet by Heishichirō Okuse in 1956.<ref>{{cite book |title=Ninjutsu |last=Okuse|first=Heishichirō |year=1956|location=Osaka |publisher=Kinki Nippon Tetsudō }}</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=January 2025}}<ref>{{cite book |title=Ninja: Unmasking the Myth |last=Turnbull |first=Stephen |author-link=Stephen Turnbull (historian) |year=2018 |publisher=[[Frontline Books]] |isbn=978-1-4738-5042-2 }}</ref> A replica of a ''ninjatō'' is on display at the [[Ninja Museum of Igaryu]].

[[File:Kusarigama-crop.jpg|thumb|A pair of ''[[kusarigama]]'', on display in [[Iwakuni Castle]]]]

An array of [[Dart (missile)|darts]], spikes, [[Knife|knives]], and sharp, star-shaped discs were known collectively as ''[[shuriken]]''.<ref>The Art of Throwing Weapons, James W. Madden (1991)</ref> While not exclusive to the ninja,<ref name="Mol 2003 119">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=119}}</ref> they were an important part of the arsenal, where they could be thrown in any direction.<ref name="ratti 1991 328 329">{{Harvnb|Ratti|Westbrook|1991|pp=328–329}}</ref> [[Bow and arrow|Bows]] were used for sharpshooting, and some ninjas' bows were intentionally made smaller than the traditional ''[[yumi]]'' (longbow).<ref name="ratti 1991 328">{{Harvnb|Ratti|Westbrook|1991|p=328}}</ref> The chain and sickle (''[[kusarigama]]'') was also used by the ninja.<ref name="Adams 1970 55">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=55}}</ref>

[[Explosive]]s introduced from China were known in Japan by the time of the [[Mongol invasions of Japan|Mongol Invasions]] in the 13th century.<ref name="Bunch Hellemans2004 161">{{Harvnb|Bunch|Hellemans|2004|p=161}}</ref> Later, explosives such as hand-held bombs and [[grenade]]s were adopted by the ninja.<ref name="ratti 1991 329" />

Along with common ''shinobi buki'' (ninja weapons), a large assortment of miscellaneous arms were associated with the ninja.<ref>Shinobi-no Buki (Ninja Weapons) by Yumio Nawa, August 25, 1967 First Edition</ref> Some examples include [[poison]], ''[[makibishi]]'' ([[caltrop]]s),<ref name="Mol 2003 176">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=176}}</ref> ''[[Japanese sword mountings#Shikomizue|shikomizue]]'' ([[Swordstick|cane swords]]),<ref name="Mol 2003 195">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=195}}</ref> [[land mine]]s,<ref name="draeger smith 1981 127">{{Harvnb|Draeger|Smith|1981|p=127}}</ref> ''[[fukiya]]'' ([[blowgun]]s), [[Arrow poison|poisoned darts]], [[acid]]-spurting tubes, and ''[[teppo jutsu]]'' ([[firearm]]s).<ref name="ratti 1991 329" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.teppojutsu.com/|title=Teppo Jutsu : Advanced Firearms Applications|website=www.teppojutsu.com}}</ref> The ''happō'', a small eggshell filled with ''[[metsubushi]]'' (blinding powder), was also used to facilitate escape.<ref name="Mol 2003 124">{{Harvnb|Mol|2003|p=124}}</ref>

==Legendary abilities==
Perceived control over the elements may be grounded in real tactics, which were categorized by association with forces of nature. For example, the practice of starting fires to cover a ninja's trail falls under ''katon-no-jutsu'' ("fire techniques").<ref name="Mol 2003 176" />

[[File:Actor-as-nikki-danjo-kunisada-1857.jpg|thumb|upright|Actor portraying Nikki Danjō, a villain from the kabuki play ''Sendai Hagi''. Shown with hands in a ''[[kuji-in]]'' seal, which allows him to transform into a giant rat. Woodblock print on paper. [[Kunisada]], 1857.]]
The ninja's adaption of [[kite]]s in espionage and warfare is another subject of legends. Accounts exist of ninja being lifted into the air by kites, where they flew over hostile terrain and descended into, or dropped bombs on enemy territory.<ref name="draeger smith 1981 128" /> Kites were indeed used in Japanese warfare, but mostly for the purpose of sending messages and relaying signals.<ref name="Buckley 2002 257">{{Harvnb|Buckley|2002|p=257}}</ref> Turnbull suggests that kites lifting a man into midair might have been technically feasible, but states that the use of kites to form a human "[[Hang gliding|hang glider]]" falls squarely in the realm of fantasy.<ref name="Turnbull 2003 22 23">{{Harvnb|Turnbull|2003|pp=22–23}}</ref>

===Kuji-kiri===
''[[Kuji-kiri]]'' is an esoteric practice which, when performed with an array of hand "seals" (''[[kuji-in]]''), was meant to allow the ninja to enact superhuman feats.

The ''kuji'' ("nine characters") is a concept originating from [[Taoism]], where it was a string of nine words used in charms and incantations.<ref name="Waterhouse 1996 2 3">{{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|pp=2–3}}</ref> In China, this tradition mixed with [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] beliefs, assigning each of the nine words to a Buddhist deity. The ''kuji'' may have arrived in Japan via Buddhism,<ref name="Waterhouse 1996 8 11">{{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|pp=8–11}}</ref> where it flourished within [[Shugendō]].<ref name="Waterhouse 1996 13">{{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|p=13}}</ref> Here too, each word in the ''kuji'' was associated with Buddhist deities, animals from Taoist mythology, and later, Shinto [[kami]].<ref name="Waterhouse 1996 24 27">{{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|pp=24–27}}</ref> The ''[[Mudra|mudrā]]'', a series of hand symbols representing different Buddhas, was applied to the ''kuji'' by Buddhists, possibly through the esoteric ''[[Mikkyō]]'' teachings.<ref name="Waterhouse 1996 24 25">{{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|pp=24–25}}</ref> The ''[[yamabushi]]'' ascetics of Shugendō adopted this practice, using the hand gestures in spiritual, healing, and [[exorcism]] rituals.<ref name="Teeuwen Rambelli 2002 327">{{Harvnb|Teeuwen|Rambelli|2002|p=327}}</ref> Later, the use of ''kuji'' passed onto certain ''[[Budō#Bujutsu|bujutsu]]'' (martial arts) and ''ninjutsu'' schools, where it was said to have many purposes.<ref name="Waterhouse 1996 31 33">{{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|pp=31–33}}</ref> The application of ''kuji'' to produce a desired effect was called "cutting" (''kiri'') the ''kuji''. Intended effects range from physical and mental concentration, to more incredible claims about rendering an opponent immobile, or even the casting of magical spells.<ref name="Adams 1970 29">{{Harvnb|Adams|1970|p=29}}; {{Harvnb|Waterhouse|1996|p=31}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[Kunoichi]]''
* [[Ninjas in popular culture]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Further reading cleanup|date=September 2017}}
* {{cite journal | last1 = Bertrand | first1 = John | year = 2006 | title = Techniques that made ninjas feared in 15th-century Japan still set the standard for covert ops | journal = Military History | volume = 23 | issue = 1| pages = 12–19 }}
* Cummins, Antony. ''The Book of Ninja: The Bansenshukai - Japan's Premier Ninja Manual'' 2013
* Cummins, Antony. ''Ninja Skills: The Authentic Ninja Training Manual'' 2018
* {{cite book |title = Invisible Armor: An Introduction to the Esoteric Dimension of Japan's Classical Warrior Arts |last=Mol|first=Serge|place=Belgium |publisher=Eibusha|year = 2008 |isbn=978-90-8133610-9 }}
* {{cite book |title = Takeda Shinobi Hiden: Unveiling Takeda Shingen's Secret Ninja Legacy |last=Mol|first=Serge|publisher=Eibusha|year = 2016 |isbn=978-90-813361-3-0|pages = 1–192}}
* Toshitora, Yamashiro. ''Secret Guide to Making Ninja Weapons'', Butokukai Press, 1986. {{ISBN|978-99942-913-1-1}}
* Zoughari, Kacem. ''The Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan'', Tuttle Publishing, 2010. {{ISBN|0-8048-3927-1}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}


{{Japanese martial arts}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ninjutsu| ]]
[[Category:Japanese martial arts]]