subject: The History of Ninja Weapons [print this page] The History of Ninja Weapons The History of Ninja Weapons
For a great many years, the history of the ninja was shrouded in history. Considering the fact the original role of the ninja was to act as a stealth assassin, the mere existence of the ninja was hidden from sight. This is one reason why ninja weapons history was not all that well known. We have historical remnants of the weapons but for many years, no one knew the true origins of the weapons, why they were developed, or how they were developed. Due to the tremendous research work of martial arts historians, we now have a clear idea of ninja weapons history.During the 15th century, ninjas essentially came into being and were employed to perform some of the more distasteful tasks of the elite. Mercenary work, assassinations, terrorism, and even arson were tasks handled by the ninja. However, not all ninjas fell under this heading. Many ninjas took the role of protecting the peasant class from those rogue samurais that abused and bullied them.The battle against the samurai highlights the development of tools in ninja weapons history. Ninjas did not prescribe to bushido. They had no qualms about fighting dirty. This is most evident in the development of the traditional ninja sword, which was smaller than the one employed by the samurai. This design was employed for both stealth and for working around the samurai's armor. Again, there was no desire here to fight in an honorable manner. The art of the ninja revolved around getting the proverbial job done.Speaking of stealth, many were under the impression that ninjas could make themselves invisible. Could they? No; but they did know how to use blinding weapons such as filling an egg shell with dirt, dust, or ground glass and throwing it in the face of an opponent for the purpose of blinding the person temporarily. This bought the ninja a brief amount of time in order to escape. In many instances, a stealth attack could go awry. This would necessitate the means of an effective escape. Again, ninja weapons history is about effective combative fighting. It was not about promoting a philosophy or presenting a sense of honor. Was such an approach amoral? In many ways it was. However, as the saying goes, desperate times dictated desperate measures.In order to sneak into a particular home, castle, or other inhabited structure. Ninjas needed special climbing tools and ropes. Often, these climbing items could also serve as weapons....and frequently were! Such is the case with most ninja weapons: they needed to serve dual functional purposes.Ninjas also needed to attack at a distance, which is why bows and arrows, blowguns, and throwing stars are employed to strike from a safe location. No, stealth attacks may not seem so honorable but they were necessary...and effective.Ninja weapons history is somewhat unique in the sense it was shrouded in secrecy and did not prescribe to any philosophy. Nor did the great ninjas serve any particular master. Perhaps such amoral origins contributed to the success of the ninja through history. Upon examining this history, it is difficult not to marvel at the weapons the ninja employed.
