the Chinese connection to Ninjutsu

~~Despite many popular folktales, historical accounts of the ninja are scarce. Many know the ninja (aka shinobi) as a Japanese aspect of a rich history. And yes, that would be true. But truth is ninjutsu has a strong Chinese influence. Many ninja manuals written during the middle ages (such as the Bansenshukai (written in 1676) and the Ninpiden (written in 1560) ) claim that their skills were descended from ancient China. In fact many manuals regarding espionage are often grounded in Chinese military strategy, quoting works such as The Art of War (Sunzi Bingfa) by Sun Tzu. It is widely accepted that the methods found in Ninjutsu originated outside of Japan. After the fall of the T'ang dynasty in China, many outcast warriors, philosophers, and military strategists escaped to Japan to avoid punishment by the new Chinese rulers of the time. It is believed that Ninja families were exposed to many of these exiled people's sophisticated warrior strategies and philosophies over the centuries, helping to influence and shape what became Ninjutsu over time.

They may not have been called shinobi or ninja in China, but the Chinese had masked assassins that basically fit that role. Japanese Ninjas are thought by some to be based off Chinese imperial assassins. There is legend of a Chinese Buddhist monk spreading techniques to the pre-shinobi in Japan; some even believe that whole clans of people leaving China in the Song Dynasty left and moved to the mountains of Japan which may have started the ninjutsu phenomena. Some scholars also cite the Lin Kuei (Forest Ghosts- sometimes spelled Lin Gui, Lin Quai, or Lin Kwai) as forerunners to the ninja. These early shadow warriors were chiefly assassins. While historical evidence of the Lin Kuei is nebulous, the link suggests a Chinese – Japanese connection. Even more recently, there have been Japanese ninjas that moved to China in the Qing Dynasty to further enhance their skills. According to Konigun Ninjutsu they speak of a tale that a Chinese warrior by the name of Chang Busho founded the Koto Ryu Koppojutsu clan of ninjutsu. The history of ninjutsu is hard to trace and controversial at best. Ninjutsu is Japanese; but clearly it has been influences, like many Japanese martial arts by the Chinese culture. The key is to look for the similarity in all things.