I love that he enforced the notion that the Ninja's goal was not about fighting but to gather intel. Basically if they had to fight or got caught they failed miserably. His breakdowns were perfect
@@zzmr_stretchzz8772ot really, he says direct combat was not their thing, like sword fights were not really their thing.They would use surprise and ranged weapons more
@@zzmr_stretchzz8772 He specifies the type of ninja that would engage in ambushes. He emphasizes that fighting was not usually the main goal of ninja. Which is correct. If you are on a mission to gather information or report information fighting is highly detrimental. If you are on a mission to eliminate a threat. Poison, or in the worst case ranged weaponry/mele martial arts would of course make sense. Assassination was not a primary goal of the ninja though. As their employers often had plenty of warriors, they could rely on for eliminating an enemy. There was not a 1 specific purpose for the ninja, there were used generally, and they learned various forms of espionage and underhanded tactics. This helped avoid using samurai that could not be trusted to carry out what would be considered very shameful missions. And it helped keep rumor that you employed such tactics to a minimum.
This man is nearly 80 but can still pull off incredible feats. He is said to the last recognised ninja in Japan, has his own youtube channel to teach about ninjutsu, and is well known among the Japanese martial arts community
Ninjas have suffered the same romanticization in modern pop culture that pirates, cowboys, and knights have. Most of our impressions of the people in these historical professions have been heavily influenced by film and television....which were, themselves, influenced by theater, fictional literature, fanciful tales, and embellished historical accounts. They've become part of the fabric of our own modern mythology. The reality of these professions is almost always more mundane than we have reimagined them
Or Gladiators. The idea that anyone would put 2 popular money making dude versus another and kill one of them intentionally is pretty absurd. It was more or less WWE with weapons.
@@Yautah That's...not exactly correct. There were various kinds of gladiators. There were 'professional gladiators', guys that themselves chose to do that, or that had owners that decided to have them do that. But there also WERE death-row criminals which were to either kill or die. There were also gladiators that weren't necessarily supposed to die, but they wouldn't make any money more due to wounds they sustained, that I see no reason why they wouldn't have been killed on the arena instead of letting them die soon after anyway. You have to remember that those were times with completely different views and values, but also means. Many humans lives were extremely cheap. And I mean it, extremely.
I'm glad that you recognize the romanization of these people and concepts did not begin in film and television. Too many people, who boil down to old men yelling "modern bad" at clouds, do this. They think romanticizing just fell out of the sky in the modern day.
he is at least trying to drill home the biggest points of ninjitsu that people don’t know or misunderstand: their actual use. he accepted Hollywood was taking liberties with them but he also ensured that the truth was told. he at least was being kind to sone of them, he gave TMNT more than i thought he’d give
The truth is, i believe that ninjas were not killers by Nature. The truth is that there were ninjas who were honorable and heroic. Examples are hattori hanzo and Ishikawa goemon
Very interesting. Another interesting fact, something he sort of hinted at,most of the tools implemented by ninja were in fact farming tools because Japan in that period was mostly farmland and they made do with what was on hand. Hollywood makes ninja seem like these supernatural, unkillable assasins but the truth of the matter is they were spies running around in robes with gardening tools,which is a silly thing to picture but they have a very fascinating history.
What's cool is them sending very attractive female ninjas to gather intelligence. They'd sleep with the person they'd need to, slit their throats during the night and read all the documentation and other items before fleeing to report their discoveries. Literate women (and men) back then were rare as well so few people could suspect such a move.
I think what elevated them from just spies running around with farming tools to the legendary status they have is the level of dedication that they put towards their craft. Creating with it a tradition and teachings
I'm not sure if I got the name of this anime right, I believe it was called Peace Keeper, which is about a group of samurai in the latter period of the samurai when the period was dying out and their job is to keep the peace. They have ninjas attached to them and they do mostly spy work, and one time this girl, technically a ninja - cute but clumsy, is sent in to infiltrate the group, but they end up giving her false information for her to find. It was probably closer to what ninjas did than most anime will present.
I loved how Kancho Kawakami explained some facts about Ninjutsu. Ninjas were intelligence collectors, reconnaissance elements. Survival was essential, so they could keep on carrying out more missions. Also, hand to combat was like the last resort, even though they had an extensive training. Again, survival was everything for the Ninja IMO. Great video guys 👏🏻✨
i agree, also they are not belong to a samurai class/clan so they are "flexible" in their decisions and i dont think they live the honor path of bushido moral code. so mission is priority number one whatever it takes. so i figure a real ninja would be very reserved, very observant, very good at blending with surroundings and society (heck they could be your trusted servant for years/decades, as i've been told the role of a kunoichi - lady ninja), and i assume if the situation goes into a fight then it is a sign of failure already, which in some missions they won't probably need to carry any weapon if they were to be spies as a peasants for instance.
He didn't bother commenting on the clothes much, but it's worth noting that the archetypal pop culture ninja garb isn't from historical use but from kabuki theater. That all-black, only-the-eyes-exposed outfit is how stage hands dress, and it's a convention of the theater that they're treated as not being humans in the scene, but rather they'd carry in props and move them around. Eventually someone got the bright idea to use them to convey the idea that ninja were literally invisible. They weren't, of course, but they would use Japanese social norms and ideas to be effectively invisible, taking guises of servants, gardeners, beggars, and so on to gather intelligence. If they wound up cornered and having to fight a samurai, they'd do everything they could to cheat and get away rather than going toe-to-toe.
i read somewhere in a book about ninjas that for psychological warfare, they would dress not in black but in blood red (like dark clothes but covered with blood). Black in darkness has more chance to stand out as being darker than the surrounding but, dark red would blend the light more effectively, and then if the light ever really illuminate you (Guard coming too close with a torch), you appeared to come out of the shadow, covered in blood. Anyone would have a moment of hesitation before doing anything which might be the second you need to manage an exit or a swift "silent" kill. I have no idea of the historical veracity of this but I think it makes so much sense. Make the color of your cover ops ninja outfit something dark but not more than the night shadows and which can also be a fear weapon if use the right way when getting caught. And like you said, it his true that the pop culture look of the ninja isn't historical to them, I'm pretty sure they would have dress close to this when doing night covert operation yet this was probably pretty rare compare to taking the guises of people from the lower cast of society. A good exemple of that is in the book series Blood Ninja (Which is totally fiction, with ninja vampires, still yet has some really realistic ninja situations and moments into it). In the book, the main characters need to infiltrate a town where guards are checking everyone getting in. They pay a group of ETA to exchange clothes with them. (Lower cast of society, "garbage man", tanners, and other workers who are seen as impure by the samurai cast). The samurai guards hate so much being close of ETA that they don't even search them. For them ETA are no more intelligent and important than an animal. So the characters get in without being looked at. Know your enemy's weaknesses and exploit them, cheat your way into success. One of the main point they stick in the series is that ninja would often use the "Samurai code of honor and view on the world" against them.
Dude, read better or actual research books. None of this folklore is true, this guy isn't a ninja master because ninjas don't exist. Nor did they pass down any information. He's a fanboy who owns a katana and black clothing. We have real "ninja" today, they're called SEALs and Spec Ops. Actual combatants who gather intel and kill targets. They also disguise themselves. There's literally ex CIA operatives who are on youtube currently, being interviewed. You need to stop believing everything you read....especially if its not backed by anything real.
That's not true about Kabuki theater at is a theory that has been passed around so often that it's been labeled as fact, however it doesn't hold up when ninja are in the story it's in colorful, flamboyant outfits not the guys in black. They likely would have used dark clothing concerning night missions however unlikely to be sold black.
@@vandalg282they did exist, there's actually research looking through historical sources about ninja and even published books regarding actual ninja history, all of them are only in Japanese however.
Although I've read quite a few documents from pre 16th century Japan, about Samurai and Ninja encounters, there are a few documents I've been able to find and read that were all talking about some defective Samurai, called Ronen/Ronin, and they were usually younger but still skilled Samurai who choose to defect and aid the small villages against the Daimyo of the time. It happened more frequently than some anime and manga even like to portray. So, there was a small percentage of the Ninja we know of, that were intel gatherers but were also very skilled, like Ronin.
"I'm the only one who has preserved this art in Japan." Bruh, are you saying this man is the Last Shinobi? If that's not the biggest flex a man could have, I don't know what is 👏👏👏
Technically there are some modern schools of Ninjutsu like the Bujinkan but there are usually controversy in their authenticity. That said, even though there does exist people who train in ninjutsu today, this guy is considered the last "true" Ninja.
He is the last proven descendant with a traceable lineage. When I was younger, I trained in various martial arts at the same time, one of them, however, was with a "ninja master" -- which I soon realized was a total fraud. People can claim it all they want but he's the ONLY one alive with actual lineage.
I think one of the most admirable things about this man is that he refuses to pass on the traditions of his lineage because he is so aware of what frauds like Hatsumi have done. He acknowledges that what ninja were historically is not something that has any value in practising anymore because so much of it is redundant and can't apply to modern day.
Hatsumi was not a fraud- he played the character Americans wanted him to. I'm sure he started off like Kawakami- but they wouldn't listen to people like Kawakami- far too mundane and not "exotic" enough. So Hatsumi, said sure thing gaijin- let's make some dough, Joe.
@@KiddReige You are actually correct.. And more so than you know, Kawakami do not have a trackable linage, and what he learned he learned from a stranger he met on the street who just so happened to be a ninjutsu master.. But meh, I don't even think it's that important.. Ninjas aren't historically known for special martial art abilities or anything like that.. They were japans spies, nothing more, nothing less
Ninjutsu is (was) a collection of many arts including horseriding, arson, hiding, disguise, misdirection, explosives and many more schools related to Feudal espionage. About one school was specially devoted to unarmed combat (taijutsu, "body art") and was a last resort to use it, with techniqeus focused on escape, survival
I was really hoping to see scenes from the 1995 film The Hunted. This movie formed a lot of my imagry of what a modern ninja could be, as well as fostering a love of Taiko drums.
The last ninjutsu artist? So cool! I’m happy he didn’t have to completely eviscerate the Ninja Assassin movie because it was such a ridiculous guilty pleasure movie. Lol
I love Ninja Assassin. I like how it was made, too. The way I hear it, the Wachowskis were never happy with the script so they called their friend J. Michael Straczynski who wrote it overnight or something. (Do correct me if I'm wrong though!)
Clearly the highest rated ones were "Revenge of the Ninja" and "Ninja Assassin" (Both with Sho Kosugi:) but the fact that he mentioned "Revenge" as his favorite was awesome!
i read somewhere in a book about ninjas that for psychological warfare, they would dress not in black but in blood red (like dark clothes but covered with blood). Black in darkness has more chance to stand out as being darker than the surrounding but, dark red would blend the light more effectively, and then if the light ever really illuminate you (Guard coming too close with a torch), you appeared to come out of the shadow, covered in blood. Anyone would have a moment of hesitation before doing anything which might be the second you need to manage an exit or a swift "silent" kill. I have no idea of the historical veracity of this but I think it makes so much sense. Make the color of your cover ops ninja outfit something dark but not more than the night shadows and which can also be a fear weapon if use the right way when getting caught.
If you wear a grey hoodie and mid tone jeans, you can actually become pretty much invisible on a city streets in the twilight hours. Not even kidding, anyone not looking for you wont even notice you walking right across the street. I'm not talking about passively ignoring, people don't even recollect that there was such a person, you just disappear, it gets better with distance, you mind just filters your silhouette out with the noise of the background information cz your body just isn't registering as a human figure. I used this so much during hide and seek as a kid. Too much assassin's creed made me do other sketchy and questionable things for the game, but that is a good inadvertent lesson in Ninjutsu
Hilarious how he essentially debunked bunch of stuff like "people don't dissappear" and "don't use shurkiens" it just goes to show how media can really exaggerate things. I also liked how he emphasized on espionage and creating disturbance
The problem is he made the assumption that throwing stars were meant to kill they were meant to distract and to injure the enemy in hopes of slowing them down to allow escape or to provide an opening to kill them. Also he thinks it is hard to get them to stick is very strange sure practice is needed but just look at the throwing knife youtubers and you can see that such weapons can be used skillfully.
@@John_on_the_mountainI love how there is a comment that talks about things being debunked and then without fail there’s always that one person that makes a super generalized statement that ruins everything. Ninjutsu has a lot of media disservice but by no means is it completely a media exaggeration.
@powdergate Yeah and I am sure that some random youtube guy knows more about it than this 80 year old man who was born into it? Internet keyboard warriors are too much.
In all fairness the Batman scenes were more about training assassins, not ninja. The Mortal Kombat scene I THINK was attempting to portray a makeshift rope dart, which is actually a Chinese weapon, but didn't really do that correctly either.
I came into this thinking of all the pop culture, but have left considering ninjitsu a noble and beautiful art. As a martial artist, I find deep beauty in this variation.
Very interesting and informative video!! Though I don't think Master Kawakami used same scale as others to rate movies - not actual depictions of ninja, but how well they adhered to true idea of ninjutsu - which was a bit of work to figure out, but once there I could kind of follow the logic. Loved the parts when a weapon from the scene was compared to originals - that was awesome!
Because a shinobi's duty is to create deception and misdirection and conduct psy ops. A giant talking turtle is scary and accomplishes that, a 2 handed sword leaves the shinobi unable to use his most versatile tool, his hand to deploy his ninjutsu techniques that effectively give him an edge even against a superior opponent. That's why Edward Scissorhands could never become a ninja
Duh he probably likened the human size turtle as a Kappa.. which are often depicted as being the size of a child, with green, hairless bodies, pointed beaks, webbed hands and feet, and a tortoise-shell back.
every time some person who has real world historical knowledge of weapons, they ALWAYS swear for the effectiveness of a spear or other pole arms on the battle field. Swords seem to be a bit overrated in story telling, but I guess a spear can't be passed down and have magical and spiritual attributes and so on and 😅
simple reason: keeping your distance is best, it’s why archers were prized and important for centuries and why artillery is still the most important part of the battle
Swords are generally sidearms...secondary weapons. There are exceptions such as greatswords and nodachi, but otherwise polearms are nearly always the primary battlefield melee weapon.
i've watched jinichi in another video that was filmed pre-covid and during. my worries was of his health. seeing this being posted 3 months ago and that jinichi is in it to rate more of ninjutsu film adaptations made me feel relieved that he is well. i greatly appreciate this.
I think he might like the ninja from "Bleach". The way he describes their role, I think the Stealth Force are the ninja of the 13 Court Guards, gathering intel and delivering it and such, while the Guards themselves do most of the actual fighting.
I love that he points out that Ninja weren't supernatural, however they did use illusions and trickery to make it seem like they were able to use magic like rice paper in water at night to "run on water", shuko to "magically climb walls" etc..
In Reincarnated as a Slime the ninja forces actually do mostly intel gathering and communication instead of fighting, despite obviously showing huge lethal potential, and i always found it very interesting
Based on what literature I could uncover regarding them, Ninja/Shinobi were heavily romanticised by Kabuki theatre and Japanese folklore. In actuality, they were spies, intelligence gathering, infiltration, sabotage, and notably assassination. But here's the interesting thing, throughout their history, Ninja very rarely were successful in high profile assassinations of Feudal lords or key military leaders. There are a few documented cases of failed attempts. Ninja, unlike Samurai were more like mercenaries, working for whichever leader needed their unconventional warfare talents. While I'm not about to dispute old mate, I have reason to believe Ninja had no official "clothing" or "outfit", it was always about dressing appropriately. Usually like Farmers, I believe. So plain clothed secret spies with poison instead of bladed weaponry, trying to gather intelligence on enemy plans and numbers.
they also had special rooms hidden from view that allowed them to observe, move freely, and attack…plus they had multiple non-connected lives so could disappear and live on without repercussions from their missions
I just love that fact that he mentions that the samurai also used the "kusari-gama (scickle/scyth and chain with iron weight) and gave a example on how the shinobi (ninja) operate a similar way to the modern spy/intelligence agencies and special forces. I only wish that he would mention that the shinobi was an application skill instead of a warrior class and they were part of the samurai class. And I do like the fact that he also mentions that ninja used firearms/guns (such as muskets, matchlock pistols, and canons) for ambushes, and arsen (like destroy a castle)
There was a Monty Python sketch about not being soon. It involved blowing up a lot of bushes. One of the key techniques was not standing up when called. Definitely came to mind when the bit from The Boys was on…
I’m honestly just baffled that “Ninja Assassin” was given a higher score than “Batman begins”. That’s a movie where Ninjas literally teleport through shadows on the walls.
lol, Well, he wasn't shown that part of the movie. Just the one part where the movie might be a bit close to real Ninjutsu. While the Bat begin part they put a Brutal katana fight and Raz throught black powder on the ground for it to explode.
Miyamoto musashi is known for using two swords together to fight. Its one of the most epic samurai tales that ever happened. Maybe there weren’t formal schools teaching that cause why would they? But you can’t tell me none of these guys ever thought to master using two swords together.
Jinichi kawakami I'll be honest you explained these myths very well and I'm sure I can trust you since you yourself have learned ninjutsu but 7:30 Can you tell me exactly if the unarmed combat techniques of ninjutsu included punches, kicks, blocks or something like that?
They definitely trained like a mixed martial artist And more with katanas and kunai But they spend most of their time in studying tactics , running, climbing, parkour, exercises workout, making putting poisons into their weapons , sharpening sword and many day to day activities But their main priority was not to fight
I respect the choice is his to pass on ninjitsu or not.But I feel that as a scholar, he could appreciate that, whilst the art is not useful in the modern age practically, it doesn't deserve to be forgotten.
it basically means, "right? ("ね") at the end of the sentence. desu, or です is the formal "to be." he's basically saying "X was this, yeah?" anytime he makes a declarative sentence. atsui desu ne (あついですね or 熱いですね- with kanji) = it's hot isn't it?
I was hoping they would end with that cause the first night attack from a single ninja is a really good representation of a ninja "assassination" in terms of sneak representation and it would have been the "ninja Assassin theme" he was expecting to see more coming from movies. Would have liked to know his thoughts on it.
Infamous as movie adaptations of Mortal Kombat are, this scene here is at least a more more excusable given the ninja in question was being attacked in his own home, and had been using that kunai for its intended gardening purpose right beforehand. An accuracy rating for the attackers would be interesting, but if I recall Sub-Zero's clan are Chinese assassins rather than ninja, no idea who you'd ask for historically accuracy of Later Jin dynasty (based off the 1617 time stated in the movie) assassins.
Him: Brings out sick-looking claws Me: For disembowelling your enemies, right? 😈 Him: This is a tool for weeding, moving dirt, that kind of thing. Me: 😐 🤣
8:33 When he says it's like Karate he's referring to the original Okinawan Karate which used weapons, and not the watered-down Karate after it was brought over to the mainland and stripped of its ground-fighting and weaponry elements, and certainly not [Japanese] Highschool Karate and [Overseas] McDojo Karate which can hardly even be called Karate.
Probably because swords were bloody expensive and mostly reserved for use by Samurai. I believe there has only been one recorded style that uses two swords and that is a discipline taken from the Samurai. So it probably has less to do with dishonour and more to do with availability.
I love how he says agitate or investigate the enemies situation and I do agree about the fighting arts though but there are times when you are agitating and investigating a situation that gets you in trouble and it is good to have the martial arts
Ninja was all about assisination and intel gathering (huge underline of intel gathering). They were basically medival Japanese spy. The actual fighting was for samurai.
Ninja are like spies: they gather information. 2:55 Ninja stars! 3:21 Many ninja in media tend to wear colorful outfit. Like in WarioWare but that's another thing. 4:30 Scythe + Chain combo 4:48 OOH! Geisha does too? 5:20 That mean blind ninja exist? 7:32 As a last-resort skill 8:40 WOW! Building climbing! Yeah. In Naruto, they climb with kunai. 10:44 No! It wouldn't happened! 11:40 Speaking of Naruto 14:12 So, the kunai climbing is accurate but not like the "Revenge of the Ninja" scene.
The nunchucku are not originally from Okinawa, but in fact actually have a surprising origin from the Song Dynasty in China as an offshoot of the 3 section staff (San Gie Gun) the nunchucku was known as the "Shuang Jie Gun" (2 part staff) I'm glad he affirmed that it at least wasn't a ninja weapon because so many people think it is lol.
Three section staff is unlikely to have existed at that time, it's used as an actual weapon is also doubtful and nunchucks likely evolved from a flail weapon, if you look at Minh dynasty fails some look really similar.
@@eagle162 As someone who's dedicated my life to Chinese martial arts and history, I know otherwise. It (3 section staff) was a very popular weapon of the time and was commonly used by pole fighters. It's no mistake that the Shuang Jie Gun (2 section staff) was inspired by it. The weapon was used mainly by traveling merchants to ward off robbers, so your claim is nullified ;)
@@SonOfVenus92494try finding it in an actual manual or at least artwork then during that time. Again you can just take a look at Chinese war flails, the similarities are much more clear. "Chinese war flail on Mandarin Mansion" Type that in to take a good look at one.
@@SonOfVenus92494 I'd be interested in your sources, as it's generally agreed that the nunchaku as we know it originated in Okinawa from threshing flails (which most cultures turned into weapons, and for good reason).
I wish the movie, The Hunted from 1995 was featured. It has some scenes where John Lone's character is disguised as a homeless person in order to gain access to a person to find intel about why a previous assassination in the film was ordered. It also shows an ambush on a train by a small group of ninja that were initially dressed as civilians and business people. Underrated movie never discussed imo.
This is incredible 👍. I ran across this by accident. And the guy who is talking must be a trainer. He's very good with the weapons that he's been demonstrating styles with.
DAMN! Childhood has just been SHATTERED 😆Loved the honesty though. It was cool to see him laugh at the real silly Hollywood myths. Even better when he picked Revenge of the Ninja as his fav.
I love that he enforced the notion that the Ninja's goal was not about fighting but to gather intel. Basically if they had to fight or got caught they failed miserably. His breakdowns were perfect
2:26 he contradicts himself here.
7:32
@@1.4142 he says not ONLY. meaning they were both gatherers of intel and skilled capable fighters who sometimes had missions to just attack.
@@zzmr_stretchzz8772ot really, he says direct combat was not their thing, like sword fights were not really their thing.They would use surprise and ranged weapons more
@@zzmr_stretchzz8772 He specifies the type of ninja that would engage in ambushes.
He emphasizes that fighting was not usually the main goal of ninja. Which is correct.
If you are on a mission to gather information or report information fighting is highly detrimental.
If you are on a mission to eliminate a threat. Poison, or in the worst case ranged weaponry/mele martial arts would of course make sense.
Assassination was not a primary goal of the ninja though. As their employers often had plenty of warriors, they could rely on for eliminating an enemy.
There was not a 1 specific purpose for the ninja, there were used generally, and they learned various forms of espionage and underhanded tactics. This helped avoid using samurai that could not be trusted to carry out what would be considered very shameful missions. And it helped keep rumor that you employed such tactics to a minimum.
Him straight faced talking about the 1990 Ninja Turtles is good
he said that ninjas did not use 2 swords. BUT he did not deny the existence of ninja turtles! so they do live in the shadows! ;)
@@I9X8I That's true, the Last Ninja himself said that mutant turtles are more likely than dual-wielding katana.
for the turtles, Leonardo, it just looks cooler.😅
This man is nearly 80 but can still pull off incredible feats. He is said to the last recognised ninja in Japan, has his own youtube channel to teach about ninjutsu, and is well known among the Japanese martial arts community
"I'm the last ninja ever." Is something someone with a hidden ninja clan would say
What’s his channel?
@@slimeruthlessroyals1026nindo channel
I wonder what Ninpo he knows so far and what clan did he come from.
😂
He looks like 50!
Ninjas have suffered the same romanticization in modern pop culture that pirates, cowboys, and knights have. Most of our impressions of the people in these historical professions have been heavily influenced by film and television....which were, themselves, influenced by theater, fictional literature, fanciful tales, and embellished historical accounts.
They've become part of the fabric of our own modern mythology. The reality of these professions is almost always more mundane than we have reimagined them
The same pretty much goes for samurais, Cowboys, etc. as well.
Probably true except for pirates, as they wrote their own constitutions and lived rather short lives there after.
Or Gladiators.
The idea that anyone would put 2 popular money making dude versus another and kill one of them intentionally is pretty absurd.
It was more or less WWE with weapons.
@@Yautah That's...not exactly correct. There were various kinds of gladiators. There were 'professional gladiators', guys that themselves chose to do that, or that had owners that decided to have them do that. But there also WERE death-row criminals which were to either kill or die.
There were also gladiators that weren't necessarily supposed to die, but they wouldn't make any money more due to wounds they sustained, that I see no reason why they wouldn't have been killed on the arena instead of letting them die soon after anyway.
You have to remember that those were times with completely different views and values, but also means. Many humans lives were extremely cheap. And I mean it, extremely.
I'm glad that you recognize the romanization of these people and concepts did not begin in film and television. Too many people, who boil down to old men yelling "modern bad" at clouds, do this.
They think romanticizing just fell out of the sky in the modern day.
he is at least trying to drill home the biggest points of ninjitsu that people don’t know or misunderstand: their actual use. he accepted Hollywood was taking liberties with them but he also ensured that the truth was told.
he at least was being kind to sone of them, he gave TMNT more than i thought he’d give
Oh trust me, a 3/10 from a Japanese perspective is absolutely *shameful*. 😭
Ninjaをモチーフにした暗殺者という解釈で良いと思う。日々時代は変わる。
戦国時代は最も戦闘的だった。
The truth is, i believe that ninjas were not killers by Nature. The truth is that there were ninjas who were honorable and heroic. Examples are hattori hanzo and Ishikawa goemon
Very interesting. Another interesting fact, something he sort of hinted at,most of the tools implemented by ninja were in fact farming tools because Japan in that period was mostly farmland and they made do with what was on hand. Hollywood makes ninja seem like these supernatural, unkillable assasins but the truth of the matter is they were spies running around in robes with gardening tools,which is a silly thing to picture but they have a very fascinating history.
Also the case with Okinawan weapons
Another big reason why they used farming tools as weapon was that only Samurai were allowed to own proper weapons.
What's cool is them sending very attractive female ninjas to gather intelligence. They'd sleep with the person they'd need to, slit their throats during the night and read all the documentation and other items before fleeing to report their discoveries. Literate women (and men) back then were rare as well so few people could suspect such a move.
I think what elevated them from just spies running around with farming tools to the legendary status they have is the level of dedication that they put towards their craft. Creating with it a tradition and teachings
I'm not sure if I got the name of this anime right, I believe it was called Peace Keeper, which is about a group of samurai in the latter period of the samurai when the period was dying out and their job is to keep the peace. They have ninjas attached to them and they do mostly spy work, and one time this girl, technically a ninja - cute but clumsy, is sent in to infiltrate the group, but they end up giving her false information for her to find. It was probably closer to what ninjas did than most anime will present.
the last man of his craft, yet so humble, love him
I loved how Kancho Kawakami explained some facts about Ninjutsu. Ninjas were intelligence collectors, reconnaissance elements. Survival was essential, so they could keep on carrying out more missions. Also, hand to combat was like the last resort, even though they had an extensive training. Again, survival was everything for the Ninja IMO. Great video guys 👏🏻✨
i agree, also they are not belong to a samurai class/clan so they are "flexible" in their decisions and i dont think they live the honor path of bushido moral code. so mission is priority number one whatever it takes. so i figure a real ninja would be very reserved, very observant, very good at blending with surroundings and society (heck they could be your trusted servant for years/decades, as i've been told the role of a kunoichi - lady ninja), and i assume if the situation goes into a fight then it is a sign of failure already, which in some missions they won't probably need to carry any weapon if they were to be spies as a peasants for instance.
A great ninja is good in hiding...watching a black ninja climbing the white building in "Revenge Of The Ninja" really made me laughed so loud
He didn't bother commenting on the clothes much, but it's worth noting that the archetypal pop culture ninja garb isn't from historical use but from kabuki theater. That all-black, only-the-eyes-exposed outfit is how stage hands dress, and it's a convention of the theater that they're treated as not being humans in the scene, but rather they'd carry in props and move them around. Eventually someone got the bright idea to use them to convey the idea that ninja were literally invisible.
They weren't, of course, but they would use Japanese social norms and ideas to be effectively invisible, taking guises of servants, gardeners, beggars, and so on to gather intelligence. If they wound up cornered and having to fight a samurai, they'd do everything they could to cheat and get away rather than going toe-to-toe.
i read somewhere in a book about ninjas that for psychological warfare, they would dress not in black but in blood red (like dark clothes but covered with blood). Black in darkness has more chance to stand out as being darker than the surrounding but, dark red would blend the light more effectively, and then if the light ever really illuminate you (Guard coming too close with a torch), you appeared to come out of the shadow, covered in blood. Anyone would have a moment of hesitation before doing anything which might be the second you need to manage an exit or a swift "silent" kill.
I have no idea of the historical veracity of this but I think it makes so much sense. Make the color of your cover ops ninja outfit something dark but not more than the night shadows and which can also be a fear weapon if use the right way when getting caught.
And like you said, it his true that the pop culture look of the ninja isn't historical to them, I'm pretty sure they would have dress close to this when doing night covert operation yet this was probably pretty rare compare to taking the guises of people from the lower cast of society.
A good exemple of that is in the book series Blood Ninja (Which is totally fiction, with ninja vampires, still yet has some really realistic ninja situations and moments into it). In the book, the main characters need to infiltrate a town where guards are checking everyone getting in. They pay a group of ETA to exchange clothes with them. (Lower cast of society, "garbage man", tanners, and other workers who are seen as impure by the samurai cast). The samurai guards hate so much being close of ETA that they don't even search them. For them ETA are no more intelligent and important than an animal. So the characters get in without being looked at.
Know your enemy's weaknesses and exploit them, cheat your way into success. One of the main point they stick in the series is that ninja would often use the "Samurai code of honor and view on the world" against them.
Dude, read better or actual research books. None of this folklore is true, this guy isn't a ninja master because ninjas don't exist. Nor did they pass down any information. He's a fanboy who owns a katana and black clothing. We have real "ninja" today, they're called SEALs and Spec Ops. Actual combatants who gather intel and kill targets. They also disguise themselves. There's literally ex CIA operatives who are on youtube currently, being interviewed.
You need to stop believing everything you read....especially if its not backed by anything real.
That's not true about Kabuki theater at is a theory that has been passed around so often that it's been labeled as fact, however it doesn't hold up when ninja are in the story it's in colorful, flamboyant outfits not the guys in black.
They likely would have used dark clothing concerning night missions however unlikely to be sold black.
@@vandalg282they did exist, there's actually research looking through historical sources about ninja and even published books regarding actual ninja history, all of them are only in Japanese however.
Although I've read quite a few documents from pre 16th century Japan, about Samurai and Ninja encounters, there are a few documents I've been able to find and read that were all talking about some defective Samurai, called Ronen/Ronin, and they were usually younger but still skilled Samurai who choose to defect and aid the small villages against the Daimyo of the time. It happened more frequently than some anime and manga even like to portray. So, there was a small percentage of the Ninja we know of, that were intel gatherers but were also very skilled, like Ronin.
"I'm the only one who has preserved this art in Japan."
Bruh, are you saying this man is the Last Shinobi? If that's not the biggest flex a man could have, I don't know what is 👏👏👏
Technically there are some modern schools of Ninjutsu like the Bujinkan but there are usually controversy in their authenticity. That said, even though there does exist people who train in ninjutsu today, this guy is considered the last "true" Ninja.
he's the last with a legitimate trackable lineage. The others are considered to be frauds.
@@dtester I think I've seen some videos or articles about it. Some sort of gimmick school. For fun.
He is the last proven descendant with a traceable lineage. When I was younger, I trained in various martial arts at the same time, one of them, however, was with a "ninja master" -- which I soon realized was a total fraud. People can claim it all they want but he's the ONLY one alive with actual lineage.
i know kung fu and i actually do
I think one of the most admirable things about this man is that he refuses to pass on the traditions of his lineage because he is so aware of what frauds like Hatsumi have done. He acknowledges that what ninja were historically is not something that has any value in practising anymore because so much of it is redundant and can't apply to modern day.
Lol, same thing people call Hatsumi a fraud over can be said of Kawakami’s claim of Koga ryu 😂😂
Hatsumi was not a fraud- he played the character Americans wanted him to. I'm sure he started off like Kawakami- but they wouldn't listen to people like Kawakami- far too mundane and not "exotic" enough. So Hatsumi, said sure thing gaijin- let's make some dough, Joe.
@@KiddReige You are actually correct.. And more so than you know, Kawakami do not have a trackable linage, and what he learned he learned from a stranger he met on the street who just so happened to be a ninjutsu master..
But meh, I don't even think it's that important.. Ninjas aren't historically known for special martial art abilities or anything like that.. They were japans spies, nothing more, nothing less
Ninjutsu is (was) a collection of many arts including horseriding, arson, hiding, disguise, misdirection, explosives and many more schools related to Feudal espionage. About one school was specially devoted to unarmed combat (taijutsu, "body art") and was a last resort to use it, with techniqeus focused on escape, survival
I thought his blades looked rusty and then he explained it was to cause infection and poison somebody. That's intense!
I was really hoping to see scenes from the 1995 film The Hunted. This movie formed a lot of my imagry of what a modern ninja could be, as well as fostering a love of Taiko drums.
i was surprised the American Ninja franchise wasn’t featured, that would have been great too
That fight on the train is *chef's kiss*
The Hunted is way too underrated!
lol just watched that the other day on Tubi. Great movie!!
Glad he poinsts out the primary function of ninja was intellegence gathering. Being able to get in, gather intel and get out.
The last ninjutsu artist? So cool!
I’m happy he didn’t have to completely eviscerate the Ninja Assassin movie because it was such a ridiculous guilty pleasure movie. Lol
I love Ninja Assassin. I like how it was made, too. The way I hear it, the Wachowskis were never happy with the script so they called their friend J. Michael Straczynski who wrote it overnight or something. (Do correct me if I'm wrong though!)
Clearly the highest rated ones were "Revenge of the Ninja" and "Ninja Assassin" (Both with Sho Kosugi:) but the fact that he mentioned "Revenge" as his favorite was awesome!
Terribly disappointed that you haven't asked him to rate the light and dark ninja fight scene in Samurai jack,but other than that,a very cool episode.
that scene is pure art
i read somewhere in a book about ninjas that for psychological warfare, they would dress not in black but in blood red (like dark clothes but covered with blood). Black in darkness has more chance to stand out as being darker than the surrounding but, dark red would blend the light more effectively, and then if the light ever really illuminate you (Guard coming too close with a torch), you appeared to come out of the shadow, covered in blood. Anyone would have a moment of hesitation before doing anything which might be the second you need to manage an exit or a swift "silent" kill.
I have no idea of the historical veracity of this but I think it makes so much sense. Make the color of your cover ops ninja outfit something dark but not more than the night shadows and which can also be a fear weapon if use the right way when getting caught.
If you wear a grey hoodie and mid tone jeans, you can actually become pretty much invisible on a city streets in the twilight hours. Not even kidding, anyone not looking for you wont even notice you walking right across the street. I'm not talking about passively ignoring, people don't even recollect that there was such a person, you just disappear, it gets better with distance, you mind just filters your silhouette out with the noise of the background information cz your body just isn't registering as a human figure. I used this so much during hide and seek as a kid. Too much assassin's creed made me do other sketchy and questionable things for the game, but that is a good inadvertent lesson in Ninjutsu
"This one is a six because it was kind of fun." - YES!!!
Nice to see some new stuff of Kawakami sensei.
Great video! Very pleased to see that Insider recognizes Batman as a ninja 🥷🏼
I'm glad that the Internet has immortalised this guy ❤
I would have liked to see his take on Full Metal Alchemist, specifically where a ninja cuts her arm off and attaches it to an animal for misdirection.
Hilarious how he essentially debunked bunch of stuff like "people don't dissappear" and "don't use shurkiens" it just goes to show how media can really exaggerate things.
I also liked how he emphasized on espionage and creating disturbance
The problem is he made the assumption that throwing stars were meant to kill they were meant to distract and to injure the enemy in hopes of slowing them down to allow escape or to provide an opening to kill them. Also he thinks it is hard to get them to stick is very strange sure practice is needed but just look at the throwing knife youtubers and you can see that such weapons can be used skillfully.
@@lostboy8084 no the media shows them as using to kill people, throwing them at stationary targets is different than throwing them at moving objects.
i think who really knows..know that.. shuriken is never gonna kill..
The whole idea of Ninjutsu is media exaggeration
@@John_on_the_mountainI love how there is a comment that talks about things being debunked and then without fail there’s always that one person that makes a super generalized statement that ruins everything. Ninjutsu has a lot of media disservice but by no means is it completely a media exaggeration.
Surreal to see a Ninja master discussing movies!
@powdergate Yeah and I am sure that some random youtube guy knows more about it than this 80 year old man who was born into it? Internet keyboard warriors are too much.
@powdergate This guy seems to be a historical reconstructor and he mentions the books he read, so it's as close as we can get.
I legit learned something today. This is why i love these kinds of reactions cause you learn stuff and enjoy the content.
In all fairness the Batman scenes were more about training assassins, not ninja.
The Mortal Kombat scene I THINK was attempting to portray a makeshift rope dart, which is actually a Chinese weapon, but didn't really do that correctly either.
Although Liam Neeson says "Ninja" blatantly in one of the clips! ^_^
@@dtester
Movie directors seldom respect source material.
@@Random_Chiroptera Yes, exactly!
I came into this thinking of all the pop culture, but have left considering ninjitsu a noble and beautiful art. As a martial artist, I find deep beauty in this variation.
Damn. So it's confirmed: ninjas' weapons inflict scarlet rot.
LOL
That was the only part I had never really heard about Ninja techniques before. Rusty weapon on purpose... it makes so much sense.
👀..Is that what happened to his gums?
I was looking for the 🦷🦷 🪥 comments less than I expected entering comments
As a Ninja Shinobi Strider Hiryu, i can confirm that all the Ninja Fights aren't real but the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles exists in real life.
This is true. Also I didn't like how they didn't really discuss techniques of conjuring robot animals.
Lmao
I like bugs
How long can you feed a turtle pizza before they start suffering from malnutrition?
@@Ensensu2 Are they regular or ninja turtles? Information on the latter is covered in ninja scrolls such as the Ninpiden by Hatori Hanzo.
Given that he's very old, it would be wise to do more videos with him before he's gone. There are many more films and series he could comment on.
Very interesting and informative video!! Though I don't think Master Kawakami used same scale as others to rate movies - not actual depictions of ninja, but how well they adhered to true idea of ninjutsu - which was a bit of work to figure out, but once there I could kind of follow the logic.
Loved the parts when a weapon from the scene was compared to originals - that was awesome!
“There’s no such thing as a ninja using two swords” but seems to be ok with that fact that theyre being wielded by a 6 foot talking turtle.
Well duh because it's real, maybe there is one watching you from behind as you type that comment
Because a shinobi's duty is to create deception and misdirection and conduct psy ops. A giant talking turtle is scary and accomplishes that, a 2 handed sword leaves the shinobi unable to use his most versatile tool, his hand to deploy his ninjutsu techniques that effectively give him an edge even against a superior opponent. That's why Edward Scissorhands could never become a ninja
Duh he probably likened the human size turtle as a Kappa.. which are often depicted as being the size of a child, with green, hairless bodies, pointed beaks, webbed hands and feet, and a tortoise-shell back.
every time some person who has real world historical knowledge of weapons, they ALWAYS swear for the effectiveness of a spear or other pole arms on the battle field. Swords seem to be a bit overrated in story telling, but I guess a spear can't be passed down and have magical and spiritual attributes and so on and 😅
simple reason: keeping your distance is best, it’s why archers were prized and important for centuries and why artillery is still the most important part of the battle
Spear is super hard to defend against, and, super cheap to make.
Swords are generally sidearms...secondary weapons. There are exceptions such as greatswords and nodachi, but otherwise polearms are nearly always the primary battlefield melee weapon.
My man, you must have never heard of Lu BU. The spear and him are a part of one another.
@@dariosanchez7699 no I have never, thank you for telling me
i've watched jinichi in another video that was filmed pre-covid and during. my worries was of his health. seeing this being posted 3 months ago and that jinichi is in it to rate more of ninjutsu film adaptations made me feel relieved that he is well. i greatly appreciate this.
My Japanese is far from perfect, but the way this man speaks and even introduces himself is so incredibly humble and polite.
I think he might like the ninja from "Bleach". The way he describes their role, I think the Stealth Force are the ninja of the 13 Court Guards, gathering intel and delivering it and such, while the Guards themselves do most of the actual fighting.
agreed
the whole show has a super edo period feel with extreme force and pressure lol
I was pleased seeing Naruto in here😌 But now I’m going to watch more videos about him very cool and learning the history was fascinating
I love that he points out that Ninja weren't supernatural, however they did use illusions and trickery to make it seem like they were able to use magic like rice paper in water at night to "run on water", shuko to "magically climb walls" etc..
In Reincarnated as a Slime the ninja forces actually do mostly intel gathering and communication instead of fighting, despite obviously showing huge lethal potential, and i always found it very interesting
Lovely commentary. Really enjoyed the “6 because it was fun”.
I've watch this Master in other videos,
His a legend.
Kawakami sensei is a legend in the ninja world this is a great video ninjas in fiction is always exagerrated but fun and entertaining
The classic line from the old TMNT movie
“The bigger they are!”
“The more bones they break?”
His voice is so soothing, calm and quiet that I listened to this as an ASMR video. 😊
I love how he speaks. It's so soothing to listen to
I love this guy. I saw him in an older video on another channel. The interview was at his training compound and they mostly reviewed Naruto.
Thank you for the update, Insider..!! Back in the 80s TMNT was a thing.
Based on what literature I could uncover regarding them, Ninja/Shinobi were heavily romanticised by Kabuki theatre and Japanese folklore.
In actuality, they were spies, intelligence gathering, infiltration, sabotage, and notably assassination. But here's the interesting thing, throughout their history, Ninja very rarely were successful in high profile assassinations of Feudal lords or key military leaders. There are a few documented cases of failed attempts. Ninja, unlike Samurai were more like mercenaries, working for whichever leader needed their unconventional warfare talents.
While I'm not about to dispute old mate, I have reason to believe Ninja had no official "clothing" or "outfit", it was always about dressing appropriately. Usually like Farmers, I believe. So plain clothed secret spies with poison instead of bladed weaponry, trying to gather intelligence on enemy plans and numbers.
They even had floors that creecked to alert of intruders👍
Yep, called Nightingale floors.
they also had special rooms hidden from view that allowed them to observe, move freely, and attack…plus they had multiple non-connected lives so could disappear and live on without repercussions from their missions
I want him to watch every Sho Kasugi Ninja movie with Sho Kasugi lol. Pray for Death is a classic!
The ninjitsu expert can pull off moves like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. He's genuinely that awesome.
If a ninja was going to kill an enemy, he would use poison, as it is more reliable. This whole video is refreshing, real, and so informative.
I just love that fact that he mentions that the samurai also used the "kusari-gama (scickle/scyth and chain with iron weight) and gave a example on how the shinobi (ninja) operate a similar way to the modern spy/intelligence agencies and special forces.
I only wish that he would mention that the shinobi was an application skill instead of a warrior class and they were part of the samurai class. And I do like the fact that he also mentions that ninja used firearms/guns (such as muskets, matchlock pistols, and canons) for ambushes, and arsen (like destroy a castle)
There was a Monty Python sketch about not being soon. It involved blowing up a lot of bushes.
One of the key techniques was not standing up when called. Definitely came to mind when the bit from The Boys was on…
Last one? What happened to those taught by Masaaki Hatsumi?
I’m honestly just baffled that “Ninja Assassin” was given a higher score than “Batman begins”. That’s a movie where Ninjas literally teleport through shadows on the walls.
lol, Well, he wasn't shown that part of the movie. Just the one part where the movie might be a bit close to real Ninjutsu. While the Bat begin part they put a Brutal katana fight and Raz throught black powder on the ground for it to explode.
I love that his favorite among these movies is the low-budget, B grade one.
Miyamoto musashi is known for using two swords together to fight. Its one of the most epic samurai tales that ever happened. Maybe there weren’t formal schools teaching that cause why would they? But you can’t tell me none of these guys ever thought to master using two swords together.
Enter the Ninja was my all time favorite. I'd be interested to see what he rates that one.
7:14 - HA That's why Leonardo is ahead of the game! He uses 2 swords when it is unexpected! A True Mark of a NINJA!
I would like to see how he rates scenes of the Hand from the Netflix Daredevil series.
Good interview!
His take on Naruto was the best part 😂
I’m surprised he didn’t talk about The Hunted(1995). Not the one that came out in 2003.
Dude ninja'd his way outta every dental appointment he ever had.
He's already 75 years old, don't be harsh
@@onion9387 I fully respect him for his talent and wisdom. Just a little harmless joke.
@@onion9387 it’s a joke bro
Please confirm if ninjas haven't visited your home yet.
He's the last legit Ninja currently alive, if I'm not mistaken.
Why not keep it going?
Jinichi kawakami I'll be honest you explained these myths very well and I'm sure I can trust you since you yourself have learned ninjutsu but 7:30 Can you tell me exactly if the unarmed combat techniques of ninjutsu included punches, kicks, blocks or something like that?
They definitely trained like a mixed martial artist
And more with katanas and kunai
But they spend most of their time in studying tactics , running, climbing, parkour, exercises workout, making putting poisons into their weapons , sharpening sword and many day to day activities
But their main priority was not to fight
@@sammy-iv5rbokay thanks
I respect the choice is his to pass on ninjitsu or not.But I feel that as a scholar, he could appreciate that, whilst the art is not useful in the modern age practically, it doesn't deserve to be forgotten.
Great video!
what is the 'isne' he often says at the end of words or sentences?
Desu ne
it basically means, "right? ("ね") at the end of the sentence. desu, or です is the formal "to be." he's basically saying "X was this, yeah?" anytime he makes a declarative sentence.
atsui desu ne (あついですね or 熱いですね- with kanji) = it's hot isn't it?
He's the father of Dekomori
"Desu ne" (pronounced dess neh). It's their equivalent of "is... you know?" Japanese verbs like "is" come at the end of the sentence.
Would have been interesting to see a breakdown of the Ninja from Shogun. Interesting none-the-less though.
I was hoping they would end with that cause the first night attack from a single ninja is a really good representation of a ninja "assassination" in terms of sneak representation and it would have been the "ninja Assassin theme" he was expecting to see more coming from movies. Would have liked to know his thoughts on it.
Dam hes got the shinobi fangs on for the videoshoot
Infamous as movie adaptations of Mortal Kombat are, this scene here is at least a more more excusable given the ninja in question was being attacked in his own home, and had been using that kunai for its intended gardening purpose right beforehand.
An accuracy rating for the attackers would be interesting, but if I recall Sub-Zero's clan are Chinese assassins rather than ninja, no idea who you'd ask for historically accuracy of Later Jin dynasty (based off the 1617 time stated in the movie) assassins.
I was expecting this guy to give Naruto a 1 out of 10.
I need part 2 to feature 3 Ninjas please and thank you
Him: Brings out sick-looking claws
Me: For disembowelling your enemies, right? 😈
Him: This is a tool for weeding, moving dirt, that kind of thing.
Me: 😐 🤣
8:33 When he says it's like Karate he's referring to the original Okinawan Karate which used weapons, and not the watered-down Karate after it was brought over to the mainland and stripped of its ground-fighting and weaponry elements, and certainly not [Japanese] Highschool Karate and [Overseas] McDojo Karate which can hardly even be called Karate.
Dude, it was solid gold that he thought revenge of the ninja was the best depiction of all of them XD omg
Everything I know about shinobi I learned from the Caustic Soda podcast... and now this video!
in the manga immortal blade, a character said that using two blades was a dishonor. I wonder if it was true.
Probably because swords were bloody expensive and mostly reserved for use by Samurai. I believe there has only been one recorded style that uses two swords and that is a discipline taken from the Samurai. So it probably has less to do with dishonour and more to do with availability.
I like during the Mortal Kombat part they had to blur parts out. That fits Mortal Kombat perfectly 🤣
I love how he says agitate or investigate the enemies situation and I do agree about the fighting arts though but there are times when you are agitating and investigating a situation that gets you in trouble and it is good to have the martial arts
Although not entirely accurate, the ninja scene in last samurai is still one of my favourite scenes of all time, it's superb.
Hey I remember him!!! I saw him on an interview on AsianBoss
I could not believe they included the Ninja Turtles movies in this review (except to get a good laugh).
Sensei Kawakami 🙇 thank you for your wisdom
I realized the media's portrayal of ninjas are absolutely sensationalized.
Revenge of the ninja is my favorite ninja movie ever! I’m surprised how accurate it was rated😮
Is there a link for his braces gofundme?
Ninja was all about assisination and intel gathering (huge underline of intel gathering). They were basically medival Japanese spy. The actual fighting was for samurai.
Ninja are like spies: they gather information.
2:55 Ninja stars! 3:21 Many ninja in media tend to wear colorful outfit. Like in WarioWare but that's another thing.
4:30 Scythe + Chain combo 4:48 OOH! Geisha does too? 5:20 That mean blind ninja exist?
7:32 As a last-resort skill 8:40 WOW! Building climbing! Yeah. In Naruto, they climb with kunai.
10:44 No! It wouldn't happened! 11:40 Speaking of Naruto
14:12 So, the kunai climbing is accurate but not like the "Revenge of the Ninja" scene.
The nunchucku are not originally from Okinawa, but in fact actually have a surprising origin from the Song Dynasty in China as an offshoot of the 3 section staff (San Gie Gun) the nunchucku was known as the "Shuang Jie Gun" (2 part staff) I'm glad he affirmed that it at least wasn't a ninja weapon because so many people think it is lol.
It was a Bruce Lee weapon lol. Cool fact about the nunchuk by the way!
Three section staff is unlikely to have existed at that time, it's used as an actual weapon is also doubtful and nunchucks likely evolved from a flail weapon, if you look at Minh dynasty fails some look really similar.
@@eagle162 As someone who's dedicated my life to Chinese martial arts and history, I know otherwise. It (3 section staff) was a very popular weapon of the time and was commonly used by pole fighters. It's no mistake that the Shuang Jie Gun (2 section staff) was inspired by it. The weapon was used mainly by traveling merchants to ward off robbers, so your claim is nullified ;)
@@SonOfVenus92494try finding it in an actual manual or at least artwork then during that time.
Again you can just take a look at Chinese war flails, the similarities are much more clear.
"Chinese war flail on Mandarin Mansion"
Type that in to take a good look at one.
@@SonOfVenus92494 I'd be interested in your sources, as it's generally agreed that the nunchaku as we know it originated in Okinawa from threshing flails (which most cultures turned into weapons, and for good reason).
This was pretty fascinating
I wish the movie, The Hunted from 1995 was featured. It has some scenes where John Lone's character is disguised as a homeless person in order to gain access to a person to find intel about why a previous assassination in the film was ordered. It also shows an ambush on a train by a small group of ninja that were initially dressed as civilians and business people. Underrated movie never discussed imo.
This is incredible 👍. I ran across this by accident. And the guy who is talking must be a trainer. He's very good with the weapons that he's been demonstrating styles with.
Please teach the generations the ninja ability. I feel like want to see Ninja culture in real
I learned a lot. Thank you.
DAMN! Childhood has just been SHATTERED 😆Loved the honesty though. It was cool to see him laugh at the real silly Hollywood myths. Even better when he picked Revenge of the Ninja as his fav.