Did a "Ninja Sword" exist?

[@tn1881]

In the 1560 book Ninpiden by Hattori Hanzo and the 1676 book Mansenshukai by Fujibayashi Samuji Yasutake, the swordsmanship section states, "A thick, wide wakizashi, or a short katana with a pointed tip called a suito, is used." With the exception of a few schools such as Iga-ryu and Koga-ryu, most other ninjutsu schools do not use special katana for swordsmanship, but use the wakizashi and uchigatana.

[@thedojomartialarts]

Yes. Exactly. 👍

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

There is art from samurai times depicting ashigaru carrying straight blades swords, some with square tsuba. They are NOT ninja swords but they are foot soldier swords that some ninja may have used. Although many pictures seem to be rather long shorter ones can be seen.

[@thedojomartialarts]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Tifa_Batcheller]

The Shinobi were samurai who specialized in espionage. The weren’t a separate class (as commonly depicted). 😉

[@darrinmartin8247]

I was born in '65 and was an impressionable teenager in the early 1980's when Chuck stared in the Octagon, and Sho co-stared in enter the ninja. I joined a so called ninja school and we never were shown ninja swords only katana and wakasashi. Also we trained in hakama and Gi only, with of course wood broken. Still loved the whole look and mystic of the commercial ninjas of the 80's.

[@FullKarenMusic]

Nice! If you like the Revenge of The Ninja theme I used it in my song "Fighting Words" After reading the Bansenshukai I imagine a Wakizashi blade in Katana tsuka and saya. Looks like a Katana but faster draw in closer quarters. I believe the Bansenshukai does recommend the use of square tsuba. May have been the Shoninki or Shinobi HIdden. Not as a standard but a useful tool. Ninja are cool, but Shinobi are cooler! 😉

[@jedironin380]

Another well-done video! Thank you!

[@thedojomartialarts]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TwoForTwentyFilms]

So the first Ninja-To Ads were in the black belt magazine around the late 60´s/early 70´s as I remember and the first Ninja-To in a western movie was in 1975. So the straight Ninja-To existed a few years before Hollywood discovered the Ninja as a cash cow . Where did the first manufacturers get the idea to produce these Ninja-To? They sold them before the great Ninja Boom and before the "green book" of Stephen K. Hayes. Any information to this topic is welcome.

[@TwoForTwentyFilms]

The first known photo of a straight "Ninja sword" was in a japanese book from the early 1950´s. That is what I found out at my research. Does anybody know this book and something about the orign of the photo from the Ninja-To? I wonder if this "first" Ninja-To was real or just a modern reproduction or just a prob from a movie?

[@paulrodriguez1282]

You're 100% spot on. Also, the real ninja swords were secretive and passed down from generation to generation, hidden from the public. That's why no one knows what the old ninja swords looked like back then. It was a family secret and within Japanese culture to keep it a secret.

[@Shadowman9348]

Incorrect. There was no "ninja sword" or "ninjato" the Shinobi basically used wakizashi or kodachi or any other sword used by samurai & ashigaru. The Shinobi afterall were employed by the same lord's that had samurai armies. A spy & assassin doesn't have a specific weapon to identify themselves with. That would defeat the purpose of being covert & secretive to begin with.

[@chrisbanner7551]

🥷🏻

[@Tifa_Batcheller]

There are no ninja swords. There are swords used by ninja. As for the sword with straight blade square tsuba, that is actually based on a broken polearm that had been “chopped down” to be used as an improvised sword. After which it was discarded. The blade had a very small curve to it, so it was mostly straight. 😉

[@blackswordshinobi]

Ninja to did exist there spears cut down to make sword the short streight was one of them it slite cruve 3.33mil look streigthbut it wasnt there sqaired tusba back then inthat time where it now it in weapon armry in Enland mist labeled in spear this real fact it yes it did exist....

[@thedojomartialarts]

Cool. List your sources, please?

[@skitariisoldier7367]

No, and neither did the ninja. They were made up by Hollywood.

[@SoulShiftingInsight]

The word ninja is made up but Shinobi did in fact exist. There's tons of evidence of this. The contemporary version of ninja from movies and media are made up but loosely based off of real shadow warriors.

[@thedojomartialarts]

False. Please read some Japanese history books before commenting nonsense. Thanks.

[@Shadowman9348]

The Shinobi did exist. They were operatives employed by daimyos during feudal Japan. They're just not as over exaggerated like you see in Hollywood movies or anime. Every military unit from ancient times up till today has had units who specialize in covert ops, the "ninja" were no different so your claim is null & void.

[@FullKarenMusic]

Japan created the modern ninja myth (inspired by real shinobi) long before Hollywood but used Katana and Wakizashi. The 1950-60 era Japanese ninja movies are my favorite. They appear to be more authentic. It looks like Hollywood introduced the "ninja" and straight bladed ninjato to the rest of the world but the sword's origin is still debated.

[@tn1881]

In the C14th, there is a record of Sinobi in the literary work Taiheiki. In 1578, the Tenshō Iga War began between the forces of Nobunaga and the Iga clan. In the 1600s, dictionaries compiled by the Society of Jesus wrote Xinobi. In 1655, Hattori Minobe Shinzo of the Hattori clan wrote the ninjutsu book Ninpiden. In the C17th, fictional Sinobi appeared in the popular culture novel Otogibouko. In 1957, the novel Yagyu bugeicho was made into a movie. Since then, ninjas have appeared in many movies. In 1959, the manga Ninjaya Bugeichou, Sasuke was published. Since then, ninjas have appeared in many manga. In the 1960s, the TV series Onmitu Kenshi, which features ninjas, was broadcast. This TV series was broadcast in Australia and the Philippines, so ninjas became popular with young audiences. In 1967, the anime series Kamen no Ninjya Akakage was broadcast. In 1967, ninjas appeared in the movie 007.

[@Seeker1-yv4of]

I miss the mystery of the 1980s ninja 🥷 now it’s all history lessons.