Ninjutsu
(忍術)
Glossary Entry
A Japanese term referring to methods and skills historically associated with shinobi, including intelligence gathering, infiltration, concealment, survival, strategy, and other specialized methods of operating in hostile environments.
MEANING & ETYMOLOGY
忍
(nin)
Endurance, perseverance, concealment, or stealth; also associated with enduring or bearing difficult circumstances.
術
(jutsu)
Art, technique, method, or skill.
Term Type
Martial and strategic discipline
lITERAL SENSE
Ninjutsu may be understood as the “art,” “methods,” or “skills of endurance and concealment.” Historically, the term encompasses specialized methods associated with shinobi activity rather than referring solely to unarmed combat or a single system of fighting.
See Also
References
Fujibayashi, Yasutake (1676). Bansenshūkai (萬川集海). Japan.
Natori, Masazumi (1681). Shōninki (正忍記). Kishū Domain, Japan.
Turnbull, Stephen (2015). “The Ninja: An Invented Tradition?” Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective, 9(1), Article 3.
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