The Ninja: The Real Shadow Warriors Of Medieval Japan | Ancient Black Ops | Chronicle
Feudal Japan's Shadow Warriors, the ninja, were unconventional warfare experts, specializing in deception, ambush, infiltration, assassination, and espionage. Despite facing overwhelming odds and the wrath of feudal overlords, the ninja's ingenuity and resilience lead to unexpected victories and alliances, shaping the course of Japanese history.
Welcome to Chronicle; your home for all things medieval history! With documentaries covering everything from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginnings of the Renaissance, from Hastings to Charlemagne, we'll be exploring everything the Middle Ages have to offer.
Subscribe now so you don't miss out!
Chronicle is part of the History Hit Network. To get in touch please email owned-enquiries@littledotstudios.com.
📺 Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Matt Lewis, and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code CHRONICLE 👉 access.historyhit.com/
#feudaljapan #ninja
“Never trust a ninja, not even your own ninja” lmaooo I see what he did there
🤣🤣
True
What he’s saying is complete bull with horns! Honour and dedication to one’s master and clan in an absolute sense was everything to the Ninja and Samurai!
@@muhammadbenjuraij7734you do realize that in reality most samurai were massive assholes
@@beefish00 Yes you’re probably right if we compare them to today’s crazy hyper social social media because seriousness is not something we relish in the west. However I do believe that their other qualities make them shine, I mean they perform a whole ceremony just to have a cup of Tea😂 The present day Japanese culture is a unique expression of western over indulgence and abandonment of morals especially when it comes to marriage and sex. It is a damn shame because it’s our differences in culture that defines us and marks us out so we may come to recognise each other. For example I am Scottish by blood and clan (I became Muslim nearly 25 yrs ago) on both sides of my parents and the kilt and Tartan literally define us. It saddens me to see a lot of that Japanese culture decay but at least the martial arts and Calligraphy and Japanese architecture and Archery and traditional medicine has survived as separate disciplines. The pursuit of perfection in every breath you take is a very high bar to reach 😊😊🙂👍
@7:31 Ah yes, the Vietnamese speaking Japanese ninjas!
Lol I caught that too. Strange how they typically cast non Vietnamese people (thais, cambodians, laotians, etc.) to play Viets in most movies/shows but this time they casted a Viet to play a Japanese.
I came to the comments just for this lol. This was a decent documentary, but I lost it when I heard Vietnamese. They could've at least taught the guy ONE LINE of Japanese.😂
LMAO!! but you know maybe they dun have budget to hire japanese cast..
@@tankjones513 Sadly the whole "documentery" is as flawed as the language part :/
This is hilarious! I had the feeling these weren't Japanese actors. They just didn't really look it.😂
The British dudes do not represent the Shinobi they were simply stating that modern Black Ops have traits in common with the ancient art of ninjutsu
No such thing as the "ancient art of ninjutsu". Shinobi were merely samurai who practiced espionage. The word "ninja" didn't even appear until the 20th century.
@@LawDawg717 Ok, so ancient art of shinobi no jutsu, happy?
Antony cummings is one of the worlds leaders in Shinobi reseaech. His own channel does a way better job talking about shinobi/Samurai. Also was the first person to Translate with a team and publish the Bansenshukai
...by ancient you mean 1980s hollywood....and by art you mean bullsh*t stories from 1980s hollywood....right? ...since hollywood 1980s is as far back as ninjas actually go....
You sold an Hattori Hanso sword? Yep! But it's priceless!! Not in El Paso it ain't!!
Viva Juarez/ El Paso!
I saved Marcellus Wallace with a Hatori Hanso Sword before I lost my LA privileges
In el paso it was worth 200 bucks
lol Kill Bill great movie
Yesssss!!!!😂😂
Thank you for this documentary!
I love anything about Japanese history and culture
What about the 1920s-40s?
@@briandstephmoore4910 so they had a few darker time periods... who didn't?
Love this then. THE RAPE OF NANKING.
I couldn't stop watching this video about the ninja, the Shadow Warriors of feudal Japan! It does a wonderful job of encapsulating the key characteristics of these great heroes who were experts in unconventional warfare. With their mastery of deceit and unparalleled abilities in infiltration and espionage, the ninja's tale is a captivating tale of perseverance and mystery. An enthralling look at a pivotal period in Japanese history that has fascinated and captivated people all across the globe.
If you want an actual lesson on ninjas watch gaining goombah here in youtube
Perfectly said when it comes to the art of the Ninja, the world's original Special Forces Shadow Warriors
Excellent comment
Bring back the Ninjas! We should train all the CIA and Mossad with swords and ninja stars and chit 😬
@@Malouco that's a great idea to bring the Ninja back
I really enjoyed watching this video, it's excellent!!!
So entertaining guies please continue with a part 2.
Thank Stephen K. Hayes for this distorted Star Wars esq view of shinobi and samurai
Loved it
Go to minute marker 15:50. Check out the soldiers undershirt. I didn’t know they had silkscreen machines back then. 😅 Editing!!! You’re fired!!!
I respect both Ninja’s and Samurai.They are formable Fighters.
Ninja often were Samurai. They were Samurai who focused on certain tactics.
All shinobi are bushi, but not al bushi was a shinobi... shinobi is only a job, not a social class...
Ninjitsu/Ninjas are not fighters they're Fukin expert killers for higher Get your shi+ straight
@@kaguthGTFO samurais take you head on old school shi+ Ninjas (Ninjitsu) will fuk your shi+ up when you're on the crapper in the bed asleep in the shower driving eating ninjas are fukin expert killers for hire
@@cristian.crixus Finally. Someone who understands history.
7:30 didn't know that Japanese speak Vietnamese at that time
Ashida Kim's sentry removal techniques would be helpful here
Ninjas are on another level then these modern military
How do you mean?
@@privatparts70galant51 He probably means more discipline, self-reliance, toughness, etc. They did have to rely on a lot less than modern day soldiers.
@@dwl3006 No such thing as a "ninja".
@@LawDawg717 Because the real word is shinobi? And why are you replying to me as opposed to the dozens of other commentators who assume NInja existed in their comments? By the way, if you actually read my comment carefully, I didn't mention Ninja at all.
@@dwl3006He's one of those people. Searching to trigger someone, so that he can stroke his ego while not realizing how ignorant he sounds. The ninja clans did exist. Look at this guy's choice of online name. Law Dawg says it all about his content of character.
Wait? Legitimate documentary on youtube? Subscribed.
Very cool
Amazing
Very good Ancient Japan History of Nijina as the true Shadow Warriors as the Ancient Japanese martial arts experts in Ancient Japan in ancient arts of secret hand signals in mediation, thrown stars, and other ancient Japanese weapons in a fact.
Why there is not more movies about Ninjas? is the coolest thing ever!
The Ninja are the world's original Special Forces Shadow Warriors and founding fathers of Unconventional Warfare, Direct Raid assault, special Recon, HVT missions and Black ops specialists in Espionage. There are would be today's version of the Navy SEALs, MARSOC Marine Raiders, Marine Force Recon, Army Rangers, Army Special Forces, Air Force Special Recon teams, CIA Paramilitary and Army Delta Force.
Exactly! They way before their time the original special force's!
Wrong. The "ninja" didn't exist. Stop believing dumb youtube videos.
No, Y'all are thinking about the Scottish. The reason special operatives wear berets today is because of the British "Scottish Brigade" who later became the commandos who influenced all American spec opps. The Scottish indigenous had been fighting clandestine wars since Roman occupation. Also considered to be magical, mysterious, and worshiping nature spirits, they do share a lot in common with the Jizamuri of Iga and Koga (the poorer, rual samurai) who waged a gorilla campain in the highlands of southern Japan.
This person is clearly not familiar with a universal fact about historical warriors: There is more than one type of warfare. I for one side with the camp who believes that ninjas and samurai are the same type of warrior doing two different types of warfare, but in a society where everyone is ashamed to admit that they are doing black ops. So ashamed that they erased any evidence that would have allowed us to connect the ninja with the samurai. It is a good theory, especially when one considers how hard it is for a samurai to take another noble's head in the middle of a battle without having his friends pin him to the ground for him. Then there are the similarities in weapons used by samurai and weapons that are often associated with ninjas and the similarities between the way a ninja trains and a samurai trains. It has everything to do with how shameful they thought black ops was even though they clearly did a lot of it.
There is no such thing as a "ninja". In historical context, the Japanese characters for "ninja" are actually "shinobi". And there are no historic records of "ninja" assassinations. Shinobi are samurai that practice espionage.
@@LawDawg717 That's what he said.
I don't know what the hell he said at 07:33 but I'm pretty damned sure it wasn't Japanese.
So much of their strength is based in theater and myth, including their history
Very cool.
As a hunterxhunter fan I appreciate the use of historical names for characters
Shinobi is not a martial art. Shinobi is a spy. A ninja can operate as a spy or shinobi.
Right this isn't very good documentary.
There is no such thing as a "ninja". The Japanese characters for shinobi can be pronounced as "ninja". That is where "ninja" comes from. In reality, shinobi were samurai who practiced espionage.
And let's not forget that Bushido was a concept created by a man who was from a family of bushi but was born after the era where bushi and shinobi were active. The bushi engaged in numerous underhanded practices.
This was really good.
What did they do in the long summer days with no shadows
wait for night.
They just pulled out there cell phones to call devil hanzo and scream wahhhhhzuhhhh like the Budweiser commercials
Walk in the streets with normal clothes...
Sharpen their weapons .
I seen Ninjitsu folks dress in white since they're espionage experts they disguise 🥸 in plain sight as well come on Mothafukka they're expert killers
I'm half ninja on my father's side. I was born a dangerous stealth weapon
According to actual texts, most of what we know of Shinobi (ninjas) is false. They are not black pajamas wearing special forces. They were just samurai, learning samurai arts plus infiltration, deceptive strategies and espionage. Most ninjas would infiltrate the enemy, as perhaps a servant, Gardner, nobility etc and would get the enemy to turn against themselves. Occasionally assassinating selected individuals.
Yes, someone with knowledge. It’s really concerning that this is portrayed as a documentary more than an ass pull story.
They were special forces, serving many jobs such as commando units, military / Castle defense, spy hunters, sabotages, military capture agents.ect. They likely did wear black but use other colors to help break it up. The best comparison in a modern context would be the the CIA deviation S.A.D.
Wrong ninjas came from the peasant class which is why many of their weapons were farm tools ,samurai were of the nobility class and the only ones allowed swords . Samurai hired ninjas to to things a samurai could not do under the code of bushido .
Horse crap. There has been actual academic research into the subject. The original comment is correct. The word "ninja" didn't even appear until the 20th century.
@@LawDawg717 i am half japanese gaijin you have no idea what you are talking about
I trained for 13 yrs with a subset of the Iga clan, when we were learning at night we never wore total black clothes, always of black n greys, solid black and colors stand out even in moon light .
The anime?
@@djquinn11 no really life, at bujinkan , I'm sorry if I'm missing spelling this I'm older now n can't see to good loo
In the military they taught us use use mud and foliage to fool flir!
Did you wear a Black or Grey COVID mask?
@@samueljackson6188Flir is Infrared😅😂
Japanese history is dope! IM GONNA BE JAPANESE TODAY
"Were you seen?" Quoted by Splinter in the 1990 movie called: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
they really were the special forces of there time weren't they
I’m sure Antony Cummins would have a thing or two to say about how the shinobi are represented (or rather misrepresented) here…
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh My Goodness
6:15 "Samyoureye" lmfao
I call BS on this documentary. Not one mention of triple flips, jumping over walls, or turtles anywhere.
Hilarious!
😂
This was before the bombs... Remember how Godzilla was made
and where's Ashida Kim???
@@frankprit3320 I recognize that name because I used to buy books from Paladin Press in the 1980s and I bought his book about the death touch.
Don't forget about the Koga ninja.
Blackbelt magazine in the 80s/90s would be all about pushing ninja warfare merch. There were so many stores you cpuld go to to get different types of stars and short swords etc. Also outfits.
Shit just go to the local mall n cop mall ninja gear lol
I love the wano arc
Im hoping they have a segment in this show for thr ultimate Ninja, Frank Dux , 10x Kumate Champion, winmer of Blooodsport.
I’m hoping you are being wonderfully sarcastic.
@92656trw Wow bud. Scary you even have to ask that but yes I was beimg very sarcastic
@@billmurray1431: You forgot to use your sarcasm font.
Sarcastia @@djquinn11
great video, I want to be a ninja 😊🎉🎉❤❤
Dear Chronicle, the video was uploaded on youtube recently. But when was it actually filmed? *The information that it contains is revised multiple times over :/*
I was always told that the plural of ninja was ninja
So that Iga ninja from the World Heroes video game is that famous?
Training and discipline.
Han Wei Raptor on the floor at 30:53 😮
What about the dreaded Koga Ninjas , and why were Shintaro and his little mate Chusaku not mentioned once ? I know about them , because I faithfully watched every episode of “ The Samurai “ as a potential ninja recruit back in ‘67.
At 7:30 What language is that? Thai? Certainly not Shinobi Japanese
Good stuff. I've heard very little about these guys. Glad there's a topic about them.
Haven't heard here this mothafukka Ninjitsu/ninjas are expert killers for hire
I cant wait for ac codename red
Only a ninja, can defeat a ninja 🥷
Well for the ones always calling themselves ninjas ok this is what real legitimate ninjas look like
Ninja please !!!
I always thought Chinese ninjas fought against Japanese samurai - I'm guessing I wasn't the only one. Thanks for this!
that would be hilarious if you saw a ninja flip up or down his IR goggs..
Bro just keeps pulling weapons out that suit jacket
Muito bom
One famous Ninja, was called Kawasaki San.
Documentary of the British Ninja Forces..
british airforce claiming to be descendants of ninjas is hilariously represented here
Lol😂😂
Nope. It's actually the truth.
British airforce is just hand me down US Airforce. They literally got the idea from the United States, and are bucktooth hwite boys. Nothing to do with Ninjas or Japan.
@@theriotartist aren't you sweet. He's talking about the S.A.S. They're special forces, and they're better trained than the US special forces. Read more.
@@getagrip_1 you mean the guys that get trained by our Special Forces? Quit it.
There's almost no evidence for separate professional ninjas. Ninjutsu was just one of the arts of warfare of the samurai
What did the actor Ieyasu told Hanzo? he sounded vietnamese or thai lol
Lmfao! This is the comment I was looking for. Sounded Vietnamese 😂
@@KokoroBeach sure did hahaha. 07:32 Viet-yasu right there
@@itsrye8001 no wonder the ninjas were masters of secrecy, they spoke and wrote in Vietnamese in Japan!
Yep! Heard that too!
He said “me love you long time”😂😂
Fancy full
If you give me one pice of gold behind the walls of your castle or city I will take that castle or city
Is the Shuriken the same as a Shaken?
question, what source do you have that Hattori Hanzō was even in the Tenshō Iga War? Specially that the Hattori Hanzo was not a real Shinobi, but a samurai Vassel under Tokugawa Ieyasu. Why would he jeopardize his status, wealth, and title by going to war with his bosses' allies. Seems like this show only cares about oversimplification of dramatic ninja fighting techniques and very vague, false, and outdated historical accounts on who did what. This show is a mess.
No comparison seals 6 and the Eagar ninja.
Ninjas/ shinobi were farmers/ Ryonin. Their outerwear was not so clean-cut nor colored black.
I will never understand how the British accent renders Samurai as Sam-YEE-rai...
They didn’t wear black, blue was instead favoured.
Why?
@@killaant84 blue showed up better in the dark. Black was what theatre actors used and westerners (American more like) then decided it looked better from their perspective when depicting ninja in movies/tv etc. Scrambling over rooftops at night isn’t exactly subtle either. Why not disguise yourself as someone going about their daily business and then do the deed that way? Some even acted as sleeper cells months maybe years waiting to be activated.
Do you just make stuff up? "Ninjas" never existed as are portrayed today. It's made up.
What about the influence of western sword techniques like fencing?
How do british people talking to each other tell the difference between one of them saying dock vs dark? Just context?
The only ninjas are divorce lawyers- chuck Norris
The origin of ninja goes back 800 years to China when the rural peasantry had to resist the tyrannical dynasties.
10:02 samurai’s used cell phones thousands of years ago? Well now you know
They didn’t even mention Ninja Man 🥷🇯🇲😂
😐
"Samyurai". 😆
"Samurai thought of themselves above dirty tricks" What the fuck? Did you guys do any research at all or did you all just send your 8th graders to write about Ninjas?
With all due respect... Ninja are related to the Shingon Buddhist sect, the hand mudra come from that tradition, not Shinto.
Anthony Cummins is to martial arts what Ancient Aliens is to archaeology.
Brilliant and spot on
Soooo, he's an indisputable master who's solely responsible for all martial arts, and the only reason anyone knows how to swing a sword or throw a punch is because of him?
And AOC is to economics.
😂
@@92656trw0
I wonder if they invented sponge bob from looking at jason Williams
Hanzo /Danzo naruto ninjitsu
47:36 Japanese Bushi using Chinese dadao… seems legit -_-
From the first minutes it is obvious it is kids show....
Like hell so the queen can tax them
You forgot the part where they're _probably_ not real.
They weren't. They were farmers who never attacked head on because they had no combat skills
That Naruto headband is liegit.
Ninja vs Hashashin Who wins?
Hashashin. Ninja never existed.
wu tang collection born invincible 1978 mandarin version with English subs 1:19:07 👏
One major difference between Ninjas and "Our SpecOps boyz" !!!!! . .. .. Our boyz train with Bigfoot roaming around, randomly, where he chooses. .... ... 😀
It would be erroneous to call the samurai the officer class
Ninjas were only good bc they utilized their element of surprise, darkness, and moved in silence. Fast forward 300 years and our special forces still use the same technique. They just use different weaponry.
ninjas or in an early period called Shinobi were just spyes and they were not a cast like the Samurai , but a job. Some ninjas were Samurai , but not all, cause spyes can be in different forms or specializations, like somebody who knows languages , and is able to get information for their lord undercover is a ninja a spy. If they were Samurai of course they are trained in the fighting skils. the straight sword (chokuto ), the thing that they are all assasins, the mystical arts of fighting are all BS created in modern times. The Chokuto appears in some paintings, but not related to ninjas, probably was a more affordable sword (easier to forge and less expensive to make ) for not so rich people.
The proper name for the shinobi power is called Demonic Power.. yes it's not fake
15:38 "he uses classic Shinobi tactics to fell his enemy" and he just runs his steel through the guy's back 😅. You know that the was at least one point during the pandemic mandates for every male that grew up in the 80s when they put on mask and thought about how their 9 year old selves would have loved being able to look like a ninja all the time.
Well you didn't get the honor, but you weren't performing seppuku either ...so