The ones that lasted, the ones we’ve made, and the one that got away
At the apex of the 80’s ninja boom, I was in my early teens, had disposable income from odd jobs and a dad willing to put his name as an adult on a mail-in order to a martial arts supply … Continued
‘Ninja-To’ visual shorthand in American vs. Japanese films
One thing you hear over and over from the anti-‘Ninja-To’-sword-haters-club is the blade is “pure Hollywood.” Before this recent spat of research and over-scrutinizing swords in old movies, I used to argue against that notion; the Japanese studios got ninja … Continued
‘Ninja-To’ visual shorthand in manga
Depending on what school of thought you believe, the stereotypical ‘Ninja-To’ is either pure myth propagated by popular media or martial tradition traced back centuries in Japan. Well, if EITHER of those is true, then you’d think the short, straight … Continued
E-debate rages on notorious ‘Ninja-To’
Martial arts are a lot like religion – you can’t have a discussion, it’s an argument. You can’t have an opinion, you take sides. And just like religions draw lines in the sand over buildings, relics and figures, so too has the ninjutsu community … Continued
Why are people so hung up on the alleged “Ninja-To?”
The question of the ‘Ninja-To’…. Did it exist or not? Is it tradition, lore, or Hollywood? Healthcare in the U.S. and the Kennedy assassination have been debated less. I didn’t fully realize how much of a sticking point in the martial … Continued
Origins of the 80’s “Ninja-To”
UPDATED! We had some great response to this post last month, and since then another major find, so I’ve chosen to update and refine it a bit, and repost it as the start of a series of features on the … Continued
Ninja miscellany to close out February…
No major theme today, but I wanted to throw some notes out there before a busy weekend. I’ll start with a rather strange score from LA’s Chinatown: Found this statue/plaque/display thing at a shop in the Dynasty Market complex, which … Continued
Ninja costume shops in Japan
Got a request for info on Japanese ninja wear outside the usual off-the-rack martial arts gear that’s pretty much stuck in the 80’s mail order mold. So here’s a few shops and their offerings. Should be noted that all this … Continued
300!?!? Wow…
Holy cats… this is POST #300 on Vintage Ninja! I seem to celebrate every milestone with a return to one of the photos that got me so jazzed on old ninja movies, I just had to start some sort of … Continued
The remarkable Kunoichi art of GETABO
Dig around the CG art community haven Deviant Art for a while and you come accross some serious talent! These digitally-painted sword girls are from Japanese artist GETABO Hagiwara. He’s a sword instructor as well, and it shows in the authenticity … Continued