and the Fijibayashis—would forge an almost autonomous state in the central provinces of Iga and Koga.
Insulated by dense forests, these shinobi-ninja perfected their stealth and intelligence-gathering craft, their martial arts, and, most importantly, their satsujin-jutsu (insights into the minds of men), both their own and that of potential enemies. As they grew more powerful, many of these shinobi clans were content to be left to themselves.
Other ninja clans, however, openly defied and actively warred against local daimyo (samurai overlords). More often than not they played one samurai clan against the other. This was sound ninja strategy. The more the daimyo warred amongst themselves—thinning their samurai ranks—the less manpower they had on hand to devote to hunting down ninja.
In the mid-1500s, Shogun Oda Nobunago and his two generals, Ieyasu Tokugawa and Hideyoshi Toyotomi launched a campaign to wipe out defiant ninja clans in central Japan. In his zeal, Nobunago drew no distinction between defiant ninja clans and those shinobi folk merely wanting to be left to themselves. This indiscriminate slaughter by Nobunago alienated many of the shinobi clans that might have otherwise not actively warred against him.
In November 1581, Nobunago’s army invaded Iga province in force, decimating the shinobi clans. Those shinobi escaping immediate death during the intense fighting were hunted down and killed. A few clan leaders had read the writing on the wall and had made contingency plans for their people to escape to other parts of Japan, many to Kii province where still-defiant Buddhists had set up an enclave.
Not long after his invasion of Iga, Nobunago was assassinated by one of his own men, the Daimyo Akechi. Some say Akechi, a devout Buddhist, had simply had enough of Nobunago’s persecution of peaceful Buddhists. Others whispered that the daimyo had fallen under the spell of ninja mind-masters.
Following the death of Nobunago, his general Hideyoshi Toyotomi seized power.
By 1590, Toyotomi, a commoner, had succeeded where all the emperors, shoguns, and daimyo before him hadn’t, uniting the whole of Japan under his banner. Toyotomi began his rise to power as a juvenile henchman for a group of ruthless “ninja” highwaymen. From there, he manipulated his way into Nobunago’s confidence; first as a valuable spy, then as an accomplished strategist, and eventually co-commander of Nobunago’s forces.
Not surprisingly, the whispers were that “the ninja” Toyotomi had engineered Nobunago’s death.
How ironic that Toyotomi, a man who owed his rise to ultimate power to ninja mind-manipulation tactics and techniques, would be the same man who would spell the beginning of the end of the great ninja clans.
Just as warring between rival samurai clans in the 14th century helped foster the development of ninjutsu, conversely Toyotomi’s unification of Japan—and the resultant end to internecine fighting between lesser samurai lords—heralded the decline of overt ninja rebellion.
The emergence of a strong central government authority that local daimyo could call on for assistance against defiant clans helped spur the development of more covert methods of ninja craft, particularly in areas of mind manipulation.
As government, military, and law-enforcement became more centralized, most of the smaller, purely criminal “ninja” gangs dispersed. Others however remained defiant, forming larger criminal leagues and helping foster the emergence of the yakuza, Japan’s version of the Mafia.
Ironically, still other ninja became policemen or became operatives for the centralized military’s intelligence network. These converted operatives lent their ninja expertise (especially mind-manipulation techniques) to the creation of the Japanese military’s feared Kenpeitai (Thought Control Bureau) and to the national Tokko (Thought Police). Established in 1911 to suppress left-wing movements in Japan, the Tokko’s power continued to expand up through World War II when it specialized in enforcing thought-control policies of the pre-World War II militarist regime.
In the 17th century, the proper Tokugawa regime that succeeded Toyotomi’s reign made it a capital offense to even say the word “ninja” since merely acknowledging the existence of such rogues challenged the very nature of rigid Japanese social structure. In their enemies’ eyes, ninja had no honor because they used every manner of skullduggery to accomplish their goals. Where samurai fought face-to-face, adhering to the strict ideal of bushido chivalry, ninja were bound by no such rules of engagement, preferring instead to strike from behind or from afar.
What frightened proper Japanese society in general, and pretentious samurai in particular, was that ninja did not stop at unconventional physical warfare. Ninja also used psychological attacks, targeting their enemy where that enemy was most vulnerable and least able to defend themselves—through their secret lusts, inner fears, and superstitions.
More insidious still, you never knew when a wily ninja mind manipulator might succeed in “overshadowing” your brother, your wife, even your priest—any one of whom could slip a dirk into your back or poison into your cup while under the control of an accomplished ninja mind-wizard!
Progressing through the nine training halls of ninjutsu craft, students are quick to learn that for every one physical way to attack an enemy, there are 10 ways to attack his mind.
The Nine Training Halls
Each of the traditional Nine Halls of Ninjutsu contains a distinct field of training. While complete in and of themselves, by necessity each training hall compliments the other eight.
Ninja students are first given an overall course of training to familiarize them with all nine training halls. Students showing aptitude in a particular hall of study are then encouraged to specialize in that hall. In general, this nine halls regimen progresses from purely physical skills toward more mental skills, and culminates in the development of mental strategies and tactics designed to defeat a ninja’s enemies without the danger of physical confrontation.
Even when the course of study appears to be purely physical in nature however, underlying the physical lesson is a valuable psychological principle to be mastered.
A brief overview of the nine halls:
Unarmed Combat
Teaches the student various systems of unarmed martial arts. Yet even this purely physical level of training contains a vital mental component. That is, hall instructors at this level are careful to note any psychological impediments or flaws in temperament in their students that might interfere with that student’s mastery of physical skills.
Combat with Wooden Weapons
Allows the ninja student to augment his unarmed combat skills with natural wooden weapons provided by his environment, such as the bo-staff, jo-fighting sticks, or nunchaku.
Combat with Bladed Weapons
Familiarizes the student with a wide variety of bladed weapons, such as swords, knives, kama-sickles, and shuriken throwing stars.
Combat with Flexible Weapons
Introduces students to weapons such as chains, ropes, and even the innocuous scarf. Psychologically, at this level students learn that most valuable of lessons: Flexible weapons and tactics often succeed where more rigid tactics fail.
Specialized Combat Training
Requires the student to integrate the weapons and tactics learned in the four preceding halls with the use of specially-crafted shinobi devices and tactics. Note: Most ninjutsu schools draw a distinction between the first
