Ninja appreciation.

[King Of Hell]

Yeah man, if you grew up in the 80's it was all ninja all day long. I wanted RED DAWN and Enter The Ninja to happen simultaneously every day of my life until I was like 16.

[Milk Grenades]

who me?

[Milk Grenades]

Yeah man, if you grew up in the 80's it was all ninja all day long. I wanted RED DAWN and Enter The Ninja to happen simultaneously every day of my life until I was like 16.

 

 

that's how my brother was...born in '77. all about the ninja

[King Of Hell]

Born in 73. All about ninjas. Enter the Ninja, Revenge of the Ninja, Ninja 3 The Domination, Master Ninja, American Ninja, The Master(tv show with lee van cleff and sho kosugi).....

[SUR X3]

Growing up in the 80s and early 90s was all about ninjas. I mean TMNT killed it. I was a ninja for Halloween every year from the time I was 4 to the time I was about 10. Which extended well into the 90s...

 

 

Awesome.

[King Of Hell]

NINJA KICK IN THE FACE!

[swif1]

 

Don't front.

 

Rocky loves Emily.

[AyeBee]

3 Ninjas is the jumpoff

 

LIGHT UP HIS EYES BOYS, LIGHT UP HIS EYES

[TheOh]

we used to buy these crappy little slip on shoes with probably plastic soles on them at the swapmeet. we called them "ninja shoes". it takes so little to make a kid happy.

[garlic prawns]

That ask a ninja shit is gold.

http://askaninja.com

I think cold cup posted it a while back.

[garlic prawns]

 

 

 

^^^^this shit turns me into a ninja.

[King Of Hell]

Now, Im not sure if you guys realise the Ninja turtles cartoon was terribly way. I mean, if you read any of the original comic book ...they don't even compare. So just to trump that last image of the goofy turtles, heres some real ninja turtles...the ones that don't say "cowabunga".

 

this comic was so good that it hurts.

[Spitfire15]

I never really realised how fucking buff they were. Those turtles are fucking jacked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder how much they can rep.

[CORPORAL-PUNISHMENT]

[El Jefe Uno]

[Jimmy Jump]

fuck ninjas. man up with whiskey, kick in the front door, and handle your shit with the finesse of a runaway train. it makes for better stories.

 

note: this excludes teeanage mutant ninja turtles. i can't hate on turtles.

[sarcasm]

i have and will always love everything ninja

[--->]

I used to fuck niggas up with my ninja key chain... till a cop took it from me. What yall know bout that!?!?

[King Of Hell]

kubaton.

[lord_casek]

any of you ever read the book of the five rings by musashi myamoto?

[King Of Hell]

nope, but have you read "mystical arts of the ninja" by stephen k hayes?

[odd.pr0ject]

nope, but have you read "mystical arts of the ninja" by stephen k hayes?

 

hmm i think thats the one i racked from the public library when i was like 12 lol.

[King Of Hell]

probably. i did the same thing. ive had it since i was like 13

[serum]

dark horse comics definitely ruled.

 

remember this shit? too funny.

 

 

i had a ninja outfit when i was little. i hid in trees at night and was suprised no one could see me. i went to karate classes everyday. got my ass picked on at school then went to get beat up at karate class. it did wonders for my hardcore dancing skills though.

 

they have a old school ninja house in mie japan.

 

 

Ninja Yashiki of the Iga Sect, Ueno, Mie

 

http://www.yamasa.org/japan/english/destinations/mie/ueno_ninja.html#house_of_the_ninja_art

 

In Japan, nothing represents the mythical supernatural image of the martial arts like the ninja. While the Ninja Yashiki of the Iga Sect in Ueno City (Mie-ken) entertains some of them to draw you in, it also attempts to explain or debunk the myths disbursed by popular entertainment. The displays and demonstrations, including a live show and a ninja residence full of hidden tricks, are still enough to fascinate and impress with the skill and ingenuity of this ancient art.

The site is divided into four sections - the Ninja Residence, House of the Ninja's Art, the Demonstration Zone, and the House of the Ninja Tradition. The sinister elements that accompany the ninja tradition are oddly mixed throughout the site with the usual Japanese tourism style of 'kawaii' touches such as tour guides in ninja costumes, including pink ones for the women and various cartoon images, such as the one of the woman ninja at the park entrance, in a purple costume, who looks like she is there to greet you to a department store instead of a preserve of a deadly art.

 

The art of stealth practiced by the ninja is believed to originated in China over 4,000 years ago. It is believed that a prince was the first in Japan to employ a spy during the 6th century. Among the numerous ninja schools in Japan, the Iga-ryu (style) in Ueno and Koga-ryu in Shiga Prefecture are claimed to be the most predominant in the country. The Iga sect school was completed in the 12th century.

 

 

 

The True Tools of the Trade

 

The museum portrayed the ninja as less an assassin and more to being in the business of espionage. Their discipline, called Ninjutsu, taught combat techniques but also stealth. Wearing disguises and planting spies were just as important to be able to sneak into a castle to steal an important message.

 

Many of the tools and equipment of the ninja are on display or shown by trained demonstrators who are often referred to as 'real ninjas' in the promotional material. Ninjas did use shuriken, small star-shaped metal darts, but, as explained by a performer in the Demonstration Zone, they did not carry too many of them, simply because of weight, nor could they fire them in rapid succession in mid-air. They did use poison, though, tipping the spikes with it on occasion so that merely scratching a target with the shuriken would be enough to do the job.

 

However, the weapons used by the ninja were versatile. Throwing daggers could also be used as a hand or foot-hold for climbing when driven into a stone wall. Utilizing sickles as weapons were practical because they blended in with a farmer's disguise but they were also usable as an anchor when four were tied together. From saws for drilling holes in walls for spying, to lockpicks, many of the displays demonstrated that there were more tools carried, rather than weapons, that were used to sneak around and gather information.

 

Undoubtedly, ninjas never wore pink costumes but they never wore black ones either. The displays in the House of the Ninja's Art explained that contrary to perception, black costumes actually stood out too much. Navy blue ones were used partly because they could be used also to pass as farmer's clothing. There were seven classes of disguises the ninja used to blend in with the surroundings, rather than hide. These included clothing that alllowed them to pass off as farmers, vendors, acrobats, and monks.

 

The ninja could not really disappear into the scenery nor could he walk on water. In fact, water moats, in which you could walk or swim, presented less of a problem than those of mud. The House of the Ninja's Art displays and explains that ninjas used broad wooden shoes called 'mizu-gumo' which spread the body weight in much the same way snowshoes do. Ropes and ladders were sometimes used to climb walls but the ninja also trained to strengthen their fingers and toes for such purposes.

 

The ninja, though, had much more than tools and weapons in their arsenal. They also employed a wealth of wisdom and skills through disciplines such as psychology, pharmacy, medicine, astronomy, sorcery and divination. A ninja could create a compass using a needle or a thin metal strip or tell time by reading the sky. They also knew several ways to find water while out in the field on a mission. It is through the ninja's resourcefulness and strategic and tactical thinking that the museum attempts to teach visitors survival skills that apply even in the modern world.

 

House of the Ninja's Art

 

From the residence, a fairly deep staircase leads you underground to the House of the Ninja's Art. There, about four hundred pieces of ninja gear are on display and explained from costumes (including disguises and armour), tools (such as rope ladders, mizu-gumo, and mortars for making things such as gunpowder), and weapons (like the shuriken and swords). There are a few video displays including an interesting portrayal of a castle infiltration on a large screen that does play a bit like a B-grade movie.

 

The pamphlets say to take 20 minutes to tour this section but another 10 minutes may be needed for a thorough reading and examination of the displays.

 

 

Demonstration Zone

 

Here, a ninja skills show is performed live demonstrating the use of weapons as well as some mock combat. The circus-like atmosphere, highlighted by the use of showbiz music, sound effects and the hawking of souvenirs, can be distracting, especially in the opening where a 'Blues Brothers' theme was used. Nevertheless, the skill and power of the weapons are impressive to see in actual use and the narrative provided by the performers was also informative. The show employed at least one performer who practices ninjutsu full-time and also works in movies and television, either as an actor or as a technical advisor.

 

 

 

Performer demonstrates blowgun disguised as a flute Staged fight, Demonstration Zone

 

It is certainly worth the 200 yen extra you must pay to see the 15 minute show if there is any hint of curiosity to see how deadly the weapons just seen in the House of the Ninja's Art can possibly be. There is also an opportunity after the show, for another 200 yen, to learn and try throwing shuriken knives. Note that the shows are performed weekends and holidays only.

 

 

House of the Ninja Tradition

 

The final stage of the tour houses displays explaining the history and lifestyle of the ninja. A fairly large model shows the layout of the Iga-ryu Ninga sect village including tunnels that linked residences to the central training ground. Other displays discuss other facets of ninja life such as the importance of diet and cleanliness, not only for health but also to prevent odour that can lead to detection. Another shows a coded communication system that uses coloured grains of rice. There is also one that explains how an understanding of astronomy provides the ninja the means to tell time and predict the weather.

 

There are a few video presentations as well as a couple of interactive ones. Reading all the displays and seeing the presentations may take a few more minutes than the 15 prescribed in the pamphlet. The 'Ninja Hut' shop towards the exit offers many types of souvenirs, including ninja clothing for kids for about 10,000 yen and shuriken key-chains. Unfortunately, there is little in books or information available in this shop. A better place to look for such material is the Danjiri Museum just outside the park.

[Mauler5150]

Fuck yeah, ninjas are the shit!

I remember all the old ninja movies from when I was a kid (born in 81) and still have to have a ninja marathon every now and again.

 

The last ninja movie I watched was Revenge of the Ninja, and you hav to love how all the old Ninja movies managed to sneak some female nudity in there somewhere, which for a child in the 80's early 90s was way too appealing.

 

long live the ninjas.

[swif1]

So old.