"Ninjas didn’t exist"

[Crenners]

I just heard they were invented in the 1950s. Lot of info out there saying they're bullshit. I was surprised so did some research and couldn't find anything conclusive. Some people say that they did, some people say there were no ninjas like we imagine or 'know' them. Ninjutsu as a martial art is apparently a fiction and throwing stars basically never existed. There were assassins but not clad in black. There's another rumour ninjas existed but they wear blue instead. Reminds me of the TMNT arcade game.

Have you got any concrete evidence for or against? Anything you ever experienced that might be relevant?

[Blue Jam]

Have you got any concrete evidence for or against? Anything you ever experienced that might be relevant?

http://www.realultimatepower.net/index4.htm

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

If ninjas didn't exist, it would be necessary to invent them.

[Lordofthefiles]

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Don't know shit from Shinobi.

[Crenners]

http://www.realultimatepower.net/index4.htm

Thank you for the memories. I remember crying with laughter at this twenty years ago.

I'll never forget the sentence:

"I headbutt my dog so hard we both scream."

[Dayraven]

I just heard they were invented in the 1950s.

That claim might refer specifically to the word 'ninja' — 'shinobi' is the historically more common term, and 'ninja' was popularised by Western usage. I think even in current Japanese usage, 'shinobi' is the more serious term, and 'ninja' more comical/OTT in its associations.

As much as anything, the question of whether ninja existed or not is a question of categories. Can you consider real medieval Japanese spies and assassins (to the extent we know about them) the 'same thing' as the more exaggerated depictions, or do the differences mean they're completely detached from one another?

[stonkers]

[Captain Z]

They don't exist!

[bgmnts]

Joke thread I know but no it's most likely  ninja as we know them through pop culture didnt exist. But I think there is enough evidence, from my cursory glances at wiki sources, that ninja did exist.

Probably just sneaky mercenaries that did some spying and assassinating and other dirty work that honourable samurai couldnt do.

Nine Ninja would be a decent film.

[Mobbd]

No Ninja, No Ninja, No?

[popcorn]

When I worked as an English teacher in the Japanese countryside my boss used to drive me to lessons and we had strange conversations. We talked about ninjas once. This is from my diary:

Shigeho told me about a kids' adventure park where children could spend the day learning the way of the ninja. "Are ninjas popular in the west?" she asked.

I told her about the abundance of American ninja movies in the 70s and 80s, culminating in phenomenons like the Ninja Turtles.

"Real ninja were very different," said Shigeho. "They were like spies. They had to imitate dog, or cat."

"What do you mean?" I said.

"For example," said Shigeho, "if the ninja make a noise, and someone nearby says, 'Hmm? What was the noise?', the ninja quickly had to make a cat noise. To trick."

"I see," I said.

"Also," Shigeho went on, "ninja could not be fat."

"Makes sense."

"And they had a something special tool to walk on water."

"What?" I said. "Ninjas could walk on water?"

"That's right. They had special shoe to walk on water."

"I bet they didn't."

"Honto!" exclaimed Shigeho, which means "true". "Excuse me! You must respect technique of ninja!"

"And the US military uses this technology today, does it?" I said.

Shigeho sighed. "You don't know ninja at all."

[JesusAndYourBush]

Also Druids.  Yes there were druids but most of what we think we know about them was made up sometime around the 19th century.

[JesusAndYourBush]

About 20 years ago I remember reading about an early internet feud where someone claimed on a site that a group of ninjas had fought a group of Shaolin monks and won.  The Shaolin monks had a site and they posted a rebuttal.  They were not happy.

(I've probably horribly misremembered it.)

[TrenterPercenter]

Silly Crenners

[non capisco]

Film idea: There's a power cut or something and then when the lights come back on Russell Howard is the only person who remembers ninjas.

[checkoutgirl]

There's another rumour ninjas existed but they wear blue instead.

[Endicott]

"For example," said Shigeho, "if the ninja make a noise, and someone nearby says, 'Hmm? What was the noise?', the ninja quickly had to make a cat noise. To trick."

Sounds more like the neighbourhood watch.

[TrenterPercenter]

Ninja Balls

[shoulders]

Why wouldn't assassins from the past wear black, are they thick

[Blumf]

If Ninjas don't exist, then who kidnapped President Ronnie?

[Alberon]

Ninjas don't exist? The Japanese are such liars. Next you'll be telling me monkeys don't fly around on clouds and Godzilla is just a guy in a suit!

[bgmnts]

Also Druids.  Yes there were druids but most of what we think we know about them was made up sometime around the 19th century.

Genuine question but what do people think they know about druids? Always thought the common idea is that they are very mysterious and nobody knows who they were or what they were doing.

[Alberon]

They were fluent in over six million forms of communication, weren't they?

[Hobo With A Shit Pun]

I'm sure I heard somewhere that the all in black ninja uniform we know and doubt was taken from what stage hands wore in Japanese theatre. By convention, the audience knew to ignore them on stage,which was exploited by a cunning playwrite who dressed an assassin character like that so no one in the audience would see their attack coming.

[Goldentony]

you arent supposed to see ninjas, they're stealth, job done IMO, clearly got the training down

[famethrowa]

I think its total BULL SHIT when they have "the ultimate ninja warrior" or whatever. First of all, ninjas aren't supposed to be warriors, they're sneaky fucks and certainly don't go jumping up ropes or swinging across water hazards or climbing poles like they're at the circus

Genuine question but what do people think they know about druids? Always thought the common idea is that they are very mysterious and nobody knows who they were or what they were doing.

Oh how they darnced

[JesusAndYourBush]

Genuine question but what do people think they know about druids? Always thought the common idea is that they are very mysterious and nobody knows who they were or what they were doing.

That they built stonehenge and worshipped there at the solstice wearing white robes.

[Ray Travez]

They love a fucking goblet too, mad for them they are

[greenman]

That they built stonehenge and worshipped there at the solstice wearing white robes.

ken bar loooooooooo
ken bar loooooooooo