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Jutsu

Aizuangojutsu - signaling (not sure I think hand signals)

Ankokutostoshijutsu - ways to see in the dark

Bakemonnojutsu - ghost art

Bajutsu - Horsemanship (fighting from horse back)

Bujutsu - science of individual combat

Dakentaijutsu - striking method

Dotonjutsu - earth escape art, like hiding underground or using the ground as an escape route

Genjutsu - magic and illusions

Hansojutsu - the art of disguise kind of like acting but making it real not just acting

Jujutsu - this is not the grappling art.... ten syllable power methods. "skills said to enable a ninja to accomplish what conventional warriors could only back away from,"Stephen Hayes

Jutaijutsu - ninja's style of grappling

Jojutsu - staff and cane fighting

Kappojutsu - resuscitation

Koppojutsu - art of bone breaking

Kiaijutsu - the art of harmonizing with the universal force

Kiaijutsu - shout of intention as a weapon

Kajutsu - explosives and fire arms

Koppojutsu - bone breaking or damaging

Koshijutsu - nerve or soft tissue striking

Kenjutsu - sword combat

Kyojutsu - making the impossible possible and making the possible impossible

Konsetsujutsu - joint working & joint locks

Mokutonjustu - wood escape art, like hiding in the trees or in a log on the ground or using the trees as an escape route

Masubitaijutsu - linking (not sure I think linking one empty hand technique and/or weapons technique to another)

Nawanukejutsu - Escaping from bonds. The process is easily visible to a guard or other person present, and can be interfered with. Due to childhood training, a ninja may use this skill to squeeze through openings which would normally be too small for a person of the ninja's size. The suppleness necessary for this special skill can only be achieved through childhood training. Ninjutsu - the art of ninja, ninpo, and nin

Oseijutsu - pinning methods of pinning your opponent to the ground with nobody hurt

Shakinojutsu - flag discarding......this is when an army copies the flags of the enemy and the enemy thinks it allies

Shoten no jutsu - vertical surface running

Suitonjutsu - water escape art, like hiding under water, or using water as an escape route

Shurikenjutsu - the art of throwing objects

Setonjutsu - snow shinobi

Saimonjutsu - hypnotism and mind control

Takemustaijutsu - forging

Taijutsu - unarmed combat

Taihenjutsu - rolling traveling method

Taihenjutsu - body movement

Toritejutsu - arresting skills

Unshinjutsu - the art of being invisible

Urataijutsu - reversing your opponents attack

ninja fighting:

Shikan-ken (Extended-Knuckle Fist)
The shikan-ken is the fundamental fist of the Togakure-ryu. It is used against hard, broad surfaces of bone structure. The fist is formed with the fingers half-folded, leaving the middle knuckles protruding. The striking points are the knuckles, which may be applied to the facial bones, breast-bone, and sides of the middle ribs.

The punch goes straight in, bullet-like, with all the force behind the striking points. The elbow should not rise along the outside of the fist's path, or the punch will bend and hook. The elbow is kept close to the ribs, forcing the punch straight into the target. The teacher warned that the fist is not flipped into place and withdrawn, but used to knock the adversary back. The thrust of the punch continues through the impact with the target.

Fudo-ken (Clenched Fist)
This is the conventional clenched fist, which can be used to strike from many different angles. It is used against a variety of targets, but is especially effective against areas of the body in which the edges of the bone structure are accessible. This fist is formed by curling the fingers into the palm and clamping the thumb beside the index finger. The front slab of the fist, the outside knuckles, or the inside knuckles can be used to strike targets such as the nose, jaw, lower edges of the ribs, arms, and legs.

Boshi-ken (Thumb-Drive Fist)
The boshi-ken is unique to the ninja's system of combat. This fist's single striking point is used against semisoft targets, generally muscles covering bone structure. It is especially well suited for attacking nerve centers with precision. The fist is formed with the thumb protruding, and the hand in a position resembling that used to grip a golf club. The thumb is positioned for a driving jab, reinforced by the curled index finger. This single striking point is used to attack targets such as the side of the neck, the sides of the upper ribs, the solar plexus, and the lower abdomen to the inside of the hip bones. As with most of the punches in ninjutsu, it is essential to follow powerfully through the target, and not merely poke and retreat.

Shuto (Sword Hand)
The sword hand is not really a fist, but it is an important striking weapon. The lower outside edge of the palm is used against the structures of the limbs and neck, as well as for striking into the joints. In the shuto, the planes of the palm and fingers form an angle of 45 degrees, and the thumb is clamped along he base of the index finger.
When beginning the sword-hand strike, maintain the hand in a conventional fist to disguise your intention. The hand swings around into the target, drawing power from the weight and motion of the arm and body. At the instant before contact, the hand is opened to shuto position and smashed through the target at a 90-degree angle to its surface. The hand is not flicked into place and quickly withdrawn. The strike is intended to stun or to break through the bone structure attacked.

History:
The history of the Ninja is hard to trace. This is because there were few, if any records kept of its existance. Most of what is known about the ninja is taken from stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Nonuse ("the art of stealth" wink was first introduced to Japan in 522 A.D. as a religion practiced by priests. These priests were not violent people, they were "mystics" who gathered and shared information for the ruling classes. The ninja as we know them were not introduced until later.

It wasn't until 645 A.D. that the priests perfected their fighting skills and made use of their knowledge of nonuse. This was because they found themselves being harassed by the central government and found in necessary to protect themselves.

In 794-1192 A.D. the new civilization flourished and with it, a new class of wealthy, privileged families. These families fought with one another in attempts to make or destroy emperors. The need for spies, informants and now assassins grew as these families dueled for power. They were suspicious and jealous of one another and would resort to any means necessary to eliminate any possible threats. Therefore, the practitioners of nonuse were in great demand. With this, the ninja was born.

NINJA POISONS:

The ninja were very knowledgeable about poisons. Poisoning a victim was as effective as stabbing them, but with very little mess or chance of failure. Once the poison was ingested by the victim it was already to late. The poisons were mostly organic based, but some were taken from animals.

One method was to take the fungi poison out of the blowfish or puffer fish. This poison is very strong and can kill in small doses. Another animal based poison was the bufo marinus. The bufo marinus is a large toad with an extremely toxic poison behind its eyes. This poison was often used on darts, arrows and spear tips.

Spiders and scorpions were also used. Not always just the poison extracted from them, but sometimes it was just as easy to slip a couple of scorpions in the bed of the victim.

One of the organic poisons used was made from common fruit. Cyanide was extracted from a variety of sources, such as apple seeds, plum seeds, cherries seeds and many more. It was readily available to the ninja and was used often.

Tomato and rhubarb leaves also held a poison. Eating the leaves cause cardiac problems, ultimately resulting in cardiac arrest.

The amanita phalloides is a deadly mushroom. The poison in the mushroom was 10 times more powerful than that of cyanide. Eating the mushroom was certain death, and it was easy to slip a piece of the mushroom in almost any meal.

The poison could be used in various ways, depending on the situation. For example, if the ninja could slip it into the victims food while its being prepared. Without knowing what kind of danger he was in, the victim would eat the food infested with the poison. Not all the poisons used by the ninja were fatal, some of them were used to merely paralyze or cause blindness. It was not always necessary to kill.

Another thing the ninja did was dip their weapons, such as the shuriken or their sword, in the poison. This was so when it punctured the skin of their target, the fast acting poison would take its course, causing much more devastating than the blade itself.

ninja stealth:
Maintain balance control by allowing your body weight to sink and be carried by deeply flexed knees.

Remember to breathe along with your movement. Unconsciously holding your breath can unknowingly produce unneeded muscle tension, and could result in gasping release of breathe if you are startled or accidentally unbalanced.

Stay alert to the entire scene. Do not become so engrossed in watching your feet that you do not notice other people an elements entering the surroundings.

Use all joints for movement, emphasizing fluidity through the engagement of the ankles, knees, and hips for stepping. Avoid the lazy and dangerous habit of stiffening knees and swinging the entire leg from the hip.

Maintain your weight and balance on your grounded leg while you move the other leg into position to bear the weight. When absolute silence is a must, avoid distributing your weight over both legs at the same time.

If practical, allow your hands to float lightly in front of and beside your torso, one arm higher and one arm lower, to detect possible obstructions before your committed body weight encounters them.

Pause and hold your position if you feel that you have accidentally caused too much noise. Listen for signs that you were heard, such as the movement of others or the immediate silencing of background noise following your slip. Sink a little lower on your knees to physically relax that could normally jump into your body with alarm. Take a deep breathe and release it slowly to further relax. Continue your pause for as long as you feel is necessary to regain composure and allow possible listeners to decide they did not hear anything after all.

Be as patient as possible. If speed of travel is not important, take as much time as you can. Impatience and the resultant hasty movement that it encourages are the greatest dangers to the person who must move silently without detection.

Keep your movement appropriate to your surroundings. Do not go to greater lengths than necessary to conceal your movement, while at the same being aware of what others entering the area may see if they cannot hear. Total silence may not be needed when moving through wooded or densely populated areas where scattered noise is a natural part of the environment. Also be aware that low profile crawling or sliding ma be the only way to move silently without being seen in some locations.

ninja clothing:
The ninja uniform was called a shinobi shozoko. It was typically one of three colors. Black was used for night missions when being seen would mean certain death. White was used for winter missions so they could easily blend in with the snow. The other color used was a green kind of camouflage pattern so they could blend in with the forest surroundings.

Besides the typical ninja uniform, the ninja would use any type of clothing that would get them closer to the mission goal. Sometimes the ninja dressed up as priests, peasants or even samurai. Whatever the mission required, they did.

When dressed fully in the shinobi shozoko, the ninja's flesh was completely hidden, all except for a small slit around the eyes and his hands. The tabi boots had a slit in between the big toe and the second toe. The reason for the split was to make it easier for climbing ropes and scaling walls.

The shinobi shozoko had many pockets all through it, inside and out. This was for storing all the small tools and weapons he needed, such as poison, shuriken, knives and so on. The ninja also carried a small, primitive, first aid kit, filled with potions and solutions.

ninja tools:
TOOL: ASHIARO

DESCRIPTION:
The Ninja were master trackers able to identify all types of prints on the ground and, being the proficient trackers they were, they also realized that they, too, could be tracked, especially while wearing tabi or split toed boots. This problem was solved by the invention of many types of "footprints" carved out of wood and attached to the soles of the Ninja's tabi.

The ashiaro took many shapes such as a bear's or a dog's and they also were made to imitate human prints. These prints made the Ninja's tracks look like those of a child by making the ashiaro small and shaped like a child's foot or the Ninja could be made to look like a cripple by deforming the shape of the ashiaro. Wearing these footprints, a Ninja could walk confidently through enemy territory and not worry about being tracked. After all, the Samurai wouldn't consider a cripple or a child a threat.


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TOOL: DOKA

DESCRIPTION:
A doka is a small container for used to safely carry live coal. This device is used for lighting candles, fuses. It can also be used to warm their hands on cold nights.


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TOOL: GANDO

DESCRIPTION:
Though the Ninja operated mostly by night, even they needed some light now and then. The gando was a lantern that acted much as a flashlight. A candle was mounted inside a piece of metal that was shaped like a cone and a handle was attached to the closed end of the metal. With the candle shielded by the metal, light only shone in one direction instead of all directions as with a regular lantern.


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TOOL: HASAMI BUNE

DESCRIPTION:
Hasami bune is a collapsible float that is used to transport the ninja's equipment across the water without getting wet.


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TOOL: KAGINAWA

DESCRIPTION:
The kaginawa, or grappling hook, was a climbing device consisting of a pronged hook with 12 to 15 feet of rope attached. The kaginawa was used to scale walls or to swing across large gaps, however, it could also be used as a weapon. By holding the rope and swinging the hook over the head, the Ninja could strike his opponent with the sharp prongs of the hook or the rope could be used to entangle the enemy and enable the Ninja to strike with another weapon.


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TOOL: KAMA IKADA

DESCRIPTION:
A water crossing device that was like much like a raft. Ninja would build these to cross large bodies of water or to sail to their destination.


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TOOL: KUSURIBIN

DESCRIPTION:
The Ninja often carried a "medicine can" filled with antiseptics and ointments which he used to heal himself if he were cut or injured while on his mission. The kusuribin was also used to carry poisons and antidotes.


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TOOL: METAL GRIPS

DESCRIPTION:
Since the Ninja had to be prepared to run over any and all terrain, they often carried metal strips with a spiked edge on one site. These strips were tied to the bottom of the Ninja's tabi to gain a better grip over uneven or slippery terrain. These would be the equivalent of the spiked shoes that many athletes wear today.


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TOOL: MIZU GUMO

DESCRIPTION:
A Mizu Gumo is a water crossing device that was used by the ninja. It was an inflatible seat that surrounds the hips of the ninja and suspends him in water. The pouches that held the air were usually made out of rabbit skin and horse hide.


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TOOL: METSUBISHI

DESCRIPTION:
Metsubishi, or "eye closer", were used to temporarily, or sometimes permanently, blind the enemy. Hollowed out egg shells, paper bags and short bamboo tubes were filled with a combination of sand, metal filings and pepper and were used to attack the eyes of an enemy. Egg shells and paper bags were used by throwing the fragile containers at the opponent's face, causing it to break on impact and scatter the contents across the face and into the eyes. Bamboo tubes were sealed with paper or wax and, when the seal was broken, the tube was flung in the direction of the opponent, sending the contents into the face, blinding him.

Usually, metsubisi were used to make an escape when surrounded or cornered or if the Ninja felt there were too many opponents to fight at once. For example, if a Ninja were faced with 5 or 6 opponents, he might use metsubishi to blind 2 or 3 of them while he dispensed of the others.


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TOOL: SHUKO / ASHIKO

DESCRIPTION:
These were steel or iron bands that were tied over the hands and feet and used as climbing aids. With the use of shuko and ashiko, a Ninja could scale a wall or climb a tree in a matter of seconds. In fact, many Samurai were reported as saying the Ninja could "climb like a bear."


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TOOL: SHIKORO

DESCRIPTION:
The Ninja carried a variety of small sawing tools with them in order to make small holes in walls so that a clear view could be gained into a room while hiding. Most of these saws were triangular in shape. This enabled the Ninja create a hole that was wide on his end of the wall and a small hole on the other side.


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TOOL: SHINOBI BUNE

DESCRIPTION:
Sometimes, the Ninja had to cross wide rivers or even sail down them. For this, bamboo sticks and large, empty jars would be carried in a bag and, when the Ninja reached the river he had to cross or travel down, he assembled them into a criss-cross frame and then the jars, which were sealed closed, were tied to the bottom of the frame and acted as floats. The Ninja then pushed the boat into the water and used an extra bamboo stick as a paddle.


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TOOL: SMOKE BOMB

DESCRIPTION:
This circler bomb of smoke was made famous by the ninja movies in the 80's. For a quick get away this bomb could be filled with gun powder to make an explosion and smoke.


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TOOL: SHINOBI KAI

DESCRIPTION:
A shinobi kai is a collapsable oar that is used with ninja water crossing devices. It was made of bamboo strip with a fan at the end.


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TOOL: SHINOBI KAI

DESCRIPTION:
A shinobi kai is a collapsable oar that is used with ninja water crossing devices. It was made of bamboo strip with a fan at the end.


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TOOL: TOJIME

DESCRIPTION:
Since most Japanese doors slid from side to side instead of opening outward or inward, the Ninja would carry a variety of "jamming" tools. The tojime were bars of steel with a hook on each end. These hooks would be used to hold the door closed by locking them closed.


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TOOL: TARU IKADA

DESCRIPTION:
Floatation pots used by the ninja to cross shallow waterways and streams. The ninja would put each foot into a pot and cross the water.


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TOOL: TSUGI BUNE

DESCRIPTION:
The Tsugi Bune is a collapsible boat used by the ninja. Each ninja would carry their section of the boat when on land, and then join the pieces together when need for floatation.