Ninja Bow & Arrow as weapon?

amishman

Yellow Belt
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
Curious if #1, the Bow & Arrow was a weapon of the Ninja. #2, does Bujinkan training ever train in use of this weapon. #3, is there anyplace that sells the style of Bow & Arrow the Ninja trainer would use.

Thanks in advance.

If there are any web sites that explain the Ninja and use of the Bow & Arrow, I would appreciate the link.

tj
 

newtothe dark

Purple Belt
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
325
Reaction score
4
I know it is shown and explained in Hatsumi Soke's book Nijutsu history and tradition has a whole section on it.
 

Bigshadow

Senior Master
MTS Alumni
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
4,033
Reaction score
45
Location
Saint Cloud, Florida
Why not just take Kyudo classes?

  1. I speculate they were used a time or two
  2. Not that I have seen, thus far.
  3. What style would that be?
 

Brian R. VanCise

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
Messages
27,758
Reaction score
1,520
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Why not just take Kyudo classes?
  1. I speculate they were used a time or two
  2. Not that I have seen, thus far.
  3. What style would that be?

Kyudo lessons would be a good place to start. There are more than several people within the Bujinkan that I have met that train in Kyudo. Likewise many people also train in some Iaido as well.
 

Flying Crane

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
15,230
Reaction score
4,920
Location
San Francisco
Find a local archery shop, or sporting goods shop that sells archery equipment. Talk to someone knowledgeable about archery and equipment. Buy something economical but of good quality, get some lessons if necessary, find a safe and legal place to practice, and shoot away.

I suggest you stay away from compound bows. Get a good long bow or recurve and shoot with that. It's a more natural, instinct method, whereas the compound bows can be outfitted with all kinds of sights and counterbalances and whatnot that make them very accurate, but they become more like an arrow launching machine, and less like traditional archery.

Historically, many many (most) cultures around the world had archery of some kind or other. There were differences between them, but the similarties are probably greater. So if this isn't "ninja style" archery, it is still simple, traditional, instinct shooting archery, and it's a good and fun thing to do. So go ahead and add it to your repertoire.
 

Bigshadow

Senior Master
MTS Alumni
Joined
Apr 13, 2005
Messages
4,033
Reaction score
45
Location
Saint Cloud, Florida
Find a local archery shop, or sporting goods shop that sells archery equipment. Talk to someone knowledgeable about archery and equipment. Buy something economical but of good quality, get some lessons if necessary, find a safe and legal place to practice, and shoot away.


That was what I was thinking as well. Kyudo lessons would be fun, however, what you said is a good place to start to "learn" how to shoot a bow. I am fairly certain that across the world, the basics of shooting a bow are pretty universal. I agree the similarities probably outweigh the differences.

Just my opinion.
 

ryuu

White Belt
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
was the bow and arrow a weapon of the ninja? personally, I don't think so. How would a bow and arrow be easily "carryable" on the body? (note that I am talking about the "ninja" here, as opposed to "the samurai")
 

newtothe dark

Purple Belt
Joined
Aug 15, 2007
Messages
325
Reaction score
4
In ninijutsu history and tradition Soke shows a very small bow that collapses into a tube for carrying also arrows made from reeds and such.
 

benkyoka

Yellow Belt
Joined
Aug 2, 2007
Messages
39
Reaction score
4
How would a bow and arrow be easily "carryable" on the body? (note that I am talking about the "ninja" here, as opposed to "the samurai")

millions of samurai carried them all over japan fighting wars. I imagine they are easily carried.
 

Flying Crane

Sr. Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 21, 2005
Messages
15,230
Reaction score
4,920
Location
San Francisco
I think the image of the ninja creeping around in the dark with 73 different deadly weapons secreted about his body is a bit of a myth.

While I know nothing about historical ninja and Bujinkan arts, I imagine the "ninja" of history used the bow and arrow. It was a weapon/tool of the time, so I am sure they put it to use just like everyone else did...
 

rattie

White Belt
Joined
Jun 6, 2019
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Ninja absolutely used bows and arrows! Theybwere usually deliberately made smaller in order to be easier for transporting/hiding, but there's a pretty famous story of a group of ninja who fired a volley of arrows at a castle to trick the defenders into putting out their lights and give the ninja an advantage. While the idea of ninja running around armed to the teeth is a myth(one writing says a ninja must be careful not to be overburdened with tools, instead using a single tool for as many purposes as possible), bows were definitely part of their arsenal!
 

Hakkan Mordrake

White Belt
Joined
Feb 13, 2021
Messages
15
Reaction score
1
The only time that a ninja would use a bow is if he's doing a samurai job.. because, as a ninja, he was most likely also a part of the samurai social class.
 

Latest Discussions

Top