Ninjutsu #1-2 - Atop the Fourth Wall

[@tooawesomepeoples1]

So here's a historical fact. The origin of the black clad ninja actually has its roots in traditional Japanese theater. People clad all in black would be employed as stagehands in order to move set pieces around and help with effects and the like. The audience is meant to pretend they arent there as part of the immersion. Occassionally however, some shows would employ the use of the black clad figures as a subversion when a ninja assassin would appear, pretending to be one of these stagehands, as to the audience they "aren't supposed to exist", the image is that of a guy just suddenly dying of mysterious invisible ninja attack. And that image of the ninja has stuck.

[@YourUncleBenis]

So a common trope in Japanese theater was basically being killed by the background?

[@larrychilders6599]

whereas historical ninjas, not stagehands always wear blue. so REAL NINJA WEAR BLUE, since in areas with low light pollution (so not cities) the sky adopts more of a blue hue so a black outfit would stick out like a sore thumb.

[@mimkyodar]

The image of Bennett being killed by carpet comes to mind.

[@radspencer8187]

ThepinkMan explained all of that in his videos. Ninjas don't exist.

[@xwiry]

Larry Childers To sum up, like Batman.

[@GaijinGoombah]

I approve this video.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

Wait. . . WHAT?!!! But the Comic Gets SO MUCH Wrong about Ninja!!! Seriously; REAL NINJA WORE BLUE, NOT BLACK!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! (COMMENCE MENTAL BREAKDOWN WITH THIS PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJvZl5muYs1lga8 )

[@megaralph12345]

Now I wish you two would make a colab tearing into a comic or something. well wishes

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@@megaralph12345 What Would & COULD they Possibly collaborate on(Post-Pandemic); As Gaijin's Primary niches are Ninja & Yo-Kai

[@ninjat-rex7472]

@@megaralph12345 Join the club

[@Insane-Howl-Cowl]

"When did the American army get ninjas? Obviously they have always had them. The fact we don't know about them proves how good they are.

[@myriadmediamusings]

The Lin Kuei don’t call themselves ninjas, that’s why there is that confusion on whether or not America had them.

[@Smartalic10]

I tried to ask but the general told me ninjas are a myth...

[@larrylaffer3246]

I mean if you have a ninja or kinouichi on the payroll you want them to their job properly. A ninja or kinouichi that can't actually practice the proper arts or magic ain't much of one at all are they?

[@xwiry]

Given that the revolutionary army relied primarily on guerilla tactics... yeah, pretty much.

[@RabblesTheBinx]

@@AlexSeverinski uh... outside of Snake-Eyes, none of those characters are ninjas.

[@Hawkatana]

I mean, a lot of Ninja were proficient in art & caligraphy, so the Bob Ross joke isn't too far off.

[@KertaDrake]

Indeed! The commonality extends beyond that too! Happiest with trees and bushes everywhere to obstruct vision of guards... soft-spoken to increase stealth... will keep nice hiding spots secret with you.

[@thecuter0]

Considering that ninja could mean anything from spy to scout to criminal, their actual list of tools was pretty big. As far as art and calligraphy tools are concerned, forging paintings and documents are useful for spies and thieves and making documents and maps is like what gets you the job as a scout (surviving is how you keep your job).

[@kanebravo953]

In the words of Gaijin Goomba: Real Ninja wear blue!

[@CouchSpud91]

This should have been a crossover episode with Gaijin Goomba so we could hear him rant and rave over all the falsehoods in this comic. Would have been VERY entertaining. Edit: For example: TETSUBISHI IS NOT USED THAT WAY!

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@@CouchSpud91 1. They don't live ANYWHERE Near Each Other; 2. They Don't KNOW each other 3. It's Too Risky for them to Crossover in A PANDEMIC!!

[@AxionZetaOne]

@@New3DSLuigi364 I'm pretty sure it doesn't have to be in person to cross over, unless for some reason you HAVE to be interacting physically. Other two factors are accurate tho.

[@tjbolton3728]

Hah! Beat ya to it! But nice to know that we got more rep for Gaijin Goombah out there.

[@ilopominecrafter]

Didnt linkara cross over with a ninja expert at some point?

[@maddiewettach4954]

Solson: To be a ninja, one must imitate the squirrels. Anyone with a bird feeder: Yeah, that sounds about right.

[@AaronRotenberg]

See Mark Rober's squirrel ninja obstacle course for further evidence of this. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nne9d52ljZeWfck

[@themaskedmysadaean8885]

@@AaronRotenberg 'Gusta's the Besta! ^^

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

I'm still a bit unclear about whether squirrels are supposed to be invisible.

[@darkmyro]

those darn ninjas keep stealing nuts from the squirrels in my yard.

[@chwenhoou]

So that's why Squirrel Girl is the most powerful hero in the Marvel Universe.

[@jamesaziz7004]

So from what I understand most ninja arts follow three steps: Open the door Get on the floor Everyone do the dinosaur

[@PrincessAshley972]

Its walk the dinosaur, not do the dinosaur

[@antheathetiefling8581]

Boom boom shaka-laka-laka boom!

[@mistergio3683]

It was a night like this 40 millions years ago.

[@MrGBH]

"These guys must be very bad at it then, because I can see all of them." Are you sure about that? There are actually thirteen ninjas on that page alone.

[@Avigorus]

I'm guessing you weren't counting the Tauren Rogues following every single one of those ninjas?

[@ThatGuyfromBrazil]

Actually, I did research on that too, ninjas weren't even "assassins". They actually AVOIDED killing whenever possible, since a dead body would draw too much attention and there'd be no time to hide it properly. Ninjas were infiltrators and information gatherers who only killed when ABSOLUTELY necessary. Also, glad to see the Ninja Style Dancer back!

[@New3DSLuigi364]

EXACTLY!! P.S. Did you learn that from Gaijin Goombah?

[@ThatGuyfromBrazil]

@@New3DSLuigi364 Him TOO, but I did look it up by myself because I got curious about what he said. He was right on the money.

[@RabblesTheBinx]

@@ThatGuyfromBrazil it's especially annoying because feudal Japan *did* have assassins, arguably the most famous being the Four Hitokiri (lit. manslayers) of the Bakamatsu.

[@Caernath]

Well, Frank Miller did inject ninja into his runs of Daredevil and Wolverine. Maybe his inspiration to bold random words came from Solson comics?

[@craigthebrute8932]

Didnt Wolverine train as a samurai insted of a ninja? I'm mean, I know that the Hand ninja clan was involved in that story but didnt remember wolverine train as one.

[@juliagoodwin3461]

Yay! Ninja Style Dancer! Haven’t seen him in a while. ...no pun intended.

[@fallingskymedia4421]

He's been there the whole time

[@CharlesGouraudgaming]

In the entity arc, when the NSD was taken, the entity changed its cry of "HUMAN" to "NINJA" Does this mean that the Ninja Style Dancer is not human? The people demand to know, Linkara!

[@TheBronzeDog]

Linkara: "I like how this comic talks about ninjas as if they were a common thing." Me: ...Checks under the bed. Just in case.

[@andrewcarmichael2371]

Fun fact, when guns were introduced in Japan. Ninjas used them.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

Yeah. . . Though I'm Surprised The Shinobi weren't caught the Moment their enemies heard their Guns Firing. . . Seriously; guns are LOUD!!!

[@Macrochenia]

Samurai also used guns when they were first introduced. IIRC it wasn't until Tokugawa Ieyasu became Shogun that they were banned because he didn't want his enemies to get them.

[@thecrowe20]

That Katana is actually a Ninjato. Something that never really existed before the 20th century.

[@cjhedrick6418]

I remember hearing that they generally used kodachi - a two foot long sword - because of how concealable it was. And it didn't have a wide handguard, so they wouldn't be using it for climbing like the example. Then again, they also liked to use explosives, and it might've drawn the wrong kind of attention to include instructions on how to make bombs.

[@jameswhite153]

@@cjhedrick6418 yeah, a concealable sword would be good for a ninja, considering no one other than samurai were supposed to have swords in the first place.

[@ikarikid]

Fun fact: the ninja costume is just a stagehand’s costume with an added sword.

[@JulesVonBasslake]

Well... Yes and no. Yes, the idea of a ninja dressing from head to toe in black comes from the japanese theater and stage hands. On the other, real ninja did occasionally wear something similar when doing in-nin infiltration. Going in unnoticed to gather intel or to assassinate someone without being noticed. As opposed to on-nin, infiltrating in plain sight, dressed as someone who would no be treated with suspicion, like a monk etc.

[@Alabenson]

Specifically, the stereotypical 'ninja' costume is based on a kuroko outfit, who were stagehands in traditional Japanese theater, who dressed in all black and were meant to be ignored by the audience. The association with ninja comes from the fact that if a play called for a ninja then the character would come onstage dressed as a kuroko. The effect on the audience would be similar to having a piece of the scenery coming to life and killing someone.

[@ianr.navahuber2195]

@@Alabenson that explains it

[@mattwo7]

@@Alabenson "The effect on the audience would be similar to having a piece of the scenery coming to life and killing someone" That's a very ninja thing for them to do lol.

[@xTheRedMagex]

You're correct about the dark blue. It's something Gaijin Goombah goes into A LOT in his ninja videos: while light pollution from cities make black at night more concealing in modern times, anyone who's been camping or out on a farm away from city lights will tell you the moon and a star-lit sky creates a lot more light than you'd expect; which creates enough contrast for black to stick out more than dark blue does.

[@WraithTDK]

haha, haven't had occasion to bust out Ninja Style dancer in a while.

[@krausercruz2780]

"NINJAS traditionally worn Black outfits" *Angry Gaijin Goomba noises*

[@jackstormstealer]

I think these books would break his brain

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@@jackstormstealer Or Result in HIS Version of Linkara's Combine Harvester Breakdown. . . IF HE H-A-S ONE. . .

[@krausercruz2780]

@@jackstormstealer i could see him flip-flop between "Oh thats actually accurate, kinda" to "THATS NOT HOW NINJAS WORK"

[@krvys7226]

I think gaijin would be more mad about how there's no mention of the Shichihode. Yes, the traditional version of those may not adapt well to modern life, but things such as merchants, civilians, priests, ect could still work as disguises. Also, no mention of fire and gunpowder. Docking points for that

[@jvts8916]

Don't worry, he survived nekonin

[@Meanlucario]

There's a guy on KZbin called Gaijin Goombah who tends to talk about the culture of other nations, Japan mostly, and has more than a few videos on ninjas. And according to him, ninjas did wear blue instead of black since it blend much better. Also, if memory serves me right, shurikens were rarely used as weapons since they were a mild distraction at most and were tools more often, as well as the tetsu bishi being place instead of thrown, since it was much more effected at area denial than interrupting a chase.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bJ-VindsfNKrnNk

[@Anthintendo]

I think they’re mutuals on Twitter.

[@shadow1787]

"Real ninja wear Blue"

[@xwiry]

Also maki bishi were more common. Metal is valuable, dried nuts are fucked everywhere.

[@Meanlucario]

@@xwiry Very true.

[@EkoBahamut]

I've been watching Gaijin Goomba so often, and not many of these are far off, the hiding above the normal eye level has been mentioned there a lot, the Tanuki Gakure no Jutsu

[@shadowldrago]

It's surprising how many people never think to just look up.

[@EkoBahamut]

@@shadowldrago evolution made us take several shortcuts in habits, the ninja just weaponize them XD

[@eanrollins3443]

REAAL NINJA WEAR BLUE!

[@shadowldrago]

@@EkoBahamut Ninjas believed in combat pragmatism. If there's an edge over the other guy they could exploit, they would do so.

[@shadowldrago]

@Cas van der Wal To be fair, the idea of a crocodile jumping down from a tree is a scary as all hell one.

[@devlinburgess2463]

I'm surprised that the "fire" section wasn't about setting fires, since putting castles and the like to flame was actually so common among ninja that legends about them controlling fire magically were common.

[@justanotheranimeprofilepic]

How am I going to kill my target? I've got it... Arson!

[@LegendPurpleDragon152]

On the whole “ram the back of your head into your opponent would damage your head” bit, the target you’re aiming for isn’t the head itself, like the hard skull or the chin, but rather the nose. It’s less solid than the rest of your head and wouldn’t cause much damage, while conversely it’s both incredibly easy to break and, little known fact, you can actually kill a person by ramming the nose cartilage up into your attacker’s brain. Sure there’s the risk that you miss, but if someone’s got you in a rear bear hug, likely someone else is about to come at you with a knife, so not a lot of option.

[@tinkerer3399]

The bit about forcing nose cartilage into the brain is an urban legend but the rest is fairly accurate.

[@tinkerer3399]

@Cas van der Wal That is what I said. Were you meaning to respond to Andrew?

[@Holly-khore-levina]

What’s hilarious is that ninjas historically had a set of “six essential tools,” which did in-fact include a grappling hook. However the reed for underwater breathing was not one, nor was any sort of sword.

[@myriadmediamusings]

That does add legitimacy to Scorpion being an actual ninja, then.

[@wolfmantheimpaler]

Doesn't it also include a towel as an essential tool?

[@Holly-khore-levina]

wolfmantheimpaler More specifically a three foot cloth, but a towel would be a reasonable modern substitute.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

According to Gaijin Goombah; The Rokugu; aka the 6 essential Tools of the Shinobi are as follows: 1. An Amigasa Straw Hat 2. A Kaginawa Grappling hook 3. A Sekihitsu chalk Pen 4. Field Medication in the form of general Kusuri kept in an Inro Container 5. A Uchitake/Hinade Tinder Box & Sparking Tools 6. A Sanjaku Tenugui 3-Foot Towel

[@ConnorNotyerbidness]

Ya and historically most of the time to assassinate people they just burned your house down

[@seb24789]

No! Now that Linkara has obtained the secret teaching of the ninja, he will be unstoppable!

[@jaredsamples6969]

Linkara could be a good hidden leaf shinobi

[@dnmstarsi]

I feel like this was something Brody from Power Rangers Ninja Steel read when he was young.

[@chendror872]

That would explain alot

[@RabblesTheBinx]

Nah, it was his dad who read it. That's why he named his kid after the writer.

[@dnmstarsi]

@@RabblesTheBinx Eh, not a bad theory but I believe his son read it as opposed to the Ninja Master himself.

[@misterpeterman]

The “Three Stooges” technique reminds me of an old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode where Splinter uses the Cur-Lee Maneuver.

[@mitchfletcher2386]

Oh, I remember that episode!

[@DawnOfTheOzz]

"Are these really common problems that people will need these instructions for?" Well, considering that we are still in the middle of a growing pandemic, you might need to learn to defend yourself while clutching the last bundle of toilet paper in the shop. Or possibly subduing a few Karens that get in your way. Also, did this comic just compare squirrels to ninjas? Does that make Squirrel Girl a ninja now?

[@adamgoss3638]

I had the same thought! (about Squirrel Girl)

[@LupineShadowOmega]

Squirrels were always ninjas, indeed tons of real martial techniques came from watching the natural world and how animals move/interact.

[@xwiry]

Given the ancient ninja art of throwing lots of small animals at your enemies, yes. Squirrel Girl has always been a ninja.

[@kanebravo953]

The funny thing, is that the jutsu it's making a very poor reference too is called the Tanuki no Gakure, or art of the Tanuki. The idea is that humans have evolved not to look higher then 45 degrees, so ninja would hide in rafters and trees to make themselves appear they had vanished.

[@JaelinBezel]

On the point of the black outfits: my cat is the same color. I first found him as a kitten milling about a trash can at midnight. His color actually made him stand out a bit against the darkness, especially when he moved. We fed him some cheese and he took to us pretty quickly after that. This was in 2004 and he's old and cynical looking now, and he has allergies that might make him unattractive to some people, but he's still my cute little buddy and i love him

[@shadowlinkbds]

I bet ninja style dancer will like this book.

[@DigiAnimation]

The black ninja outfits people think of came from stage performances. The stage hands would be covered from head to toe in black to show that they are not a part of the scene while moving props and stuff.

[@ThatRandomEncounterGuy]

He set up the Ninja-Style Dancer, but then just cut to an empty room for, like, 2 minutes. What the hell? Or *maybe* he’s just THAT stealthy?!

[@animefan25]

To reference Gaijin Goombah: Real ninjas wear blue.

[@jamcalx]

Glad to see NSD again.

[@JulesVonBasslake]

6:00 Re~al ninja wear blue~ Also, the finger thing while meditating is a (sort of) real thing as it does help with breathing etc. Gaijin Goomba's Which Ninja series occasionally mentions it, i just forget what the proper name was...

[@New3DSLuigi364]

The Kuji-in. . . AKA The Nine Hand Seals

[@Kolbatsu]

"Do ninja have psychic powers?" No Linkara you're thinking of Shinobi who are different according to Venus deMilo the Chinese Shinobi Shaman

[@MrGBH]

Wasn't she a Turtle?

[@myriadmediamusings]

I think as far as Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird are concerned, Venus really is a fairly tale and she doesn’t exist along with the show she debuted in.

[@Clay3613]

@@myriadmediamusings She was the only sane character in that show.

[@kimifw58]

It also helps to be half-Krang.

[@CharginChuck]

Ninja Brian can explode buildings with his mind, so there might be something to that.

[@Mobysimo]

I've watched way too much Gaijin Goomba, since I know a bunch of things that are wrong just by listening to this. Example, shirukens were not usually used as weapons. They were used as a distraction.

[@EkoBahamut]

This would have been awesome if it was collab with Gaijin Goomba

[@Mobysimo]

@@EkoBahamut Someone should send a copy of these comics to him

[@JTeenmining]

@@Mobysimo real ninja wear blue! Though they did get a fair amount right too... a lot that others would get wrong

[@Mobysimo]

@@JTeenmining And frankly that's shocking. though the modern ninja thing was just dumb

[@klunk279]

@@EkoBahamut oh god that would be amazing

[@FlorenceFox]

The "ninja sword" is actually a thing... at least theoretically. It's called a ninja-to, and it's actual historical usage is... debatable.

[@Wright805]

I'm no expert but from what I've heard the ninja-to/ninja sword never existed, it's just a Hollywood fabrication. There were however based on real swords which were non-curved with single edges, chokuto and kodachi.

[@FlorenceFox]

@@Wright805 I wouldn't say that it's a Hollywood fabrication necessarily, but it's very likely ahistorical, yes. It's technically possible that ninja might have used swords like that, but we have yet to find any real evidence of it.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

Honestly; Kodachi & Tanto are More Historically Accurate

[@ProfessM]

Love how he said the Ninja Style dancer would demonstrate the movements but just showed a metal shelf for like two minutes.

[@tigamaki1345]

14:38 - Because if you want to try things out as you go, you break in... then realise you don't know how to escape :P It's like snowboarding. You learn to brake properly before you learn how to go

[@maxdunn1989]

These strike me as some of those books the guy in kung fu hustle would offer unsuspecting kids.

[@mattwo7]

12:47 Shuriken were apparently actually used as shivs and caltrops. Also apparently Ninja did not actually normally use them, samurai did.

[@mattwo7]

7:47 Well this reminds me of Avatar and Zuko actually _was_ a Ninja. Sometimes.

[@Nethar6]

19:00 The back of the head is actually a lot less fragile and pain-sensitive than the face. Sure if you could hit hard enough to give them a concussion by Newton's third law you would get the same concussion, but the move is really more about distracting the assailant by hitting him painfully in the nose or jaw. Then twisting out of their grip.

[@AzureIV]

16:45 It's just a jump to the left And then a step to the right With your hands on your hips You bring your knees in tight But it's the pelvic thrust That really drives you insane Let's do the time-warp again Let's do the time-warp again

[@benny9tails565]

To quote q famous Goomba, 🎶REAL NINJA WEAR BLUE!🎶

[@ShinoSarna]

12:47 Common mistake, not all shuriken were star-shaped. Many were shaped like darts or throwing knives. Also, shuriken were only useful as distraction, or vector to deliver poison.

[@OtakuboyT]

Remember only a ninja can defeat a ninja. Ninja, ninja ninja ninja ninja.

[@JaelinBezel]

So wizards can't defeat ninjas? What about an F4 tornado?

[@ianr.navahuber2195]

(flashbacks to Ninninger)

[@richmcgee434]

Remember only a smurf can defeat a smurf. Smurf, smurf smurf smurf, smurf. Literally the theory behind why Gargamel made Smurfette in the first place.

[@andrewollmann304]

8:30 What they’re talking about here are yogic asanas (postures such as the tree pose, corpse pose, and downward dog pose), possibly bandhas (body locks) too. The reason they put this under wood is that the body becomes flexible by using these postures. However, yogis perform asanas to quiet the mind and circulate vital energy (prana) through the body.

[@JohnPannozzi]

Solson's TMNT were licensed with Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's approval. Mind, this was before Mark Freedman became thier licensing agent (Freedman and his company Surge made the deals for the first TMNT cartoon, the toyline from Playmates, the 90s TMNT movies and so on happen). The only other TMNT licenses pre-Surge of note was the pen-and-paper RPG books by Palladium, metal miniatures by a company called Dark Horse (not related to Dark Horses) and I think some t-shirt iron-ons. In the Official TMNT Treasury (a 1991 book detailing TMNT merchandise) and Eastman's 1998 interview with The Comics Journal, Eastman and Laird discussed how shady Solson was with them.

[@salamisofdragons4597]

From what I know, use of elements to describe ninja technics is fairly common for actual ninja. It's not explained fairly well here though, and they have a lot of ninjutsu that are named after animals and other objects. As for "modern ninja" having to deal with guns, there's actually were some historical ninja that DID use guns or had guns used on them. How? They were around long enough to be there when the Dutch started trading Japan guns. One of the thing these books never really go over is other items ninjas would commonly use and how ninjas focus of surviving. Ninjas have a lot of explosives and the gear the use often serves multiple purposes. That grappling hook? Use it to take away your opponent's weapon or tie them up so you can deal with them later. There's a lot of food and medicine that ninja made for their journeys into enemy territory so they wouldn't die. There's certain cloths and techincs ninjas would use too to scare their enemies! They'd do things like wear mask, have red highlights to parts of their outfit to scare an opponent because it looks like blood, and they'd even take extra cloths and fill them with hay of put it on a log to make it look like there were more ninjas! If that sounds more interesting than these comic books do, that's because ninjas have more going on than the book makes it out to be. Ninja's aren't murder machines. They were survivalist focused getting information or stealing important documents. Heck, most were actually farmers with tools they made themselves as weapons, like swords, were outlawed. So, if this book doesn't seem interesting, it's because this is only the surface level stuff of what a ninja is.

[@Sch0lar4h1re]

10:19 Welcome back buddy! Flawless technique

[@guillermocortes4415]

*Linkara* : The ninja sword! That I think is just a Katana *Me who has watched more than a fair share of Gaijin Goomba videos* : the ninjatos were different than katanas, being shorter for close quarters combat with a square guard so the could also be used for climbing. For everything the comic had wrong, that was actually... well "right" is a strong word. Also a At4W with "Which ninja" crossover episode would be epic.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

The Show's called "WHICH NINJA" Where Gaijin takes a Look at Media's most POPULAR Shinobi to figure out Which are GOOD & Which are BAD; As far as Depictions compared to Historically Accurate Ninja!!

[@guillermocortes4415]

@@New3DSLuigi364 Edited, knew it didn't sound right

[@ShinoSarna]

11:59 There is a myth of a ninja sword, "ninja-to", a specialized short katana with secret compartments in handle and scabbard. There's no historical evidence ninja used it, as swords were really expensive in feudal Japan.

[@ryat66]

The Rearward Headbutt to escape a Bearhug from Behind was being taught in the US Marines as recently as 2001. 2002, there was enough feedback (likely from various martial artists) to get the Marines to revise that aspect of MCMAP so they adopted the much safer "Stomp your foot as hard as you can into the bridge of your assailant's foot, crouch down while simultaneously thrusting your upper arms out, grasp one of your assailant's hands, rotate to deliver the other elbow into your assailant's ribs, legsweep to freedom" method. The idea behind the Rearward Headbutt was that you were striking your assailant's nose.

[@emilyz4104]

Honestly, those comics are kinda cool as far as advice on depicting cheesy cinematic ninjas. Especially the first one. I mean, terrible company and everything, but this was better than expected.

[@tipulsar85]

It's amazing how inconsistant the accuracy of the information was in pop culture at the time of this "comic". Decades later, you can learn more about Ninja techniques and lore from a KZbin channel than these two issues. Now sing it with me, "Real ninja wear blue."

[@New3DSLuigi364]

Yeah; Gaijin Goomba knows his Ninjas; He READ the entire Bansenshukai from Front to Back!!

[@kyr58]

18:44 - In combat, you want soft on hard and hard on soft, meaning you want something like your hard fist to hit their squishy organs, so the head-bash to escape the bear-hug-from-behind actually makes some sense. Your cranium is built to be dense to defend your most important aspect to survival, your brain. It's also curved to diffuse any sudden shocks to it. The top-front above the forehead and upper back of your head are much better at deflecting attacks than your face or the base of your skull. The face having a largely flat surface with soft(ish) organs, deforming cartilage, and easily broken bones makes it a prime target. Aim for the nasal area, if you can. The hard part of your head ramming into the soft part of theirs will generally stun the receiver for long enough that you can perform at least one strong movement, but if you're not careful to brace your neck, core, and shoulders properly you could give yourself whiplash or a serious concussion. Note: I'm not a doctor or a karate master, I'm just scrappy.

[@ShroudedWolf51]

I appreciate the dedication to stick to the gag to pronounce each bolded word exactly as it is written and in the right tone.

[@benjaminjones2185]

Dark Blue is the correct color. So you get three cool points, I don't know about the air, but the wood I think relates to the destraction dumbess they would set up in key positions in advanced of their infiltration missions.

[@MarcTaker]

it’s actually gonna be kinda interesting for me rewatching these later on, since i’m a fan of yours and will rewatching certain episodes several times, but also as a fan of Gaijin Goombah as his “Which Ninja” series in particular. in fact, if i’d known ahead of time that these were supposed to be instructional, i may have suggested checking the series out for yourself as a reference tool. for example; you aren’t wrong about the actual costume being navy blue instead of black, since in feudal Japan, light pollution really wasn’t a thing, so a solid black figure would stand out under the full moon. and two things you joked about, the grappling hook and climbing? those are actually historically accurate. the grappling hook (kaginawa) is actually one of six essential tools that ninja kept on hand at all times, and could be used like the manrikigusari weapon for ranged combat and binding the opponent. and climbing is referred to as the “tanuki-gakure-no-jutsu”, named for the raccoon dogs Mario likes to skin and make costumes of, and preys on the fact that human peripheral vision doesn’t extend up more than 45° upwards.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

MARIO Gets His Tanuki Powers from a Giant Question Mark Block that has a Suit ALREADY in the Block; No Skinning Required; and Mario gets his Raccoon Powers from a Super Leaf

[@MarcTaker]

XD yeah, was just going for the dark humor. didn’t mean to upset ya, dude

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@@MarcTaker I'm Sorry; I'm just REALLY Sick of Mario being villainized by both PETA & Matpat!!

[@UncleDrak]

Great review as always, with solidly-grounded responses to the material. Oh, god, I'm about to be THAT guy.... two things. 1) The sword favored by Ninja, with the straight blade and (usually) square-shaped hilt guard is the Ninjato. 2) The strength of the skull to the top and back (above the neck) is substantially greater than the strength of the facial bones; bashing someone's face with the top of your head is the correct form of the "head bash." Thank you for the great work!

[@TF2Fan101]

Hey, Lewis. When can we expect the new episode?

[@katherinealvarez9216]

6:35 I don't know where the whole ninja outfit come from. I think it was from theater, where extras dressed in black and sometimes they had to play fight but I'm not sure.

[@EAKugler]

I like what you did for the ninja dancer scene. Just playing music on an empty room was a good gag, but it went on a bit too long since there was nothing to watch.

[@DeathGodRiku]

I'm halfway through the video and I'm actually surprised by how much this thing is getting right.

[@EkoBahamut]

Yeah, I was surprised too.

[@jeremytung1632]

Real ninja wear blue. In all honesty this is really ‘hit or miss’ like I expected, but it’s a few more hits than I anticipated.

[@myriadmediamusings]

Ah that could explain why Sub-Zero was colored blue in the first place.

[@SHINOBI-03]

@@myriadmediamusings Except Sub-Zero is not ninja, he's Lin Kuei. Scorpion is the ninja.

[@myriadmediamusings]

SHINOBI-03 Oh most certainly when it comes to the lore, but I’m willing to bet when SZ was first created back in MK1 they didn’t make that distinction, especially considering we’d get 7 pallete swaps of SZ down the line and it was only later on they made them unique to each other.

[@undertakernumberone1]

Real Ninja don't wear an uniform, since they were spies and infiltrators, irregular warfare specialists etc.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@@SHINOBI-03 TRUE Shinobi DON'T Wear Bright Yellow; That makes them stand out; and Ninja prefer to hide[whether by Dark Blue at Nighttime & at Infiltrations, Or in the Daytime, they dress in one of 7 Disguises of the Ninja known as the Shichihode(Kumuso Monk, Yamabushi Monk, Shukke Priests, Shonin Merchants, Hokashi Street Performers/Entertainers, Sarugakushi actors, and Average People(Tsune no Nari)]

[@robstewartstewart98]

No (full) spoilers.....but a skit in this review made my day! Thank you Lewis. Keep up the good work!

[@SpeedyEric1]

6:52- It also happened in G.I. Joe with characters like Snake Eyes.

[@udnmare1776]

If anyone would like to know more about ninja, i would highl recomend Gaijin Goombah´s Which Ninja.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

Yeah; If you want to find out what REAL Ninja were like; Watch his Videos; THEY'RE more based in FACTS!!

[@mattwo7]

12:00 I know Mythbusters debunked Ninja using mizugumo but this is the first I've heard of ukidaru.

[@TitaniaBird]

6:03 To quote Gaijin Goomba: "Real ninja wear blue!"

[@Avigorus]

I've watched a few Gaijin Goombah videos about ninjas, and yeah from what I remember: When they were on specific missions where stealth was paramount, they wore dark blue (GG's even made "Real Ninjas... wear blue!" into something of a recurring meme on his ninja analysis episodes). Also, some of his vids did describe ninjas using the elements as part of their thinking and training if not actual abilities, as they'd strategically use the elements via various gadgets to great effect, and such is where the "shinobi magic" trope comes from.

[@Dynaman21]

18:59 - You would. Back of the head is less protected than the front. It’s actually illegal in boxing and MMA to strike there for that reason.

[@triforce_tri]

At long last, I have caught up. Over the course of several months, I have watched all, at the time of writing, 690 videos of AT4W. Only one of them is blocked in the US. It was an ordeal and fun experience. So now I can view the new ones as they come out.

[@MoojinBoi]

cheers, I had caught up in time for event comics month 3, it's quite the journey!

[@SHINOBI-03]

6:30 You could say 🎶 "Real Ninjas wear blue!" 🎶

[@TFFurryMaster]

Random stuff: the ninja sword is actually different from a katana, generally shorter. Generally they are called ninjato, and are more fictitious. Also surprisingly they got most of the pop-culture ninja stuff, only missing few things like the caltrops and smoke bomb.

[@basedeltazero714]

8:00 I believe there's actually a major book of ninjustsu that divides its techniques into elements. Climbing is considered an air technique for reasons that seem reasonable. The bit in wood is describing _camouflage_ via the use of leaves and branches. Just... horribly distorted. 11:55 The 'ninja sword' or ninjato is historically dubious, as there aren't any confirmed examples. A straight-bladed sword could be useful, as it would be better for thrusting and sneak attacks. However it would also be distinctive. That said, there is a (again, not historically confirmed) technique for climbing using a sword as a stepping platform, but it doesn't work like that. (You put the sword in the ground and then jump off the hilt. Still dubious, but they even got the dubious bit wrong). 12:00 Probably not real. At least, it doesn't seem to work. Possibly a kind of 'snowshoe' to make walking through swamps/ricefields/shallow water easier? 16:10 On the other hand, the ninja seems to be wearing an EXTRA THICC European sword 19:00 I can testify that this works... okay. The back of the head is pretty solid, the nose and jaw are not.

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Ah yes, katana, which means "Japanese sword". (16:05) I keep looking at the face of the character on the cover of issue 2 and it's like some sort of weird optical trick that tries to resolve itself as I have no idea what; but definitely not a face looking towards the left.

[@ImaginatorJoren]

Tanuki-gakare no jutsu is what it means by climbing a tree. Ninjas knew that people ordinarily would not look up higher than 45° angles and climbing trees, or hiding in building rafters, would keep them out of sight from their targets.

[@ShinoSarna]

From what I know, ninja did actually categorize techniques into categories based on elements. It's one of few (very few) things they get right.

[@MysticMindAnalysis]

Small correction (because I'm a pedantic nerd): I think Ninjas are more likely to use Nagenata's than Katana's, though they are both similar style swords. A Nagenata is basically a japanese short sword, so Linkara wasn't far off when he said they were weilding a Katana.

[@SHINOBI-03]

The Naginata is the spear weapon. Did you mean the Ninjato? Though it should be noted the Ninjato is believed to be a made-up weapon that didn't exist, so the short sword is either the Wakizashi or the Tanto.

[@MysticMindAnalysis]

@@SHINOBI-03 Yeah, it's a Wakizashi. My mistake!

[@SCWRMComms]

9:22 Vocal percussion on a whole another level, coming from my ninja star. -Teo

[@eventyraren]

5:56 Ninjas NEVER dressed in black. As you said dark blue was better and that was what they wore. The Black thing Come from kabuki (japanise theater) where if someone whore all black (usely stage hands) you where to ignore them, so when someone was to be kille by a ninja the ninja was in black so you ignore it.

[@bthsr7113]

Shuriken were meant for utility and distraction. They were not one hit kills unless you had horrifically good aim. Sadly, this is surprisingly good and lacking big mistakes. The other one I'm seeing is that caltrops should be placed BEFORE you make a getaway since the people chasing you are more like to avoid them if they see you throwing them, which they'll try to go around or dodge. I was expecting more to critique. I hate to say it given the publishing company, but not bad.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

EXACTLY; Aside from the BIGGEST Red Flag ERROR of Shinobi Garb; REAL NINJA WORE BLUE, NOT BLACK!!

[@TheGreyTurtleEntertainment]

Does this mean the Ninja Style Dancer doesn't wear blue so we can see his sweet moves?

[@JayJayM57]

you are correct about ninja disguises. it would have been civilian/common man, monks, merchant, street performance, and a few others. On the rare occasion, they infiltrated a castle in "ninja clothes" those would have been dark blue to blend better with the night.

[@nirobu]

@11:53 not really a katana, those have a curve and are much longer. ninjato (or ninja sword in this comic) were actually a thing.

[@ladyaceina]

at 15:07 you should have had viga in that skit as the one the ninja style dancer is trying to knock out

[@tyrant-den884]

That Magnificent 7 by Mark Miller ad attached to this was impeccably timed.

[@restionSerpentine]

A cross over with Gaijin Goomba would have been perfect for this. As he would say "Real Ninjas Wore blue!"

[@paulbutkovich6103]

Headbutting someone who is holding you like that has a decent chance of hitting their nose. Even minor whacks to the nose can break someone's concentration, making it far easier to escape. If you're really lucky you can break their nose and obstruct their airway, which is even more disruptive.

[@eitanrosen464]

I am not sure if this is true or not but I heard somewhere the image of ninjas bearing all black clothing originated during the Edo period when playwrights wanted to emphasis the stealth aspect of ninjas to the audiences and black was the color that stood out.

[@BartmanBegins]

I'm looking forward to next week's review. Mostly because that Green Goblin comic is one of the few Spider-Man spin-offs I've never heard of until you stated you would review it in your latest State of the Wall.

[@morganyoung3557]

This ninja guide lies, everyone knows that the truly great ninjas wear bright orange.

[@New3DSLuigi364]

NO THEY DON'T; They Wore Dark Blue! REAL NINJA WORE BLUE!!

[@sageofsquirrels111]

10:18 That's a chill groove you got going here, but it seems you maybe cut to the wrong camera? All I see is a shelf and a door. How am I supposed to learn ninja steps from furniture?

[@jacobsedlack1173]

18:46 Actually, the idea of headbutting someone who's got you from behind is quite sound. You've got a thick, heavy skull plate smacking into a soft cartilage nose and mouth and if you can hit them just right you may be able to knock out a few teeth or break their nose entirely. The main idea of this self-defense technique is to disorient the attacker so that they loosen their hold and you can escape. You can also stomp their foot with your foot or elbow strike them in the gut if gets them to give way.

[@Wizza2418]

And they’ve lied. The shuriken we’re actually used by samurai. There is a video of a real life ninja talking about how useless they actually were for combat. 5:02 kzbin.info/www/bejne/iZybgYKLnbGqg5o

[@kanebravo953]

Shuriken and Kunai were used by Ninja...as digging or climbing tools. Caltrops were also used by Ninja, but not as escape tools, as ways to block off paths and force the enemy into predetermined ambush zones.

[@JaelinBezel]

I thought shuriken were used to distract someone so you could escape. Like "Enjoy getting four inch iron blades thrown in your face, sucka, Imma head out!"

[@New3DSLuigi364]

@@JaelinBezel Or Cutting through Lit Paper Lanterns to bypass guards so they don't see them in the dark. . .

[@rjb1216]

There’s a clip from the old dinosaurs shoe about what the elements are which would have been great in that part of the episode

[@myriadmediamusings]

Something to read to your child before they go to bed. Because everyone knows ninjas are just a fairy tale.

[@Ko700el]

- i'm about to face a ninja challenge - what's a ninja ? - It's a fairy tale, they don't exist

[@Insane-Howl-Cowl]

I agree, and totally not for the reason that a ninja is standing behind me with a NINJA SWORD after scaling my wall backwards.