The katana is most often mistaken for Leonardo's weapon from the 2007 TMNT film, the Ninjaken. Gunpowder technology, on the other hand, was a relatively recent development and was difficult to wield against groups of warriors. what pop culture historical weapons did ninjas NOT use besides the This was for the people who were not allowed to carry a Samurai sword such as the farmers. Unconventional, stealthy, strange looking weapons that normal people would not have used. The Kunai was impossible to find on any weapons shop before. The concept of Ninja is popular worldwide. Among ninja there were many different kinds of weapons. We exist to educate and inspire readers through teaching history in an understandable way. [6] For the ninjas, the swords were just simple tools. It must be noted though that a katana is not always synonymous with a samurai sword. These were multi-purpose weapons, used both in combat and as climbing tools. But with poison-coated on its edges, then it could kill the enemies. The Japanese culture is rich in arts and feudal wars. When firearms initially appeared in Japan, they were weak weapons, but by the mid 16th century, Japanese gunsmiths had improved their design and power. Additionally, larger weapons such as swords, were often disassembled and hidden inside walking sticks or match-boxes. Ninjutsu is an umbrella term entailing all the ways in which ninjas trained to fight. All You Know About Ninja Is Probably "Wrong" - Kotaku Deviating from the normal hidden weapons of the Ninja, a Kusarigama is a sickle with a chain connecting a weight at the end. This weapon would then give absolute wreckage to their enemies. This was achieved through a practice known as shinobi-iri, which is the art of moving without making noise. Ninjas use swords, knives, spears, bows and arrows, and even firearms for weapons. He saw the ninja as a threat to his power, hence starting a campaign to conquer their territories. The real ninja? Ninjas were specially trained mercenaries or covert agents. However, firearms began to proliferate and increase in power during the Warring States period, especially following the introduction of matchlock guns by Portuguese traders in 1543. True to the sly nature of the Ninja job, you may have noticed by now that a lot of Ninja weapons were things that no one can see and disguised easily. So they would undoubtedly have been familiar with the traditional Japanese bow known as the yumi. Ninja - Wikipedia These miscellaneous weapons included, but werent limited to, the following: That last one was an eggshell full of blinding powder that would help facilitate escape. You can view them at museums in the traditional ninja heartlands in Japan. Years later, various films, books, and TV shows depict the Ninja wielding the Ninjato. The Katana was used for closer in-fighting and to perform the hari-kari ritual. Another type of Neko-te was an iron glove, again with sharp claws. For Alt, theres been a hyper focus on martial arts and ninja in the West. Thank you for visiting World History FAQ. Another irony of the Ninjas popularity in modern time is that they were originally looked down by people. Those black suits. In 1973, the ads in the American magazine Black Belt sold imported and newly manufactured Ninjato. Contrary to the Samurai who strictly followed to the code of honor and loyalty. Tantojutsu: Fight with Your Knife! They deceived the targets into thinking they have short swords instead of handguns. Their fighting tactics relied heavily on deception, secrecy, slowing down opponents, or inducing temporal blindness. In films and on stage, the Ninjato can be seen with a straight and shorter blade compared to the Katana. In 1964, the Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum was established. Something went wrong. One of them William Adams and Jan Joosten: Two of the first Western Samurai, The Deadliest and Feared Weapons of Ancient India, Seppuku: Honorable Suicide by the Samurai, The Historical European Martial Arts of Time, The Evolution of Japanese Samurai Sword throughout its History. Wait a moment and try again. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Although they are often depicted wielding short straight swords, known as ninjat, there is no evidence that ninjas used ninjat. After all, during the late warring era of Japan, the use of the weapon was strictly restricted to the military. Ninja Stealth, Lifestyle, Weapons and Training Although its appearance is different, wielding the Ninjato was similar to that of the Katana. The image shows a straight-bladed sword. Their sword art would have been the old art of kenjutsu and they also had training in the use of the spear, known as sojutsu and . For the Saya of the Ninjato, it was often said that it had different purposes. This eventually led to the widespread proliferation of gunpowder weapons during the Edo period (1603-1868), and by the end of the period, guns were used extensively by the samurai in battle. They also worked with spikes, darts, poisons, explosives, and even modified farm implements when required to be more stealthy. Uses as a weapon: Cutting, tying a rope to the handle and using it to climb to high places, other uses. As Kodachi are short swords they were allowed to be carried by the general public and so the Ninja likely had access to them. So when storytellers began grounding their ninja in reality, they needed a way to explain how ninja could become invisible. Look up Gaijin Goombah's show Which Ninja. Those weapons. Martial arts. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-4-0-asloaded{max-width:250px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'remodelormove_com-leader-4','ezslot_28',166,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-4-0');@media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-4-0_1-asloaded{max-width:250px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'remodelormove_com-leader-4','ezslot_29',166,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-leader-4-0_1');.leader-4-multi-166{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}Ultimately, the answer to how many swords ninja carried is likely to vary from one ninja to the next. This is one of the reasons why they could sell medicine all around Japan to gather news without letting people know their identities. Ninjas would also use distraction techniques by throwing things in different directions while they moved in the opposite direction, keeping their steps soft and slow. These guns were fired using a lit match, much like a musket, and were popularized by the samurai. These prestigious and highly paid servants of the great feudal landholders (daimyo) enjoyed special privileges. Surprisingly, they were good with vegetation. And because Shuriken is small and lightweight, they were also one of the most famous weapons of choice within the Ninja community. The museum also houses replicas of the Ninjato. A Ninja would individually equip these caps to their fingers one by one. In 1975 and 1981, books by Masaaki Hatsumi and Stephen K. Hayes were published. Smoke bombs and flash bombs were used to cover their movements and to blind or confuse any potential pursuers. So, it is likely that ninjas would have preferred using the hankyu to the yumi on most occasions. In spite of these advantages, ninjas still had a difficult time fighting samurai in an open, fair fight. They also followed a strict code, Bushido, which forbade them from engaging in certain acts such as espionage and carrying out assassinations. Today, these weapon-based techniques are still regarded highly, and anyone knowledgeable about ninja techniques and ninjutsu weapons can successfully defend themselves against an attack. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0-asloaded{max-width:300px!important;max-height:250px!important}}if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-2','ezslot_35',165,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-remodelormove_com-mobile-leaderboard-2-0');This allowed ninjas to hide their weapons bodies and quickly reassemble them when they needed them. Yes, samurai did fight against guns, but not with any great success. Real ninja (or shinobi) typically relied on a variety of different weapons, depending on the mission. Fight for Your Life. Feudal Japan Weapons Between the samurais and the ninjas, there are a lot of weapons being used. These include fast drawing techniques that focus on drawing the sword and cutting as a simultaneous attacking or defensive action. The image of the ninja is rooted more in fiction than fact. Different ninja had different purposes, so there wasnt a set kit for the historical ninja. Ninja tactics were considered dishonorable by many. For close range battles, some samurai used firearms, known as Tanegashima, which were matchlock guns developed in the early 16th century in Japan. However, many samurai also used other types of weapons such as bows, short swords, daggers, spears and polearms. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am. A 15th century ninja would laugh out loud at the sight of a dude in black pajamas running around a modern city, says Alt. As they focused on being stealthy, they did not adhere to the usual gun blueprint. Here are some of the deadly Ninja weapons. The dachi () (large/great sword) or nodachi (, field sword) [4] [5] [6] is a type of traditionally made Japanese sword (, nihont) [7] [8] used by the samurai class of feudal Japan. They just didnt exist back then, so the ninja had to make do with what they had.. This gave way to weapon-based martial arts. Ultimately, samurai never advanced the gunpowder technology to a point where they could effectively compete, though they did make considerable progress in introducing more effective firearms and tactics. Even today, you can find the most significant collections of ninja weapons in Iga and Koka cities. Ninja tossed them overhand or used them to side-arm an opponent with a quick, spinning motion. This article will provide a broad overview of the weapons that the historical Shinobi are known to have used, and will discuss the kind of swords and knives ninjas have, and what kind of armor they wear. Thank you for visiting World History FAQ. [4] Oda was infamous for his brutal and savage means of dealing with opposition. Yes, shuriken (throwing stars) existed, but Alt says its still unclear how they were used: Were they used to slash? In the worst cases, the ninja would become exposed to his enemies. This myth is incorrect. The existence of the Ninjato in feudal Japan is not certain due to lack of physical evidence. However, ninjas did not carry guns. The answer to this question is not definitive. Ninjas were able to use their cunning and their expertise in stealth warfare to give themselves an advantage over their samurai opponents. So using any of these obscure weapons would only land you jail time. The most common role of the ninja was in espionage activities. In modern time, one of the mysteries of Ninja aside from their actual existence, are their weapons. However, at the time, it was against the law for anyone but a samurai to carry such weapons. Ninjas would also have been familiar with the shorter hankyu half-bow. (Full disclosure: Tuttle, which has published two of my books, is republishing Alt and Yodas book.) Samurai were highly trained and well-armed warriors who excelled in single combat and knew how to effectively use their weapons. They needed to blend in with their surroundings and not attract attention to themselves. Apart from bows and arrows, other weapons ninjas used included swords, knives, spears, and even firearms. This would make it easy for the Ninja to attack with their sickle. Some Edo-period illustrations of short, straight-bladed swords have been identified, suggesting that the sword itself was not just a modern invention, but contrary to fiction they were never called ninjato, nor were they used exclusively by ninja. The original ninjas lived in Iga and Shiga provinces of medieval Japan. Because of the way of living of the Shinobi, only a few genuine . The katana () initially was a word describing any sort of a single-edged sword, Japanese or otherwise. Some of the skills taught involved the following: Below are some of the martial art styles used by ninja: Unlike the samurai who engaged in standard hand-to-hand combat, ninjas were mostly sneaky. These are the most common Ninja Weapons. Like other weapons, this tool would highly work if there is a poison covering the spikes of it. The arms back position also helps the ninja to control their movements better, allowing them to adjust their speed and direction easily and quickly. Artist Hokusai gets credit for the first image of ninja in the classic black suit. Sometimes they would infiltrate the enemys camp as if they were one of them. Ninjas developed various techniques and methods to become excellent at shinobi-iri. Thank you for visiting World History FAQ. The variation of its attack depended on ones ability. References:[1] Source[2] Source[3] Source. Ninjas used various weapons, but were nunchucks among their choice weaponry? Alan Axelrod in his book, Mercenaries, discusses how ninjas were the only soldiers for hire in feudal Japan. Did ninjas carry swords on their backs? - Quora Tekken normally would not have been able to kill an enemy easily, but it was enough to inflict heavy damage and disorient them. The use of guns by samurai began during Japans Warring States period (1467-1568) which marked a significant shift in the use of firearms in Japan.