Tuesday 19 March 2013

The 9 Schools of Ninjutsu





There are 9 schools, or ryuha to give them their Japanese name that are considered Ninja schools

1. TOGAKURE RYU NINPO
2. GYOKKO RYU KOSHIJUTSU
3. KOTO RYU KOPPOJUTSU
4. KUKI SHINDEN RYU HAPPO HIKEN
5. KUMOGAKURE RYU NINJUTSU
6. GIKAN RYU KOPPOJUTSU
7. SHINDEN FUDO RYU DAKENTAIJUTSU
8. GYOKIJSHIN RYU NINPO
9. TAKAGI YOSHIN RYU JUTAIJUTSU

only 3 of these are actually "ninjutsu" or ninpo in the truest sense

the other 6 were MAs practiced by Ninja clan that became complete schools - some are based on Kempo, some of Japanese JJ or Kenjutsu

What makes them Ninja is that they were used by the Ninja against the samurai, tactics preceding techniques as always

It is not necessary to go into any real depth with these schools early in your career, but they may be referred to in class

this is similar to how a shuto is done different in kempo to kyukushin karate to shotokan and why taijutsu's kiten ken is a unique technique not a variation on karate or kempo's shuto