Secrets of Ninjitsu

Basic Ninjitsu

The origins of Ninjitsu are shrouded in the mists of time. It was greatly influenced by Chinese spying techniques, many of which are found in Sun-Tse’s classic, The Art of War.

The word Ninjitsu itself originated during a war between Prince Shotoku and Moriya over the land of Omi in sixth century Japan. During this conflict, a warrior named Otomo-no-Saajin contributed to the victory of Prince Shotoku by secretly gathering valuable intelligence about the enemy forces.

For this service, he was awarded the title of Shinobi, which means “stealer in.” From this ideogram, the character for the word Ninjitsu is derived. Originally, the role of the Ninja was to gain information about the enemy and to sabotage his operations.

Agents were classified as:

Indigenous, meaning local personnel who gathered intelligence or worked for the Ninja on site;

Sleeper, being one long in place, merely awaiting instructions;

Doubled or Turned, a former agent of the enemy who spied for both sides; and

Expendable agents who were used for only one mission and then left to fend for themselves. Such agents include both men and women, the female Ninja were called Kunoichi and carried out missions of assassination and sabotage, as well as espionage.

Ninjitsu is not a magical technique which will enable you to disassemble your body and reassemble yourself somewhere else. It will not change the structure of your body, making it transparent. This Art of Invisibility consists of the skills employed to make yourself unseeable; in this context, the art becomes almost a philosophy.

The ancient masters have said, “A tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it, makes no sound; but, it falls nonetheless.” So it is with Ninjitsu. A Ninja attacking a blind man is invisible, but he is attacking nonetheless.

Secret Techniques of the Ninja Knife Throwers

A knife is the first weapon given to a Ninja. He or she learns Tanto-jitsu, knife art. As well as becoming an expert in hand-to-hand combat, a Ninja learns to throw knives, as well as many other objects. But some knives are designed specifically for throwing. With such specialty knives, the Ninja knife throwing expert is particularly dangerous. Normally, a Ninja carries four such throwing knives as well as a combat knife which could be thrown if necessary.

Ninja throw knives, primarily, to achieve three goals: To distract. To wound. To kill. With practice and hard work, a Ninja can learn to accomplish all three of these goals, but the last purpose is difficult to achieve, and requires the utmost skill and dedication. This book was developed for practicing Ninja who wish to round out their training. Only western style throwing weapons are covered.

For information on oriental throwing devices, a serious Ninja should obtain a coy of Throwing the Ninja Star of Death, the companion edition to this book, which was also written by Michael E. Peters and published by Butokukai. To obtain throwing knives, look through the pages of any martial arts magazines and you can usually find a supplier. Knives may also be found in surplus shops, at gun shows and at flea markets

Above photo shows a number of throwing knife designs.) How many throwing knives should a Ninja own?

For effective practice, a Ninja should own at least a  dozen knives of the same kind. That is a minimum number. If  they cannot be acquired all at once, they should be purchased a few at a time over a short period. Twenty or  two dozen knives would be more advantageous for the Ninja  who can afford them. This will cover any knives which are damaged, lost, etc. Throwing knives are relatively easy to maintain. They should be kept clean, dry and rust free.  Some throwing knives do not have to be sharpened. Others can be sharpened with a mill-bastard file. Still others require the use of an oil stone. Take the appropriate  sharpening measures, depending upon which type of throwing knives are owned. Throwing knives are difficult to destroy under normal use. If they become bent, they can be hammered or bent flat once more. On the rare occasion that a throwing knife does break, it should be thrown away and replaced.

Another important factor to consider is design. A Ninja may wish to own more than one type of throwing knife. Many of the current designs throw well, with practice, but the most important factors with regard to throwing knives are:

Length, Weight  and Balance

Length is the first crucial factor. For a throwing knife to have good flight characteristics,  power and penetration, it must be at least nine and no more than sixteen inches in length. A knife any shorter than nine inches will often result in poor penetration; any length beyond sixteen inches will cause the knife to be awkward and difficult to throw. Smaller throwing knives may be used as distractions, but they seldom cause serious wounds, and they are virtually nonlethal. The weight of a throwing knife is also important. Among trained knife throwers, a well known approximate ratio of one inch to the ounce is standard knowledge. Therefore, a nine-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately nine ounces, and a sixteen-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately sixteen ounces. If a knife is too light, it will have poor  flight characteristics and not enough hitting power.If a

knife is too heavy, it is difficult to throw, has a shorter range and is slow.

An old Ninja maxim states that, “A thrown knife should not fly like a feather or a rock, but like the beak of a hawk.” Last but not least, balance is another important factor determined by a throwing knife’s design. It is inherently related to the other two factors. The finest and most versatile throwing knives can be thrown either by the handle or by the blade. They are balanced exactly in the center of the knife. Test this by balancing the knife on the end of one finger to find its center of  gravity.

Other knives are meant to be thrown by holding the handle. These knives have blade ends which are heavier than the ends of the handles. The balancing point will often be found approximately in the center of the knife or up to one inch toward the handle. Such knives require round numbers of spins in order to hit a target point first. Thus a knife thrown by the handle must make one, two, three-up to five or six complete revolutions in order to strike home.

Any increment of half revolutions will not strike the  target point first. If this is not clear at this point, the matter will be explained in the section on throwing  mthods. Still other throwing knives are designed to be

thrown by holding the blade. Such knives have lighter blades and heavier handles. The blade’s center of gravity will be found anywhere from approximate center up to a inch toward the point of the blade. These knives must be thrown in half increment rotations. Therefore, in order to land point first, knives thrown by holding the blade must make anywhere from l/2 up to 5% and 6% revolutions in order to hit home. The universal throwing knife is the most versatile and easiest knife to begin training with.

Handle-thrown knives are the second best. Blade-thrown  knives are slightly more difficult to master for beginners. Other facts about throwing knives. Do not be surprised if throwing knives do not resemble regular combat knives.

Many throwing knives are flat and do not have regular wood or plastic handles. They can be used in  hand-to-hand combat, but that is not their primary function. A note on throwing ordinary knives and  miscellaneous objects: Any knife (or any object which can be picked up) can be thrown effectively, once a Ninja understands both how an object is balanced, and the basics of throwing: judging distance, throwing methods and

rotations. This includes knives and objects not specifically designed for throwing: hunting knives, kitchen knives, and even items seldom considered to have potential as weapons, such as ice picks, scissors and screwdrivers.

Once the basics of knife throwing contained in this book are learned, a Ninja can apply those same principles to throwing almost anything. The general rule of thumb is to find the center of balance of an object, and understand how it flies. For example, a screwdriver can be treated like a knife. If the handle is heavier, throw the object by the blade, using full rotations. If the blade is heavier, throw it by the handle, using half rotations. Practice with such irregular items on large cardboard boxes. It will be surprising just how many “household” items can be transformed into deadly throwing weapons in the hands of a Ninja who has mastered the art of throwing.

But be careful; items not designed to be thrown may be damaged or ruined by  such practice and training. It is often enough just to know that the principles of Ninja knife throwing can be applied to other objects as well. One other caution remains to be explained. Knife throwing is a difficult skill to learn which requires dedication, determination and constant  practice. Study the following throwing and training methods and practice them consistently. But once in combat, never  throw a knife or other weapon unless there is a good chance of distracting, wounding, or slaying one’s opponent. A knife which misses and does not affect an opponent results

A knife is the first weapon given to a Ninja. He or she learns Tanto-jitsu, knife art. As well as becoming an expert in hand-to-hand combat, a Ninja learns to throw knives, as well as many other objects. But some knives are designed specifically for throwing. With such specialty knives, the Ninja knife throwing expert is particularly dangerous. Normally, a Ninja carries four such throwing knives as well as a combat knife which could be thrown if necessary. Ninja throw knives, primarily, to achieve three goals: To distract. To wound. To kill. With practice and hard work, a Ninja can learn to accomplish all three of these goals, but the last purpose is difficult to achieve, and requires the utmost skill and dedication. This book was developed for practicing Ninja who wish to round out their training.

Only western style throwing weapons are covered. For information on oriental throwing devices, a serious Ninja should obtain a copy of Throwing the Ninja Star of Death, the companion edition to this book, which was also written by Michael E. Peters and published by Butokukai.
To obtain throwing knives, look through the pages of any martial arts magazines and you can usually find a supplier. Knives may also be found in surplus shops, at gun shows and at flea markets. (Photo 1.1 shows a number of throwing knife designs.) How many throwing knives should a Ninja own? For effective practice, a Ninja should own at least a dozen knives of the same kind. That is a minimum number. If they cannot be acquired all at once, they should be purchased a few at a time over a short period. Twenty or two dozen knives would be more advantageous for the Ninja who can afford them. This will cover any knives which are damaged, lost, etc. Throwing knives are relatively easy to maintain. They should be kept clean, dry and rust free. Some throwing knives do not have to be sharpened. Others can be sharpened with a mill-bastard file. Still others require the use of an oil stone. Take the appropriate sharpening measures, depending upon which type of throwing knives are owned. Throwing knives are difficult to destroy under normal use. If they become bent, they can be hammered or bent flat once more. On the rare occasion that a throwing knife does break, it should be thrown away and replaced.

Another important factor to consider is design. A Ninja may wish to own more than one type of throwing knife. Many of the current designs throw well, with practice, but the most important factors with regard to throwing knives are: Length Weight Balance Length is the first crucial factor. For a throwing knife to have good flight characteristics, power and penetration, it must be at least nine and no more than sixteen inches in length. A knife any shorter than nine inches will often result in poor penetration; any length beyond sixteen inches will cause the knife to be awkward and difficult to throw.

Smaller throwing knives may be used as distractions, but they seldom cause serious wounds, and they are virtually nonlethal. The weight of a throwing knife is also important. Among trained knife throwers, a well known approximate ratio of one inch to the ounce is standard knowledge. Therefore, a nine-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately nine ounces, and a sixteen-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately sixteen ounces. If a knife is too light, it will have poor flight characteristics and not enough hitting power.If a knife is too heavy, it is difficult to throw, has a shorter range and is slow. An old Ninja maxim states that, “A thrown knife should not fly like a feather or a rock, but like the beak of a hawk.” Last but not least, balance is another important factor determined by a throwing knife’s design. It is inherently related to the other two factors. The finest and most versatile throwing knives can be thrown either by the handle or by the blade. They are balanced exactly in the center of the knife. Test this by balancing the knife on the end of one finger to find its center of gravity. Other knives are meant to be thrown by holding the handle. These knives have blade ends which are heavier than the ends of the handles.

The balancing point will often be found approximately in the center of the knife or up to one inch toward the handle. Such knives require round numbers of spins in order to hit a target point first. Thus a knife thrown by the handle must make one, two, three-up to five or six complete revolutions in order to strike home. Any increment of half revolutions will not strike the target point first. If this is not clear at this point, the matter will be explained in the section on throwing methods. Still other throwing knives are designed to be thrown by holding the blade. Such knives have lighter blades and heavier handles. The blade’s center of gravity will be found anywhere from approximate center up to a inch toward the point of the blade. These knives must be thrown in half increment rotations. Therefore, in order to land point first, knives thrown by holding the blade must make anywhere from l/2 up to 5% and 6% revolutions in order to hit home.

The universal throwing knife is the most versatile and easiest knife to begin training with. Handle-thrown knives are the second best. Blade-thrown knives are slightly more difficult to master for beginners. Other facts about throwing knives. Do not be surprised if throwing knives do not resemble regular combat knives. Many throwing knives are flat and do not have regular wood or plastic handles. They can be used in hand-to-hand combat, but that is not their primary function. A note on throwing ordinary knives and miscellaneous objects: Any knife (or any object which can be picked up) can be thrown effectively, once a Ninja understands both how an object is balanced, and the basics of throwing: judging distance, throwing methods and rotations.

This includes knives and objects not specifically designed for throwing: hunting knives, kitchen knives, and even items seldom considered to have potential as weapons, such as ice picks, scissors and screwdrivers. Once the basics of knife throwing contained in this book are learned, a Ninja can apply those same principles to throwing almost anything. The general rule of thumb is to find the center of balance of an object, and understand how it flies. For example, a screwdriver can be treated like a knife. If the handle is heavier, throw the object by the blade, using full rotations.

If the blade is heavier, throw it by the handle, using half rotations. Practice with such irregular items on large cardboard boxes. It will be surprising just how many “household” items can be transformed into deadly throwing weapons in the hands of a Ninja who has mastered the art of throwing. But be careful; items not designed to be thrown may be damaged or ruined by such practice and training. It is often enough just to know that the principles of Ninja knife throwing can be applied to other objects as well. One other caution remains to be explained. Knife throwing is a difficult skill to learn which requires dedication, determination and constant practice. Study the following throwing and training methods and practice them consistently. But once in combat, never throw a knife or other weapon unless there is a good chance of distracting, wounding, or slaying one’s opponent. A knife which misses and does not affect an opponent results in wasted effort.

And it may even supply one’s enemy with a weapon he did not have before.

Tools Of Trade for Ninjas

Tools of the Trade

Weapons

Entangling Attacks

Prone and Entangled Opponents

Tools of the TradeOriental cultures feature many weapons not commonly found in western cultures, and the ninja uses tools that are uncommon even within his own culture. This article describes many ofthe weapons and gadgets that the presence of ninja will bring to a campaign.

Weapons

Some of the weapons are new to the AD&D® game, while others appeared previously in the Player’s Handbook. The reason some weapons are repeated here is to show players which “normal” weapons are also available in Oriental cultures. A hand axe may have a differentconfiguration and a different name in an Oriental setting, but it has the same weapon statistics as its cousin from a western setting.

Entangling Attacks

When attacking with a weapon that makes an entangling attack (as noted in many of the weapon descriptions), the attacker must specify that he’s aiming for either his opponent’s upper body or lower body. If the attack roll succeeds, one end of the weapon wraps around that part of the body and pins it, at least for a moment.If the upper body is entangled, the opponent cannot make attacks that require use of the arms. If the lower body is entangled, the opponent cannot make attacks that require use of the legs, nor can he move from that spot.

To break free of an entangling weapon, the opponent must make a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation in place of his next attack in combat. The weapon takes no damage. If he is unsuccessful, he remains entangled but can try again to break free on his next available attack.

Once an attacker has made an entangling attack, he can make other attacks on the same. If the attack was made against the opponent’s lower body, the attacker can spend his next attack to yank the opponent’s feet out from under him, throwing him to the ground. Also, if the attacker’s entangling weapon has an attacking part at both ends, as do many of the weapons described in this chapter, he can make subsequent attacks against the target with the weapon’s other end.

Prone and Entangled Opponents

A character who is entangled is easier to hit; all attacks made against him get a +2 bonus to the attack roll. When a character is on the ground, he is also easier to hit; all attacks made against him get a +2 bonus to the attack roll. The poor character who is both entangled and on the ground suffers doubly; the bonuses are cumulative, and his attacker gets a +4 bonus to the attack roll.

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