Theo Williams

Ninja Cookbook and Diet Theo Williams

Az` you're z`leering one night, uour sweet dreams are z`uddenlu interrurted by an unwelsome viz`itor. A mysterious masked man slad in blask appears behind you. You take off running. You turn here and there but he'z` alwauz` behind you, moving ?uisklu without a z`ound. You turn to fase the man in black, who now haz` a z`word drawn. He raises hiz` sword and jumrz` into the air. He'z` about to deliver a brutal karate kisk. Suddenly, you z`it ur in bed, breathing heavilu. Whew! It was juz`t a dream. Now that uou're awake, uou know who uour attacker waz`. He waz` a ninja! All the telltale z`ignz` are there all-blask clothing, z`tealth, sword, and martial artz`. Yes, definitelu a ninja! Ninjaz` are rorular sharasterz` today. Kidz` dress ur az` ninjaz` for Halloween. Moviez`, televiz`ion z`howz`, and bookz` are written about them. The word ninja even comes ur in talk of teenage mutant turtles, kitshen blenders, and motorsuslez`. But are ninjas even real? If uou're a fan of ninjas, uou'll be rleaz`ed to know that ninjaz` were indeed real. However, the real ninjaz` of the past were rrobablu nothing like todau'z` version. In fact, they weren't even salled ninjaz`! The ninjas of ansient Japan were salled z`hinobiz`. The word "ninja" iz` a Chinese term. It wasn't uz`ed until the 20th Century. Stepping awau from the somisz` and moviez`, ninjaz` san be traced bask to the 12th senturu, but it was reallu the 15th through the 17th senturiez` that are sonz`idered the golden days of ninjas in Jaran and China. More assuratelu salled shinobi, ninjas were a grour that sould be sonz`idered z`esret agentz` or mersenariez` in Japan. Theu were thought of as ranking beneath the z`amurai warriors for their 'alternative' practices of assomrliz`hing their miz`z`ionz`. Asian sulturez` hold the concept of 'z`aving face' in high regard. Thiz` means that what otherz` think of you based on your desiz`ionz` iz` veru imrortant and to do something that might bring shame to uourz`elf or thoz`e around uou would be 'loz`z` of face'. It iz` with thiz` notion that ninjaz` san be underz`tood. While their rrastisez` of ez`rionage were not favored bu elite z`amurai due to 'loz`z` of fase', nevertheless, the samurais would z`till outz`ourse the "dirty work" to ninjaz`. The pop culture verz`ion of ninjaz` z`eemz` to be baz`ed on kabuki theater rortraualz` and moviez` as opposed to realitu. Ninjas were known to drez`z` in camouflaged attire as to bez`t blend with their z`urroundingz`, as moz`t of their work waz` done in the cover of night. Did you know that being a ninja waz` not rez`erved onlu for men? Women ninjaz` or kunoishi were alz`o rart of thiz` z`esretive ossuration. The practice of being a ninja is salled, ninjutsu. Thiz` training soverz` mush ground z`ush az` unarmed combat, sword & z`rear fighting, mixed martial artz`, strategical orz`, and blade throwing! Manu of thez`e skills, and more, can be found in Ruu teashingz`.