How To Become a Real Ninja?

[ungraspable]

Can you be such a thing? I was just wondering...

[concrt]

ungraspable,
I think you'll find people who train in ninjitsu fairly easily, but as to becoming an asassin? (did I spell that right?)

I think like most MA, the techniques are deadly if used in a certain way, but we're all taught to use them only if needed. I suspect that ninjitsu techniques would be taught the same way.

Respect for it's history, but realize where we are today.

Rick.

[Slashmire]

That's a bizarre question, I guess seems like a dream of a kid seeing Ninjas and finding them cool. Although Ninjutsu is very nice to see in movies; I do not think that it is a well received art, as it's more "Dark."...unless I'm mistaken.

[ungraspable]

ok, so it isn't just a childhood fantasy, you could actually study ninjutsu, thanks for the info guys

[NinjaMaster]

There are ninjitsu instructors out there that teaches ninjitsu techniques but I don't know if they are called "Ninjas".

There are a lot of different opinions on Samurai vs. Ninja and Ninjas are not necessarily souless honorless assasins.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

Ninjutsu as you percieve it in imagery from it's writings, movies and legend should be taken with a large grain of salt. Ninjutsu if anything historically, was just a collection of survival skills, field craft, scouting and intelligence gathering skils.

Even in modern dojo, you cannot learn ninjutsu. The main basis for most ninpo schools (Bujinkan, Genbukan & Jinenkan) are Koryu jujutsu & Bukijutsu (weaponry) schools like Kukishinden-ryu, Hontai Takagi Yoshin-ryu, Shinden Fudo-ryu, etc.

Some Koryu bujutsu ryuha incidentally do teach ninjutsu, however, but it isn't smoke bombs and fantasy, more like scouting & survival skills, gathering information and topographical skills (map reading & making). Some of the koryu that have ninjutsu in their syllabus are Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu, Tatsumi-ryu, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, and others.

You will probably find that there are only a handful of people in each school that really know about these kinds of techniques and that those people aren't talking. Can't really blame them either. By their very definition, techniques of that nature are not usually given out easily.

Hope this helps.

[Word2Action]

I think the recent movie Batman Begins brought back much of the ninja excitement that people loved about that character. This combined with great games like Ninja Gaiden and Shinobu for the Xbox took great strides in bringing back the fame and mystique of the ninja.

[clockworkmechanicalman]

right on word2action. might as well ask for superpowers. that being said there are real ninjas, they know pressure points, weapons,(like the ninja sword), herbology(including poisins), and some say they have magick. the magick to be faster then most, stronger then most, heal their wounds, etc. but the likelyhood that any one of us joe schmoe americans would even get the privelage to learn is more far-fetched than the idea of magick itself. in this case the glass is half empty

[Itazuki]

I think that it is definatly possible to become a ninja.
Ninjitsu and Ninjutsu teach the same things as the in the time of ninja. Compare what you see in Sensei Hayes and Grand Master Hatsumi books and teachings. We (students of ninjitsu/ninjutsu) are taught the same way.
The only difference is that we live in different times and in different situations. Some of the techniques used back in the time of the ninja wont work in citys/towns, so new ways of doing things (stealth, camoflage, different weapons and tools, break and enter (Not that I recomend break and enter!!!) ect)have to be developed.

[BlackDragon]

Originally Posted by Itazuki

I think that it is definatly possible to become a ninja...................................

The only difference is that we live in different times and in different situations. Some of the techniques used back in the time of the ninja wont work in citys/towns, so new ways of doing things (stealth, camoflage, different weapons and tools, break and enter (Not that I recomend break and enter!!!) ect)have to be developed.

Well, you do have a point. I suppose they would make very great assisin as well

[sannin227]

Ok, a little history lesson. Nin-jitsu was developed during the war by helpless farmer families trying to defend themselves from enemy samurai. This later developed into many different types of nin-jitsu, each with its own special properties.
These family unique types sometimes combined, so that one family would change their name and they would combine their secrets. They started to build villages hidden in mountains, often very hard to reach so that ninjas could live normal lives without having to be on their guard 24/7.Ninjas were normally trained from birth during this period. 1-8 they would start to play games having to do with balance, flexibilty, strength, etc.
9-14, they would work on the actual fighting style, kicks, punches, locks, vital points. They also learned a very interestingly true ability. They were taught to distance run through trees, as in jump from branch to branch. And finally, 15-18 they would learn psychology, so they could predict enemy's movements/thoughts, etc.
So finally, for any American who wants to learn how to be like a real ninja, it is not very plausible, unless they start training from very young, and dont stop for years, but they would not be able to go to school, so it would not be possible. I hope that answers your question.

[Bushido]

I saw an episode on the modern day real ninjas. It was a white guy who knew all the ancient stuff and the secret scroll stuff and the egg shell powder to the eyes deal and everything. He went on to explain that the modern day ninjas worked like so....

A group of SEALS were sent to protect a guy with a hat on in a room for the TV show and challenge any and all personell who came near and shoot on site anyone they wanted too. There was a set time of say 8 hours they had to protect this person. They were also given questions to answer by the TV producer where the answers were found in the house (not in the room with the target guy in the hat) so all 6 of them wouldn't be idle in the room at the same time. Now this is how the "Modern Day Ninja" guy got the hat off the target. He put on some coveralls and put a hat on a carried a ladder into the house with a can of aerosol air. In a course of 2 or 3 hours he came into the house every 30min. or so pretending to spray off the lenses of the TV cameras posted in the house. At first the SEALs resisted his approach and wouldnt let him spray the cameras in that one room. The Ninja claimed to be from the show and needed to dust off the lenses for the show (Yes the SEALS were given rules of engagement and it did say challenge any and all under any circumstances and shoot with the paintballs at will) They got complacent and eventually let him in as they were now some what familiar after his several trips over in a course of these 2 hours. When he was pretenting to dust off one of the cameras he jumped from the ladder and snatched the hat off the target.

Get the idea?

[Slashmire]

Heh, yeah I remember seeing that (or a clip of it at the least.) As long as kids don't see this as Ninjutsu art

[complete]

The article on Sho Kosugi in BB listed the styles he practiced. Surprisingly, Ninjitsu was not one of the styles he practiced. The list included - Karate, Kendo, and Weapons.

[Chapel]

Originally Posted by NinjaMaster

There are ninjitsu instructors out there that teaches ninjitsu techniques but I don't know if they are called "Ninjas".

I think as far as the actual question is concerned the person ironically named 'Ninja Master' is right. However, train in martial arts and focus on flexibility and balance and you will be able to impress even yourself.