Pampered geishas were afraid of them like fire, and cold-blooded ninjas avoided them on the twentieth road. Legends were made about their education and refined beauty; every man secretly dreamed of meeting them and... was mortally afraid of this meeting.
Geisha kunoichi - deadly beauty!
Indeed, there is no enemy more dangerous than a beautiful woman. The fragile Kunoichi no Jutsu entered the impregnable citadels, where Japanese ninjas had difficulty climbing steep walls, without any problems, silently stepping with tiny legs like chrysanthemum stems. An ogi (fan) fluttered in a small hand; for a second it opened the deep, languid eyes of the beauty to the men and immediately hid them in fear.
She could entertain those present for several hours with intelligent and informative conversation, play musical instruments for guests, dance and sing, and conduct a brilliant tea ceremony. And then, just as quietly and imperceptibly, dissolve into the predawn haze, taking with it the life of the one for whom this visit was actually intended.
Who really were these mysterious, dangerous and at the same time beautiful girls?
The background to the appearance of kunoichi
Immortalized in Takeda stone!
The legendary Japanese commander and daimyo (prince) Takeda Shingen never knew the bitterness of defeat, covering his sword with immortal military glory, because he always went one step ahead of the enemy.
Mochizuki Chieme is the head of the kunoichi school!
He received the main operational information from female shinobi. When the most famous master of espionage of that time, Mochizuki Moritoki, died in the Battle of Kawanakajima in 1561, his widow Mochizuki Chieme did not follow the existing tradition of mourning her husband in a monastery, but decided to fight under the patronage of her uncle, the same Takeda Shingen, who was leading the fight for the unification of Japan . The Mochizuki clan has long been involved in intelligence activities.
pregnancy, and the young widow learned something during her husband’s lifetime. Tieme created and led the school of female ninjas, who went down in history under the poetic name “kunoichi” - “deadly flowers”.
Since the Mochizuki family has since ancient times controlled the activities of the yamabushi and miko monks (female mediums who performed the duties of diviners at Shinto shrines, as well as attendants at temple ceremonies) in the territory of the province of Shinano (now Shigata), Prince Takeda came up with a brilliant idea, according to which Chiome Mochizuki was to train a group of well-trained miko girls who, in addition to the usual tasks of espionage, surveillance or running errands in the area of Kai (now Yamanashi), where the possessions of Prince Takeda were located, could also be used in the province of Shinano (now Shigata).
trained girl fighter
Strategically, this province was especially important, as both Takeda Shingen and his rival Uesugi Kenshin saw it as an important strategic springboard for their future conquests. During his reign, Takeda placed great importance on the service of his loyal ninja infiltrators. For the most part, he recruited them from the ranks of his opponents. The kunoichi were just another link in his chain of informants, and a very important link, sometimes providing invaluable information.
Sometimes girls were simply bought from ruined peasants, and in the person of the kunoichi abbess they found a caring mother and a strict teacher. In the eyes of the peasants, such an abbess was deified, because she was a woman who warmed dozens of orphans with the warmth of her heart.
At the first stage, children were instilled with a sense of boundless devotion in gratitude for food and shelter, then they learned the basics of obtaining and transmitting secret information, spreading rumors and destroying the enemies of their adoptive mother. As a result of many years of training and artificial sterilization, poor orphans turned into deadly weapons, whose charms no man could resist.
The main thing in their training was the ability to manipulate men, to use their weaknesses to their advantage. Deep knowledge of psychology, acting talent, subtle intuition - these are the main weapons of a female ninja. Of course, this does not mean at all that a kunoichi could not use methods of physical influence - but about them and their specifics below.
Ninjas were martial artists
In movies and games, ninjas are portrayed as incredible warriors lurking in the shadows. They operate secretly, but if armed conflict is necessary, they demonstrate an incredible level of mastery of martial arts and fencing techniques.
However, in reality everything was completely different. Shinobi Ninja AD 1460–1650 were not martial artists - they were spies, saboteurs, scouts and masters of sabotage. They also studied hand-to-hand combat, some elements of which migrated to modern jujutsu, but it was never the basis of ninjutsu (ninja art).
In a sword fight, a ninja could easily lose to a samurai, in an unarmed fight - to a judo master. Therefore, shinobi prudently did not engage in fair and open fights.
In the debate about who is stronger - a modern MMA champion or a ninja from the Sengoku era, there can be no doubt. The ninja will simply snatch Secrets of the Samurai; A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan will squeal from its belt and shoot the enemy before he can attack.
Much more important than martial arts for shinobi were the skills Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan, The ninja: ancient shadow warriors of Japan related to stealth. Why fight hand-to-hand with the enemy if it is much easier Ninja AD 1460–1650 to stealthily kill him, poison him, or lock him in a house and burn him?
Kunoichi training and their secret activities
On a cold winter night at the Kaidomena Mountain Pass, the young kunoichi Masako came across a pack of hungry wolves in a dark, dense forest. Not wanting to insult the kaiken blade with the blood of an unarmed animal, she pressed her thumbs into her palms with a “tight squeeze,” squared her shoulders and walked towards the wolves. Fascinated by the unprecedented powerful internal energy, the animals tucked their tails between their legs and did not dare to attack the extraordinary girl...
Ninja girl
The kunoichi girls were fluent in different types of weapons. The silken folds of their clothes hid the shine of shuriken (throwing stars), and sharpened hairpins were hidden in their elaborate hairstyles. One injection - and the soul of the warrior in love with the kunoichi went to the Buddha.
No one knew their earthly names, only Plum Blossom, Dancing Sakura, Heavenly Azure, Shining Pearl... Long practice with heavy weapons rubbed calluses on the palms, and after training fights bruises and abrasions could inevitably remain, especially on sensitive and delicate female bodies.
Therefore, the emphasis in women’s preparation for a deadly fight was placed on something else. Primarily, attention was paid to the refined aspects of close combat (taijutsu) and the use of hidden, surprise and small weapons (hibuki, shikomibuki and kobuki).
Ambush tactics, methods of removing sentries or guerrilla warfare techniques suitable for male ninjas were replaced in the training of women by manipulation skills and intuition training due to their greater inclinations in the field of practical psychology when meeting a male enemy.
Their main weapons were resourcefulness and flexibility, dexterity and speed of movement, accuracy and cunning... And, of course, female cunning - these are qualities very suitable for a kunoichi entering into an uncompromising duel with an enemy or defending her honor and life.
The kunoichi's arsenal was huge, but the kanzashi were their favorite weapons. In many adventure books of that time, the phrase “she grabbed the hairpin from her hair with a reverse grip and prepared for battle” is often repeated. “Kandzashi” was made from wood, brass, cupronickel, sometimes treated with poison so that even the slightest scratch would become fatal.
The girl could instantly send an enemy to the next world with a special fan with double paper walls, between which poisonous powder was poured, sprayed towards the victim.
"Kanzashi" - hairpins and murder weapon
A “sensu-tessen” fan made of thin paper soaked in poison, which is difficult to tear, but cuts like a blade.
Another famous weapon was the 70-centimeter manrikigusari chain with weights at the ends or the naginata halberd. More fantastic were the cat's claws - "nekode", something like thimbles with a 2-centimeter claw made of hardened steel (borrowed from the musicians of the traditional kato instrument), which could easily rip open the stomach, tear out a piece of meat and even pierce the skull. Moreover, many girls grew their own nails and, treating them with special solutions, brought them to a state of incredible hardness.
Cat's claws - "nekode"
The most popular self-defense weapon of medieval Japanese women – ten-centimeter thick needles with tassels made of silk threads – was also used “invisible”, they were worn in a whole set on the left side of the belt in tiny paper sheaths. Kunaichi knew perfectly well what vulnerable point to drive them into.
There were also “spitting” needles with a triangular cross-section, which were blown from a paper tube directly into the victim’s eye. However, in the hands of an experienced ninja, any object turned into a deadly weapon. A sharp blade or a poisoned arrow could suddenly jump out of the staff of a harmless nun; a gentle geisha could instantly cut her throat with a sheet of paper or tickle her until her last breath with her hair.
Kunoichi knew how to do without weapons at all, using the “death touch” technique to special points on the head and spine.
Ninjas armed themselves with a special sword - ninjato
Photo: Danny Choo / Flickr
When we say “samurai,” we imagine a mustachioed man with a shaved forehead and a curved katana. When we hear “ninja,” we picture in our heads the image of a warrior in black wearing a short straight sword. People who think they understand Japanese culture will call this weapon "ninjato", or "shinobigatana" - the sword of a shinobi. This sword has a short, straight Art of the Ninja blade and a square tsuba.
But there is no evidence that ninjato actually existed during the time of real shinobi. This is a remake of Japan: its history, traditions, and religions. With the narrative of a visit in 1879, Stage Combat: Fisticuffs, Stunts, and Swordplay for Theater and Film, not mentioned anywhere until the 20th century.
Ninja swords were sometimes used, but these were the usual curved wakizashi that Ninjutsu: History and Tradition was allowed to carry by commoners. Shinobi certainly did not like katana and other long models of bladed weapons, since such options could not be easily hidden in order to be smuggled into protected areas unnoticed.
In addition, a sword longer than a wakizashi could The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords, What Was the Sword Hunt in Japan? worn only by samurai, and a commoner with such a blade would have many questions.
In general, ninjas preferred less visible melee weapons. For example, the well-known Scorpion from the Mortal Kombat series of fighting games and Reijo from the film Ninja Assassin carry something like a knife on a long chain or rope. And such a weapon has a real prototype.
Photo: Mkill / AMorozov / Wikimedia Commons
Real shinobi used Ninja, the Invisible Assassins kusari-kama - a sickle on a chain that can easily be disguised as an agricultural tool, and a kunai - a sharp wide knife that looks like a trowel. Ninjas also carried Secrets of the Samurai; A Survey of the Martial Arts of Feudal Japan Kusari Fundu - This weapon is a modified rice flail, much more dangerous than the usual nunchucks. As you can see, most of the things in the Shinobi-no-mono arsenal can easily be passed off as peasant tools.
And even if a ninja needs to take a sword (for example, upon successful transformation into a samurai or ronin), he will not fight according to the rules of Bushido. The scabbard was filled by Ninja, the Invisible Assassins with a mixture of red pepper and iron filings, so that on occasion they could blind the enemy simply by drawing the blade.
In case of failure...
The enemy's counterintelligence was always on alert. For all these “cute” spy things with declassified kunoichi, the enemies dealt with them accordingly: they handed them over to the guards to be scolded, and then they were boiled alive in boiling oil. Very rarely they were given life, at the same time turning them into a “pig”, cutting off their arms and legs, gouging out their eyes and cutting off their tongue..
Kunotiti were ready to die at any moment
Therefore, often, having fallen into a trap, not defeated by the hand of the enemy, but a loser, the kunoichi sacrificed herself. She severely punished herself for a single mistake, depriving her enemy of the well-deserved pleasure of capturing her. A hairpin, a dagger or a drop of poison often served as her assistant in this. For example, they cut their throats with a dagger, having previously tied their legs at the knees so that the death throes would not give the body an undignified position.
The most terrible self-destruction was to die from pain and bleeding: the captured kunoichi bit her own tongue and kept her mouth closed until suffocation and pain drove her soul out into the kingdom of shadows.
the insidious and deadly grace and beauty of warrior women!
They knew everything about...
Lurking danger!
For most men, the female form evokes a thrill of lust. If you like a certain woman too much and want her too much, it can become a weakness and make you mad. Therefore, Kunoichi had excellent mastery of earth techniques (sex). They knew many ways of sexual pleasure and were superior in their knowledge to most modern masseuses.
Koshoku ho (literally, “methods of showing sensuality and arousing voluptuousness”) is, so to speak, the “first step,” the basis from which to begin. In order to seduce a man, it was first recommended to awaken sensual attraction (shikijo) in him, best of all, by appearing before him in the role of a keisei (courtesan) and becoming attractive to the “object being developed.” After the object fell into the arranged nets, it was implied that a kunoichi could develop his success in one of three ways.
The first, simplest and “roughest” method is called shushoku ho or “the ability to seduce a drunken person.” As the proverb says, “what’s on a sober man’s mind, a drunk man’s on his tongue,” and the ninja woman, who mastered the special art of maintaining conversations on any topic (ubaguchijutsu - lit. “the art of chatting like an old woman,” “the art of gossip”), achieved her goal quickly and without any problems.
Sometimes, to enhance the effect, narcotic “additives” could, of course, be used in drinks or food, so that in the morning the chatterbox would not even remember not only what exactly he said, but also the beauty that he was telling all this. If necessary, deadly poison could also be used.
Kunoichi with poison in a cup
The second method, which is comparatively longer in time, is called inyoku, (literally translated as “lust”). This method is based on influencing a man’s physical senses: vision, hearing, smell, etc. Its essence is that a man really wants the insidious kunoichi physically and cannot do anything about it, burning with carnal lust.
All his thoughts are occupied only with how to master it in the shortest possible time, and for this he is ready to do anything. Here, the ability to take the recommended sexual positions, talk and breathe in a special way, as well as use special perfumes, and even food and drink comes to the fore for the seductress... If you promise to give such a madman a night of love, he can give anything for it, even go to betrayal and treason...
insidious beauty that is difficult to refuse!
The most complex, but also the most productive (and long-term) method of obtaining the necessary information is the third method - iroonna (danshoku) ho (“the method of the mistress (gay lover)”), based on the art of aijozutsu or, in short, jojutsu - “the art of love.” The most complex schemes for the development of relationships, tactics of love dates, the art of looking, the art of crying and rejoicing correctly and at the right time and, of course, sophisticated sex techniques - this is an incomplete arsenal that uses this type of strategy based on miryokujutsu.
Among other things, the kunoichi girls were excellent kissers.
The kiss that cost your life!
This pleasant procedure in their execution usually ended very disastrously. If it was necessary to kill, the kunoichi would pull out the root of the tongue with a sharp jerk, and the man would literally begin to choke on his own blood. And the painful shock that occurred at the same time completely made it impossible to react and after a few seconds led to death.
Donatello's weapon
Michelangelo from the early 1980s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics. Drawing by Peter Laird
Bo - a combat staff wrapped in cloth or lined with iron for reinforcement. A staff 180 cm long is called rokushakubo.
Naginata is a sword with a long shaft. Designed for delivering slashing blows. In the 2012 series, the bo staff could transform into a naginata, as it had a retractable blade.
Yari is a polearm with a sword-shaped tip. In "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" 2003, Donatello masters such a weapon, where it is called "Byakko" (Japanese white tiger).
Free Jasper Dew cocktail
But the most insidious invisible weapon, of course, remained poisons. Mochizuki Chieme knew the secrets of more than 300 potions of various properties: medicinal and tonic, relaxing and stimulating, intoxicating and stimulating, and, of course, poisons and antidotes. If a slow-acting poison was required, tea was brewed with the poetic name “Gekuro” - jasper dew.
Premium quality Gyokuro tea
It was poured into a bamboo vessel and buried for forty days to rot. The resulting black pulp, 2-3 drops per day, was mixed into food. A healthy person fell ill after 10 days, died after 70, the weak died earlier, and not a single doctor could determine the cause of death. Zagarashiyaku, poisons that kill on the spot, were also readily used. For example, boil the seeds of unripe plums and peach in equal parts, boiled together for a long time. If you want - for food, if you want - spray it in the air. There is only one outcome.
“Blood” poisons were used to lubricate arrows, needles and “death stars” - shuriken. It was possible to roast the giant Japanese toad “hikigaeru” with a 22-centimeter body on a spit. The poison will flow out of the glands, ferment - and the victim will be paralyzed.
There were a lot of sedatives. “If you dry hemp in the shade and grind it into flour, then boil it, add it to tea: one sip will make you fall asleep, two or three will cause a feverish sleep with fever, and after a few days of such a treat you will go crazy.” This is what a recipe from an ancient treatise looks like.
