Phantom killers. Ninja

General rules Classic rules of behavior at a European table: everything that can be eaten with a knife and fork should not be touched with your hands; If the dish can be eaten with a fork, do not use a spoon. It is not forbidden to leave food uneaten. At large banquets it is recommended

06.06.2011 - 23:50

Proud samurai always looked with contempt at ninjas - corrupt spies, ready to serve the highest bidder. Low caste, social outcasts, servants of the devil, outlaws - such was the position of the ninja in Japan.

Spy School

Secret ninja clans emerged in Japan simultaneously with the emergence of the samurai class. The process of creating clans began around the 9th century, and by the 12th century the network of ninja bases was already quite extensive.

Despite the fact that the ninja, due to their status as outcasts, never claimed to seize power and generally tried not to attract special attention to themselves, their shelters were periodically attacked by the government and local feudal lords.

However, despite periodic persecutions, to XVII century in Japan there were already about seventy clans that produced professional spies, and each clan had its own “school” of martial arts, carefully passed down by inheritance.

Here it must be said that organized, highly professional espionage was not invented in Japan. The prototype of the ninja was the Chinese and Korean saboteurs, whose “schools” were organized according to the tribal system and who professed the teachings of Tao - a philosophical movement aimed at preparing a person for survival in the most extreme conditions and cultivating complete fusion with nature and the environment.

In contrast to the samurai, who, according to the Bushido code, tried to best prepare for a noble death, the ninja, due to their specialization, learned the art of survival at any cost. After all, no one needs a dead spy. There were no prohibitions for ninjas; there were absolutely no moral, ethical or other restrictions in the methods of warfare. Any means are good to achieve victory, and the ninjas successfully used them.

Not childish games

The training of the future hired intelligence officer began literally from the cradle. Even the cradle swinging on ropes, where the baby carelessly spent the first months of life, easily turned into a sports equipment.

This happened in the following way: the baby’s parents sometimes gave her such a strong push that the cradle hit the wall. The child was initially frightened and began to cry, but gradually got used to it and soon began to silently shrink, accepting the push.

Subsequently, the exercise became more complicated: now the child was freed from the cradle and suspended from the ceiling in a net resembling a harness. Now, upon contact with the wall, he received not only a push, but also a sensitive blow and was forced to learn to push off the wall with his hands and feet.

This game was often played in reverse: a very heavy but soft ball made of grass and fabric was slowly rolled onto a child sitting on the floor. To defend himself, the baby raised his hands and pushed the “attacker” aside, thus involuntarily learning to put up blocks.

From about six months of age, children in ninja clans began to be taught swimming. Sometimes the child even began to swim before walking. These classes developed lungs and coordination of movements. “Amphibious” children were able to dive to relatively great depths and remain under water for several minutes. With age, these abilities, if training was not interrupted, only intensified.

This was followed by a continuous sequence of educational games for reaction speed, strengthening and relaxing massages, and breathing control. And when the child began to feel confident standing on the ground and swimming in the water, he was sent “into the air.”

The envy of acrobats

It all started with an ordinary log lying right on the ground, on which the baby learned simple physical exercises.

Gradually, the log rose higher and higher and became thinner, turning into a thin pole and, finally, into an ordinary rope. On the contrary, the exercises became more and more difficult. At the end of this process, the trainee could be the envy of the best circus performers in the world: it cost him nothing to walk along a rope hanging over an abyss, simultaneously doing the splits and making a reverse balance...

Jumping was a mandatory part of the training program: in trees - from branch to branch or onto the trunk of another tree; on stones; high jump; the ability to “fall” from a height of ten meters, to remain not only safe and sound, but also ready to fight or run away - such skills came only as a result of long training. And a thorny bush could serve as a “stimulating” simulator for high jumps.

Undoubtedly, everyone who has seen films about ninjas has doubts about their ability to “walk” on the ceiling. Doubts, in fact, are quite justified - and it’s true that not even a super-trained ninja can “walk” along a flat, smooth ceiling. Another thing is medieval Japanese buildings, where the ceilings were a wooden “network” of beams, rafters and cross beams. An experienced spy moved along such ceilings quite easily, using a “cat” and special hooks on his hands and feet.

In addition to exotic jumps, “walking on the ceiling” and rope exercises, the training program necessarily included ordinary running. Starting from the age of ten, the future ninja was required to run tens of kilometers per day. And not along a cinder path, but along rough terrain, on which caring teachers could dig holes overnight, set nets, traps and a host of other traps. And while running short distances an ordinary hat served as an indicator of the required speed. Try to press your hat to your chest at the start and run so that it remains pressed to you by the flow of oncoming air until the very finish.

Only a small part of the truly gigantic training of professional spies and saboteurs is described here. But there is still climbing with only arms and legs; hanging by hands for many hours; mastering dozens of types of weapons; knowledge of poisons and explosives; the ability to camouflage, walking on stilts, horse racing... And in addition to physical exercises - the development of memory, the ability to read maps and ancient texts, training "night" vision, hearing, smell...

And all this in order to fulfill his destiny - to work as a hired spy. Ordinary ninjas - they were called genin - could not count on leniency if captured by the enemy. Samurai loyal to Bushido never tortured captives equal to themselves, and rarely condescended to commoners. But a ninja - a vile spy, creeping up from behind, striking from around the corner, capable of vilely attacking an unarmed person and knowing nothing less than evil spirits - it was a sin not to subject him to the most terrible tortures. And the ninja knew that they could only rely on themselves and it was better not to be caught alive.

Friendship or code

What has always distinguished ninjas is the ability to get out of seemingly the most hopeless situations. This ability is quite clearly characterized by the story of two ninja spies: Tonbe and Juzo.

It so happened that one of the rulers, the shoguns, hired Tonbe to eliminate his fellow craftsman, Juzo, who in turn was hired by the shogun’s opponents. However, approaching his victim, Dongbe saw that the one into whom he had to plunge the sword was not only a fellow craftsman, but also his old friend. What was to be done? On the one hand - purely human friendship, on the other - the code cannot be violated. Once a ninja has agreed to do a job, he must either do it or die, there is no third option. After a short meeting, a plan was developed...

After some time, the bound Juzo appeared before his enemy. The shogun was pleased - Dongbe had surpassed himself by capturing the victim alive. Having received his reward, he left. While the meeting was going on on how best to deal with the prisoner, he suggested... committing suicide in front of everyone. The offer was accepted, Juzo received a short sword, and the shogun's retinue gathered in anticipation of the spectacle.

The performance matched the audience. Having plunged the sword into his stomach up to the hilt, Juzo turned it several times, blood sprayed out and immediately flooded the entire floor, the ninja twitched several times and fell silent. The satisfied ruler ordered his body to be thrown into a ditch.

But the insidious Juzo and his friend outwitted everyone: the ninja sword entered not into the stomach, but into a dead rat, previously tucked into the belt. After waiting for darkness, Juzo made his way into the castle, which he had managed to study while in captivity, set it on fire and disappeared with impunity.

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Ninja (Japanese “nin” - secret, “ja” - personality, that is, ninja - “a person who acts secretly and persistently”, in Russian the word is not inclined) - a reconnaissance saboteur, spy, spy in medieval Japan, that is spy master.

According to legends, these were brave, seasoned people who had been trained in very complex art ninjutsu, which included a lot of skills. The ninja had to, first of all, master any weapon, defend himself against any weapon (including with his bare hands), suddenly appear and hide unnoticed, know local medicine, herbal medicine and acupuncture. They could stay under water for a long time, breathing through a straw, climb rocks, navigate the terrain, train their hearing, visual memory, see better in the dark, have a keen sense of smell, and much more.

Ninjutsu is the ancient Japanese “art of trickery and dodging”, “the ability to endure (hidden)”; supposedly, the “magical” ability to make oneself invisible using various tricks and tricks to avoid detection, which was used by specially trained saboteurs and spies. Ninjas penetrated enemy territory undetected, or disguised as ordinary residents, to collect information about the actions and intentions of the enemy, which they then reported to their employers. They were also involved in stealing secret documents, arson and murder. Using diversionary techniques, the ninja acted with courage and ingenuity, catching their opponents by surprise.

The teachings of ninjutsu say that complete safety cannot be achieved. Any action disrupts the harmony in the world, causing resistance, the more it upsets the balance. You need to understand what the violation of harmony is and be able to avoid the undesirable consequences of this or reduce them to a minimum.

The principles of spiritual purity of the ninja described in the encyclopedia of ninjutsu (Bansensukai) do not recognize: hatred, desire for power, pleasure, since they cloud the mind and disrupt the harmony of the ninja with the outside world. The feeling of love for one's family and society, responsibility for the right direction of fate forces the ninja to fight.

Training in the difficult art of ninjutsu consists of three stages, together they form a system for confronting any dangers:

Merging with the world; conquering the five elements of earth, water, fire, air and emptiness. All this was carried out through training, which included: covert movement, use of the environment, terrain orientation, covert movement, etc. Merging with the elements, the warrior became invulnerable to the enemy.

Taijutsu - hand-to-hand combat with the enemy; Bujutsu - working with weapons;

Ninpo-mikkyo is the use of altered states of consciousness to mobilize the body's internal resources.

More than any fighting style ninjutsu balances the properties of all martial arts: strength, speed, correct timing and the use of minimal effort to achieve maximum effect.

As the ninja's popularity grew, so did the stories of their supernatural abilities. This reputation was also maintained by them, since in general they were weaker than their samurai opponents and could be wiped out from the face of the earth by the warlike families that surrounded them. It was certainly beneficial for them to be talked about as having the power of ten, capable of turning into animals, flying and becoming invisible.

To understand the source of the ninja's effectiveness and why they were in such high demand, one must try to understand the samurai themselves. In general, their life and death depended on the sword; there was no fear of death. They always and in everything followed the unwritten military code of Bushido, deviation from which almost invariably led to seppuku (cutting one's own belly). Samurai could not secretly enter the enemy's house, since this was contrary to their morals; they also could not engage in murder from behind the corner or acts of sabotage. This is where the ninjas took the stage.

The samurai were legendary warriors and are perhaps Japan's most famous class. They were noble fighters, fighting against evil (and each other) with swords and fearsome armor, and followed a strict moral code that governed their entire lives.

The word "samurai" is traditionally applied only to men. The Japanese bushi class, to which they belonged, made it possible to teach martial arts to women - such women were called onna-bugeisha and participated in wars along with men. Their weapon, as a rule, was a naginata - a spear taller than a man with a blade resembling a long curved sword. This weapon, compared to others, was relatively light and quite effective.

Historical texts suggest that there were few female warriors among all Japanese women of noble origin - traditionally, Japanese noblewomen were content with the role of housewives. Nevertheless, latest research prove that women participated in hostilities much more often than is written in history books. For example, a DNA analysis was carried out on the remains of participants in one major battle, and it turned out that 35 out of 105 belonged to women.

The most unusual attribute of samurai is, perhaps, their strange, but beautiful and richly decorated armor. Unlike the armor of European knights, samurai armor was intended primarily for mobility.

Good armor had to be durable, yet flexible enough to allow the wearer to move freely on the battlefield. It consisted of plates of leather or metal, coated with varnish, carefully adjusted to each other using leather or silk laces. The arms were protected by massive rectangular shields, and there was a gap at the elbow. Right hand often left unprotected to ensure maximum freedom of movement.

The strangest piece of armor was the kabuto helmet: the bowl was made of metal plates hammered together, while the face and forehead were protected by armor tied in a circle behind the head and under the helmet. The most popular design was a helmet similar to the famous Darth Vader helmet - such a headdress could protect the wearer from swords and arrows from all sides.

Many helmets also had decorations and separately attached parts, including the mustachioed demonic mengu masks, which both protected the face and frightened the enemy. To ensure softness, a leather scarf was used as a balaclava.

Although samurai armor has undergone significant changes over time, appearance to an inexperienced observer remained generally the same. In fact, samurai armor was so effective that the US Army adopted the design of its body armor from them.

Samurai were uncomplicated people when it came to sexual relations. Like many other warrior cultures, such as the Spartans, the samurai not only considered same-sex relationships normal, but actively encouraged them. Sexual relations usually arose between young students and the teacher who trained them - this practice was known as wakashudo ("way of youth") and was practiced by almost all representatives of the bushi class.

Although wakashudo was considered one of the fundamental aspects of the samurai way, history has preserved little information about it - for example, this fact is almost never advertised in popular culture.

Readers who have seen the film The Last Samurai know that under special circumstances, a non-Japanese could fight alongside the samurai or even become one themselves. This was a special honor that included receiving samurai weapons and a new Japanese name. Only special leaders such as daimyo (landlords) or shogun (military leader) could provide it.

There are four known Western men who received the rank of samurai: adventurer William Adams, his partner Jan Joosten van Lodenstein, naval officer Eugene Kolach and arms dealer Edward Schnell. Adams was the wealthiest and most influential man of all four - he became an adviser to the shogun himself.

Many people think that the samurai were a few elite troops, like modern Russian special forces, or a small, strictly defined noble caste. However, virtually the entire bushi social class consisted of samurai. Originally, the word "samurai" meant "those who frequent the nobles." Over time, the meaning changed and became associated with representatives of the middle and middle bushi class. top level, in particular, with soldiers.

This means that there were quite a lot of such warriors. At its peak, up to 10% of Japan's population belonged to the samurai. So, at least half of the modern inhabitants of Japan have samurai blood flowing in their veins.

Samurai can be called the rock stars of their time: their clothing style greatly influenced the fashion of that era. However, with the exception of special occasions, the samurai themselves everyday life dressed casually. Although their daily costume was complex, every aspect was designed to suit the needs of the warriors.

The suit had to provide speed and freedom of movement. The usual outfit consisted of hakama pants and a kimono or hitatare - a double-length vest thrown over the shoulders. A weapon was a common part of the suit, and the hitatare could be instantly discarded if attacked. Kimonos were made of silk, which provided both a beautiful appearance and coolness. Wooden shoes or sandals were used as footwear.

The most common hairstyle was the bun. With the exception of Buddhist monks who shaved their heads, people of all classes have worn buns for hundreds of years. The habit of combining a topknot with a partially shaved head may have developed out of necessity - it was more comfortable to wear a helmet with a shaved forehead.

Samurai used various types weapons. The original weapon was a sword called a chokuto, a thin, smaller version of the straight swords later used by medieval European knights. As their weaponry improved, samurai gradually switched to curved swords, which eventually became katanas. The katana is perhaps the most famous type of sword in the world and certainly the most iconic weapon of the samurai.

The bushido code of samurai dictated that the soul of a samurai was contained in his katana, and this elevated it to the rank of the most important weapon. Typically, katanas were used in conjunction with a daisho, a shortened copy of the main sword, which was a symbol of status - only samurai had the right to wear daisho.

However, swords were not the only weapons. Yumi or bows were used just as often, as eventually personal courage on the battlefield came to be valued less than tactics and planning. When gunpowder appeared in the 16th century, samurai abandoned bows in favor of firearms and guns. Preference was given to tanegashima - flintlock guns, popular among Edo era samurai and their servants.

Members of the samurai class were much more than simple warriors - most of them received an excellent education. At that time, very few Europeans could read, but the level of literacy among the samurai was extremely high, and they also studied mathematics.

Bushido dictated that a samurai should strive for self-improvement in many ways, including those not related to martial arts. This is why the samurai had a significant cultural influence: they wrote poetry, painted in monochrome ink, and were experts in the tea ceremony - all of these were normal aspects of their culture. They also studied subjects such as calligraphy, literature and floristry.

Impressive armor and weapons often make samurai seem like giants, which is how they are portrayed in modern pop culture. However, this is far from the truth: most samurai were short - for example, samurai of the 16th century had a fragile thin body and height from 160 to 165 cm. For comparison, the height of European knights of the same period varied from 180 to 196 cm.

Moreover, noble samurai may not have been as pure-blooded as they would have liked. Compared to the average Japanese, their skin was noticeably lighter and they had more body hair. Their profile, namely the shape of the nose, also noticeably resembled European ones. Ironically, this may mean that the samurai were actually descended from the Ainu ethnic group, considered inferior by the Japanese and often subject to discrimination.

One of the most frightening things known about the Way of the Samurai is seppuku, a ritual also known as hara-kiri. A samurai had to commit suicide if he was unable to follow bushido or was captured. Seppuku could be either a voluntary act or a punishment, but in either case it was seen as a very honorable way to die.

Most people are aware of the "field" version of hara-kiri - a quick and dirty affair. It was necessary to pierce one's stomach with a short blade and move it from left to right - in essence, the samurai disemboweled himself. Usually another samurai helped him perform the ritual, who at that moment cut off the first one’s head, since otherwise the warrior would have died extremely long and painfully.

However, the full ritual of seppuku is a much longer and more complex process. It began with a ceremonial bath, then the samurai dressed in white clothes and took his favorite food; at the end of the meal, he had to put the blade on an empty plate. After this, he wrote a song of death - in fact, his last words. When the poem was written, the samurai had to grab the blade, having first wrapped his hand in cloth so as not to cut himself, and rip open his stomach.

Of course, during the final part of the ritual, a friend with a sword had to be present, who, when cutting off the head, sought to leave a small strip of flesh in the neck area so that the head would fall forward and remain in the arms of the dead samurai. And if the head had rolled towards bystanders, it could have meant eternal shame.

Ninja, unlike samurai, were not subject to the feudal system: they lived in their own parallel world, which was ruled by powerful clans. During the heyday of the ninja, which occurred in the Middle Ages (approximately XII-XV centuries), there were about 70 clans in Japan. The profession was inherited: from father to son or daughter. Yes, female ninjas also existed, their names were kunoichi.

Ninja training began from the cradle - in the most literal sense. The basket with the child was hung in the corner, the parents periodically came up and swung it so that it began to hit the walls. The baby ninja cried, but gradually got used to it and soon was grouped into a ball, barely feeling the push. Vestibular apparatus also developed from childhood: the baby was twisted and spun upside down and at different angles, and then suddenly released, teaching him to land deftly and not break anything.

The training of future ninjas was based on everyday physical exercise. For example, running. At the start, the young ninja clutched a straw hat to his chest, and as soon as he started, he let it go. If the hat, under the influence of the air flow, remained pressed to the chest until the finish, the test was passed.

Much attention was paid to training to develop night vision, because ninjas carried out most of their tasks at night. The little ninja was placed in a cave for several days, where the only source of light was a burning torch. Then the torch was replaced with a candle. So the light intensity gradually decreased, and the eyes got used to the darkness.

Ninja were very well educated: they had to know hieroglyphs in order to read military maps and other documents. In addition, ninjas were trained in theatrical skills, because sometimes they had to pretend to be merchants or monks to obtain information.

In addition to the sword, spear and halberd, the ninja's arsenal included projectiles and chemicals. Ninjas constantly modernized and improved their weapons. For example, in the arsenal there was a specific dagger with a handle of about 15 cm and two blades (one straight, the other curved). Attached to the handle was a long, thin, light horsehair rope or metal chain with a loop at the end. Such a superweapon was used both as a grappling hook and as a throwing knife.

In addition, ninjas invented and actively used " water skiing“- these were rafts for the feet, made of reeds, on which, with certain skill, one could glide through the water.

The ninja always took poison pills or ampoules sewn into his collar with him on missions. He knew that if he was caught, his death would be long and painful, so it was in his best interest to end his life quickly and efficiently. If a ninja was stunned and came to his senses chained to a wall, he knew how to bite off his tongue so as to die almost immediately.

Ninjas never wore black clothes, as numerous action films on the topic would have us believe. Black clothes would attract attention even on a pitch-black night. Therefore, the ninja's night combat uniform was dark gray and reddish-brown - these were the colors that blended best with the darkness. Also, very thin metal inserts were sewn into the suit to repel knife attacks in hand-to-hand combat.

When I try to understand why the nine traditions of ninjutsu survived for more than a thousand years, I think that it was very important that each Soke or head of the clan who achieved enlightenment passed on his experience to his students. The ninja ancestors who risked their lives achieved enlightenment. Their life experiences became the rules of the ninja.

Ninjas invented the rules necessary to receive blessings from above. The rules are created naturally and can be adapted to the conditions of the modern world. Through them one can realize yojitsu tenkan ho, or the correct relationship between truth and deception, through the training of ninpo taijutsu. These rules are similar to the seven paths and three directions of ninja disguises. Seven secrets of camouflage plus three for a total of ten. Ten is a lucky number that wards off evil.

Ninja goals: firstly, using ninjutsu to get into the enemy camp and find out the situation. Plans may be made for a surprise attack or to incite internal strife. It is clear that we have no choice but to fight for victory if the enemy takes certain actions against us. But under normal circumstances, we will begin to act on our own to achieve success. Here I am talking about the enemy camp as something specific, but I would like to emphasize that the enemy can be found both in nature and in the souls of other people. Moreover, defending your country and yourself is a civic duty necessary to maintain peace.

Secondly, ninjas must serve the country and its ruler based on the spirit of justice and develop love for their teacher and parents in their souls. They should not use ninjutsu for personal gain, passion or entertainment.

When defending justice, it is important to remember that the enemy's justice is often misinterpreted and not considered fair.

We are taught to respect teachers and parents. In Japan they say that the bond between a parent and a child lasts one generation, between a husband and wife - two generations, and between a teacher and a student - three. This highlights the depth of our duty to teachers and the importance of respect and assistance.

I would like to talk about myself now, fifteen years after the death of Sensei Takamatsu. My students have grown up and I feel like I can truly call them students now. A Japanese proverb recommends walking a meter behind a teacher and not stepping on his shadow. At one time I believed that the proverb taught us to follow in the footsteps of the teacher, but to keep our distance so as not to show disrespect. But in reality we cannot step on someone's shadow, because the shadow is always on top of the foot, although we think that we have stepped on it. The shadows of the teacher, his mentor and his student are similar. Many times while studying with Sensei Takamatsu, I felt like I was constantly stepping on his shadow. But after deep reflection, I came to the conclusion that I was not actually stepping on his shadow. Many students come to me. Some people are happy about the number of students, but not me. This is because no matter the number of my students, the main thing is to convey my spirit to them correctly. If there is no such transfer of spirit, we can assume that there are no disciples at all.

Even if you have been developing the spirit all your life, your achievements in spiritual awakening (without enlightenment) are limited. What you have achieved can be compared to the tip of the iceberg. I mean, just because you see the word "air" doesn't mean you understand what it is. There are people who are unable to achieve spiritual awakening even if they tried throughout their lives. In addition, some are aware of their inability to achieve enlightenment.

Spiritual awakening is not related to the amount of time spent training. The hall for training in Buddhist concepts is the place where Sakiyamuni became the Buddha. A training room is not just a piece of land or space, it is a place to work on enlightenment.

In Japan there was a famous monk named Ryokan. He always played with children. One day, when he saw that bamboo shoots began to grow through the floor of his house, the monk made holes in the floor for the shoots. They say he even made holes in the ceiling when the bamboo grew bigger. Further growth of bamboo led to the destruction of the house. The Ryokan never had a training hall or students.

Another Buddhist priest named Tosui had a large training hall and many students. However, it is said that he left his training hall and became a beggar. He connected with the common people and taught in the streets.

I am convinced that both Ryokan and Tosui understood the attractive power of the training hall, and that once established, such an organization would grow; however, attending a workout does not guarantee waking up.

It is not permitted to use ninjutsu for entertainment or magical purposes. If someone uses the art of secret actions for such purposes, then this is no longer ninjutsu, it takes on a connotation of witchcraft, evil spells. In this case, the performer will not be able to live in society in front of other people, his destiny is to live among snakes, toads and slugs in a world where the sun never shines.

Consciousness arising from selfish interests and selfish desires will send you into a labyrinth from which there is no path to enlightenment. If you forget the rules of the ninja and follow your desires, it will lead to the end point of “Deception”, or “Prison” or, if you think about violence, even “Coffin”.

Wonderful things happen in ninjutsu. A bad ninja who uses his art for selfish purposes will disappear like an ordinary merchant or a stupid bandit. Like followers who become lazy after successfully founding a martial arts school, a ninja who expresses his desires explicitly will lose power.

Third, ninjutsu places an important role on hojutsu, which is based on kyojitsu tenkan ho or the interaction of truth and deception. Without exposing yourself to the enemy, you can use taijutsu, but when this is not possible, you can use happo hiken or the eight ways of using secret swords, or other ninja tools to confuse the enemy.

It is very important to confuse the enemy. It can be said that hojutsu places more emphasis on attacking the mind rather than attacking the body. This means that ninjas use techniques of reconnaissance, espionage, covert action and conspiracy, and a mixture of deception and truth to achieve victory.

I always tell my students to try to achieve enlightenment through taijutsu or body techniques. The strategy and changes of such body technique have something in common with the strategy and changes of nature. This cannot be understood unless you attend my classes. Training body technique, changeable, true and deceptive movements will lead you to the path of justice.

Fourth, ninjas must master the use of gunpowder, ninja tools and potions - including drugs and poisons. An important addition to this rule is that you must not kill the enemy. Ninjas know that a bad man destroys himself. As for human life, a person is considered dead if his soul is dead, although the body may still have signs of life. Ninjas have cultivated the spirit of justice in themselves.

Fifthly, a ninja must devote considerable time to working with the types of weapons that he will use. It is necessary that he learn from his instincts and benefit from them. The way guns are owned changes over time, and what is effective today may be obsolete tomorrow. In Japanese, both weapons and emptiness are pronounced the same “boo,” and this implies the need to cultivate in ourselves the ability to wield weapons that we have never encountered in practice. When I was in New York, some of my companions were surprised at my ability to wield any weapon that was given to me. They called me a wizard.

Sixthly, a ninja must know meteorology and geography. Through meteorology and physical geography we study change and the true nature of the matter of nature. This is not academic knowledge, but the result of experience. The whole body participates in the experience, and we begin to understand the silent language of mother nature through feelings and perception, as if we were talking to God.

Seventh, during the Japanese Civil War, ninjas who broke the rules were severely punished. Sometimes their close relatives were beheaded or sent into exile. During the war, ninjas always find themselves in a tragic situation where it is very difficult for them to follow their rules. This is why their philosophy is to avoid combat if possible and disappear. Let me explain the meaning of the word “exile.” In Buddhism, this means deprivation of the right to be called a follower of the teaching and expulsion from the sect. In ninjutsu this also means excommunication from the ryu. But my idea differs from the generally accepted one. Instead of sending a student away, I keep him. At the same time, I hope for his serious success after he realizes that he was wrong. So far I have not kicked out a single student. I turned down some students. You may ask: why did I refuse, but not expel? Because they have sunk below the animals. I teach that it is not only good for students to sometimes disagree and argue with each other, but it is also good for masters and their students to argue from time to time. But that doesn't mean they have to be mad at each other all the time. Parents and children, brothers and sisters, everyone quarrels sometimes. And it is natural to welcome back someone who left the training room but decided to return, just as one welcomes a family member who has returned after a long absence.

Eighth, ninjas should not kill others, harm decent people, or steal money and valuables. This is where the border between witchcraft and ninjutsu lies.

Ninth, ninjas must always keep themselves in shape, have a strong body, be fast, study many subjects and master many arts. I love music, play the guitar, perform Japanese dances; I love to write and draw, and work hard to develop my soul for ninjutsu.

Tenth, ninjas must undergo certain training. There are eighteen areas of training: spiritual development; koshijutsu, kopjutsu, sword fencing, stick and pole fencing, throwing blades, using a chain and sickle, using a spear and halberd, horse riding, swimming, making gunpowder, organizing conspiracies, espionage, infiltrating a protected object, the art of escaping, camouflage; meteorology, geography.

Ninjas train intensely. This means persistence is required to achieve your training goal. The life of a ninja is simple: he trains regularly in all eighteen arts, day after day, and adheres to all the rules of the ninja. There are the basics of the great secret of the ninja. A great secret can also be called a subtle secret. The rules of the ninja are not harsh or too demanding. These are simply the rules of the experts in the art of secret actions, which must be followed to reveal and protect the truth.

A few words about protective amulets. Martial arts do not give you invulnerability. There is a rule that teaches that skill and technique are for defense, not attack. This concept of defense includes a counterattack - as is known, a counter strike is stronger than an attack. The one who defends himself is more relaxed. If you are resilient and organize your defense correctly, the path to victory will inevitably appear in front of you - nature and God will give you a protective amulet. So, the rules of the ninja are like an amulet that protects your life.