| Of all of the stock characters that are commonly | | | | If you are serious about becoming a ninja, the first |
| seen in popular movies, books, and comics, ninjas are | | | | thing that you need to do is find a good school and |
| certainly some of our most beloved martial arts | | | | enroll in it. No matter how dedicated you are, you will |
| characters, and, for many people, their only exposure | | | | progress much slower in your training on your own |
| to the martial arts. Much of the mystique and | | | | than if you are studying under someone who knows |
| popularity of the ninja comes from over-exaggerated | | | | their stuff and has devoted a large part of their life |
| depictions that have little to do with reality, but there | | | | to the martial arts. Now, the specific training is known |
| is a grain of truth behind the ninja legend, and it is | | | | as ninjutsu, but unless you are very lucky, you |
| possible to train yourself to become extraordinarily | | | | probably do not live near a school that offers |
| skilled in the ninja arts. This can be done through the | | | | ninjutsu. No worries; nearly any martial art that you |
| ancient art of ninjutsu. | | | | take up will help you in a study of ninjutsu, and the |
| The historical ninja were Japanese assassins, scouts, | | | | basic kicks and strikes of ninjutsu are similar to those |
| and spies that used a unique form of martial arts that | | | | encountered in most other external martial arts. |
| was built on deception and guerrilla warfare. Aside | | | | Once you are enrolled in a good school, try and |
| from the techniques that normally come to mind | | | | research to find out as much as you can about the |
| when we think of the ninja, ninja were also trained in | | | | historical ninja and their ways. Seek out exercises |
| deception, disguise, explosives, stealth, espionage, | | | | that develop balance and agility, and work on your |
| and concealment. While one can use training to | | | | gymnastic abilities as well. Much of ninjutsu is a fusion |
| further all of these studies, this article will focus | | | | of martial arts and gymnastics. Develop your body |
| mainly on how to develop the armed and unarmed | | | | and your physical and mental abilities in every |
| combat skills that made the ninja so fearsome that | | | | direction, and you will be ready for the demanding |
| today, six hundred years later, they are still | | | | techniques of ninjutsu. |
| remembered with awe. | | | | |