Lets talk about spys

The Roots of Ninjutsu

Probably around 500-700AD, Nonuse was developed in Japan. Translated as 'the art of stealth', Nonuse
was first practised in mystic form as a system of enlightenment and
self-improvement. The roots of this practice are often placed in the
mountains of central Honshu, and attributed to a unique take on a
combination of Shinto religious philosophy with Mikkyo spiritual
practices and the influence of Chinese warriors, philosophers, and
strategists left outcast by the rise of the T'ang Dynasty. Another
reputed influence were the Shugenja, another group dwelling in the
mountains. This was a sect of spiritual survivalists who sought
enlightenment and self improvement by exposing themselves to the
ravages of the elements. Most sources consider the Nonuse of this period to have been a strictly non-violent movement.

The
lives of the Japanese peasantry were probably never all that pleasant,
but over time the imbalance of power between lord and vassal grew, and
the feudal aristocracy became more and more oppressive. Peasant
resistance to such oppression would have of necessity been a furtive
affair, since the common folk lacked the training and equipment of
their enemies. As a part of such resistance, practitioners of Nonuse began to use their spiritual training to more practical ends. For some, in particular the modern schools of reconstructed Ninjutsu, this Robin Hood-type image is the one true perception of the Ninja.

The word Ninja only came into use later, and is based on the root nin,
which is translated variously as 'perseverance', 'stealth', or
'patience', depending on context; and the Japanese kanji (ideographic
character) is also transliterated 'shinobi'. Ninjutsu was the
collective term for the Ninja fighting arts, the equivalent of the
Samurai Kenjutsu or sword arts, while Ninpo is a term used for their philosophy.

The Rise of the Ninja

It
was with the rise of the military class in the Heian period (794-1185)
that the true Ninja first began to appear. Following the Taika reforms
in the preceding Nara period (710-794) a radical restructuring of
Japanese government and administration, which included the purchase and
redistribution of all land by the state - high taxation forced many
farmers to sell their land and become tenants to wealthier landowners.
These landowners then began to hire Samurai1 to protect their property, enforce their rule, and increase their power, while the lot of the peasantry grew ever worse.

This
is the time of the Ninja, as perceived by the modern western mind, in
as much as such a creature ever existed. From their peasant resistance
roots, the Ninja at some stage became organised into families. Ninja
lore insists that the members of these families trained in all manner
of martial arts and survival skills from childhood; but, although this
may be an exaggeration, what seems certain is that they became an
effective counterculture to the Samurai families, who ruled the feudal
system, employing their 'art of stealth' along with effective guerilla
tactics to combat the better equipped adversary.

These methods were considered cowardly by the Samurai, as they flew in the face of the Bushido
(warrior code), by which the Samurai lived, fought, and died. This
accusation of cowardice, however, is one levelled against almost every
guerilla fighting force ever created, including American skirmishers in
the War of Independence2.
For the Ninja, as for all these others, such accusations were as water
off a duck's back when the alternative was having to confront a
superior enemy face to face. Even if the Ninja did train from
childhood, so too did the Samurai, whose place in society was not only
predestined by birth, but supported by the entire feudal system. The
Samurai of the Heian period were, if not so mighty as reported in later
legend, certainly the finest warriors Japan had to offer. For the
Ninja, a stand-up fight would have meant slaughter.

This is also
the period of history in which the employment of Ninja as spies,
informants, and assassins is first recorded, not merely as a form of
resistance against the ruling elite, but also as their agents in
inter-clan disputes and warfare. Some claim that this is propaganda,
that the official histories go to great lengths to make the Ninja out
to be mercenary killers rather than noble peasant heroes. The
reconstructed school also blames 'renegade' Ninja for bringing the art
into disrepute by selling their skills in this way. It is generally
accepted however, even by Ninja apologists, that the Ninja clans of
this period became involved in power politics; and that they did on
occasion side with one or another of the various Samurai clans.

plus they should add a couple real ninistu fioghting moves like the running flip....the attacker puts his legs on the defenders ears and the attacker flips his backside....throwing the enemy the attackes backway taking at least 500 plus stun....stun is cool and with stealth,it makes a good tactic

1 more thing about ninjas

Ninjutsu is a Japanese form of martial arts, as popular today as it was in ancient feudal Japan. Its students are trained as assassins, saboteurs and spies and have numerous uncommon abilities. Usually ninjas are pictured in black and carrying a whole host of unique weapons in a backpack.

Message Edited by Paige6 on 12-08-2005 06:37 PM