She is the beauty who can take a life as quickly as capture a heart. Ruthless when she wants to be, deadly when she's desirable, and desirable when she's deadly. She's been there throughout history. She is the female assassin... "Kunoichi"...
"kunoichi"
As with the male ninja, they were spies and helped with the ninja's fight (in various different ways) against the samurai. Mistress of deception and 'flowery combat' were among their skills. She was a spy, messenger and observer. Her training, although similar to her male counterparts, focused more on the psychological techniques, including manipulation, disguise, feminine charm and the use of female intuition. They were also taught how to not only play with the emotions of others, but to keep their own emotions in check - they were not allowed to fall in love with their targets!!
Female ninja were classified as part of the kamae of sui (water) and were cultivate to manipulate energy through preying on increased feelings of emotional satisfaction; like the ocean, they would draw out, only to come back, like a wave at riptide, in unexpected ways. these women, or kunoichi as they were called, were given special training in psychological skills and intuition. Taught to manipulate men high-up in the enemy hierarchy, they were known to conceal blades inside musical instruments and sex toys. Shimma kunoichi, ninja family members, were trained as spies who were taught not to fall in love with their targets or lose sight of their ultimate goal after successful seduction. According to Rumiko Hayes, a ninja black belt and the wife of Stephen Hayes, head female agents were sent around the country to collect young female orphans, whom they raised with care. These orphan girls were forever indebted to their agents and would do whatever they were asked in terms of seducing men. Karima kunoichi were women who were not part of the clan but were temporarily hired as maids, mistresses, entertainers, fortunetellers, prostitutes, or artists. In contemporary times, female ninja often fulfill the same roles as men, working in security and law enforcement.
History:
Ninjutsu was developed by groups of people mainly from the Iga Province Iga Ryu Ninjutsu and Kōka, Shiga of Japan. Throughout history the shinobi have been seen as assassins, scouts and spies. They are mainly noted for their use of stealth and deception. Throughout history many different schools (ryū) have taught their unique versions of Ninjutsu. An example of these is the Togakure-ryū. This ryū was developed after a defeated samurai warrior called Daisuke Togakure escaped to the region of Iga. Later he came in contact with the warrior-monk Kain Doshi who taught him a new way of viewing life and the means of survival (ninjutsu).
Ninjutsu was developed as a collection of fundamental survivalist techniques in the warring state of feudal Japan. The ninja used their art to ensure their survival in a time of violent political turmoil. Ninjutsu included methods of gathering information, and techniques of non-detection, avoidance, and misdirection. Ninjutsu can also involve training in disguise, escape, concealment, archery, and medicine.
Skills relating to espionage and assassination were highly useful to warring factions in feudal Japan. Because these activities were seen as dishonorable, Japanese warriors hired people who existed below Japan's social classes to perform these tasks. These persons were literally called "non-humans" (非人, hinin). At some point the skills of espionage became known collectively as ninjutsu, and the people who specialized in these tasks were called shinobi no mono.
Weapons & Equipment:
The following tools may not be exclusive to the Ninja, but they are commonly associated with the practice of Ninjutsu.
* Wakizashi (Short sword that can be hidden anywhere day or night on the ninja's person)
* Kaginawa, or Grappling hook (Facilitates stealth entry and Hojojutsu)
* Hanbo (Small staff)
* Kama (Derived from the farming blade into a weapon)
* Nihonto (Commonly referred to simply as 'katana' — long, curved, single-edged sword)
* Kunai (Multi-purpose tool)
* Kusarigama and Kyoketsu shoge (Composite blade weapons)
* Manriki, Manriki-gusari and Kusarifundo (Chain weapons)
* Ninjato (Straight-bladed weapon similar to the katana)
* Shuriken and Throwing spike ("throwing stars" or darts tipped in poison)
* Tachi (Slung sword)
* Tantō (Dagger)
* Tekagi-shuko and Neko-te ("claw" weapon)
* Fukiya (Shinobi weapon that had throwing spikes dipped in poison)
* Yumi (Traditional Japanese bow and arrow)
* Naginata (Traditional Japanese pole-arm used by women and samurai. Example: women might protect their home with a naginata)
* Jitte or Jutte (A sword-catching device similar to the sai, but with only one prong)
* Nunchaku (Twin 'sticks' connected at the ends, likely originating from Okinawa)
* Yari (Traditional Japanese spear that's similar to the Naginata)
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