Question: "What is the Ninja no Hachimon?"

There have been lessons, techniques, and even descriptions of strategies, tactics, and the like passed down to us over the centuries, telling what is and is not a ninja, or part of the ancient Japanese art of Ninjutsu - the art of the Ninja. Many people cling to these descriptions as though they were gospel when, upon closer inspection, and with a deeper understanding of things like history, progress, and the mindset that we are trying to develop, we can come to see these things for what they really are.

One such description, or outline, supposedly sets out the required studies of a true ninja. This outline was, and in some circles still is, used to determine whether or not a lineage, clan, or person was practicing ninjutsu - whether they were ninja - or not.

This classification system is called the Ninja no Hachimon, or the "8 Gates of the Ninja."

The ninja no hachimon was a simplified listing of the core practice, study, and mastery subjects required if you wanted to be a ninja. These 8 "gates" or studies, were:

1) Ninja no Kiai (The ninja's use of sound to "harmonize with universal energy)

2) Ninja no Taijutsu (The ninja's unarmed self-defense method or "body-art")

3) Ninja no Kempo (The study of sword techniques and strategies)

4) Ninja no Soojutsu (pronounced 'sew-joot-sue' - Spear methods)

5) Ninja no Shuriken (Hand-held and thrown blades)

6) Ninja no Kajutsu (Use of fire)

7) Ninja no Ugei (The art of deception and disguises)

8) Ninja no Kyomon (The study of religion, philosophy and the sciences - those things that make us knowledgeable, well-rounded individuals and more than merely thugs and assassins in black clothing)

While I may be bordering on heresy when I say that this classification is not all that appears to be. There is much more to it than merely a list of "things to study" if you want to be called a ninja. Does this mean that you shouldn't study these things?

No. That's not what I'm saying at all. However, what we need to see is that this list was grouped and employed during a very specific time in history, by a specific group of people, in a certain type of culture, etc., etc., etc. We must also remember that there were also classification systems that existed that also were supposed to outline and determine what a ninja was and what he or she studied to be who and what they were.

Systems like:

• Ninja Juhakkei (The 18 levels of the ninja - actually there were 36 levels!)
  
  
• As-well-as the systems outlined in such treatise as the Bansenshukai, the Shoninki, and others.

This is important to understand. Not just about the ninja no hachimon, but about everything we do and learn in our training - EVERYTHING!

In fact, this is such an important subject that I am dedicating the next several months of training to this topic. It will be the foundation for a special 10-week teleseminar course that I'll be offering very soon, and these skills will form the curriculum for this year's Spring Ninja Training Camp, May 15th-17th, 2009.

If you'd like more information about the Ninja no Hachimon and how it is used in the Warrior Concepts' curriculum and advanced mastery training, listen to episode #6 of Kuden: Ninja and self-defense training podcast. Here's the link: http://kuden.mypodcast.com

Here are the links to the other areas of interest I spoke about:

WCI's Yearly Ninja Camps - http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/ninja-camps.html

10-week Online Ninja Training Program on the Ninja no Hachimon:
http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/8-ninjagates.html



Until Next Time.

To Your Achievement of Mastery!





Shidoshi Miller