Ninjas have been known for centuries as the masters of the shadows and deception. Able to sneak silently into anywhere, they’ve been lauded for their skills and their masterful use of weapons and martial arts. We’ve watched movies and read stories about their talents and abilities to blend into the darkness and defeats their foes with precision. But what if we were wrong about them?
Because of our huge selection of Ninja Costumes for men and boys Costume SuperCenter decided to look into the ancient lore of ninjas to find out what was fact and what was fiction. So take a look at this infographic to find out exactly what ninjas really did! The masters of shadow and disguise might surprise you!
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- Ninjas didn’t have a uniform or outfit. As stealth-based warriors, the ninja often wore many different outfits in order to blend with their environments. The black outfits that are popular were actually stage hands’ outfits used in Kabuki theaters, so they wouldn’t be seen during performances. In the 1800s, they were recycled and used for ninja characters.
- Shurikens (AKA throwing stars) weren’t used to kill targets. In fact, they were more often used to simply distract or wound an opponent so the ninja could more easily disable them with a sword or shinobi-gama.
- Ninjas were not respected by Japanese society. Killing covertly was seen as dishonorable, so ninjas were often seen as “untouchables” and shunned by society. Ninjas often did jobs others would not do, no matter how bad.
- Many ninjas were actually women! A number of females were taught ninjutsu in ancient Japan, and were used both as assassins and for covert operations. They went undercover, collecting information and posing as dancers and entertainers to get close to targets.
- Only one Japanese ninja remains in the world. Jinichi Kawakami, from Iga, Japan is the 21st head of the Ban Clan, a 500-year-old sect of ninjas. He refuses to take any apprentices, as he claims the 21st century has no use for the skills of the ninja.
Now that we’ve shared our knowledge of the ancient art of ninjutsu with you, you’ll have to show us your moves! Follow Costume SuperCenter on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you can share your fun with us! Plus, there’s plenty more infographics and art from us for you to see!