There is so much pop culture fantasy about Ninjas that it’s difficult to find any real authoritative information about what and who they really were. Any authoritative sources for this info?
Wikipedia looks to have a good overview and links:
This site also has useful information about ninjas.
I wonder if you have some spyware there!, try going to the wikipedia main page:
And then search for Ninja.
Well, since the Ninja’s were a secret & illegal group (or groups), anything is BS to some degree.
No spyware, just some jerk messing up the page. The current version appears to have been fixed.
You might try digging through the forums at E-Budo. This site includes a forum for the current practice and history of Ninpo and Ninjutsu. The members of e-Budo are very good about exposing frauds, fake lineages, and bogus history.
I agree with this - that site simply has the best info on ninjas that is available on the net.
Donn Draeger wrote extensively this and related subjects. Try his excellent Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, co-authored with Robert W. Smith, and Draeger’s definitive work Classical Bujutsu.
Draeger held a Ph.D. in hoplology, or the study of weapons, and was widely considered one of the most knowledgeable people ever to study the classical warrior traditions of Japan.
Regards,
Shodan
Alas, perview is not my friend. I see that Atticus Finch beat me to it.
Please don’t send the ninjas after me.
Is that a parody site, or the genuine rantings of a gushing adolescent?
Though Don Draeger is pretty good, he does still fall for some serious Ninja B-S (see the picture of a Ninja Hand Glider). For the best non-partesan book on Ninjutsu try Andrew Adams’ Ninja : The Invisable Assassins
DrDeth Ninjas were not illegal during much of Japanese history, they are mentioned several times as parts of several Samurai’s armys. Look up details about the real Hanzo Hattori
And real-ultimate-power is a parody.
Question not its provenance; rather give thanks that it exists at all.
When you’re finished doing your research and have built up your hunger, go here for a repast.
No, everything on that site is both true AND awesome. Claims otherwise are just pirate propoganda - note that the poster of these lies has a pirate name.
This is GQ and the OP asked for non B-S info. The Ninja were a number of real groups of people in medievil Japan, the joke sites are not realy helpful in answering the OP.
OP may also want to look at some of Stephen Turnbull’s history books on Japan especially those dealing with the 16th Century.