The history of ninjas

Origin of ninjas

• Ninjas do not have an exact origin where they came from
• Ninjas are also called shinobi
• There is a Japanese folklore that tells where ninjas came from 
• It says that ninjas came from a demon that was half crow and half man
• But they actually evolved from their upperclassmen the samurai

Origin of ninjas

• They learn a martial art called ninjutsu
• Ninjutsu is the art of assassination
• Ninjutsu was developed between 600-900 A.D. 

Mainland influences

• In the year 907 the Tang dynasty fell in china for fifty years
• The fall of the Tang dynasty left Tang generals to leave and flee to Japan 
• These generals brought new philosophies and war tactics with them
• Chinese monks arrived in Japan in 1020's, bringing new medicines.
• The Chinese monks also brought new fighting philosophies

Mainland Influences

• The main ideas originated in India  
• Then the idea moved to Tibet then China
• Then it came to Japan
• The monks from China taught the warrior-monks in Japan

The first known ninja school

• The first ninja school was made by Daisuke Togakure and Kain Doshi
• Daisuke use to be a samurai
• He forfeited his samurai title and land
• Daisuke did not want to commit seppuku 
• Daisuke was wandering around the mountains and found Kain 

The first ninja school

• Kain Doshi is a warrior-monk
• Daisuke renounced his bushido code
• Then Daisuke and Kain made a new theory of guerilla warfare

Who were the NiNja?

• The ninja leaders are also known as jonin
• Some of the ninja leaders are disgraced samurai
• Most ninjas are not from nobility though
• Many of them were villagers and farmers
• They wanted to protect their selves at any cost

Who were the ninja?

• The most known Japanese ninja strong holds are Iga and Koga provinces
• Women also became ninja leaders, they were called kunoichi
• The kunoichi would disguise themselves as dancers, servants, etc. 
• The kunoichi were successful spies and lethal assassins

Sources

• http://asianhistory.about.com/od/warsinasia/p/NinjaProfile.htm
• http://forums.yojoe.com/toys-1982-1998/20414-daddy-where-do-ninja-come.html
• http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58606
• http://www.ninja-central.com/Ninja-History