Real vs Fake Ninjas
Sometimes people debate regarding who’s real ninja and who isn’t. Or they might be debating that some martial arts club teaches real ninjutsu and some other doesn’t. Well this can be the case with not just ninjutsu but also other martial arts clubs too.
It’s a perfectly valid question, no doubt, but there is some clarification needed to understand the concept of real and fake martial art (or any other art for that matter).
What is meant by real Ninja?
Ok so coming to the point. What is meant by real ninja?
The definition might differ for people based on what they consider ninjutsu to be.
If someone considers it a “game” or “ring sport” with a set of techniques to follow, then anyone who doesn’t know the same techniques might not be real for them.
However, if someone considers ninjutsu a mindset, more than just a ring sport, their definition might differ.
The difference lies in their view of the term ninjutsu and ninja (or shinobi, or other related ones).
Let me give you few examples:
- The English taught in schools these days is the same one that was taught in schools when the language first formed? So the English these days is “fake”? right?
- The gymnastics, when started being taught in initial days, when so ever, was it the same as the one being taught today? So the gymnastics all around the world these days is “fake”…? right?
- Military training in any country of the world, is it the same this year as it was years ago when that military academy was formed? Not at all! They evolved! So these days military trainings in all military academies are “fake”…? right?
And the list goes on.
New comers or kids who don’t understand the true meaning of art, especially martial arts, are unable to grasp the idea that martial arts flows around the mindset and not the techniques mainly. It focuses around the “final product” a person becomes, and not that can he count in numbers in Japanese or chinese or not.
The origin of Ninjutsu
Well lets not get into the debate of how ninjutsu began. Whatever the circumstances were, whoever initiated it, the sole purpose was:
- Survival
- Espionage
- Being powerful enough to manage enemy multiple times in strength
- Spying
- Manipulating
- and so on (sorry, it didn’t include “fighting in ring” as a sport”)
Ninjutsu was NOT formed for:
- Learning 27 specific kicks (or whatever number you have)
- Punching in specific way
- Using specific weapons only
E.g., those days ninjas would gather the samurai swords whenever they can and then use it too! So they became fake ninjas? not using their original “ninja” swords?
Evolution began the very first day
Ninjutsu started as a practical art form. So it evolved from the very first day. Anything that was useful, was integrated, anything that wasn’t, was discarded.
So if you have the book from 500 years ago, that might have changed the very next day it was written too.
Why is there a debate of fake and real ninjutsu then?
The debate is mainly in kids (and elders with kids mindset) who assume that ninjutsu is like their Need For Speed game.
They would debate that the “real” game was released for play station, while the other versions, xbox and pc etc., are all fake.
It’s hard for them to understand the difference between a ring sport, game, and a real life war art. It’s not their mistake, as they’re too young and immature to grasp that idea.
But ANCIENT arts are GREAT!
No kids, they’re not. It’s like saying, ancient music was great! Because you never heard it!
Or like saying, ancient gymnastics was better!
Dude they didn’t even have AK47. How would they even learn how to use it or defend themselves from it?
Todays warfare and fights are based on firearms ALOT! And they didn’t even include any guns in their trainings! Seriously!
So cut this weird debate out. If you’re looking for “authentic” ring sport or game, like most naruto fans, then yeah search for ancient one. However if you’re aiming for an effective martial arts, then aim for the mindset and “final product”.
So we shouldn’t debate at all?
Well, that’s not my point. We should research well and as hard as possible before getting ourselves into anything, be it martial arts class or a piano class. But We should focus more on the essence of what we’re learning.
And we should definitely check these for the best master we can find:
- His main art and skill and whom did he learn them from
- What other skills he learnt, and from whom
- Did he practice with the master personally, or on DVDs
- His best students, did those students learn mainly from him only?
But before that, ask yourself, do you really know what you’re going for? Learning a set of techniques for ring sport? or Ninjutsu?
bujinkan-pk.blogspot.com/2016/02/12-basic-shinobi-principles.html This one post that I had written more than three years earlier from now, when I had little knowledge of ninjutsu, is heavy on all your posts you have written up until now, which shows even at that moment I had more knowledge than what you have now; the now ‘me’ is a totally different person. Go on with whatever you like, it’s useless.
I’m glad to have such a knowledgeable person with us, who completed his knowledge and learnt all possible stuff in 3 years 🙂
This is probably my last comment here on this post and it will be a serious one. “Real vs Fake”- real means something in its actual or original while fake means something that is copied in some form to look like the original but it’s not. If you think you are a ninja or F.S Academy teaches real ninjutsu then bring us the proof -bring us the complete lineage of your masters and you can find ours upto Hatsumi Soké available at bujinkan-pk.blogspot.com/2015/11/history-bujinkan-part-1.html. Sir Rif’at Abbas has studied directly under Manaka Unsui Sensei who is a direct student of Hatsumi Soké upto Sandan (3rd level) and is also affiliated with Bujinkan Tori whose Shihan Ndeljko Asanin has also studied directly under Hatsumi Soké and attends the annual seminars held by Honbu Dojo which means that he gets to see Hatsumi Soké every year at least once. If you think what I have said is wrong then go ask the real ninja grandmaster ‘Hatsumi Masaaki’ himself. I had a complete list of blackbelts who had studied under Hatsumi Masaaki Soké from 1975-2003 but dear Farhat Abbas Shah Sir’s name was no where listed in it, even in a massive list of Shodan (1st level) instructors while in Bujinkan, you are only allowed to open your own school after Godan (5th level) when you become a Shidoshi. Other than Hatsumi Masaaki Soké there was Fujita Seiko who died in 1966 and there’s Banke Shinobinoden’s Jinichi Kawakami but who appeared only after 1983. You don’t even present the proof if Sir F.A.Shah had studied under Ashida Kim, Donn F. Draeger or Ronald Duncan. If you still do not believe me and would like to debate on this, then get to an international forum such as e-budo.com or martialtalk.com or martialartsplanet.com. You have the mind of a kid or a woman which negates all the positive things and pick that one negative one. If you say that our techniques are old and impractical to this ‘modern world’ then wait for an era to come and I certainly am not wishful to give my services to this army; it was just a way that I chose and now when I have failed on this path, I have found another way to the ultimate goal; “be water my friend”. By the above post, you only prove the in-authenticity of your own dojo; if I post the same in your group with minor changes, it will be serving my purpose. It is my view-point that Bujinkan and Ninjutsu are not ring sports and when I used the words to judge your academy, it was an optimistic approach to defeat you (this means the whole body of F.S Academy) in your claims through your own set of mind. Also I must say that your posts have a dominant factor of “I” and “me” on all your blogs which shows your likeness to yourself; it shows that you think or used to think that you know everything while all the others not; “Think light of yourself, think deep of the world”. You speak of evolution, that evolution stopped when ninjas come to an extinction and then the purpose came to preserve this art; that’s what we are doing today, otherwise just as you say we might have turned to AK’s and modern weapons but we are preserving it as a tradition and for a next generation because we know that there is going to come an era where it’s going to be useful again but academies like yours are a big obstacle to its preservation. Say if our art comes to total extinction and we transfer what your academy says is ninjutsu then it’s certainly not going to serve our purpose. And as you have stated: Survival
Espionage
Being powerful enough to manage enemy multiple times in strength
Spying
Manipulating
and so on (sorry, it didn’t include “fighting in ring” as a sport”)
does your academy art have these capabilities. If you say yes then sorry you have to take your time to prove it.
And we should definitely check these for the best master we can find:
His main art and skill and whom did he learn them from
Tell me about Farhat Abbas Shah’s main art and skill and where did he learn from.
What other skills he learnt, and from whom
Did he practice with the master personally, or on DVDs
Your grandmaster himself says that he learned martial art skills from books while my masters have learned directly from others and have proof in written form.
His best students, did those students learn mainly from him only?
If you have ever seen the videos of Hatsumi Masaaki Soké, Ndeljko Asanin Shihan and Rif’at Abbas Sensei then you will know, and they have also trained in several other martial arts upto blackbelt and you can not challenge their authenticity. I intend not to become a master untill and unless I have received direct teaching from an authentic master, otherwise I have enough knowledge and resources to open up my own school of ninjutsu and even bring a believable proof of lineage but since I lack practice and a permanent master and I have an oath to cling to honesty, I certainly do not intend to buy hell for a small gain.
But before that, ask yourself, do you really know what you’re going for? Learning a set of techniques for ring sport? or Ninjutsu?
This is the biggest wish I have that those students who fall victims to fake ninjers should do and you too must have asked yourself, Thankyou.
I’ve tried to read your comment in chunks, it’s uselessly long, try to learn how to summarize and convey your message in minimum words 🙂
Now coming to your weird content in this comment! Riffat who? Shihan who? This blog isn’t about any unknown entity or person bro, come out of your small shell please 🙂 We’re discussing ninjutsu here, not someone you like or prostate to.