History+of+the+Ninja


 * __History__**

Before the history of the Ninja,how about some background knowledge. The Ninjas also referred to as the Shinobi, believed in Ninjutsu. There were eight specific methods/categories about Ninjutsu. The Eight Methods taught in many places were: Body skills, karate, spear fighting, staff fighting, blade-throwing, use of fire and water, fortification and strategy, and concealment. Also believed for Ninjutsu that if tactic was efficient, it was allowed (unlike the Samurai). Sometimes, when honor got in the way, Samurai would hire Ninja because Ninjas did whatever they wanted to. *Not very many ninjas were wealthy*.

It's said that from 600-900 A.D., a bunch of information was pooled from Tang Dynasty generals and Chinese monks. Teaching there ways to the //yamabushi (//Japan's warrior-monks). All that polled together to make a big blob of nonsense. Then the clear Ninjutsu was made by Daisuke Togakure and Kain Doshi. Daisuke had been a former Samurai that had lost his land and title, and Kain was a Chinese warrior-monk. They found each other in 1162, when Daisuke was ambling around the mountains of southwest Honshu he found Kain. They mixed there theory's together and developed the first Ninja school, Togakureryu. Ninjas were perfect in a era of constant war (1336-1600). The Samurai both needed, hated, and feared the ninja in those times because the Ninja were working for the Samurai Because the Samurai were restrained with there code. But ninjas could work for both sides (like a double agent). In the time 1336-1600, there were three major things. First, there was the Nanbukucho Wars (1336-1392). The deal was that Japan had 2 different governments, both trying to gain control over Japan.The Northern side was the shoguns, and the Southern side was Emperor Go-Daigo's. Ninjas played a crucial roll in this war (aided both sides). The northern Ninjas even destroyed the South's Hachiman-yama Fortress. Eventually the northern side vanquished the southern side.Then, 70 years later, the Onin War broke out, and again Ninjas were a vital roll. It started as the ruling Ashikaga clan started fighting amongst themselves, it eventually sucked everyone in to it. This period was also called the "Warring States Period". The Ninjas served many purposes in the Onin War like; spies, agitators, ambushers, and scouts. One of there greatest specialties was the tactic where a group of Ninjas would sneak into a castle and cause a diversion, and while the defenders were occupied, the besiegers would then attack the castle with the main body of the army. During this period, the Ninja were very important. But after the Onin War, war-lord Oda Nobunaga emerged as the toughest and biggest daimyo. So he started to connect Japan back together, but he thought the Ninjas' strong holds (Iga and Koga) a threat to his Empire. So Nobunaga decided to attack Iga to scatter there forces. Because of the swiftness of the attack, the Ninja had to fight open battles. There fore, they were crushed by Nobunaga's army, and had to scatter across the countryside. Some even joined Tokugawa Ieyasu, who in 1603 became shogun. Even though they were crippled, the ninja still helped both sides as much as they could. Then, in 1603, came the Edo Period which was at relative peace. So the Ninjas weren't needed anymore, and they dispersed.