KUNOICHI-Deadly Flower - The Female Ninja
by Kiyth Fotitt.
Date: 12 September 2010
In today's society many women recognise that there is a potential in life to face threats of general violence in the street, with or without weapons, rape or attempted rape, domestic violence in the home, sexual harassment at work, muggings or in some areas, facing "girl gangs."
Many women over the years of all ages have also said to themselves and others that they must go and do a self defence or self protection course, learn a martial art or undertake an awareness course or conflict resolution, but how many actually do it?
In short not nearly as many as say they would like to.
Many would say they don’t have the opportunities to engage in short courses or martial arts and whilst they have many reasons for not doing something about it, when opportunities arise many stay away.
Born Into A Family or Clan
At Newark’s Bujinkan Brian Dojo ninjutsu training group only about 25% of the members are female and this would be fairly typical throughout the martial arts in general. Traditionally though, in ninjutsu you were born into a family or clan and as a birthright you would have received all the training of your male counterparts and much more besides.
The female ninja were known as Kunoichi, which literally translates to; deadly flower. Kunoichi were trained in all elements of unarmed combat and many traditional weapons but their speciality was strategy, espionage and the use of small-concealed weapons like dirks, darts, daggers etc.
Kunoichi were and still are mistresses to Sai ninjutsu, "the way of the mind gate". They would use their femininity to get guards and samurai and shoguns to drop their guard while they were employed in castles, fortresses and camps.
They would overlook the destructive potential of their adversary as they gathered information and went about their duties. Women in feudal Japan were underestimated in terms of their capabilities for power and this allowed the Kunoichi to pose as mistresses, housemaids and cooks and wander freely in enemy strongholds.
Intuitive and Physic Powers
The intuitive and physic powers of the female ninja were also relied upon when determining plans and action of the most likely developments of the enemy strategy. Information they had gathered would have been passed to the outside to their male colleagues who would then have planned an appropriate response, action or attack.
For the Kunoichi to get close to their adversary they used their appearance of weakness, sexuality, tears, subservience and feigned fear. Once close enough to carry out their attack they showed no mercy and exited their environment without trace. It was all too late for the victim. We suspect some of this has been passed down the generations of a thousand years and is still in use today by women around the globe. (tongue in cheek)
So hair-do’s permitting what can the would-be Kunoichi of Newark expect in their training?
Well all sessions begin with a warm-up and after that a wide range of unarmed training, learning the skills of traditional weaponry and modern weapons improvisation, first aid and Reiki and Shiatsu healing, outdoors and field craft training and much more.
You’ll develop confidence and learn new skills in socially respectful environment all at a very affordable budget price.
Our Kunoichi at Newark, Lauren, Florence, Sakura, Janie, Breeze, Sarah and juniors Darcey, Alicia and Sofie and are waiting to meet and greet you. So check out our web site at bbdnewark.co.uk
