Gyokka Ryu
Kuki Shinden Ryu
Shinden Fudo Ryu
Gyokushin Ryu
Koto Ryu
Gikan Ryu
Takagi Ryu
Kumogakure Ryu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The Origin of the Jumonji Ryu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Togakure Ryu Gyokka Ryu Kuki Shinden Ryu Shinden Fudo Ryu Gyokushin Ryu Koto Ryu Gikan Ryu Takagi Ryu Kumogakure Ryu |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Clans of our Ancestors, the Original Nine Ryu of the Ninja | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the Beginning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lucas Selene, first American Ninja | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Over a thousand years ago, a few Chinese priests from the Himalayan mountains fled royal oppression and went to live in the forests and caves of the Kii Peninsula in Japan, eventually finding their way to the Iga mountains further inland. Many Japanese villagers, long ruled by the royal Samurai from afar, and from bandits and gangs much closer, learned that these religious men also had a mastery of fighting without knives or swords. The priests were persuaded to take several students and train them in their martial arts, as well as in their religious code of ninpo, the internal power that arises out of the very essence of time and space in the life of a true warrior. They eventually called their martial art, ninjutsu - the nin fighting art. Students of ninjutsu were known as Ninja. | By the turn of the century, western ships were not an uncommon sight on the coast of Japan. When Lucas Selene arrived as a junior ship's officer in 1919, the remaining Ninja were far underground, waiting for a time when their deadly art would be needed once again. It has long been speculated that this was the same voyage as the fated eastern visit by the Statesman, but we will probably never know for sure. We may never know exactly how Lucas Selene met Takamatsu Sensei, 33rd Soke of the combined Ninja clans. What we do know is that he stayed 20 years, and returned to Paragon City with Takamatsu's authority to found the Jumonji Ryu, the 10th clan. He spent the rest of his life training his students to use the nin to fight evil. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We also will never know exactly how Lucas Selene met his fate. All we do know is that The Jumonji Ryu never returned from a mission one day in Paragon City. Most of the Ryu members were on that ill-fated mission, all except for Adam Selene, the young grandson of Lucas, who was back in the dojo practicing his kata, as usual. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adam Selene | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shinobi, to endure, the mark of the Ninja | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adam Selene is the grandson of Lucas, born and raised in Paragon City. Jason Selene, his father and the son of Lucas, shunned the martial arts and instead led a life of relative obscurity. Adam, however, was trained by his grandfather almost from the moment he could walk. Adam was in the dojo when he first heard that the his grandfather's mission team was overdue. Not believing that anything serious could happen to his grandfather - student of the legendary Takamatsu - Adam blocked the unimaginable possibilities from his mind as the first days slowly passed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| These first students practiced many years, incorporating their own martial skills and adapting what they learned to their own environment and culture. They gradually spread out over the mountains and attracted their own students.� Eventually, these groups formed the nine clans, or ryu of the Ninja. Ryu may be translated from Japanese as clan, tradition, or school. Eventually, each Ryu developed its own variation of the martial arts and they passed them down for generations upon generations. In addition to taijutsu, their unarmed fighting art, The Ninja developed skills in stealth, in subterfuge, and in other mysterious abilities for surviving in the midst of the overwhelming enemies of an occupying force. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The truth gradually dawned on young Adam - his Sensei, his Soke, his grandfather, was not returning. His grief was overwhelming, his incomprehension was debilitating. He simply could not understand how his grandfather could be defeated, much less be... killed. It was months before the truth sank in. Months that the bitterness grew, and more months as it was replaced by steely resolve. Adam redoubled his dedication to training. What was a hobby before, became an obsession. His grandfather's lessons - the true meaning of nin, of chi, of iron will, finally became real to him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Ninja were mercenaries, of a sort. They protected the local farmers and villagers from the lowland Samurai who came to collect royal taxes - in exchange for a small portion of the taxes that were rescued. While the local mountain people revered and even worshipped the mysterious Ninja who protected them unseen, the lowland royalty reviled them for their resistance to the Samurai who brought them riches in exchange for royal favor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Jumonji Ryu Redux | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adam's skill, well-practiced, was not nearly as good as his grandfathers. However, what he lacked in experience, he more than made up for in determination. Adam resolved to rebuild the Jumonji Ryu and find out the truth about his grandfather's disappearance. The Ryu, his friends, were gone - and Adam could not forget. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Ryu in History | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the battle of Tensho Iga no Ran in 1579, the Iga mountain Ninja thoroughly defeated the samurai troops of General Nobunaga Oda. Infuriated, Nobunaga rebuilt his samurai army and invaded Iga in 1581 with overpowering force, over 10 samurai for each Ninja, and slaughtered the men, woman, and children of the Ninja clans. Only a few survived, taking refuge in the mountains to heal and rebuild their number. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Adam was of a new generation. His new friends, Raistlin, Mei-Mei, and others who trained at the dojo as kids, they were untested. They all had a lot of growing up - a lot of training to do. But it was their time. It was their mission, and it will be their testiment to the memory and honor of the Ryu. The Jumonji Ryu. It will not die, it will not be forgotten. It lives, still, in these new warriors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| While the Ninja regained their numbers a new ruler came to power after the mysterious murder of Nobunaga, possibly at Ninja hands. The new ruler, Ieyasu Tokugawa, embraced the Ninja and even employed them as guards and protectors after he became Shogun of Japan in 1603. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Future of The Jumonji Ryu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ... is yet to be written. What will it be? Will it include... you? It's your choice. It's your fate. Do you have what it takes? Is your life dedicated to honor? Are you of the blood, are you... a ninja? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unfortunately, the peaceful life led to the decline of the Ninja. Without an enemy, it became hard to justify spending hours training every day when there were crops to be harvested. Only a few Ninja were left in 1853 when Commodore Perry's "Black Ships" arrived in Japan, the first meeting of east and west in modern history. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||