Warrior Sciences University-African Warrior History #9 ; History of the Shinobi / Ninja sciences

The first notion may be, how does African warrior history and culture remotely relate or pertain to the Shinobi or Ninja shadow warriors of Japan. In actuality, it was the Ancient Africans whom were practitioners of guerrilla fighting in conjunction with stealth tactics and other related skills. In prior installments of this those have been mentioned, but in separates without highlight or connection, so now we will start from the basics and put all of the pieces together.

The Moors

he history of the Moors as well as who they are at times have been very debated. The confusion that surrounds them stems from the fact that the name / term "Moor" referenced not only a large group of people, but different groups of people over the course of different time frame. Due to multiple factions over different time spans, it can blur their history. At times, the different "Caliphates " did not even get along and warred versus one another. The Moors of Northern Africa (African / Africoid individuals) were warrior scholars. Besides being very adept at warfare and military sciences, they were scientists, philosophers and scholars. Most do not know that all Moors were not Muslim as commonly thought. There were some whom were Christians and others that followed traditional African belief systems. When the Moorish Knights took a city, they were known to immediately sack libraries to hoard all the books to study. The African contingent of the Moors went into Europe around 711 A.D and over the course of time there, had some crushing battles that showed their warrior prowess. When the Moors ruled Southern Europe for 700 years they made many advances in technology, science and society in general. Europeans struggled after the Vandals destroyed Rome, and their civilization became backwards taking a steep decline. When the Moors took over southern Europe (specifically Spain) they ushered in the Renaissance Era. This brought in in the sciences, mathematics, astronomy as well as other things that built society up like hot and cold running water and such. Prior, the Kings and Queens whom inhabited pre-Moorish occupation lived in barns with chickens, cows and other animals freely roaming in and out (as stated,they were in decline from the fall of Rome). Also, bathing was considered a sin at the time in Europe. This was a breeding ground for sickness and disease. With running water and knowledge of the medical sciences, the Moors changed all of this, corralling animals and incorporating cleanliness , bathing and bath houses and related things. Being scholars, the Moors established the first University in Europe. Their educators were in such high demand that they could earn handsome sums of money educating. Moorish educators actually traveled to different places in Europe and back to Africa to teach and educate.

Moorish Science; The origins of the worlds Shadow Warrior Culture

As sailors they spread their martial arts knowledge to the Philippines and the term they use "moro -moro" in their martial arts is a reflection of the Moorish contribution. In Europe, many times,when Moors were depicted in any images they would include the symbol of a skull and crossbones which has always been associated with pirates. Moorish pirates and their history is well known, as they had many battles along the Barbary coast and the seas of Northern Africa. There is a secret organization called "skull and bones" and Freemasonry comes directly from Moorish Science. This line of knowledge also brought about other societies too, like the knights Templar. This goes much deeper because the Knights Templar used this knowledge as part of the training for their specialized warriors who fought using stealth and a number of other discreet tactics and methods. These are the same methods seen in other places like some secret East and West African warrior societies, and with the Moshuh Nanren, said to be the bodyguards of the royal family of China. The methods of the Moshuh Nanren are said to be the forerunner of what later became Ninjitsu methods in Japan.

From the time period of the Moors in the middle ages, we see a very powerful source and root for the methods of the Shadow warrior cultures that came about in different places of the world. Now we will take a look even further back into the ancient times in Africa and Kemet. These individual are the true originators of the skills and sciences that would later be adopted by societies of people like the Moors for their Moorish Sciences.

Animal Warrior Societies of Ancient East & West Africa

The animal warrior societies are the starting and origination point for the skills and sciences of stealth fighting and covert warriorship. we have to notice all of the traits of the African animal warrior societies, and compare them to the Ninja who came many centuries later, and see how the Shinobi / Ninja are an exact reflection of the forerunners.

The ancient African animal warrior societies were strictly guarded in their knowledge and only passed it on to future members ( just like the Shinobi / Ninja clans). The guardians of these secret warrior societies held great power and responsibility being the gatekeepers they were. They were charged with the responsibility of being a guardian, preserving and passing on this immense power within their culture. The ancient animal warrior societies of course, stem back to ancient times, predating the advent of colonialism. During the time of colonial powers in Africa though, these secret warrior societies came together to fight European colonization. The European establishment combated them by using slanderous prosecution. They accused these secret societies of witchcraft, cannibalism, human sacrifice, murder and other things. This was all to paint a barbaric picture of them…..propaganda….which would be a common tactic used against Africans and their descendants for times to come. They made numerous accusations towards these societies because of their mysterious nature and the fact they did not understand (or could decipher and destroy) them because they were held in tight secrecy.

The code of secrecy was very important in the ancient warrior societies. To break the chain of secrecy surely constituted death. The secrecy was maintained using a number of methods to keep out the uninitiated. These ranged from secret languages, passwords, hand signs and even ritual use of symbols. To someone who knew nothing of this, it was no way to learn it all unless taught. It seemed mysterious and all the layers of security were there to keep the traditions secret (just like the Shinobi / Ninja). Many different African societies used methods to protect their culture from others, from other Africans of different tribes and social groups to foreigners. An example would be the Greeks visiting the tombs in Egypt and seeing the martial arts on the walls. They took the techniques they saw on the tomb walls (leaving Greek graffiti marking movements) but could not understand the Medu Neters (hieroglyphs). So their fighting lacked the spiritual aspects that went with it that the ancients understood. The skills these warriors trained in are the following, essentially the same as the Shinobi / Ninja who came later ;

- Stance work

- Breath work or the “science of breath” which is where modern “combat breathing and other yogic practices come from

- Dancing, storytelling and drama / acting

- Combat skills in all ranges of empty hand and weapons fighting

- Rites of passage, warrior tenets and philosophy and mindset training

- Combat concepts and strategy

Knowledge of the animal warrior societies originally was believed to come down directly from the ancient warrior Gods to the priesthood and spiritual systems. They eventually developed into the Warrior Animal societies of East and West Africa. These powers from the Gods imbued the warrior with inhuman abilities of strength, speed, endurance and the abilities to take on the abilities of the warrior clans’ particular animal spirit.

Drama (acting) was related to ancient warrior training and very integral. Theatrics were engaged in only during specific seasons of the year to harmonize with the forces of the universe. The focus was developing the concepts and principles of which the techniques originated, not the actual techniques themselves, as techniques were endless. Divine principles were used to unlock the warrior’s natural fighting consciousness embedded deep within. To tap in to that spiritual level and pull this power out. The warrior and man’s nature in general is a multitude of nine parts that come together as one.

(Claws Pictured below)

Authentic Leopard Society claws from the Nioto Warriors of the Congo, Africa

One might be reminded of the "bear claws" Japanese Shinobi / Ninja climbed trees and fought with

Brief History of the Ninja / Shinobi

The ancient Japanese Ninja, more appropriately referred to as Shinobi, over time collected methods of stealth movement, combat, and unconventional fighting methods. They perfected them and this knowledge grew into their martial art. They traced their roots to mystic origins, and the fact that they used stealth and all manner of guerilla and psychological warfare caused many fearsome legends of their abilities (partly of which, the Ninja fed into), which is what the average person knows of them today.....the things dramatized in movies. With their tactics, you would not see them coming, they would strike, and before you could get your bearings they were gone. This would make any sensible person believe the various myths and legends of their abilities. In reality, the Ninja were commandos who fought in an unconventional manner based on stealth, and they kept their methods shrouded in secrecy (like the African animal warrior societies).

Izanagi and Izanami are the divine brother and sister creators of the islands of Japan. The Ninja trace themselves to the storm God Susano , whom is attributed to planting of Japan's great forests in the main island of Honshu. Susano having sprang forth from the right eye of Izanagi. Susano is in turn responsible for the birth of the Tengu whom haunt the forests he created. The Tengu are half man/ half bird "kinjin" or goblins. Tengu live in clans ruled by a Chief, and are either red or black. They wore cloaks and usually a small black hat. The were told to have been great swordsman and had magical powers like shape shifting and invisibility amongst others. In Japanese mythology, it was told essentially that it was the Tengu passing these skills on to a 12th century samurai hero Minamoto Yoshitsune (AKA Ushiwara) after his clan was defeated. He wound up being hidden by the Tengu in the mountains, and he was trained by his friend Benki (AKA Oni Waka, meaning demon youth) who was half Tengu. It was from the Tengu's skills and abilities being passed to specific individuals that the Ninja are said to have come. When you add this legend to unknown and unpredictable way the Ninja fought, it is how their fearsome legend was made.

The actual origins to the Ninja are about 6th Century CE Japan. During the Wars of the Samurai where rival factions fought, they employed people whom possessed combined martial arts, espionage, and other related skills. They were used by the rival factions of Samurai to spy, sabotage and assassinate. Skills from related fields coming from China and other parts of Asia became part of their skill sets and were perfected and advanced upon. Turning them into the "Shinobi" or "one who sneaks in" they are what we refer to as Ninja. Traditionally, the role of being a Ninja warrior was inherited at birth and something you were born into, as it was society that remained shrouded in secrecy. Skills came from displaced Buddhist and cultist Monks (whose temples were burned down) and displaced Moshuh Nanren agents (bodyguard assassins of the Chinese royal family). Also, many masterless Samurai or Ronin, became mountain recluse warriors that brought their skills and training into the Shinobi group. Many Ronin Samurai became Ninja when they no longer had a lord to serve.

Modern day use of ancient skills & history of the “shadow hand” techniques

Many of the survival skills from Ninjitsu practices are standard skills used for survival and fighting by modern military units. Some of course are modified but many are not and remain unchanged, with special military units having even more adept knowledge and application of these ancient skills, albeit in a modern fashion with technology (night vision, modern silenced weapons, etc.) and many other things that magnify or bolster physical skills. It is said there is nothing new under the sun, and survival is one of the universal sciences that is not new by any means. The Ninja / Shinobi merged well rounded fighting skills with the use of weapons, survival skills and spirituality with nature. They took skills from many different places and things and merged them together forming a very eclectic skill set, also using spying and espionage, acting and role playing as well as psychological warfare. They would disguise their intentions while misdirecting their enemies. Using camouflage / disguise and silent movement they could blend in to any environment with any group of people, accomplish objectives and then appear to vanish scaling under floors, in rafters, or using the shadows. All these skills together can be referred to as “shadow hand” skills. This made for an impressive “martial science” as they referred to their skills.

The truth in the origins of their skills is that they are simply the culmination of ancient assassin and guerrilla skills of other societies and cultures which made their way to and through the Asian continent. The Ninja, coming later in the history of assassin groups, are the culmination of a multitude of skills from similar groups that came before them. The result is that their collection of knowledge is the most advanced and well rounded. Native American lodges were known to have those skilled in use of deceptive strategy and silent killing. In the Dark Ages of Europe the Islamized group of African Moors took Moorish sciences of warfare to Europe which brought about various groups which possessed similar “shadow hand” skills. The Wolf shirt Warriors were the Viking group of skilled stealth killers. The Knights Templar also had individuals skilled in stealth killing and related shadow hand tactics. The Middle East had the assassin cult known as the Hashishin which is actually where the word assassin comes from. India had the Thugee who worshipped the dark Goddess Kali. In imperial China, there were the Moshuh Nanren who were the bodyguards of the royal family, but also actively sought out and eliminated any threats to the throne. These interchangeable and related skills spread across cultures and into China and Japan, and began to get codified into various skill sets. These skills grew into Ninjitsu.

The type of technique for fighting involved in shadow hand methods consisted of deceptive movements, bone breaking and silent killing or neutralization. Many different martial arts have shadow hand style techniques within them. The Ninja used whatever worked for them, and used not what most should consider a “style”. They would train in and use anything that worked to meet their ends, though they did have particular skills as the foundation of their training. The biggest advantage the Ninja / Shinobi had was that unlike the Samurai, the Ninja did not follow the honor code of Bushido, so they could use the type of stealth, secrecy and deceptive tactics and skills they did, without fear of losing honor or tarnishing their family name and lineage.

The Nine Halls of Ninjitsu / Shinobi

Notice the similarity to the skills of the African Animal Warrior Societies

1. Unarmed combat- After learning the basics of fighting, Ninja were encouraged to study other martial arts very intently, finding what works for them and specifically mastering any shadow hand style techniques the system had. The type of techniques they could use to strike quickly, quietly unseen and with deadly effect.

2. Wooden weapons - Combat and concealing on oneself of wooden weapons from the stand, to various length short sticks and the nunchakau.

3. Combat with bladed weapons – Use of the sword, knife, shuriken and throwing knives, as well as the kama. Also the concealed carriage of these weapons on oneself.

4. Combat with flexible weapons – Use of chains, ropes and scarves and how to conceal them on oneself, or make them look innocuous.

5. Specialized combat training – Use of tumbling, rolling, rebounding and other gymnastics ( aka parkour) to aid in stealth movement, getting around or past obstacles, and also making fighting movements unpredictable and unorthodox.

6. Art of disguise – This ranged from makeup, masks and role playing or acting to actually learning how to take postures that distorted their body shape and silhouette so they could approach unseen or so someone looking for them would look right past them or over them.

7. Art of espionage –Intelligence gathering skills as well as skills of target assassination.

8. Escape and evasion – Skills to escape being captured and held in bondage to eluding hostile pursuers.

9. Art of mysticism – Understanding the spiritual realm, beliefs and superstitions so they can use them to play off the fears of enemies.

In closing, this article has traced African knowledge from the Middle Ages / Dark Ages to the Sciences of the Shinobi as well as from the original ancient African warrior sciences of the secret Animal Societies. The trail of lineage is there and even overt similarities. The merging of all things, from the secrecy of the respective societies to the sciences they merged of combat with knowledge of nature, survival skills, and mysticism and the spiritual realms. This is but an example of the deep and rich heritage of the African Warrior Sciences and how they spread over time and cultures and other modernized them or shaped them to suit their cultures and needs..

References (Books);

Ninja Shadowhand, The art of invisibility by Dr. Haha Lung & Christopher Prowant

The Ninja and their secret fighting art by Steven k Hayes

Also ; see previous blogs / articles online from the series and their respective references, as much of this is excerpted from those.