Ninjutsu began more than 800 years ago among the ninja people living in Japan. The warrior class which ruled Japan at the same time were called the Samurai. They controlled the land and it's people. Their lord, the Shogun was the only person the Samurai was answerable to. The Ninja would not serve the Samurai, and fled to the barren, cold, mountanious regions of Iga and Koga. There they trained in the arts of war. It is said that their art is based upon a great Chinese military text written by a general named Sun Tzu, "The Art of War". Over the centuries the ninja trained from the cradle to the grave in every known martial art.
2. After the time when the Ninjas fled to Iga and Koga
Over the centuries the ninja trained from the cradle to the grave in every known martial art. Their forte was espionage and asassination, by any means possible. But their training also taught them to reach spiritual heights, by pushing their body and minds to limits far beyond that of normal human endurance.
"Ninjutsu" is usually translated as the "Art of Stealth". The Japanese character, "Nin" (also translated as "shinobi") has many meanings, such as preservance, endurance, and sufferance. The term Ninjutsu is most commonly used to refer to the specific methods and techniques used by the Ninja.
