The Art of Invisibility
Ninja Methods for Remaining Unseen
Ninja, the covert agents of feudal Japan, were masters of stealth, tasked with intelligence gathering, surveillance, and sabotage. Their ability to remain unseen while operating deep within enemy territory was crucial to their success, and they employed a range of ingenious techniques to avoid detection. The art of staying hidden is known as ongyo-jutsu, and it was central to the ninja’s way of life.
To remain undetected, ninja had to move silently, often under cover of darkness. The Shoninki, an ancient ninja manual written by Masazumi Sanjuro Natori in 1681, provides guidance on how to walk undetected at night. It warns ninja to be wary of the moon's light and avoid skulking around in suspicious ways, as it could easily draw attention. The manual is a treasure trove of knowledge, listing ten types of deceptive steps, including long strides, short strides, sliding steps, and leaping steps. Among these was the stealthy suri-ashi, which involves sliding the foot along the ground to feel for obstacles like caltrops,
Another technique, shinobi-ashi, is a method of walking in which the little toe touches the ground first, followed by the rest of the toes, allowing for silent and controlled movement. While uki-ashi, or tip-toeing, was used to navigate silently over crunchy leaves. Although difficult to maintain over long distances, it minimized the risk of making noise. There was also the more extreme inu-bashiri, or dog walk, in which a ninja would crawl low to the ground on all fours, and the physically demanding shinsotoho, which required walking with the feet on the backs of the hands—a technique reserved for those with considerable stamina and training.
The ninja’s skill in remaining unseen extended beyond movement. Disguises were a key tactic in blending into their surroundings. By adopting the clothing and mannerisms of monks, merchants, or farmers, ninja could infiltrate enemy compounds without raising suspicion. These disguises allowed them to move freely among their adversaries, gathering valuable intelligence undetected.
But what if a ninja was discovered? One simple but effective trick was kannon-gakure, where the ninja would hide behind a tree or wall, freeze, and cover their face with their sleeve. This simple gesture, combined with slowing their breath and remaining utterly still, could confuse a patrolling guard long enough to evade capture.
Other methods involved animal mimicry. The uzura-gakure technique had ninja dropping to the ground, curling into a tight ball, and remaining completely motionless—like a quail crouching to avoid predators. Similarly, tanuki-gakure, named after the raccoon, saw ninja climbing into the upper branches of trees to blend into the foliage, an ideal hiding spot during a pursuit.
In the event of discovery, ninja were also equipped with a repertoire of escape techniques, divided into five elemental strategies: wood (mokuton), earth (doton), water (suiton), fire (katon), and metal (kinjutsu). For instance, mokuton involved using trees or lumber to startle pursuers, while doton saw ninja using caves or holes to hide in or blinding their enemies with dirt or gravel. Suiton, or water escape, included swimming underwater, hiding in aquatic plants, or creating a diversion by throwing a large rock into a body of water to divert attention from their actual escape route.
One particularly clever evasion technique involved wearing sandals backward to mislead trackers, a trick detailed in Ninjutsu Kara Spy-Sen E, a manual written by ninja master Fujita Seiko. By leaving misleading footprints, the ninja could appear to be walking in the opposite direction of their true escape route, confusing their pursuers.
Through meticulous training and attention to detail, ninja mastered these techniques, which enabled them to move silently, blend into their surroundings, and escape even the most dangerous situations. The survival of ancient texts like the Shoninki and Bansenshukai offers a glimpse into the minds of these elusive warriors, providing invaluable insights for modern-day practitioners and enthusiasts of ninjutsu.
