Ninja: the real story of Japanese warriors. Cold fighting ninja weapon

Incredible legends circulated about ninja in medieval Japan. It was said that a ninja warrior is able to fly, breathe underwater, become invisible, and in general they are not people, but creatures of demons.

The whole life of any medieval ninja was surrounded by legends. In fact, all fantastic ninja stories were born in the superstitious minds of uneducated medieval Japanese. The ninja, in turn, maintained their supernatural reputation in every possible way, which gave them a huge advantage in battle.

The history of the appearance of ninja in Japan

The first mention of an art similar to ninjutsu can be found in ancient Indian treatises. It was from there, along with Buddhism, that this art was brought by the yamabushi hermit monks. Mountain monks were a rather specific caste. They perfectly mastered weapons, were unsurpassed healers and sages. It was from them that young ninjas were trained, to whom the yamabushi passed on part of their fantastic knowledge for that time.

The history of the ninja begins around the 6th century, but the last professional ninja clans were destroyed in the 17th century. More than a thousand years of ninja history has left an indelible mark on Japanese history, although the secrets of ninja (a small part of them) were only revealed at the end of the 20th century, by the last ninjutsu patriarch Masaaki Hatsumi.

Ninja clans were widely scattered throughout Japan, most often they disguised themselves as an ordinary peasant village. Even the neighboring villages did not know about the ninja, since they were outcasts, and every person in medieval Japan considered it his duty to destroy these "demons". That is why all the ninja on the mission used masks, and in a hopeless situation they had to disfigure their faces beyond recognition so as not to betray the clan.

The harsh upbringing of a ninja from birth

Despite the abundance of films about ninjas, where a harsh hero learns all the tricks in a few years and crushes enemies like straw, those who were born in the clan became the best ninjas.

A master ninja had to learn throughout his life, so before becoming a ninja, children went through a harsh school of training that began from birth. All children born into the clan were automatically considered ninja. The cradle with the newborn was hung near the wall and constantly swung so that it hit against it. The child subconsciously tried to group, and such a skill was fixed in him at the level of instinct.

Children under the age of eight were taught to endure any pain. Some ninja stories tell that children were hung by the arms at great heights, teaching them to overcome fear and develop endurance. After the age of eight, children began to be trained as real ninja warriors, until this age they had to be able to do the following:

Endure any pain and take any blows without a groan;
Read, write and know the secret alphabet, which was different in every ninja clan;
Imitate the sounds of any animals and birds, which was often used to give signals;
Great to climb trees (some were even forced to live there for weeks);
It is good to throw stones and any objects;
Meekly endure any bad weather (for which they were forced to sit for hours in cold water);
It is great to see in the dark (this was achieved by many days of training in dark caves and a special diet containing a large amount of vitamin A);
Swim in the water like a fish and be able to hold your breath underwater for a long time. In addition, the ninja had to be able to conduct underwater combat both with weapons and with his bare hands;
To twist their joints in any direction (which greatly affected with age, although the ninja rarely lived to old age).

In addition, children used military weapons as toys, and used any available items as ninja weapons. By the age of eight, the child had such strength, endurance and flexibility that he could easily outdo any modern professional athlete in the belt. Trees, stones and rocks were used as sports equipment.

Training an adult warrior or how to become a ninja

Starting from the age of 15, young ninjas (whose fighting qualities already many times exceeded the training of a medieval warrior) went to the mountains - to comprehend the ancient art of monks - yamabushi. It was they who served as the prototype of bearded elders in films about ninja. Although from the history of yamabushi it can be understood that they were real warriors who brutally dealt with their enemies.

Here, students learned the basic skills of psychological training, learned how to make medicines, poisons, and learned secret non-contact combat techniques.

The secret of ninja disguise was well known. Even very attentive warriors could not recognize the best actors. Today the ninja was a fat merchant, and tomorrow he was an exhausted beggar. Moreover, it was the role of a beggar tramp that required the ninja to fully get used to the role. The combat ninja looked like a starving old man. The best masters of reincarnation took poisons that outwardly made the body weak and the face covered with wrinkles.

In general, the quality of reincarnation as a powerless one was widely used by medieval spies. In combat, the ninja would often pretend to be overwhelmed by the opponent's superior combat skills and fight with an air of doom. The enemy lost his vigilance and began to carelessly brandish his weapon, after which he received a lightning strike from the "demoralized" ninja.

If the enemy did not succumb to such tricks, the ninja could pretend to be mortally wounded and fall to the ground in convulsions, spitting out blood. The enemy approached and immediately received a mortal blow.

The physical abilities of the ninja and their "supernatural" abilities

The average ninja could cover about a hundred kilometers a day, now it seems incredible, since even the best modern athlete is not capable of such feats. With their bare hands, they broke bones and knocked out doors, and their dexterity was simply incredible. The ninja, who often used huge claws as a weapon, spent part of his life on a tree, and during the operation he wore a specific ninja mask that turned him into a terrible demon. A rare inhabitant of medieval Japan dared to fight with a demon that silently appeared behind him.

The magical abilities of the ninja are explained quite simply:

The ability to become invisible is associated with the use of smoke bombs. The explosion of such a grenade was accompanied by a sheaf of sparks and a bright flash that distracted attention, and a pall of smoke, using which the ninja quietly disappeared;
The ninja could escape even without a smoke bomb if there was water nearby. Having quietly dived there, the warrior could breathe for hours through a tube of reeds or a hollow scabbard of a sword;
Ninjas were able to run on water only because they prepared each operation in advance. Special flat stones were placed under the water, the location of which the ninja memorized and then easily jumped over them, creating the illusion of walking on water;
Legends said that a werewolf ninja could not be held by any bonds, since he would still be released. Not only ninjas knew this rope release technology. It lies in the fact that when binding, you need to strain the muscles as much as possible, then after they are relaxed, the fetters will not be strongly tightened. The ninja's flexibility aided him in his release;
The ability to walk on walls and ceilings owes ninjas to training in the forest, when they jumped through trees and the use of special brackets with which they could gain a foothold on the ceiling. A trained ninja could hang motionless on the ceiling for days, waiting for a victim.

The ability to endure pain helped the ninja a lot when they fell into a bear trap. If time allowed, he could coolly release his leg and, stopping the bleeding, hide. With a lack of time, the ninja cut off their own leg and, jumping on the survivor, tried to hide.

Ninja clothing and disguise

We all know that ninjas wore black suits, and the "good" ninja wore white suits. In fact, this myth was very far from reality. Most often, ninjas disguised themselves as merchants, travelers or beggars, because a person in black clothes will be noticeable everywhere, since completely black color is very rare in nature. The famous ninja night uniform was dark brown or dark blue. For combat, there was a red uniform that hid wounds and blood. The suit had many pockets for various gadgets and concealed weapons.

The costume was accompanied by a ninja mask, which was made from a two-meter piece of fabric. It was impregnated with a special composition that could serve to stop the blood and disinfect wounds. In addition, drinking water could be filtered through the mask and used as a rope.

Specialization of various ninja clans

Despite the fact that all ninja are considered unsurpassed warriors, each clan specialized in its own "trick":

The Fuma clan was excellent at sabotage and terrorist operations. They can also be called the medieval analogue of the marines. They swam perfectly and pierced the bottoms of enemy ships under water;
The Gekku clan knew perfectly well the technique of striking points on the body of the enemy, using fingers that were trained so that they acted like steel bars;
The ninja of the Koppo clan perfectly mastered the techniques of fighting, which is now called koppo-jutsu (one of the styles of hand-to-hand combat in the art of ninpo);
The Hattori clan was excellent at yari-jutsu (the art of fighting with spears);
The ninja of the Koga clan specialized in the use of explosives;
And the Iga clan was famous for its inventors. Many specific ninja weapons were invented by them.

All ninjas possessed skills that allowed them to stealthily enter the premises, kill the enemy and escape unnoticed. However, the specific secrets of the clans were kept very jealously.

Secrets of the Jumon language

The Jumon language is 9 spell syllables, by uttering which the ninja could change their state and achieve supernatural results. This language included 9 spells and the corresponding number of finger figures.

Modern science has been able to prove that the Jumon language could influence the brain. It was this that gave an explanation for the supernatural abilities of the ninja. It used to be considered dark magic.

The yamabushi monks taught the ninja that each finger is connected to energy channels and by putting them into various combinations, one can achieve the use of the body's hidden reserves.

In addition, each clan had its own secret language. This was necessary for the transfer of classified information. The language changed frequently as codes became known to rival clans.

Weapons and ninja houses

Despite the fact that the ninja's house outwardly did not differ from the peasant's, inside it was full of various surprises. There were:

Labyrinths;
Underground floors, which could be several;
Secret passages, doors and passages;
Various traps and traps.

In addition, a primitive hang glider was often kept in the attic, which created the illusion that ninjas turn into birds.

If the ninja's house was full of traps, then it's easy to imagine the huge number of different weapons used by the ninja. All weapons could be divided into four large groups:

Melee weapon. This group included both the usual weapons of warriors and peasants, as well as specific models of ninja weapons. For example, a sword-cane is a seemingly ordinary staff, which is appropriate for any peasant or passer-by;
Throwing weapon. This group includes various shurikens, bows, wind pipes and firearms. In addition, there was a hidden weapon that was disguised as elements of clothing. For example, a peasant hat could have a hidden blade under the brim. The spring released the blade and the throw of the hat easily cut the opponent's throat;
Agricultural implements in the skillful hands of the ninja smashed enemies no worse than swords and spears. The main advantage of using it was the element of surprise, since the peasants of medieval Japan were quite peaceful (all their energy was spent on getting food and hard work). The peasant sickle often turned out to be a kusarikama - a combat sickle with a weight on a long chain;
Poisons in medieval Japan were used by everyone from peasants to feudal lords, but ninjas turned out to be real experts in this matter. Often it was from them that they bought poisons. The secrets of their preparation were kept secret, each clan knew how to prepare their own versions of the poison. In addition to fast-acting, there were poisons that slowly and imperceptibly killed their prey. The most powerful were poisons prepared from the entrails of animals.

It was the poisons that endowed shurikens with deadly properties. One scratch was enough for the victim to die in agony. In addition, ninjas often used poisonous steel thorns, which they threw at the feet of their pursuers or scattered in front of their dwellings.

Female ninja kunoichi are sophisticated assassins

The use of girls as ninjas was widely practiced by ninja clans. The girls could distract the guards, then the ninja warrior entered the dwelling of his victim without any problems. In addition, the ninja girls themselves were skilled assassins. Even when they were forced to undress before being brought to their master, a knitting needle in their hair or a ring with a poisonous spike was enough to destroy the victim.

Most often, in everyday life, female ninja were geisha, who were highly respected in medieval Japanese society. False geisha knew all the intricacies of this craft and were admitted to all noble houses. They knew how to keep up small talk on any topic, played musical instruments and danced. In addition, they knew a lot about cooking and skillfully used cosmetics.

After being trained in a geisha school, kunoichi were trained in ninja techniques (if they were born in a ninja clan, then they were already professional assassins). The training of ninja girls focused on the use of various improvised means and the use of poisons.

Many great commanders and rulers of medieval Japan died in the sweet embrace of kunoichi. No wonder the old and experienced samurai taught young warriors that if they want to be safe from a woman from the ninja clan, they should be faithful to their wife.

ninja legends

The ninjas who have earned the title of legend have existed throughout the ninja era:

The first ninja legend was Otomo no Saijin, who dressed up in different guises and served as a spy for his master, Prince Shotoku Taishi. Some believe that he was a metsuke (policeman), but his surveillance methods allow him to be ranked among the first ninja;
Takoya, who lived in the 7th century, was closer to the term "ninja". His specialty was terrorist attacks. Having penetrated into the location of the enemy, he set a fire, immediately after that the emperor's troops struck at the enemy;
Unifune Jinnai is a very small ninja who became famous for being able to enter the feudal lord's palace through the sewers, and waited in the cesspool of the owner of the castle for several days. When someone went there, he dived headlong into the sewage. After waiting for the owner of the castle, he killed him with a spear and disappeared through the sewers.

There are ancient chronicles dating back to the 9th century, which say how the first ninja clan was born in its traditional view. It was founded by a certain Daisuke, with the help of mountain monks yamabushi. It was there that a new type of spy warrior was created, able to win at any cost and deprived of the traditional honor of a samurai. To win, ninja warriors did not hesitate to use a whole arsenal of "not gentlemanly" blows, spitting with poisoned needles, and similar "dirty" tricks.

The main thing for the ninja was victory, which gave the clan the opportunity to live and develop. It was considered a matter of honor to sacrifice one's life for the clan. Many ninja warriors, whose names have not been preserved, gave their lives for the good of their kind.

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I am fond of martial arts with weapons, historical fencing. I write about weapons and military equipment because it is interesting and familiar to me. I often learn a lot of new things and want to share these facts with people who are not indifferent to military topics.

More than one generation has grown up on Hollywood stories about ninja warriors. Born into a clan of assassins, raised by ruthless sensei, the ninja dedicated their existence to the relentless fight against the villainous samurai. Shadows in the night, ready to carry out the most heinous order for the right price.

Today we will tell you some amazing facts from the real history of the ninja: less romance, more truth.

Ninjas are not ninjas

The original Japanese name used by the Japanese themselves is shinobi no mono. The word "ninja" came from the Chinese reading of the same characters and became popular only in the twentieth century.

First appearance

For the first time, shinobi is narrated in the military chronicles of 1375. The chronicler mentions a group of spies who managed to get into the fortified castle and burn it to the ground.

Golden age

For two centuries - XIV and XVI - the cause of the warriors of the night flourished. Japan was immersed in civil wars and shinobi were very popular. But after 1600, life on the islands became much calmer, with this the decline of shinobi no mono began.

bible ninja

There is very little documented information about this secret organization. The shinobi themselves began to record their deeds only after 1600.

The most famous work, written by an unknown sensei, dates back to 1676. The book is considered the true bible of shinobi and is called the Bansenshukai.

Opposition to the samurai

Modern culture unequivocally displays the ninja as fierce opponents of the samurai. There is not a grain of truth in this: the ninja were a kind of mercenary special forces unit and the samurai treated them very respectfully. Moreover, many samurai tried to improve their fighting skills by learning ninjutsu.

Ninjutsu

There is an opinion that ninjutsu is a kind of martial art intended for an unarmed warrior, something like high-level karate. But there was no point for shinobi fighters to devote most of their time to practicing hand-to-hand combat.

Original ninjutsu techniques are 75% designed for an armed person.

Shurikens ninja

In fact, shurikens were used by samurai. The art of throwing a steel star was taught in special schools, while the ninja preferred to use much simpler and easier-to-handle blowguns. The stereotype about shurikens appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century.

masked warrior

And, of course, a ninja should never appear without an ominous black hood on his head - otherwise, who will be afraid of him! Shinobi did use masks when necessary, but they could easily go on the attack with their faces open.

Sinister Assassins

In fact, most of the time, employers used shinobi as spies. They could also be charged with political assassinations - rather, as an exception.

Victory or death

This is a Hollywood myth. There is no evidence at all that the failure of the mission cost the shinobi their lives. What's the point of this?

Professional mercenaries preferred rationality to romance: it is better to retreat and strike again than solemnly stick a sword in your throat without any positive result.

All this is a cheap selection of populist myths that appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the stories about these Japanese warriors are based solely on the desire of filmmakers to create a strong, marketable image. Today we will tell you some amazing facts from the real history of the ninja: less romance, more truth.

The original Japanese name used by the Japanese themselves is shinobi no mono. The word "ninja" came from the Chinese reading of the same characters and became popular only in the twentieth century.

First appearance

For the first time, shinobi is narrated in the military chronicles of 1375. The chronicler mentions a group of spies who managed to get into the fortified castle and burn it to the ground.

Golden age

bible ninja

There is very little documented information about this secret organization. The shinobi themselves began to record their deeds only after 1600. The most famous work, written by an unknown sensei, dates back to 1676. The book is considered the true bible of shinobi and is called the Bansenshukai.

Opposition to the samurai

Ninjutsu

Shurikens ninja

masked warrior

Sinister Assassins

In fact, most of the time, employers used shinobi as spies. They could also be charged with political assassinations - rather, as an exception.

Victory or death

This is a Hollywood myth. There is no evidence at all that the failure of the mission cost the shinobi their lives. What's the point of this? Professional mercenaries preferred rationality to romance: it is better to retreat and strike again than solemnly stick a sword in your throat without any positive result.

Ninja (jap. 忍者 “hiding; one who hides” from 忍ぶ “shinobu” - “hide (sya), hide (sya); endure, endure” + “mono” - a suffix of people and professions; another name is 忍び “shinobi” (shortly from 忍びの者 shinobi no mono)) was a saboteur, spy, spy, and assassin in Medieval Japan.

Ninja in literal translation still means "scout". The root of the word nin (or, in another reading, shinobu) is "sneak". There is another shade of meaning - "endure, endure." Hence the name of the most complex, most mysterious of all martial arts.

Ninjutsu is the art of espionage that the intelligence services of the 20th century could only dream of. Having undergone superhuman physical and mental training, perfectly mastering all the techniques of kenpo without weapons and with ninja weapons, they easily overcame fortress walls and ditches, could stay under water for hours, knew how to walk along walls and ceilings, confuse the chase, fight with insane courage, and if necessary, to remain silent under torture and die with dignity.

Spies and saboteurs who sell their labor to the highest bidder, the ninja were subject to an unwritten code of honor and often went to their deaths in the name of an idea. Declared by people of the lowest grade (hi-nin), pariahs standing outside the law, they inspired involuntary respect for the samurai. Many clan leaders challenged the favor of experienced ninja, many tried to instill in their warriors the experience of ninjutsu. And yet, military espionage for centuries remained the lot of the elite, a tribal trade of a narrow circle of irreplaceable specialists, a clan “craft”.

Ninjutsu, certainly associated with the esoteric practice of a number of Chinese wushu schools, is fraught with many mysteries not only for historians, but also for doctors, biologists, chemists, physicists, and engineers. What we know is only the tip of the iceberg, the base of which goes into the dark depths of mysticism, into the cosmic abyss of parapsychology.

In all likelihood, the process of separating the ninja into a separate social stratum, into a closed caste, went in parallel with the formation of the samurai class and almost in the same way. However, if the samurai squads were initially formed on the northeastern borders from otkhodniks and runaway commoners, then some fugitives preferred to hide close to their native places. The increased power of the samurai subsequently allowed him to take an independent position in the public life of Japan and even come to power, while the scattered groups of ninja never represented and could not represent any significant military and political force.

A number of Japanese historians define ninja as agricultural warriors (ji-zamurai). Indeed, at the initial stage of development, they had much in common with the samurai. But already in the Heian era (VIII-XII centuries), marked by the rule of the palace aristocracy, proud bushi considered hired spies to be a dangerous declassed element. From time to time, local feudal lords and government troops staged real raids on ninjas, devastating their camps and villages, killing old people and children.

Ninja strongholds were scattered throughout the country, but the wooded surroundings of Kyoto, the mountainous regions of Iga and Koga became the natural center of ninjutsu. Beginning with the Kamakura era (1192-1333), ninja camps were often replenished by ronin, serving samurai who lost their overlord in bloody internecine strife. Over time, however, access to the mountain communities was almost eliminated, as the commonwealth of free mercenaries gradually grew into secret clan organizations, held together by ties of blood relationship and an oath of allegiance.

Each of these organizations became a unique school of martial arts and cultivated the original tradition of ninjutsu, being called, like the samurai schools of bujutsu, ryu. By the 17th century There were about seventy ninja clans. Of the twenty-five most influential, Iga-ryu and Kogar-ryu stood out in terms of scale. Each clan had its own tradition of martial arts passed down from generation to generation.

Being excluded from the state system of feudal relations, the ninja developed their own hierarchical class structure that met the needs of such organizations. At the head of the community was the military clerical elite (jonin). Sometimes jonin controlled the activities of two or even three adjacent ryu. The leadership was carried out through the middle link - chunin, whose duties included the transmission of orders, training and mobilization of ordinary performers, the lower link (genin).

History has preserved the names of some jonin from the late Middle Ages: Hattori Hanzo, Momoti Sandayu, Fujibayashi Nagato. The position of the top and middle managers varied depending on the community. So, in the Koga clan, real power was concentrated in the hands of fifty families of chunin, each of which had under its command from thirty to forty families of genin. In the Iga clan, on the contrary, all the reins of government were concentrated in the hands of the three jonin families.

The key to the well-being of the community was, of course, secrecy, so ordinary scouts who performed the most difficult and thankless work received a minimum of information about the top of the hierarchical pyramid. Often, they didn't even know the names of their jonin, which was the best guarantee of not divulging the secret. If the ninja had to act in several groups, communication between them was carried out through intermediaries, and no information about the composition of neighboring groups was reported.

The work of establishing turnouts, building shelters, recruiting informants, as well as tactical leadership of all operations were in charge of the tyunin. They also came into contact with employers - agents of large feudal lords. However, the treaty was between the jonin and the daimyō himself. The remuneration received for services was also transferred to the head of the clan, who distributed the money at his discretion.

The art of espionage was first of all famous for the genin, mostly obscure executors of the most difficult assignments, overcoming dangers and pain, risking their lives at every step for a meager pay or simply "for the love of art." In the event of a capture, the chunin could still hope for salvation by promising a ransom or selling some important documents for life, but the fate of an ordinary ninja was decided - he breathed his last in terrible agony.

Samurai, true to the laws of knightly honor, did not torture prisoners of war of noble birth. They rarely stooped to the point of tormenting a commoner, on whom one could only try the edge of a blade. Another thing is ninjas, pariahs among people, cunning and vicious beasts, always striking on the sly, forest werewolves who own diabolical hand-to-hand combat techniques and the magical art of reincarnation. If one of these "ghosts" fell into the hands of the guards alive, which happened extremely rarely, he was interrogated with prejudice, showing sadistic sophistication.

Ninja training began from infancy. The parents had no choice, because the child's career was dictated by belonging to the outcast caste and success in life, that is, promotion to the ranks of the Chunin, depended solely on the personal qualities of the fighter.

Physical training began from the cradle. In the house, a wicker cradle with a baby was usually hung in the corner. From time to time, the parents rocked the cradle more than was necessary for motion sickness, so that it hit the sides against the walls. At first, the child was frightened by the concussion and cried, but gradually got used to it and instinctively shrunk into a ball when pushed. After a few months, the exercise became more difficult: the child was taken out of the cradle and hung in a free state "on the reins." Now, when he hit the wall, he had to not only concentrate, but also push off with a pen or leg.

Similar game exercises were also performed in the reverse order, when a soft but rather heavy ball was rolled at the child. Obeying the instinct of self-preservation, the kid raised his hands to defend himself, “put a block”. Over time, he began to find a taste for such a game and confidently cracked down on the "enemy". For the development of the vestibular apparatus and muscles, the infant was periodically spun in different planes or, taking hold of the legs and lowering his head down, they were forced to "stand up" on the palms of an adult with a flurry. In a number of ryu, a young ninja at the age of six months began to swim and mastered the technique of swimming before walking. This developed the lungs and gave excellent coordination of movements. Having got used to the water, the child could stay on the surface for hours, dive to great depths, hold his breath for two or three minutes or more.

For children from two years old, games were introduced for the speed of reaction: in the “dad-scratch” or “magpie-thief” - requiring an instant withdrawal of an arm or leg. Approximately from the age of three, a special strengthening massage and breath control began. The latter was given decisive importance in all further training, which was reminiscent of the Chinese system of chi-zong. As in Chinese kenpo schools, all ninja training was carried out within the framework of the Heaven-Man-Earth trinity and was based on the principle of the interaction of the five elements. As soon as the child gained stability on the ground in the water, that is, he could walk, run, jump and swim well, the classes were transferred to the "Sky".

At first, a log of medium thickness was strengthened horizontally above the very surface of the earth. On it, the child learned a few simple gymnastic exercises. Gradually, the log rose higher and higher above the ground, at the same time decreasing in diameter, and the set of exercises became much more complicated: it included elements such as splits, jumps, flips, back and forth somersaults. Then the log was replaced by a thin pole, and over time - a stretched or sagging rope. After such training, the ninja needed nothing but to cross the abyss or the castle moat, throwing a rope with a hook to the opposite side.

Techniques were also practiced for climbing trees with a bare trunk (with and without a rope loop around the trunk), jumping from branch to branch or from branch to liana. Particular attention was paid to high jumps and high jumps. When jumping from a height, there was a slow, careful increase in complexity, taking into account the age characteristics of the organism. There were also various ways to absorb the impact of a fall with the help of legs, arms and the whole body (in a coup). Jumps from a height of 8-12 m required special "softening" somersaults. The features of the relief were also taken into account: for example, it was possible to jump onto sand or peat from a greater height, and onto stone ground from a lower one. A favorable factor for "high-altitude" jumps were trees with a dense crown, which could spring and make it possible to grab onto a branch.

Diving was a separate discipline. Ninja high jumps, about which there are many legends, were based mainly on the regulation of breathing and the ability to mobilize ki. However, in childhood, only the technique of movements was mastered. There were many ways to jump high, but the preference was always given to the jump "roll", arms forward, with or without somersaults, from acceleration or from a place. In such jumps, which served to overcome small obstacles - fences, wagons, pack animals, and sometimes chains of pursuers, it was important, upon landing, to immediately go into a combat stance.

High jumps were usually practiced on the simplest “simulator” - instead of a plank, the child had to jump over a bush of thorn bushes, but real weapons were also used in the “exams”, which, if unsuccessful, could seriously injure. Equally painstakingly worked out pole vaulting, which allowed in the blink of an eye to jump over walls several meters high. Long jumps through deep ditches and "wolf pits" were supposed to cultivate the ability not to be afraid of depth and the skill of landing not only on the feet, but also on the hands with pull-ups.

A special section was made up of "multi-stage" jumps. As a preparatory exercise, they should have mastered running along a vertical wall. With a slight acceleration, a person ran diagonally upward for several steps, trying to maintain balance as much as possible due to the large angle to the surface of the earth. With proper skill, the ninja could thus run up a three-meter rock and stop on the ridge, or, sharply pushing from the support, jump down and unexpectedly attack the enemy. In Chinese quan-shu, this technique is called "tiger jumping on a cliff." Another option for a multi-stage jump was jumping onto a low (up to 2 m) object, which served as a springboard for the next, final jump to a total height of up to 5 m. This technique, combined with the use of miniature portable spring jumps, often created the illusion of "flying through the air" .

The development of strength and endurance was the basis of all ninja training. Here, one of the most popular exercises for children was "hanging" from a tree branch. Clinging with both hands (without the help of legs) to a thick branch, the child had to hang for several minutes at a high altitude, and then independently climb onto the branch and go down the trunk. Gradually, the time of "vis" was brought up to an hour. An adult ninja could thus hang on the outer wall of the castle under the very nose of the sentries, in order to seize the opportunity to get into the room. Naturally, numerous push-ups, weight lifting, walking on hands were practiced.

One of the mysteries of ninjutsu is walking on the ceiling. Immediately make a reservation that not a single ninja could walk on an ordinary smooth ceiling. The secret was that the ceilings of the Japanese rooms are decorated with open relief beams and rafters, passing at a short distance from each other. Resting his arms and legs against parallel beams or clinging with the help of "cats" to one beam, hanging with his back to the floor, the ninja could cross the entire room. In the same manner, but with jumps, he could climb up, resting against the walls of houses in a narrow street or in the corridor of the castle. One of the curious aspects of ninja training was running different distances. Marathon running was the norm for any child aged 10-12 years: he covered several tens of kilometers in a day almost without stopping. This kind of skill was required not only to get away from the chase, but also to convey important messages.

At very large distances, the principle of the relay was applied. In the sprint, an ordinary straw hat served as an indicator of "sufficient" speed. At the start, it was necessary to press the hat to the chest, and if it remained there pressed by the flow of oncoming air until the very finish, the offset was considered passed. Obstacle racing could take a wide variety of forms. Barriers, traps and traps were set up on the track, ropes were pulled through the grass, and “wolf pits” were dug out. The young ninja had to, without interrupting the movement, notice the traces of the presence of a person on the move and go around the obstacle or jump over it.

In order to move around the territory of the enemy, it was not enough to be able to run well - you had to learn how to walk. Depending on the circumstances, the ninja could use one of the following walking methods; "crouching step" - soft, silent rolling from heel to toe; “gliding step” is the usual way to move in kenpo with the arching movements of the foot; "compacted step" - moving in a straight line, the toe is pressed close to the heel; "jump step" - powerful kicks, reminiscent of the "triple jump" technique; "one-sided step" - jumping on one leg; "large step" - a normal wide step; "small step" - movement according to the principle of "athletic walking"; "Inset of holes" - walking on toes or on heels; "walking apart" - zigzag movements; "normal step"; "walking sideways" - moving "side step" or back to prevent the chase from determining the direction of movement.

During group operations in areas where traces were clearly visible, the ninja most often moved in single file, trail after trail, hiding the number of people in the detachment. The main requirements for walking in any way were speed, economy of strength and breath control. An important addition to the art of walking was moving on high, light stilts made of bamboo - takueum, which, if necessary, could be made in a few minutes.

Inhabitants of hard-to-reach mountainous areas, ninjas were born climbers. From childhood, a child learned to climb rocks and scree, descend into crevices, cross rapids and bottomless abysses. All these skills were later to help the scout to climb the impregnable walls of castles and penetrate into the inner chambers of the monasteries.

The art of rock climbing (saka-nobori, or toheki-jototsu) was one of the most difficult subjects in the ninja training program. Although there were some auxiliary tools to facilitate climbing, it was believed that a real master should climb a sheer wall without resorting to anything more than his own hands and feet. The secret was the ability to concentrate the power and vitality of ki in the fingertips. Thus, the slightest protrusion or tubercle on the surface of the wall became a reliable foothold. Having felt at least two or three ledges, the ninja could confidently continue his way up. Mentally at this time, he rushed "into the depths" of the wall, as if sticking his body to a stone massif. The walls of the castles, built of huge hewn blocks, could be considered impregnable due to their height and steepness, but for a trained scout to overcome such an obstacle with many cracks and crevices was not difficult.

From about the age of four or five, boys and girls in the ninja camp began to be taught to fight without weapons and with weapons - according to the system of one of the jujutsu schools, but with the obligatory inclusion of acrobatic elements, which gave the fighter clear advantages in the fight. In addition, children were subjected to cruel and very painful procedures in order to achieve free dismemberment of the joints. As a result of many years of exercises, the articular bag expanded and the ninja could, at his own discretion, “take out” his arm from his shoulder, “unfasten” his leg, turn his foot or hand over. These strange properties were invaluable in those cases when the spy had to crawl through narrow openings or free himself from fetters imposed by some ingenious way.

Once in the hands of the pursuers and letting himself be tied, the ninja usually strained all his muscles in order to then loosen the rope by general relaxation, “pulled out” his hands so that the loops slipped from his shoulders. What happened next was a matter of technique. In the same manner, a ninja could free himself from a painful hold or lock. In fencing, the dismemberment of the joint made it possible to lengthen the arm by several centimeters upon impact.

Some schools also sought to reduce sensitivity to pain. To do this, from an early age, the body was treated with a special “painful” massage, which included tapping and strong blows, tweaks, claps, and later “rolling” the body, arms and legs with a faceted stick. Over time, a thin but strong muscle corset was formed, and the pain sensations were significantly dulled.

The natural accompaniment of the whole complex of physical education was the general hardening of the body. Children were not only taught to walk almost naked in any weather, but they were also forced to sit for hours in the icy stream of a mountain river, spend the night in the snow, spend the day in the scorching sun, go without food and water for a long time, and get food in the forest.

The sharpness of feelings was brought to the limit, because life depended on a correct and quick reaction. Vision was supposed to help the ninja not only find out the secrets of the enemy, but also safely avoid the trap. Since reconnaissance operations were usually carried out at night, there was an urgent need to navigate in the dark. To develop night vision, the child was periodically placed for several days and even weeks in a cave, where daylight barely penetrated from the outside, and forced to move farther and farther from the light source. Sometimes candles and torches were used. Gradually, the intensity of the light was reduced to a minimum, and the child acquired the ability to see in total darkness. As a result of regular repetition of such training, this ability did not disappear, but, on the contrary, was fixed.

Visual memory was developed by special exercises for mindfulness. For example, a set of ten items, covered with a scarf, was laid out on a stone. For a few seconds, the handkerchief rose, and the young ninja had to list all the objects he saw without hesitation. Gradually, the number of items increased to several dozen, their composition varied, and the demonstration time was reduced. After several years of such training, a scout could reconstruct from memory a complex tactical map in all its details and reproduce literally a dozen pages of text read once. The trained eye of a ninja accurately determined and "photographed" the terrain, the location of the corridors of the castle, the slightest change in disguise or the behavior of sentries.

Hearing was brought to such a degree of sophistication that the ninja not only distinguished the voice of all the birds and guessed the partner’s signal in the bird choir, but also “understood the language” of insects and reptiles. So, the silent chorus of frogs in the swamp spoke of the approach of the enemy. The loud buzzing of mosquitoes from the ceiling of the room indicated an ambush in the attic. Putting your ear to the ground, you could hear the stomping of the cavalry at a great distance.

By the sound of a stone thrown from the wall, it was possible to determine the depth of the ditch and the level of the water with an accuracy of up to a meter. By the breathing of those sleeping behind the screen, one could accurately calculate their number, sex and age, by the sound of a weapon to determine its type, by the whistle of an arrow - the distance to the archer. And not only that... Adapting to actions in the dark, the ninja learned to see like a cat, but at the same time sought to compensate for their sight through hearing, smell and touch. In addition, training designed for prolonged blindness was designed to develop and did excellently develop psychic abilities.

Many years of exercise gave the ninja's ear the sensitivity of a dog, but his behavior in the dark was associated with a whole range of auditory, olfactory and tactile sensations. A ninja could blindly judge the proximity of a fire by the degree of warmth, and the proximity of a person by sound and smell. The slightest changes in the ventilation streams allowed him to distinguish a through passage from a dead end and a large room from a closet. With a long blackout of vision, a person's ability to navigate both in space and in time rapidly progressed. Ninja, who, of course, did not have a clock, operating indoors, was deprived of the opportunity to calculate time from the stars. However, based on his feelings, he determined what time it was, to within a few minutes.

The most talented students, after a few years of classes, acted with a blindfold almost as freely as without it. Cultivating in themselves the ability to suggest, they sometimes established "telepathic contact" with an invisible enemy sitting in ambush, and delivered a preemptive strike right on target. In Japanese houses with an abundance of sliding partitions made of wax paper into screens, where the eyes were far from always able to tell the whereabouts of the enemy, all other senses came to the rescue. The notorious “sixth sense”, or “extreme mind” (goku-i), which bu-jutsu theorists loved to talk about, was in fact a derivative of the five, or rather, three - hearing, touch and smell. With their help, it was possible to avoid the trap in time and even repel an attack from the rear without turning around.

The sense of smell also told the ninja about the presence of people or animals, and in addition, it helped to understand the location of the chambers of the castle. Living room, bedroom, kitchen, not to mention the outhouse, differed sharply in smell. In addition, the sense of smell, and equally the taste, was indispensable for some of the pharmaceutical and chemical operations that the ninja sometimes resorted to. The physical training of the ninja continued until the onset of maturity, which was marked by the rite of initiation into members of the genus. Initiation was usually held, as in samurai families, at the age of fifteen, but sometimes even earlier. Only after becoming full members of the community, the boys and girls moved from the standard psychophysical training to the knowledge of the secret mysteries of the spirit contained in the teachings of the yamabushi monks, in Zen and in sophisticated yoga techniques.

Despite the fact that all ninja clans gave universal espionage and sabotage education, the main thing for a qualified scout was to perfectly master the crown technique of his school. So, Gyokku-ryu from generation to generation passed on the secrets of defeating pain points with the help of fingers (yubi-jutsu), Kotto-ryu specialized in pain grips, fractures and dislocations (konno), and also practiced the art of hypnosis (saimin-jutsu). In physical training according to the system of this school, the influence of Indian yoga was especially noticeable. Kyushin-ryu was famous for its masters of the spear, sword and dart. Shinshu-ryu ninja, nicknamed "transparent waves", and their counterparts from Joshu-ryu - "stormy waves", from Rikuzen-ryu - "black windings", from Koshu-ryu - "wild monkeys" had their secrets.

No, even the most experienced ninja, versed in the secrets of hypnosis and black magic, never went on a mission without a "gentleman's set" of weapons and technical equipment. Ninja were, if not inventors, then at least active consumers and modernizers of all kinds of edged weapons (primarily reduced and hidden types), as well as subversive mechanisms and military engineering devices.

Weapons exercises began for the ninja, as in samurai families, from early childhood and went in parallel with general physical training. By the age of fifteen, boys and girls had to master, at least in general terms, up to twenty commonly used weapons. Two or three types, such as a dagger and a sickle or a club and a knife, were considered "profiling". They were solemnly handed over to the initiator at the ceremony of initiation into members of the clan. The ancient law of kempo operated here, according to which any weapon, if masterfully wielded, can become a reliable defense against an enemy armed to the teeth, including, of course, bare hands.

The ninja's arsenal included three categories of weapons: hand-to-hand combat, projectiles, and chemicals, including explosive mixtures. For the ninja, a sickle with a long chain played the role of an alpenstock when climbing, a swing bridge and a lift.

However, the most curious in the whole complex of melee weapons was a specific ninja tool called kyoketsu-shoge. This ingenious device looked like a dagger with two blades, one of which was straight and double-edged, and the other was bent like a beak. It could be used as a dagger, and the curved blade helped to catch the enemy's sword in a fork and pull it out by turning around the axis. It could be used both as a throwing knife and as a grappling hook for "dismounting" riders.

The pole (bo) and club (jo) in the hands of the ninja worked wonders. Any stick that turned up under the arm became a deadly weapon.

One of the most important aspects of the ninja's activity was to defeat the enemy at a distance, so much attention was paid to the art of shooting and throwing small objects. Most often, scouts took with them on a mission a small, “half” bow (hankyu) no more than forty to fifty centimeters long. Arrows of the same size were often rubbed with poison.

Fleeing from the chase, the ninja sometimes threw at his pursuers, and more often scattered iron spikes (tetsubishi), an analogue of the Russian and European "garlic", on the road. The wounds from such a spike were very painful and put a person out of action for a long time.

Disguised as a wandering monk, peasant, or priest. circus performers, ninjas in the daytime wore a wide-brimmed conical hat made of rice straw (amigasa) - a very comfortable headdress that completely covered the face. However, in addition to camouflage, the hat could serve another purpose. A massive arc-shaped blade, attached from the inside “under the visor”, turned it into a giant shuriken. A hat thrown by a skillful hand easily cut a young tree and separated the head of a person from the body, like a guillotine.

To overcome open water spaces, especially castle ditches, the ninja carried a breathing tube (mizuzutsu). In order not to attract attention with a special bamboo stick, an ordinary smoking pipe with a long straight shank was often used as a mizuzutsu. With the help of a breathing tube, it was possible to swim, walk or sit (with a load) under water for a long time.

A more effective offensive and defensive weapon was shuriken - a thin steel plate in the form of a gear, cross or swastika with pointed edges. An accurate hit of shuriken-on ensured a fatal outcome. The purely psychological impact of these ominous metal plates in the form of magical symbols, which, in addition, sometimes whistled in flight, was also great. We add that the ninja also skillfully managed with ordinary stones, sending them into the eye or temple of the enemy.

With the cessation of civil strife and the abolition of the samurai class after the "Meiji Restoration" in 1868, the traditions of ninjutsu seemed to be finally interrupted. The ninja mountain camps were mostly liquidated under the Tokugawa. The descendants of brave scouts and ruthless killers moved to the cities, engaged in peaceful trades. Some of the ninja's arsenal was adopted by military agents and detective police, some moved into the field of jujutsu and combat karate. The unique complex of physical, mental, technical and philosophical-religious training, which was the medieval art of espionage, has been revived only today on a commercial basis at the school of Hatsumi Masaaki.

And some additional photos.

Ninja equipment (albeit, for some reason, heavy)

Shinobi Kusari-gama

Popular ninja gestures

Some basic ninja characters

They appeared out of nowhere. And they disappeared into nowhere. They were worshiped and hated. It was believed that a mortal could not defeat them. Because they are demons. Demons of the night.

Fear settled in the fortress. The servants hid in their closets, afraid to once again show themselves to the eyes of their masters. Everyone was talking quietly, as if afraid to frighten off that unknown force that had made its way into the fortress. The governor of the province was lying in bed, soaked with blood. No one dared to approach the dead man; afraid to even look at him.

The guards were perplexed - the fortress was impregnable: the walls are high, the corridors are full of soldiers, and the whole courtyard is occupied by soldiers. Not a single living soul could enter here. But someone did it anyway. Who?

The servants whispered softly among themselves: there was a flash of blinding light, and two guards on the North Tower were found dead; there were no wounds, only the lips turned blue and the eyes bulged as if at the last moment they saw all the horrors of the world. The samurai suspected treason, but could not figure out where to look for it. Who was at the Viceroy's for a late supper? Warlord. Yes, there were two more geishas from the nearest teahouse, but they were at the governor's almost every night. The geishas left before midnight - the owner was still alive. Unexplained death. And none of them could know that there were not two geishas that night, but three. And meanwhile, the old woman, the mistress of the tea-shop, counted the huge amount received at night, and was silent. Silence was costly. His price is life. Time likes to reveal the past, but so far it tells very little about the most unusual warriors of the Land of the Rising Sun - about the mysterious clans of professional spies and assassins, about the legendary ninjas. There are almost no written sources that shed light on their life. According to legend, they passed down their secrets in scrolls, and if the master did not find a worthy successor, the scroll was destroyed. Shadow warriors have always remained a mystery, the embodiment of a different, dark world. Mikke temples and secret teachings, the cult of the mountains and the worship of darkness. The amazing abilities of the ninja to walk on fire, swim in icy water, control the weather, read the mind of the enemy and stop time were usually attributed to dark forces. In the eyes of the samurai, the ninja were worthy of hatred and contempt. But all these feelings were generated by one thing - the fear that the "dark people" inspired in everyone in Japan - and superstitious commoners, and brave samurai, and sovereign princes.

Shinobi mono - a person who penetrates secretly

Surprisingly, in Japanese medieval chronicles there is no such thing as a ninja! The word "ninja" appeared only in the last century. It consists of two hieroglyphs: Nin (shinobi) means to endure, hide and do something in secret; Jia (mono) is a person. Those whom we now call ninja were called shinobi no mono in Japan - a secretly penetrating person. It was a very accurate name, because the main occupation (and the meaning of life) of the ninja was high-class professional espionage and masterly execution of contract killings.

Trap for Sarutobi

The official mention of the first professional spy in the history of the Land of the Rising Sun comes at the end of the 6th century. His name was Otomo no Saijin, and he served Prince Shotoku Taishi, one of Japan's greatest figures. Saijin was a kind of link between the people and the aristocracy. Changing clothes, he went outside the walls of the palace in the form of a commoner, looked and listened, listened and looked. He knew everything: who stole what, who killed whom, and, most importantly, who was dissatisfied with government policy. Saijin was the ears and eyes of the prince, for which he was awarded the honorary title of Shinobi (spy). This is where Shinobi-jutsu came from. True, some historians are inclined to think that Saijin was not a spy, but an ordinary policeman. However, this is not confirmed by the sources.

The second famous spy was a certain Takoya, who served Emperor Temmu in the 7th century. This servant was closer to the modern concept of "ninja" than Saijin. His task was sabotage. Making his way behind enemy lines at night, Takoya set fires. While the enemy ran around the camp in a panic, the emperor's troops delivered an unexpected blow. Both Saijin and Takoya may have been the forerunners of a powerful society of assassins and spies; the clan itself appeared in the 9th-10th centuries. In Iga, in the Ninjutsu Museum, a fragment of the chronicle of the 9th century of the ancient Togakura family is kept. In one of the battles, a representative of this family, a certain Daisuke, was defeated, and his possessions were captured. What was left for him to do? Only run to the mountains to save your life. And so he did. Hiding in the mountains, Daisuke not only survived, but also began to gather strength for revenge. Militant monks Ken Dosi became his teachers. On the bare slopes of the province of Iga, Daitsuke stubbornly mastered the ancient art of completely subordinating the body to the dictates of the will and mind. According to the chronicle, he created a new type of warrior, moving easily, like the wind, inconspicuous for enemies; a warrior who knows how to win without a fight! Since then, many legends have been told about shadow warriors. Some of them were recorded in historical sources. Moreover, a thorough comparative analysis carried out by the researchers showed that much of these legends may well correspond to real facts. History mentions the legendary Sarutobi, who was one of the best ninja. Sarutobi lived in trees; all day long he swayed and hung on them, developing his dexterity. Nobody wanted to engage in hand-to-hand combat with him. Yet one day he was defeated. Spying on a powerful shogun, Sarutobi tried to sneak into his palace, but was spotted by sentries. This did not upset him at all, for he more than once easily escaped his pursuers. But this time, luck turned against him. Jumping down from the wall that surrounded the palace, he fell right into a bear trap. One leg was firmly stuck in the trap. This could confuse anyone, but not an experienced shinobi. Sarutobi cut off his own leg, stopped the bleeding, and tried to run by jumping on one leg! And yet he did not manage to go far - the loss of blood was huge and he began to lose consciousness. Realizing that he could not escape and soon the samurai would overtake him, Sarutobi managed to fulfill the last duty of a ninja - he cut off his face ...

But more often than not, ninjas emerged victorious even from the most hopeless situations. According to one of the legends, an experienced shinobi was ordered to kill his "colleague" Juzo. This was quite possible, because ninjas from rival clans did not spare each other (these guys had no corporate solidarity at all). Shinobi did not kill the "colleague"; live Juzo cost more. The captive was delivered alive to the shogun-customer, and he, as a sign of respect, graciously allowed the poor fellow to commit suicide. For hara-kiri, Juzo chose a short, blunt knife. Having plunged the knife into the stomach up to the hilt, the dying man sprawled on the floor. His breathing stopped and all his clothes were soaked with blood. The corpse was thrown into a moat near the castle. And this is exactly what you shouldn't have done. The shogun paid for his mistake immediately - that very night his castle was on fire! The arsonist was none other than a dead man who had cut his stomach open a couple of hours ago. The answer was simple - the cunning Juzo simply tucked a rat into his belt in advance, and then skillfully ripped open the belly not of himself, but of the unfortunate animal.

By the way, hundreds of such ninja tricks were known. And they not only knew, but also knew how to masterfully perform.

Yamabushi. Eagles are born only in the mountains

Historical documents clearly point to the first school of scouts - it was the so-called Iga school. It was founded by wandering monks who preached Buddhism. The authorities, and especially the official Shinto priests, persecuted these ascetic hermits. They moved far into the mountains and there they received everyone who was ready to share their faith and hard journey with them. Over time, these white monks became known as yamabushi (mountain warriors), and it was they who became the first teachers at the Iga school. Yamabushi were engaged in quackery and enjoyed great respect among the population; they successfully treated many diseases, saved crops, could predict the weather and, as ordinary peasants believed, protect from evil spirits. The main goal of the yamabushi was to find the drink of immortality. The chronicles are silent about whether they succeeded or not, but for three centuries of persecution, mountain warriors have developed their own special art of murder and espionage. Yamabushi taught future ninja many military tricks, among which the most famous is the defense of nine syllables. It was she who turned the ninja into demons and invulnerable warriors. Here sits one of the "mountain warriors". Rhythmically swaying, he makes monotonous sounds, then louder, then quieter. The fingers are folded into strange shapes. At all times, the art of Shugendo saved him from his persecutors. For 30 years he studied the language of nature, slept in the snow and talked with demons. The warrior stood up and leaned his whole body against the rock. His hands and feet, like the roots of trees, entered the rock. The head looked like a mossy boulder. Now this is not a person, but only stones destroyed by wind and time. Past, a stone's throw from the cliff, the pursuers run. A lot, about two dozen. Their eyes carefully look around - nothing, no one ... Yamabushi owned a special technique that revealed the amazing abilities of the human body. They knew that if you bite the tip of your tongue rhythmically in a special way, you can completely get rid of thirst. They knew that if you simultaneously rhythmically press the index fingers of both hands on special points located on the outside of the calf (closer to the knee), you can overcome the most terrible fear. They knew that if with the tip of the thumb of the right hand to press in the rhythm of the pulse on a point located on the pad between the first and second phalanx of the little finger of the left hand, then in a few minutes you can remove the fatigue that has accumulated over two sleepless nights or a day of hard hiking along mountain trails. . They knew that when a person pronounces certain combinations of sounds, they cause a resonance in the larynx, which has a powerful effect on the subconscious. Some sounds give a person courage, others make him restless, others help him enter a trance. They knew a lot. The mysterious technique of nine syllables helped the yamabushi and their ninja students to use the hidden reserves of the human body, so much so that everyone around was amazed. According to many sources, shinobi did amazing things. They could reach speeds of over 70 km / h, jump over 3-meter walls, and even stop their own hearts for a while.

The most mysterious Japanese monastic order - yamabushi - brought rituals and rituals to the ninja world, allowing them to master almost supernatural power. The shadow warriors have remained faithful disciples of the yamabushi for centuries. Yamabushi taught the ninja such secrets that now, after many centuries, science is unable to explain many of them (although some of them still managed to unravel). The monks transmitted their secrets only orally. One of the most amazing secrets of yamabushi was the method of protection with nine syllables, kuji no ho (Kuji Gosin Ho) - nine steps of power. Every ninja owned it. The defense included 9 spells (jumon), 9 finger configurations corresponding to them, and 9 stages of concentration of consciousness. When pronouncing jumon, it was necessary to fold the fingers and concentrate the mind. For the ninja, it was a surefire way to gain energy for their supernatural actions (like jumping over a three-meter fence or becoming elusive).

jumon

Modern science already knows: various combinations of sounds create a resonance in the larynx that affects the brain. Moreover, scientists have confirmed that the appearance of different feelings in people depends on the frequency of vibration: joy, anxiety, etc. So one of the first explanations for the amazing abilities of the ninja was found. Before that, their ability to instantly change mood and suppress feelings of fear remained a mystery. Everything was attributed to dark magic. Usually the spell (jumon) was pronounced 108 times. It had to come from the heart, respond in it like an echo, and fill the body and fingers with vibration. Yamabushi taught the ninja that the configuration of the fingers (mudra) affects the entire energy of the body. Each finger, like each hand, has its own energy. Some figures could calm the mind. Others gave strength and helped in critical situations. When folding hands and fingers into certain shapes, one can control the energy flows both entering and leaving the body. This helps to concentrate the mind and use the hidden reserves of the body. One of the soothing mudras of Jumon should sound like “rin-hei-to-sha-kai-retsu-zai-zen”.

The concentration of consciousness through meditation helped the ninja to get used to various images, for example, a lion, a demon, a giant. It was the trance that changed the consciousness of the warriors and allowed miracles to be performed. There is nothing supernatural in this. Psychiatrists and physiologists confirm: a person in a state of altered consciousness changes even physically - the so-called hidden reserves of the body wake up in him. Sometimes this can be observed even at the everyday level, for example, strong fear makes a person develop such a speed that he would never have achieved in a calm state. Rage also gives a person additional physical strength.

Another thing is that it is very difficult for an ordinary person to drive himself into a trance “on command”. Try lying peacefully on the couch, arouse such rage in yourself to crush the glass with your hands and not feel pain. Ninjas, on the other hand, were able to artificially introduce themselves into different states and awaken unprecedented physical powers in themselves. Today, experts are sure that ninjas used self-hypnosis. Moreover, self-hypnosis is based on the so-called "anchor" technique, in which three anchors are simultaneously involved: kinesthetic (finger plexus), auditory (sound resonance) and visual (visual image). All this served as a trigger for entering a combat trance.

The practical results of the "protection of nine syllables" were colossal - in combination with grueling training, it allowed the ninja to develop tremendous speed, see in the dark and break through stone walls with a blow of the hand.

Death Touch. The Art of Slow Death

This terrible art of the ninja masterfully mastered. A light touch on the enemy's body - and after a while he suddenly died. Could die immediately. He could have died even a year later. But death was inevitable. The effect of a deadly touch was not caused by a blow at all - there was a release of energy to a certain point of the body, the energy of the body was disturbed. The art of slow death is the most mysterious part of the teachings of yamabushi. Any ninja who would have revealed this secret to mere mortals had to be killed, and his soul was doomed to eternal damnation.

The technique of hitting the most vulnerable points of the body was the foundation of the training of the warriors of the night. Most of all, the ninja Ikeoosaki succeeded in it. Each of their blows, hitting vital points, led to death. Science is not yet able to explain the mysterious "art of slow death". However, even orthodox medicine today recognizes that through individual points on the body it is possible to influence the internal organs of a person. And Chinese medicine has been successfully using "spot treatment" for centuries. Most likely, the ninja used a similar technique. In the art of slow death, the most amazing thing is how the ninja managed to "postpone" death.

Here we can assume the following. Perhaps the touch of a ninja did not “kill” a person so much as disrupted the coordinated work of the body; something like this you can turn off a powerful and complex motor by throwing an ordinary nut into it. And after a physiological failure, a person died from his own diseases, depending on the predispositions of the body.

Childhood

All the kids of the clan immediately after birth were awarded the honorary title of ninja. Child's career, i.e. promotion from genin to chuunin depended solely on his personal qualities. From the first days of birth, a long journey of learning began. The cradle with the baby, when rocking, hit the walls. The push forced him to instinctively shrink - this was the first grouping. A one-year-old child already knew how to deftly walk on a log (later he was taught to move on a rope). Until the age of two, reaction training was the main thing. The kids were given a special massage using strong painful blows and pinches - so the future warriors got used to the pain. Later, the body was “treated” with a faceted stick for getting used to.

Serious training began after eight years. Until this age, children learned to read, write, imitate the sounds made by animals and birds, throw stones, climb trees. The children of the clan had no choice. From childhood, they played with real weapons, moreover, they were taught to turn everything that came into their hands into weapons. They were taught to endure the cold, walking in bad weather without clothes and sitting for hours in cold water. Trees and thorny bushes served as jumping trainers. Hanging little ninjas by their hands to a great height for more than an hour (!) They were instilled with endurance. Night vision was developed by many weeks of training in dark caves and a special diet of foods with a high content of vitamin A. By the way, the sensitivity of the ninja's eyes was fantastic. In pitch darkness, they could even read.

Some of the exercises were particularly cruel. So, for example, to develop dexterity, it was necessary to jump over a strong vine covered with sharp thorns. Each touch to the vine immediately tore the skin and caused severe bleeding. From infancy, children were taught to swim. In the water, they were like fish: they could silently travel long distances, fight in and under water, with and without weapons. Every year the exercises became more and more difficult, cruel and painful. The little ninja could turn his foot or hand in any direction - exercises for free dismemberment and supernatural mobility of the joints began as early as the age of four. These were very painful exercises, but it was they who saved the lives of warriors more than once - by freely twisting the foot and hand, the ninja easily freed themselves from the strongest fetters. Push-ups, pull-ups, weight lifting - everything was so mundane that any child brought up in a ninja clan could easily bypass the modern athlete. At 10 years old, a ninja child could easily run over 20 km a day. His speed was tested in very original ways, for example, a straw hat, pressed against the runner's chest while running by an oncoming air flow, should not have fallen. Or around the neck of the ninja they tied a strip of cloth about 10 meters long, freely falling to the ground. The speed was considered normal when a ten-meter strip of fabric fluttered in the wind on the run and did not touch the ground!

What children were taught seems incredible to modern man: by the sound of a stone thrown from the wall, they should have been able to calculate the depth of the ditch and the water level with an accuracy of up to a meter! The breath of the sleepers should suggest their number, gender, and even age; the sound of a weapon is its appearance; arrow whistle - the distance to the enemy. They learned to feel the enemy with the back of their head - it is impossible to explain how "telepathic contact" was established with the enemy sitting in ambush. But adult warriors could indeed deliver and deflect blows without turning around. Their intuition always preceded reason. “The body itself knows how to move if we leave it alone,” the great mentors taught.