Samurai and Ninja: the Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique Pdf

FREE SAMURAI AND NINJA: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE JAPANESE WARRIOR MYTH THAT SHATTERS THE BUSHIDO MYSTIQUE PDF

Everything we know seems uncertain and is further tainted by pop culture. What if what we know about ninja history were just myths of ignorant feudal commoners, passed from generation to generation? Why is it difficult to prove that ninja existed? The ninja were supposedly involved in espionage, assassinations and sabotage. They were the historical equivalent of intelligence operatives, assassins, and special forces. Therefore, records of them would have been well-guarded or destroyed. Face it… No shinobi is going to reveal their techniques and strategies when their job and victory demands secrecy. Yet, this makes proving their existence and modus operandi difficult. After Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique, it would be ridiculous to believe any extraordinary claim without any proof. Because of the lack of information, tall tales about ninja arose. Ninja themselves supposedly encouraged these exaggerations to strike fear in their enemies. With folktales and romanticised pop culture stereotypes in the mix, separating fact from fiction becomes a challenge. These reasons make ninja and ninjutsu a difficult topic to research. These sources that discuss espionage techniques, tactics and mindset are the: Bansenshukai aka. Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique ShukaiNinpiden aka. After all, anyone, from any time period, can write a book and claim themselves to be descendants of the ninja. The three widely accepted sources were written by people who were highly regarded in society back then. They were also part of the bushi-class. Not to forget, these texts were cross-analysed with other historical documents before being accepted as reliable sources of ninja history. It has been verified, registered and recognised by two reputable Koryu organisations that rigorously examine scrolls for unbroken historical lineage. Within this sword school is an oral tradition that teaches Ninjutsu, with focus on defence against detailed Ninjutsu techniques. The Shomonki aka Shoumonkicompiled around AD, was probably the earliest source that makes references to the ninja. Another war chronicle in the 14th century, the Taiheikihas even more references to the ninja. Though this source is known for its dramatizations, it is still widely accepted as mostly accurate. So, are ninjas real? The sources of evidence above prove with reasonable certainty that they existed. Moving on. The ninja were spies and mercenaries in Japan, who were trained in the covert art of Ninjutsu, to fulfil the function of espionage and subterfuge. While this distinction technically means anyone could be a ninja, the majority of sources indicate that ninja came from the samurai class. As mentioned, ninja came mainly from the samurai class. Despite Japan being a highly patriarchal society, there were female ninjas commonly known as kunoichi. Of all of Japan, two places are rich in ninja history: Iga and Koga respectively known as Mie and Shiga prefecture today. Based on the Bansenshukai, where the rest of Japan had military governors, each Iga and Koga clans was self-governed and had their own castle estate. The ninja — as a trained force in a structured system — was agreed by most historians to have come to exist in the 15th century, the Sengoku aka. The Art Of War was simply a popular treatise that influenced military strategy in Asia. Those military strategies and what developed later on in China entered Japan. But back Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique, these monks fulfilled the roles of intellectuals, philosophers and doctors. Since they travelled around often, they absorbed knowledge and cultures from where they Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique, unlike commoners. There was no internet back then to transmit information. These sources of knowledge in military strategy mainly espionagemedicinal knowledge and temperament of the people who absorbed them would play a part in forming Ninjutsu during the Sengoku period. The ancestors of the ninja were said to be Tengu, supernatural beings of the mountain. And, the Tengu were often associated with the yamabushi. This suggests that the yamabushi had some influence on the birth of ninja. It is noted that at least one yamabushi, Sessai Choro, was known to be a military advisor during the Sengoku period. The first recorded use of espionage and subterfuge in Japan was in the 6th century by Prince Shotoku, who acted as regent. The Warring States period was a time of great political unrest and violence in Japan. Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique gist of what happened has to do with the shogunate losing control and feudal lords vying for power and territory. Ninjutsu developed because of the need for unconventional warfare. Naturally, the shinobi became highly sought after. With the use of unconventional tactics, the enemy was defeated by seemingly supernatural factors and a force that numbered 15 times smaller than the enemy troops. This was, to the best of my knowledge, among the first known use of professional ninja in Japanese history. Iga and Koga were the largest strongholds of professional ninja, and their mountainous terrain made it difficult for the enemy to launch attacks successfully. Many of these ninjas would be sheltered and employed by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun who ushered a period of peace for roughly years. Oda Nobunaga nearly united Japan after more than a century into Sengoku but committed seppuku ritual suicide after being betrayed by a trusted general. Toyotomi Hideyoshi took over and finally unified Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu came through as victor during the decisive Battle of Sekigahara. Ninja and espionage played a significant roles in the mentioned battle and many others. Note: The year when the Warring States period ends has been debated by scholars. Some consider it to be, and For this article, I adopted as the end. It corresponds to the establishment of the Tokugawa government. The other feudal domains were governed by lords who were related by blood, allies and even defeated lords. To prevent any feudal domain from usurping power, there were strong measures taken by the Tokugawa Bakufu. Though the emperor was at the top of all feudal classes, he was merely a figurehead with no real power. To the best of my knowledge, the last use of ninja for their actual role of espionage and subterfuge was during the Shimbara rebellion in They would work in the inner gardens of the feudal lord residences to observe the ongoings of every person. There is some debate as to whether the Oniwaban were considered ninja but their supervisors definitely were. After the Edo period, there is no evidence that ninja existed as a profession. The modernisation during the Meiji period, the collapse of feudalism, and military advancements made the ninja obsolete. While possible that existing ninja joined the modernised military or police force, the same conclusion remains — ninjutsu is no longer practised for its intended use. Recall that the ninja profession is dependent on the structure of feudalism and constant warfare. While all of them are outstanding individuals who have contributed to the promotion of Japan and the martial arts, their Ninjutsu lineages has not been satisfactorily verified. The same thing can be said about all existing Ninjutsu schools today. No Ninjutsu school at present-day, derived or otherwise, falls under Koryu bujutsu. This is a topic that is covered here. There is, however, an exception mentioned earlier that has been verified sufficiently — Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto-Ryu. But to call it true ninjutsu would be a stretch as Katori Shinto-Ryu is predominantly a sword art, and the Ninjutsu taught is defensive. After all, the techniques and tactics they use are similar to ninjutsu. Nearly all pre-modern cultures have spies and saboteurs. For example, Chinese spies appeared in history before the ninja and did something similar to Ninjutsu. Does this make them ninja? They could very well be Persian spies, samurai, Spartans and Vikings. An evolution of ninja and other pre-modern spies? Also, the practice of ninjutsu as a distinct ryuha has not been proven to survive to this day. There are certainly modern Ninjutsu schools operating, but proving an unbroken lineage satisfactorily remains an issue. While the modern military may have taken over the role of the ninja, they do NOT qualify under the proper definition of shinobi. If you are training in a modern Ninjutsu schoolplease continue doing so. Just because a martial art cannot be proven to have historical links beyond the Meiji era, does not make what you are doing any less effective, legitimate or impressive. Note: To the best of my ability and time constraints, I have cross-referenced research from various experts to piece together a fairly accurate history of the ninja. Accessed March 04, Cummins, Antony. Hillsborough, Romulus. Kornicki, Peter F. Religion in Japan: Arrows to Heaven and Earth. New York: Cambridge UP, Natori, Masazumi. Yoda, Hiroko, and Matt Alt. Ninja Attack! Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, Samurai and Ninja : Antony Cummins :

Account Options Sign in. Top charts. New arrivals. The myths of the noble Samurai and the sinister Ninja are filled with romantic fantasy and fallacy. Samurai and Ninja expert Antony Cummins shatters the myths and exposes the true nature of these very real—and very lethal—medieval Japanese warriors. The Samurai and Ninja were, in fact, brutal killing machines trained in torture and soaked in machismo. Many were skilled horsemen and sword- fighting specialists, while others were masters of deception and sabotage. Some fought for loyalty, others for personal gain. What these warriors all shared in common was their unflinching personal bravery, skill and brutality. In Samurai and NinjaCummins separates myth from reality and shows why the Japanese were the greatest warriors of all time: Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique describes the Samurai and the Ninja as they really were in earlier times when battles raged across Japan—not in later times when war became obsolete and Japanese warriors became philosophers, scholars and courtiers. He describes the social context of the day and the feudal world into which the warriors were trained to fight and die for their lords. He exposes the essentially brutal nature of warfare in medieval Japan. This book is illuminated by many rare Japanese manuscripts and texts which are translated into English for the very first time. Antony Cummins is a world-renowned Ninja historian. His background as an archaeologist gives him unique insight into the mysterious world of the historical Ninja and Samurai. Cummins' works include translations of the most authentic Ninja documents available to modern researchers and readers. Reviews Review Policy. Published on. Flowing text, Original pages. Best for. Web, Tablet, Phone, eReader. Content protection. Read aloud. Learn more. Flag as inappropriate. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are. Please follow the detailed Help center instructions to transfer the files to supported eReaders.

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We use cookies to provide our servicesfor example, to keep track of items stored in your shopping basket, prevent fraudulent activity, improve the security of our services, keep track of your specific preferences e. Performance and Analytics. ON OFF. We use cookies to serve you certain types of adsincluding ads relevant to your interests on Book Depository and to work with approved third parties in the process of delivering ad content, including ads relevant to your interests, to measure the effectiveness of their ads, and to perform services on behalf of Book Depository. Cancel Save settings. Home Contact us Help Free delivery worldwide. Free delivery worldwide. Bestselling Series. Harry Potter. Popular Features. Home Learning. Description The myths of the noble Samurai and the sinister Ninja are filled with romantic fantasy and fallacy. Samurai and Ninja expert Antony Cummins shatters the myths and exposes the true nature of these genuine--and very lethal--medieval Japanese warriors. The Samurai and Ninja were, in fact, brutal killing machines trained in torture and soaked in machismo. Many were skilled horsemen and sword- fighting specialists, while others were masters of deception and sabotage. Some fought for loyalty, others for personal gain. What these warriors all shared in common was their unflinching personal bravery, skill and brutality. In Samurai and Ninja, Cummins separates myth from reality and shows why the Japanese were the most skilled warriors of all time: He describes the Samurai and the Ninja as they were in earlier times when battles raged across Japan--not in later times when war became obsolete and Japanese warriors became philosophers, scholars and courtiers. He describes the social context of the day and the feudal world into which the warriors were trained to fight Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique die for their lords. He exposes the fundamentally brutal nature of warfare in medieval Japan. This book is illuminated by many rare Japanese manuscripts and texts which are translated into Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique for the very first time. Review quote One of the most exciting scholars in his field, Antony Cummins has successfully built on a detailed knowledge of his subject to become both a leading authority and a skilled communicator. He has an unswerving ability to make history fresh and vivid, while staying grounded in meticulous research--a rare gift. It gives you an excellent foundation to build further information on top of. I enjoyed the book, it has a lot of good information, and I appreciate the enthusiastic tenor of the book. Samurai and Ninja is a great choice. His fresh viewpoint and meticulous investigations are deeply stimulating to my own Ninja studies. His background as an archaeologist gives him unique insight into the mysterious world of the historical Ninja and Samurai. Cummins' works include translations of the most authentic Ninja documents available to modern researchers and readers. Rating details. Book ratings by Goodreads. Goodreads is the world's largest Samurai and Ninja: The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique for readers with over 50 million reviews. We're featuring millions of their reader ratings on our book pages to help you find your new favourite book. Close X. Learn about new offers and get more deals by joining our newsletter. Sign up now. Follow us. Coronavirus delivery updates.