Ninja ( also known as shinobi) were the assassins and spies of feudal Japan. They are commonly depicted as being garbed from head to foot in black clothing, scaling walls with contemptuous ease, and performing acrobatic feats of martial arts.
In reality, most ninja adopted less dramatic clothing to fulfil their missions. A ninja would dress up as a peasant or wandering priest, or even impersonate a samurai. The black costume stems from traditional Japanese theatre, where black signifies invisibility. That said, such an outfit would be ideal for nighttime stealth, so we may assume that ninja may well have worn their famous hooded apparel.
Ninja were not recruited, anymore than samurai were. To be a ninja, one had to be born into one of the great ninja families. These families traced their origins back for centuries. Many were jizamurai (lowly rural samurai) families that had developed a great deal of skill in undercover operations and intelligence gathering. The secluded mountainous provinces of Iga and Koga were famous for their ninja.
The head of a ninja family was known as a jonin. Training began early in life and was intensive in the extreme. Not only did a ninja have to be proficient in both armed and unarmed combat (ninjutsu), he had to have a good knowledge of basic survival techniques, climbing, social customs, reading, writing, the use of poisons and even knowledge of fortifications. He also had to cultivate a disregard for pain, death and danger. A captured ninja could expect, at best, a swift and merciless execution. Many captured ninja were tortured to death.
Ninja Equipment
Ninja equipment was tremendously varied. The ninja sword was similiar to the katana but usually possessed a straighter blade. The ninja could use it to scale walls, by resting the point of the blade on the ground and using the guard as a footrest. The sword would be attached to the warriors leg by a rope or strip of cloth, so he could pull it up behind him once he was over the wall. Other equipment included folding saws, used for sawing through the wooden cores of traditional Japanese houses, as well a variety of chisel-like tools designed for removing mortar from walls. Listening tubes of metal or wood were pressed against walls so the ninja could overhear conversation within. Ropes with grappling hooks were standard ninja equipment, and some used folding bamboo ladders to aid them in their climbing.
Ninja in Warfare
Ninja were hired by warlords (daimyo). There is always a need for clandestine operations in warfare, and the ninja fulfilled this need. They were detested by the samurai, who fought openly, but their skills at subterfuge were indispensable. There were occasions when ninja fought in open battle, but then they were indistinguishable from samurai in terms of dress and wargear.
The primary role of ninja was intelligence gathering. They were adept at sneaking into castles, where they would mingle with the garrison. A ninja could operate in this way for weeks if necessary. Sometimes, they would open castle gates for the main attack force, or light fires and start killing randomly to panic the garrison.
Some ninja achieved great renown in their own lifetimes and were highly honoured even by daimyo. Ninjutsu is still practiced today, and features some of the nastiest strikes and holds imaginable, focusing on weak, vulnerable points of the anatomy and designed for instantly crippling or killing an adversary.
Warriors of Medieval Japan
Stephen Turnbull
Osprey, 2005
Ninja (Shinobi)
http://www.taots.co.uk/content/view/32/27/
