Though there were many different styles of fighting without traditional weaponry present in Japan, there are a few main sections present. I will list these by how the use and confront force while fighting.
Shodokan is force on force. It is what is most commonly known as karate. It relies on being able to deliver large amounts of force over a very short period of time, usually in straight lines. Strikes are usually punctuated by yells to give diaphragmic support to the blow and surprise to the enemy. A student of shodokan is likely to be very physically tough, as practice often envolves being hit repeatedly to learn how to cope with taking blows, and with practicing hitting things repeatedly to condition the body to be able to give blows without taking damage.
Goju-Ryu is curvature of force. It can often be mistaken for shodokan, but is different because it combines the hard and soft elements of fighting, rather than just concentrating on the hard. My sensei used to say "turn [the enemy's] lines into circles and circles into lines". If the enemy strikes at you in a circle, make his strike go straight. If he strikes at you in a line, deflect it into a curve. Goju-Ryu can be looked at as a combination of Shodokan and Judo. The legs are used to attack the enemy's feet, ankles, and groin, never his upper body. The hands are used to attack the enemy's head, throat, chest, and groin.
Judo is leverage and force. One takes a position where you are strongly connected to the ground, an angle to the enemy determined by his motion and yours, and waits until the time is right to apply the leverage given by your base and angle to disrupt the enemy's inertia. Judo is probably the most spectacular of martial arts, because ones enemy usually ends up flying through the air. Judo makes use of good knowledge of how the body works--and, more importantly, how it doesn't work, by using that knowledge to choose which enemy body part to manipulate to achieve the desired result of tossing him through the air. The montra of Judo is "base, angle, leverage".
Aikido is emptiness on force. I don't know much about it, but it is said to be the best style for the physically small, old, or week. It has some judo-like characteristics, and is largely involved in using the enemy's own force to harm him. There are almost no purely agressive strikes, like punches or kicks, in aikido. Make no mistake, though. Even though aikido is a "purely defensive" art, someone using it against you can, and probably will, make you just as dead as a shodokan user.
Common ways of standing
PLEASE REMEMBER, even though I talk about "stances", stances are not fighting. Fighting is movement, and movement is fighting. Stances are only very temporary things that one ends up in after moving and while fighting. They are most useful for delivering or countering certain types of blows, in certain directions. Nobody has a "fighting stance" that they stay in for the entirety of a fight.
If you are in a fight and are in the same stance for more than a few seconds, you are doing something wrong.
Here are the most common ways of standing.
-the "horse-riding stance", which has your heels wider than your shoulders, your toes pointing naturally, and your body facing the direction of one foot or the other, rather than perpendicular to your legs. It is useful for defending against attacks on the same line as your feet, but not very useful for defending against attacks from perpendicular to the line between your feet.
This is a person standing in a horse-riding stance.
http://www.shukenmashi.nl/images/kibadachi.jpg
-the "front-facing stance", which has your body standing as if you are about to start running. This is useful for delivering very powerful attacks by stepping through the stance while placing a kick or punch. But, you have a high center of balance and can only move very well in one direction (forward), so it is bad to be standing like this unless you are about to strike or advance on an enemy to the front.
This is a person standing in a front-facing stance.
http://www.kisenteai.co.uk/stances/longfor/longf1.jpg
-the "cat stance", which has all your weight on your back leg and your front leg poised for a kick. This is useful for attacks with the forward foot and leg, and is also useful if the enemy is literally right on top of you because your balance point is further back and you can use your front knee on your attacker. It is also a good starting position because you can spring out of it with great speed and force.
This is a person standing in a cat stance.
http://www.thedojo.net/mediac/400_0/media/Irfan~Cat~stance.jpg
-the three-ways stance, which has your toes pointing slightly inward and your center of balance low. This is the best way of standing when the enemy is very close or when there are several very close enemies. It is not so good for attacking as other stances, but it is very effective at defending against blows from nearby. When one steps, one straigthens the front foot, then moves the back foot in towards the front foot, then out again, in a half-circle, or does that in reverse to go backwards.
This is a person in the three-ways stance
http://www.shotokankarate.dabsol.co.uk/shotokan/stances/mattsanchin2.jpg
Gryph
06-26-2005, 12:57 AM
This thread is being sadly neglected. I will be writing an essay on weapons soon, but not tonight as it is very late and too hot to think.
So far I am going to write about:
Converted Tools:
Nunchaku
Bo
Sai
Kama
Ancient weapons:
Rope and weight weapon (don't know what else to call it)
Traditional weapons:
spear-yari
halbred-need japanese translation
bow-yumi
great sword-gendaito
long sword-katana
straight sword-chokuto -need information on its use and why it was used in place of a katana
sabre-tachi -need information on its use and why it was used in place of a katana
short sword-wakizashi
dagger-tanto
policeman's mace-jitte
Unorthodox weapons:
Ninja-to -shorter katana
Shuriken- small dagger used for throwing
Makibishi- caltrops
Kunai-heavy knife
If anybody has anything to add to this list, please say so.
Goodnight.
moses
06-29-2005, 03:53 PM
The halbred weapon may be a Naginata. Ill give you a site with some more weapons.
Naginata
The Naginata is a bladed staff, featuring a short, single-edged, lightly curved blade. A highly regarded weapon, it was often crafted with exceeding quality, and was the weapon taught to many female nobles to use in defense of their homes. In many cases, a skilled practitioner of Naginatajutsu was said to be more than a match for many samurai. (+4/NA)
Also anouther converted tool would be the bow :)
And i cant find a site yet but h2h weapons (katar, cesta)
tonfas, blow guns, and grabbling hooks. Also that thing ninjas throw (kinda like grapling hook, its in the tenchu series).
the weapons you are talking about is the Kyoketsu Shogi, here is a description of the weapon.
The kyoketsu shogi consisted of a long length of rope or thick cord. To one end was attached a large metal ring and the other a double bladed sickle like weapon. This made a highly effective weapon assuming the superfluous length of rope could be handled correctly. The weapon was not really a weapon but rather that was it's secondary use. It was originally made as a simple climbing tool, the sickle acting like a grappling hook. The disadvantages of using this weapon was of course that it did not inflict as much damage as a chain styled weapon of this type, and fighting against opponents armed with swords led to this weapon being sliced up very quickly.
ShininShado
06-29-2005, 05:08 PM
The halbred weapon may be a Naginata. Ill give you a site with some more weapons.
Naginata
The Naginata is a bladed staff, featuring a short, single-edged, lightly curved blade. A highly regarded weapon, it was often crafted with exceeding quality, and was the weapon taught to many female nobles to use in defense of their homes. In many cases, a skilled practitioner of Naginatajutsu was said to be more than a match for many samurai. (+4/NA)
I think this is correct, it was the favored weapon of female samurai, or from mounted samurai. :rambo: It was more or less a kanto on the end of a stick, haha.
Anarchy
06-30-2005, 08:23 PM
naginata was only popular in the 12th to 15th century, then again in the 18th and 19th. the cavalrymen usually used a spear(15th to 16th cenutry) or a bow(anytime before that) but the spear used by infantry would be very different than the mounted soldiers.. sometimes being up to 6 meters long
and there were never any unique ninja items, they used the same thing as samurai, and in some cases farming tools
the best japanese bladed weapon site is probably http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm
and if you wanna see all kinds of blades up close, goto http://www.aoi-art.com/
Shinoku
07-01-2005, 06:47 AM
halbred-need japanese translation
straight sword-chokuto -need information on its use and why it was used in place of a katana
sabre-tachi -need information on its use and why it was used in place of a katana
About the halberd:
There were 2 forms of halberd's in Japan:
The Naginata wich was a glaive polearm
The Bisento wich was a sword blade with a polearm length handle the preamble of the Yari.
About the Chokuto:
The original designs for this weapon came from imported weapons from China and Korea known as "Ken". The Chokuto was an Japanese "copy" of these swords. They were basic straight, single edged swords originating from the Yokoto (ancient times) period (300-900).
About the Tachi:
the Tachi originates from the Heian Period (794-1184) Tachi means "to cut in half". Could be either a straight single or double edged sword. They were upgrades of the Chokuto's and the preamble of the basic katana. Tachi's are now the name of the practise swords in the sword martial art Aido. Theses are blunt versions of the sharp 'battle-ready' katana's.
I'd like to add to that list:
Hamadashi: wich is a utility knife used by ninja's. Dating from the Momoyama Period (1568-1615)
Kwaiken: wich is a small knife worn in the kimono sleeve. Date unkown to me
Kozuka: wich is a small knife that fits into pocket of sword scabbard, used for throwing and utility purposes. Dating from the Kamakura Period (Warring states period) (1184-1336).
Shoto: wich is a short sword. Smaller than a katana but bigger then a wakizashi. Dating from the Nanbokucho Period (1336-1392 ).
Daito: Long Sword, double edged. Dating from the Fujiwara Period (857-1160).
No-Dachi: wich is a six foot longsword. It was said to cut through swords of earlier periods. First introduced in the Kamakura Period (Warring states period) (1184-1336)
Hope this helps ;)
Abc
07-11-2005, 02:23 PM
I think I would like explain how to identify and understand the many fighting styles in Japan.
The long history and complex traditions of the Japanese art of combat is embodied in a variety of forms, methods, and weapons, each of which constitutes a particulart specialisation of that art. Each specialization, inturn, is known as a jutsu, a word which may be translated as "method", "art", or "technique" and is indicative of the particular way or ways in which certain procedures or patterns which set it apart from the procedures and patterns of other arts. In the context of the Japanese art of combat, therefore, a specialization consists of a particular, systematic method of using a specific weapon.
Very often, a specialization of combat was identified by the name of the weapon used by its practitioners. An example of this system of identification would be kenjitsu-that is, the art (jutsu) of the sword (ken). However, a combat method could also be identified by a particular, functional way of using a weapon in order to achieve an opponents subjagation. Among the specializations of teh art of unarmed combat, for example, jujutsu identifies the art (jutsu) of suppleness (ju)-that is, the art of using suppleness in a certain technical way in order to defeat an opponent. Frequently, a main specialization of combat would produce subspecializations, many of which, through constant refinement, effectively improved upon the original method to the extent of substituting for it entirely, thus becoming independent specializations of combat in and of themselves. In such a case, the subspecialization would generally be identified by the name of its main feature. Kenjutsu, the art of teh sword, for example, was further refined into a deadly specialization known as iaijutsu-the art (jutsu) of drawing (iai) and simultaneously cutting with the sword; it was also the matrix for nito-kenjitsu, the art (jutsu) of fencing with two (nito) swords (ken). Finally, a specialization could be indentified by the name of the master who had devised his own particular style of fighting or by the name of the school where this particular style was taught.
Shira
otokomiraimarai
07-28-2005, 08:44 PM
(The 9 characteristics of Ninjutsu)
Rin - Strength of mind and body
Pyo - Direction of energy
Toh - Harmony with the universe
Sha - Healing of self and others
Kai - Premonition of danger
Jin - Knowing the thoughts of others
Retsu - Mastery of time and space
Zai - Control of the elements of nature
Zen - Enlightenment
otokomiraimarai
07-28-2005, 08:58 PM
Chi (Earth)
Sui (Water)
Ka (Fire)
Fu (Wind)
Ku (Void)
otokomiraimarai
08-01-2005, 05:00 PM
HISTORY BEFORE TIME
Dating back to the mid-4500's B.C., the Japanese islands were inhabited by a Caucasian race known as the Ainu, who are mostly found on the northern islands of Hokkaido. This cultural era is known as the Jomon era. The Japanese that inhabit the islands today are believed to have lived there since about 200 B.C. and are known as Yayoi.
In 660 B.C., legend has it, a person known as Jimmu Tenno brought about a confederation of clans on the island of Kyushu. Tenno also conquered the people of Kinki, later giving birth to the Yamato state and dynasty. He would be known as "The Divine Warrior." The Yamato court from Peakche, (a kingdom in southwest Korea), became introduced officially to the Buddhist religion in 552 B.C. As with any state or country consisting of religion and government, a need for a secret group to keep a watchful eye and control corruption, gave birth to the origin of Ninjutsu between 500 and 300 B.C.
THE BEGINNING
Militaristic Bushi (samurai) ruled from 1192 to 1333 and were named after the Kamakura Shogunate. Zen, as a state of being, was an important practice in Buddhism to many sects or clans during this era. In 1196, a town father and leader would make the name Saija, (sometimes spelled Saiga), a page in history. Konigun would arrive as a way for a small village to defend itself. The word Konigun is actually two words in one, "koni" - friendly and "gun" - force.
The period between 1156 and 1221 marked a significant change in Japan and the start of seven centuries of rule by military powers. Konigun would rise and fall many times during these eras. Despite the shifting of the imperial military power and it being divided by local warrior bands, the old imperial government and the estate system it spawned remained intact on many of the islands. The 1180 Tiara usurpation for power in Kyoto would flow all over the islands of Japan. The cost of civil unrest was a burden to the farmer and to the rich noble alike. The finance system of the era was very taxing and lead to a legend and what we know as Konigun today.
As legend has it, a horde of samurai(s) descended upon a tiny village of farmers in the foothills, northwest of Kagoshima. The samurai demanded taxes and reminded the villagers of their obligations and the consequences of failing to meet them, while marking their day of return for the tax payment. The people of the tiny village knew they were too poor to raise the money, so it was agreed that some would flee to the mountains while others would stay behind to make the town appear regularly populated, with hopes of tricking the samurai(s) into not following those that fled into the mountains.
When the samurai(s) returned, and the taxes were not paid, the villagers were killed or enslaved during the destruction of the village. The members of the village who fled to the mountains stayed hidden for years. One of the leaders of the people was Saija, who decided to leave the group in order to find ways to protect his people and bring back a better way of life. Saija went to the Yamabushi priests to study and master their ways, and once he mastered the technique, he brought it back to the people of the village.
Sakurajima, Kagoshima痴 volcano. Image courtesy of http://www.japan-guide.com/.
THE SYSTEM
Japanese Imperial Government allotted control over the countryside estates and provinces to different daimyo(s). The daimyo(s) were given a retainer from the emperor to own or control a measure of land, as well as, to employee bands of warriors to protect their estates and the peasants working the estates. In exchange for estates, the emperor would get a small percentage of the crop and a self-contained "national guard army" that he could call on as part of the retainer agreement. The peasant farmer had title to his crop only through his overlord. The domain of the daimyo varied greatly in size. Ranking was based on the national cadastral surveys Hideyoshi had carried out. Rank was issued in terms of their rice production measured in koku, the equivalent of 4.96 bushels. The lowest yield that would qualify a man for the rank of daimyo was 10,000 koku, and the largest "outer" lord had a domain of 1,022,700 koku. The 26 million plus koku yield of Japan was divided giving shogun(s) realm and the "hereditary" domains vassals received a little more than a quarter each. More than a third went to "outer daimyo"; one-eighth went to the "related houses", with the "hereditary" holding over half the agricultural and forestland and strategic regions (Reischauer). During this era there were two imperial families, the Minamoto and the Taira. Yoritomo led the Minamoto family to victory when the two families clashed openly in Kyoto, in what is known as the Hogan war of July 1156. In 1159, the Minamoto were defeated in the Heiji war. Twenty-one years later Yoritomo ('s) brothers, Noriyoro and Yoshitsune, created the samurai-dokoro, or the board of retainers in eastern Japan. This board imposed disciplinary control on their military vassals. The back and forth war brought many ninja sect to odds, because often ninja sects were employed to spy and carry out deeds that involved combat against another ninja sect.
With the 1185 destruction of the Taira family, Yoritomo regained power and appointed military governors (shugo) in all the provinces and military stewards (jito) in both private and government land estates. These shugo(s) and jito(s) were responsible for law enforcement and tax collection of the dues imposed upon the villagers. If a person could not pay his taxes, the samurai would take the children, wife or even the farmer himself for slaves. Those who protested faced death.
THE GREAT INVASION
In 1274, a large Mongol force set forth in Korean ships to conquer Japan, with a military strategy which involved seizing certain small islands as a base to deploy and supply invasions. Having seized several of their targeted islands, the Mongols landed at Hakata Bay, which is a short distance from the modern city Fukuoka in northern Kyushu. Due to the great threat of approaching bad weather, the Mongols withdrew their fleet to the continent and had to forego the conquest. Whether or not they would return, was a foregone fear that would motivate preparation. For the next several years, many of Kamakura's vassals within Northwestern Kyushu's waters stayed on guard or busy constructing a wall designed to trap and repel the Mongol Calvary around Hakata Bay.
In 1281 the Mongols returned to Japan. They needed a combined fleet of Chinese and Korean ships to carry the invading force. Estimated at 140,000, this was the greatest overseas invasion the world had seen. The Mongols relied on large-scale cavalry tactics afforded them by the superior weapons at their disposal, such as, gunpowder bombs hurled by catapult. The Japanese had a mere handful of warriors accustomed to single combat with which to meet this Mongol force, which had no equal in the world. The stout defense of the warriors on the wall, allowed counter attacks in the narrow waters of the bay, by smaller more maneuverable Japanese boats. Before the Mongols could deploy their full forces ashore, a typhoon destroyed their fleet. The Japanese named this typhoon, "Kamikaze" or "Divine Wind" and took it as a sign that the gods were protecting their land from foreign invaders. A common conviction which many Japanese held: "their land was sacred and inviolable", stemmed from this Mongolian fleets destruction.
Regardless of this inviolability, the financial situation some of Kamakura's vassals reached by the late 13th century had put them seriously in debt. To help relieve the civil pressure that the lords and their subjects felt, occasionally the bakufu would give aid by ordering tokusei, "The forgiving of debts" as started with the edict of Einin in 1297. This financial rise and fall allowed the Saija family to advance in the noble ranks and the Konigun sect to grow.
Mongol Area of Domination 1300-1405. Map courtesy of University of Texas Libraries, University of Texas Austin.
THE BROTHERHOOD
Across the islands of Japan, many priests sickened by the pursuit of wealth and power left, because too many of the sanctioned orders fought and jockeyed for power from the government. These outcast priests built several shrines all over Japan, ranging from a simple house type of setting to a castle fortress. Most sought a common goal: a better way of life and enlightenment through the understanding of nature. Some of the priests went to the mountains and were known as Yamabushi. The word Yamabushi is actually two words; "yama" - mountain and "bushi" - warrior. The Yamabushi(s) would seek this enlightenment by observing and testing themselves against nature by either: sitting under ice cold crushing waterfalls; hanging from cliffs upside down; sitting in snow naked; running through woods in the dark and much more in their pursuit of wisdom. Often as a ninja progressed in his training and level of skills he would attain the title of Yamabushi.
The Kyushu Island had more than five ninja sects operating by this era and untold numbers of sects on the other islands of Japan. The ninja got his name from the feudal samurai(s) who often hired the ninja to scout and spy because of their special abilities. The ninja were in an era where samurai(s) retained them to destroy samurai or lords, which they once did for survival. Now it was a paycheck. Although the era gave the ninja time to grow and sharpen their skills, it had its drawbacks. When their samurai's enemies hired other ninja clans to do as they were doing, in time, this brought ninja clans to war with each other.
MYSTICAL
Travelers, woodcutters, sportsmen, and others people often saw the Yamabushi's unusual habits of study and would go back to the estates spreading tales of the wonders they witnessed. Over time, the Yamabushi developed higher skills with nature, and the stories grew. Although easy to explain, many skills seemed magical. For example, a lowlander might see a Yamabushi priest walking across a lake using two foot tubs for support with a pole for balance/ propulsion or even enjoying a fall glider (hang glider). By the time the story spread, they were flying or walking on water. The Yamabushi became more like gods to the lowlanders of the estates who already looked up to them. Threatened by their growing fame and their denunciation of the sanctioned orders, it took little effort for the imperial priests to have the Yamabushi priests declared outlaws along with having their beliefs banned.
Tengu were born out of the Yamabushi mystical power. The myth of the tengu was born to save face and life, because the samurai often said the ninja were demons that could change from human form to a bird-like beast. The stories sprang from the ninja's "ability" to disappear, to fly, to walk on water, to make fire come from the ground (via flash bombs) and many other things.
When the samurai were beaten in combat by the ninja and lived, they would often make up stories of the half man-half beast bird demons in order to retain their honor when they reported to their lords. Ninja would often aid this deception by riding tame tigers to and from missions allowing an abrupt change of tracks to be found by anyone following. Of course, no samurai would be expected to defeat a demon and therefore the samurai's life would be spared by his lord.
CHRISTIANS?
Portuguese traders first discovered the islands of Japan in 1543. After their discovery, they continued returning to Japan and became important carriers of trade in Asian waters, because of their superior ships and seamanship. They set up trading stations at Hirado, an island off the northwest coast of Kyushu (Reischauer). By 1549 St. Francis Xavier, one of the great founders of the Jesuit order, started missionary work there and was active in Japan from till 1551.
Christianity to the Japanese, at first seemed to be a variant of the popular faith sect of Buddhism. When some Kyushu daimyo, noticed that Portuguese traders tended to go where the Jesuit priests were welcome, they embraced the new religion and ordered their subjects to follow suit. Nagasaki, which in time became the chief port to the outside world, was founded by one of these lords in 1571 to attract Portuguese trade. Konigun, Kobo, Sasanuma, Takeda, and Kankai were ryu(s) on Kyushu that were converted to Christianity. It is believed Kyushin, Fudo, Gyokku, and Koto were in part or completely converted.
Abraham Ortelius: Japoniae insulae descriptio. Antwerpen 1595. 36 x 48 cm. (private collection)
This map, drawn by the Portuguese Jesuit Luiz Teixeira, was the first printed map of Japan to appear in an atlas. Courtesy of Wolfgang, Michel-Zaitsu, Faculty of Languages and Cultures, Kyushu University, 4 - 2 - 1 Ropponmatsu, Chuoku, Fukuoka-City, Japan 810-8560.
THE GREAT NINJA WARS
Toyotomi Hideyoshi banned Christianity in 1587. Ten years later, he began to enforce the ban when he crucified nine missionaries and seventeen of their followers. Tokugawa Ieyasu began tolerant, but in 1606 he began issuing anti-Christian decrees. At first suspects were made to defile Christian icons, (fumie or "treading picture"), but by 1612 he started punishing the followers of Christianity, leading up to full-scale executions of entire families two years later. Nobody escaped, not the young nor the old.
The clan era of history details hundreds of scattered peasant revolts often against both feudal lords and wealthy power seeking priests. The daimyo ruling the Amakusa area raised taxes in 1637 with severe results for the farmers and business people increasing the level of tension. In an attempt to regain control, Tokugawa Iemitsu decided to prohibit Christianity, giving birth to the rebellions. When the daimyo could not suppress the revolt, he called on the Shogunate.
Photo of Himegi Castle constructed 1601. Courtesy of Eric Obershaw, http://www.samurai-archives.com/links.html.
The Hara Castle was a long and bloody siege in 1637-1638 on the Shimbara Peninsula. Some 20,000 Christian peasants, of whom several thousand were members of ninja sects, challenged religious persecution and economic oppression in this revolt. Saija or Saiga, the 18th generation of the Saija family, made his final stand in Shimbara castle in Kyushu, giving rise to the name, the Shimbara Rebellion.
The Shimbara Castle was lost when the moats were drained and filled with bamboo and rice stalks which were then ignited when the winds were blowing in the proper direction. The sparks and embers blown inside the fortification started a conflagration in which all 20,000 defenders were consumed. Later 37,000 more were massacred. The ninja were used by both sides during this conflict. The book, Samurai Warriors, is a good source for a better detailed story.
Ninjutsu was no small item in Japan's history, when one understands that Oda Nobunaga employed forty-six thousand troops against Sandayu at Ueno, destroying four thousand ninja in the process (Ratti/ Westbrook).
THE ORIGINS OF NINJUTSU & THE CHINESE
The origins of Ninjutsu, placed approximately between 500 and 300 B.C., are commonly linked to Chinese sources. The fall of the T'sang dynasty in China brought many refugees to Japan. The Yamabushi welcomed refugees. With them came the knowledge of gunpowder, which was later used to make ninja smoke bombs. Other weapons such as the san-setsu-kon (three sectional staff), bladed shuriken as well as hand and foot techniques, were adopted from these Chinese refugees. History shows that these refugees from China had some influence in creating and developing the Yamabushi priests and may have been part of its founding fathers.
The ninja reportedly made their first notable appearance as spies with an employer of royal blood, Prince Regent Shotoku (A.D. 574-622) in the sixth century. They were frequently hired by the fighting monks of the mountains, the redoubtable Yamabushi, in their battles against both the imperial forces at the end of the Heian period and the forces of the rising military class (buke). Ninja guilds became firmly entrenched in Kyoto, and their schools proliferated until there were at least twenty-five major centers during the Kamakura period. Oda Nobunaga is reported to have employed forty-six thousand troops against Sandayu Ueno, destroying four thousand ninja in the process. The last impressive employment of these fighters on the battlefield seems to have been in the Shimbara war (1637), against forty thousand rebellious Christians on the island of Kyushu (Ratti/ Westbrook). The legendary Konigun colloquialism may have been born with the adoption of the Chinese techniques and refugees. Many historians state that after the Shimbara battle the code language used was undecipherable outside the realm of the Konigun ninja which still uses its own colloquialisms today.
Disclosure of Ninjutsu secrets to unauthorized persons meant death at the hands from other ninja of the same group. This meant that few records exist to the actual participation of the ninja. Books and documents (torimaki) related to the heritage, arts, and techniques of Ninjutsu, therefore, were considered secret family treasures which it was the responsibility of each generation to preserve and transmit to the next. They contained instructions concerning those techniques of combat with which the ninja had to familiarize himself and master. Members of the Kyushin ryu, a school of Ninjutsu, became noted for their unorthodox methods of using a spear (bisento). The Fudo ryu, another school of Ninjutsu in feudal Japan, was considered vastly superior in the development of a particular kind of dexterity with blades. A skilled chemist (yogen) in his own right, the ninja often used poisoned darts, acid-spurting tubes, flash-powder grenades, smoke bombs, and so forth, cleverly adapted Chinese discoveries in chemistry and inventions in explosives to his particular requirements. After the arrival of the Portuguese, he even used firearms. The ninja of the Gyokku ryu, for example, were experts in the deadly use of the thumb and fingers against vital centers in the human body. This method became known as yubijutsu. The students of the Koto ryu were particularly proficient in breaking bones, or koppo jutsu(Ratti/ Westbrook).
Saiga Magoichi was born to the family of Suzuki and was head of the Kishu Saiga Ninja Group. He was a master of Tsuda Ryu Kaijutsu, explosives and firearms methods as well as Saiga Ryu Ninjutsu. He based his headquarters on the Saiga Cape. There he recruited men from the Jizamurai (local samurai) from the vicinity of Saiga Castle. He was involved in the Battle of Naniwa Kanzakigawa Gassen in which Oda Nobunaga took part. Saiga employed the tactic of Shakino jutsu " flag discarding" to win the battle. The Saiga group left their own battle flags behind and moved into position carrying copies of the flags of their enemy. Nobunaga who saw his own flags and thought they were his allies (Hayes).
As late as 1759, ninjas were seen on the battlefield when troops lost the battle of Tensho Iga No Ran against massive ninja clans.
Japan circa 1855, Map courtesy of University of Texas Libraries, University of Texas Austin.
RYU OF DIFFERENCE
A ninja ryu is a group of ninja(s). To be a ninja ryu, the ryu has to study Ninjutsu and follow a form of the bushido code. To this code every clansman must give an oath of loyalty. A ninja clan and/or style of Ninjutsu must have a surviving ninja. If a style has no ninja(s) left, then it is no longer a style of Ninjutsu. Ninjutsu has developed over hundreds of years in different areas of Japan, the techniques of fighting and thinking, as well as, codes are different. Hardships caused by wars, treatment from locals, and encountering foreign people with different fighting techniques, had a big impact on each Ninjutsu style. Enlightenments adopted from these occurrences make up the mindset of the system. Konigun is not the only style of Ninjutsu nor do we care to police other styles.
ENJOY LIFE.
the source for this information: http://www.konigunninjutsu.com/history.html
ShininShado
08-05-2005, 10:18 AM
Japanese armour differs substantially from European armours. In Europe most weapons (including swords) were designed to bludgeon or literally crush your enemies body. This lead to the development of heavier and heavier armours up to the point of protecting from gunfire.
In the far east however and prior to the influance of the west, there were far more weapons developed for a slashing strike or piercing strike. This greatly affected the way armour evolved in the region. Accordingly most of the armour was not as heavy or restrictive as its European cousin.
Another factor to bare in mind is the development of samurai armour and the available/popular armours of the 16 century. Well here the period in Japanese history actually complicates things. There was more armour development and refinement in the last 5 decades of the 16century than the previous 5 centuries combined.
So if the game is to be set at the beginning of the 16th century (before these major developments) what exactly will our samurai be wearing?
Well this could vary greatly. Some armour was passed down from generation to generation, then also there was the increasingly available mass produced armour and finally a mixture of the two.
By the middle of the Muromachi Period (1333-1568) the antiquated O-yoroi style armour began to be replaced by the much lighter and more comfortable Do-maru. Additionally thigh armour in the form of the haidate was used more so and though scale armour was still used, by the beginning of the 16 century solid plates were more easily mass produced.
As I mentioned previously I have worked as an armoursmith producing a range of usable and costume armours for Theater/Film/Re-enactment. There are many misconceptions about armour and i would heartily reccomend any of you to try a suit on if you get the chance.
If you are in the UK pay the Royal Armouries a visit its truly fascinating and in addition to its regular oriental section it is currently hosting a special display of items from the life and times of Tokagawa Ieyasu.
http://www.royalarmouries.org/
For those who dont have access to a national armour museum I would like to point you to the link below. Its a great resource to all things samurai and I have borrowed from it in this post.
http://www.sengokudaimyo.com/
Munglai
08-06-2005, 07:37 AM
Nin-to are generally straight as well as being shorter than the katana. They held the sword in one hand, using it as more of an extension of the arm, so the straight edge is more practical to their style. I can only assume straight edged katanas were used for the same reason, but I haven't seen them used at all really.
Uhugushiku
08-31-2005, 02:24 AM
Weapons List from Our Style....
Bo "Approximate 6' Staff" (Varies by user height as rest do as well)
Jo (4')
San Jaku Bo (3')
Kama
Tanbo (2' pair)
Eiku/Eku (oar)
Nunchaku
Manji Sai
Sai
Chinte
Tonfa
Nunte Bo
Chizikunbo (fist bo held to middle finger with string)
Just some thoughts on different weapons. I believe that there should be some kata involved in the game as this was a big part of working on weapons. Repetition. Of course some peeps would macro it so I don't have a solution for that. Using some motion capture of someone doing kata would be cool. If we knew someone with the resources I could drum up plenty of peeps to perform different kata for the capture.
Munglai
09-03-2005, 07:09 AM
Does anyone know if there was a Japanese equivilent to the 7/8foot "monkey staff" used in various styles of kung fu? That would be a great weapon to have in the game, but I'm not sure they are featured in Japanese martial arts at all.
Tenshin
09-03-2005, 09:37 AM
A bo... 6 ft.
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Ninja Weapons
Ninja Ken
A ninja's sword was an important part of the art of ninjutsu, however, in comparison to the Samurai's Katana, it was little more than a slab of metal with a ground edge. The Ninja Ken, otherwise known as the Shinobigatana rarely afforded the spiritual qualities or attachments that a Samurai's blade would. Much shorter then normal blades for the sake of mobility and close quarter combat. Often made by the ninja himself in home shops, as a result of the lack of money, or disability to access an expert swordsman. It was simply a tool to the ninja. The blade was often much shorter then the scabbard, making room for the concealment of blinding powder.
Aikuchi
Similar to the tanto, but without a tsuba (hand guard).
Shinobi-zue (ninja stalves and canes)
Varying in length from three to six feet, ninja canes and stalves often contained a variety hidden weapons and tools. Ninja shikomi-zue are hollowed out sticks concealing blades, arrows, chains, hooks, climbing aids and even poison liquid or gasses. They were also commonly used for transformation into underwater breathing devices or blowguns.
Tessen (Iron War Fan)
An iron fan used for combat with the same application as a club or short stick. A slab of folded iron covered by heavy paper or silk folds to retain the appearance of a true fan, but still have the defensive purposes.
Shuko and Ashiko (spiked hand and foot bands)
bands of tough leather were tied around the hands and/or feet with a line of four sharp iron hooks extending from the palm and sole of the feet. Used for digging or climbing up walls, cliffs, trees, ship sides, and even commonly used against the enemy himself. These secret weapons are unknown to anyone but the Togakure ninja. A combination of kicks and strikes can make the Shuko and Ashiko a lethal combination in the right hands.
Kusarigama and Kyoketsu Shoge (Ninja Blade and Chain Weapons)
Long range blade and chain weapons allows the ninja to attack and entangle and enemy from a safer distance. The Kusarigama is comprised of a sickle ranging in handle lengths, and a chain or rope ranging from nine to twelve feet. With an iron weight fixed on the end of the chain, it proved a very effective tool. The Kyoketsu Shoge was used in similar application. A blade and hook combination, attached to a steel loop by means of an eighteen foot long rope or chain was used to entangle, stab and smash an enemy and long and close range.
Kusarifundo (Weighted Chain)
Similar to the Kusarigama in application, only it is used for close range. Ranging between eighteen and thirty inches in length, it can be used to strike, entangle, or snare an enemy, or his weapon. simply a steel chain with a small steel weight on each end, it is most commonly used as a surprise, with forward-shooting strikes.
Naginata (Edged Halberd)
A blend of an individual short sword or dagger attached to a six foot staff for longer range.
Yumi and Ya (Ninja Bow and Arrows)
Yumi and Ya are half the length of conventional Samurai Bow and Arrows, making them easy to carry, it also reduced the range, and forced ninjas to get in closer to their enemies in order to hit them. Often carried in a bamboo tube, the combination was easy to conceal and transport.
Fukiya (Blowguns)
Close range, and accurate within twenty feet, they were often disguised as flutes, canes and umbrellas. Darts are constructed of paper cones and steel slivers.
Toami jutsu (Fish Nets)
Used to ensnare or control multiple attackers. Also rigged up as traps in forests or castle corridors.
Kamayari (Hooked Spears)
Spears with a hook at the base of the spearhead were used for a variety of purposes, including combat, climbing, swinging, or snagging passing enemies from above.
Tetsubishi (Caltrops)
Securely held in a carrying case, these steel and iron foot spikes were used to slow or stop pursuers, and were capable of embedding themselves deep in the foot. Designed so at least one spike will be facing up, these are a necessity for ninjas on high risk missions.
Shuriken (Throwing Blades)
Hira Shuriken were flat throwing plates and star knives, used to distract, slow down and injure an enemy. Similarly, the bo shuriken were straight throwing blades that resembled short knives.
Metsubushi (Sight Removers)
When overwhelmed by multiple attacker, these devices were often used. Hollowed out egg shells or nut hulls were filled with explosive, or compressed powder in hesitate enemy advance or screen attacks, if a ninja were to be discovered by a group of guards during a mission.
Samurai Weapons
Standard Weapons
Katana
The soul of the samurai, the katana, is the primarily used weapon. Forged to perfection, the blade is kept meticulously clean, and is all the true samurai needs to survive. Secured in the obi for quick drawing, one would not want to be in the range of this weapon in the hands of a skilled samurai.
Wakizashi
The secondary sword, used as a backup weapon, and to commit sepukku if ever necessary. The wakizashi is nearly half the size of a standard katana and is carried in the obi, next to the katana.
Tanto
The short dagger-like blade carried in the kimono, secured under the obi, used for a variety of purposes.
Kozuka
A small throwing blade that fit into the saya of the wakizashi, it was used as a projectile among other things.
Tessen
A fan tucked into the obi and used as a last line of defense against attackers if a samurai were ever to be unarmed. Also used to cool the body when relaxing.
Battlefield Weapons
Yari
A spear used to dismount samurai from horses, and attack from a safer range. A blade attached to a long staff, not as commonly used off the battlefield.
Kama
A sickle varying from a small handheld size, to a massive battlefield size. Used most commonly on the battlefield, but smaller versions could be used off the battlefield.
Jutte
An iron rod with a wrapped handle under an "L" shaped hook. The hook was used to catch and control enemy swords, and the rod was commonly used to bash open helmets and armour.
Xtracted
09-12-2005, 07:18 AM
I would like to point out that the "ninja tou" that you see in ninja movies etc (the straight blade, square tsuba) is something that was invented in the 80's during the holywood ninja boom.
The "real" ninja tou is a katana that you shorten about 4 inches from the tsuka part of the blade and you keep the full length saya. This makes it possible to hide stuff in the saya (powders etc) but mainly it makes the iai much faster then with a full length katana. The fast iai makes it possible for you to cut your opponent (mostly his right arm as he tries to draw his sword) before he is able to complete his iai.
There are also other kinds of swords that were used, I have as an example seen swords with "saw edges" that rips pieces of flesh away instead of making a clean cut. It was a very nasty weapon I must add.. :eek:
Also, ninja and samurai weapons were all the same. You could be both samurai and ninja. The difference is mainly the way you look at things. Perspective. The idea of ninjas running around rooftops in black hoods is just stupid.
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About martial arts:
Someone mentioned Karate, Aikido and Judo.. They are all modern martial arts and did not exist in seventeenth century japan. What you should look at is koryu and kobudo styles. I would suggest the use of koryu schools linked to different families. The name of the school mainly being the family name- ryu (for example Kukishin ryu). Also, all schools originally included weapon training since the reason for doing martial arts was war training, the training of soldiers. You dont send out unarmed soldiers against an armed army, thats just plain stupid.
BigNinjaPimp
09-18-2005, 06:53 PM
NINJA-TOS DID NOT EXIST. THEY WERE MADE BY HOLLY-WOOD. NINJAS JUST USED REGULAR KATANAS.
i hate ninja-tos and they shouldnt be even mentioned in a history forum
To begin this explanation its probably best to state the very basic misunderstanding: that ninja and samurai were two different types of warrior. In fact, ninja (or shinobi, as they were known during the Sengoku Jidai) were simply the special ops equivalent of the samurai. Some books and websites expound the idea that ninja were the warriors who were used when a daimyo needed something done that the "honorable samurai" could not do. Instead, when a job came along (such as spying, assassination, scouting, infiltrating, etc.) that your regular samurai simply was under qualified to do, a daimyo would seek out a samurai who was. There were some samurai who specialized in this; two famous examples were the Koga and Iga ninja who sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hattori Hanzo, who was from the ninja, held the title of hatamoto (banner-bearer), the highest rank a samurai (and only a samurai) could have.
The ninja have been so butchered by Hollywood and popular misconception (on both sides of the Pacific) that there simply isn't room to dispel it all. Some fine places to learn about the ninja would be the two books put out by Stephen Turnbull. Irregardless, I will begin to explain some of the more famous misinformation. One simple example is the color ninja wore while on a night mission. Hollywood portrays them in black, in fact, they would wear dark blue (black outlines you at night). Another horrible fallacy is the so-called "ninja-to". The ninja sword is portrayed as straight, shorter, and with a square tsuba (guard). Websites explain that these swords were tools as well as weapons. The very simple truth is there were no "ninja-to". Ninja used the same exact weapons as any other samurai, and treated their weapon with the same respect. The second weapon that is poorly portrayed is the "ninja throwing star". More commonly called shuriken (this was the name for any small projectile weapon), a samurai would use a small knife or spike as opposed to a star. The ninja also used these weapons a lot less than one would expect. Shurikenjutsu was a real art, but it was used by different people during different times, and not always (or even generally) by ninja.
The use of "magic" is fortunately being more and more taken with a shaker of salt. Disappearing in a cloud of smoke, hand motions giving them super strength, and magic abilities like flight are all complete myths. Ninjutsu was simply the art of stealth; nowadays, its taken on the general form of bogus sensei teaching karate (at best) in black uniforms, along with some smoke bomb throwing.
quoted from here http://www.geocities.com/klancesegall/home.htm
