[Shinobi_Kokujin]

the motives of today still remain about the same as centuries before like developing and honing mind, body,spirit as with any other art.

techniques range in different areas from swift an violent to soft an fluid or subtle. ninjutsu is comprised of different arts that focus on specific aspects of fighting

the curriculum is broken up into different schools or ryuha that focus on specific aspects of fighting. Togakure-ryu for example

is a part of ninjutsu whose purpose is to disable an take down an oponent so that you can make a quick escape. this is part of where the myth came from

"master, i apologize for my incompetence...but one minute he was in front of me, then the next moment he...disappeared"

some ninja came from poor families. some came from noble, merchant or other family classes.

some were employed in positions where thier sole purpose was to be undercover an thier kills would be mostly assassination

while you would have some ninja who were right there on the battle fields dressed up in armor fighting alongside thier comrades an thats all they did.....depends on what mission was assigned

all these different aspects of combat are compounded today by schools such as Bujinkan, Genbukan, Jinenkan, Toshindo,Otomo Kouga, Fuma-ryu, etc.