That explains a lot, at the very least it is a gives me an understanding of some of the things that influence badly. It always surprises me that people don't expect hard work and most of it to do with basics. A cynical attitude from when I was in the army called a lot of it "******** baffles brains" even though there was actual purpose to a lot of it. Well, hopefully after my visit things will become clearer (as they normally always are when you get to see something for real, rather than just in an abstract informational capacity) and we'll see where my journey takes me from there!Hello.
The answer to your question is both yes and no. Allow me to explain
There are various organizations still teaching actual ninjutsu. They are Genbukan, bujinka and Jinenkan, as well as various organizations that split off under leadership of an experienced practicioner. Chris' organization is one of those.
It is a very interesting discipline, but it takes a long time to get good at it. And contrary to what hollywood wants you to believe, it is mainly a lot of hard training things that can appear boring. Basics usually are that way.
Between those organizations, there is very little bad blood. There is some politics, but we all all respect each other. The key is that we are all practicing arts that were ultimately passed down through Takamatsu Toshi tsugu. Those are the only lineages still sruviving today for which we have reason to believe they are real.
Now, there is also a lot of animosity towards various groups like Kumori ryu ninjutsu because they see a couple of ninja movies, combine some karate, judo and perhaps some aikido or 1 or 2 years in a legit organization, and then they form their own organization, running around in the forest in dark suits, throwing shuriken etc.
We really don't like them. They grab an image that makes them look cool and leech it without caring about accuracy, or the fact that they make our art look ridiculous. It has gotten to the point where most people don't say what it is they practice to outsiders because we want to avoid coming across as a bunch of hollywood idiots.