Is Ninjutsu a real martial art?

For those wondering what Ninjutsu is exactly, we have already done a comprehensive look at the martial art that can be found here. In brief, Ninjutsu originates from feudal Japanese society and was used by real-life Ninjas who would use their skills to win battles and kill enemies. This typically involved skills such as hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, and the art of espionage and propaganda. Another way of thinking about Ninjutsu is that it’s the old, Japanese equivalent of being a spy. With that said, even though Ninjas are now a thing of the past, the philosophy of Ninjutsu lives on in modern-day and is still relevant in this sense.

On a similar note, it should also be added that modern Ninjutsu is still a thing that is taught today. Although it’s mostly on the fringes of martial arts, there are still places that teach Ninjutsu is most major cities across the world. This begs the question as to whether Ninjutsu is still a real martial art, or whether it has been watered down by time which sadly happens to many of the traditional arts. Hopefully, this article will answer the question as to whether Ninjutsu is a real martial art or not.

Ninjutsu was a real thing back in Japan

Its origins date back hundreds and even over 1000 years depending on who you ask. During this time, waring clans would use Ninjas to win battles and swing wars in their favor to gain territory throughout Japan and its regions. As mentioned earlier, one part of this involved Ninjas who were seen as a cheap and effective way to swing a war. For example, it would be expensive and risky to send hundreds or thousands of troops into battle.

However, if you could assassinate a leader through a Ninja, then this would be an easier option which could save time and resources. Basically, this is what Ninjas were used for and so they were trained in various forms of fighting and spreading misinformation. With this in mind, Ninjutsu was genuinely legitimate during this time and place in history. However as also mentioned, since then the relevance of Ninjas has dwindled considerably.

It should be pointed out that unlike it’s portrayed in the media, Ninjas weren’t taught in schools and they couldn’t fly through the air. This portrayal is common in old Kung Fu movies and even in the popular anime Naruto. Instead, most of the time, Ninjas were just Samurai who were also trained in other areas that involved being stealthy. This means you didn’t have a separate Ninja village or specific curriculum, instead it wasn’t as organized or precise as that.

So, to answer the original question. In this sense, Ninjutsu was definitely a real martial art at its height and had highly practical implications. Having said this, it probably didn’t come under the name of Ninjutsu and was less glamorized than the media portrays. At the same time, did espionage and stealth killings take place? Yes, they certainly did.

Is modern Ninjutsu a real martial art?

As discussed in our previous article, modern Ninjutsu can be a diverse curriculum that differs from dojo to dojo. Further, a lot of the skills taught are merely done so as homage to feudal Japan and the historical aspects of being a Ninja. In other words, many of the modern teachers are specific on the teacher’s preferences. Not only this but many of the teachings are based on outdated methods of combat. For instance, many of the weapons such as the Fukiya blow gun are not relevant in today’s society.

Put another way, as time moved on – sadly a lot of Ninjutsu stayed put and became ineffective. Whilst it’s certainly cool and interesting to learn how to use a blow gun or bow and arrow, sadly it’s not likely to be of any use. Instead, disarming arms courses and arts such as Eskrima have replaced many of the weapons aspects of Ninjutsu in terms of effectiveness.

Away from the weapons side of Ninjutsu, there is also the hand fighting part that relies heavily on Taijitsu. Basically, Ninjutsu had 9 branches including weapons, philosophy, and physical combat. The physical combat depended on Taijitsu which is still taught today. This often relies on throws that are similar to Judo. Obviously, if you want a closer look at Judo then it may be worth learning Judo as opposed to the throws used in Ninjutsu. Like many martial arts, Ninjutsu borrows from conventional Japanese Ju Jistu in terms of grappling and submissions, albeit this may not be as pure compared to the likes of Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

In terms of striking, Ninjutsu also has elements of Kung Fu which means a lot of its striking has similarities with Karate. Once again, if you really want to focus on striking then Karate is probably going to offer finer details than the striking found in Ninjutsu. Further, if you want an all-encompassing martial art that blends striking and grappling then MMA may be a better option.

If you are put off by the modern culture found in MMA then Hapkido may be ideal as it also offers many disciplines whilst maintaining the traditional side of martial arts and values a culture of respect and honor highly. With this in mind, the sad truth is that modern Ninjutsu has not aged well and is a questionable martial art to train. At least in a physical sense, it offers very little when compared to other martial arts.

What about the spiritual side of Ninjutsu?

In terms of the mental side of Ninjutsu, it is no different from many traditional martial arts. In short, a large part of Ninjutsu revolved around embracing the lifestyle of being a Ninja. Put another way, practitioners would often be Samurai which means they would have to think and behave like warriors. This meant embracing a strong mentality that was based on honor and respect. Most martial arts have similar philosophies and have themes of stoicism and endurance. With this said, the spiritual side of Ninjutsu was very much at its core.

Arguably, this side of Ninjutsu is no longer as important. Whilst martial arts as a whole will improve many parts of your mentality, the reality is that these days Ninjutsu practitioners don’t have to think or behave like Samurai. Of course, it is better for them to embrace this thought process as it offers positive benefits that can be applied to other areas of your life. In brief, as time has moved on, the traditional foundations of Ninjutsu have been lost in time somewhat. It should also be noted that Ninjutsu is legitimate in the sense of offering teachings and a code to live by. Too often, people focus on the physical benefits of martial arts without looking at the spiritual and personal growth that can be achieved too.

So, is Ninjutsu actually a legitimate, real martial art then?

Hopefully, the above has shone a light on the world of Ninjutsu. As looked at earlier on, it’s completely reasonable to say that during its peak, hundreds of years ago that Ninjutsu was certainly legitimate. In short, there was a definite need for Ninjas who would be used in warfare to defend their own people. However, since then it could also be argued that Ninjutsu has lost relevance as time has passed. This brings us to the present where Ninjutsu is not really applicable to modern society for various reasons.

As looked at, most of its training are either too dated or too broad to be taken seriously. Further, even the spiritual aspect of its teachings isn’t as relevant as it once was. In relation to this, our previous article noted that many Ninjutsu practitioners these days do it from a fun, fitness, or historical perspective rather than one based on genuine self-defense and fighting.

To summarise, it’s fair to say that Ninjutsu was definitely a real martial art at one point. However, these days it is not taken seriously by most people and is even sometimes the source of ridicule. Because of this, whether Ninjutsu is legitimate depends on your perspective but a balanced viewpoint would claim that it was once needed but not anymore. Funnily enough, this claim is also aimed at other martial arts that have become less relevant and watered down over the years. For example, the art of Kendo would have once been a very desirable skill during feudal Japan. Regardless, the need to train sword-fighting is not as necessary in the modern world. As ever, the answer depends greatly on your own take on things.

Want to learn more about Ninjutsu in more depth? Check out this DVD system by black belt Richard Van Donk.