What Does ninja Mean
The first thing we are going to do before delving into the meaning of the term ninja is to know its etymological origin. In this case, we have to state that it comes from the Japanese word “ninja”, which means spy and that it is the result of the sum of two components of that language:
-The term “nin”, which can be translated as “hide”, "Resist" or "endure".
-The word “ja”, which is synonymous with “person”.
The notion of ninja is used to name the Japanese fighter who specializes in martial arts . By extension, everything related to these warriors (such as ninja movies or ninja weapons ) is classified as ninja .
Martial arts encompass many fighting techniques that, in ancient times, were used in eastern countries and later turned into sports . The karate , the judo and aikido are examples of martial arts.
Ninjas, therefore, are people who master these disciplines. Although the concept originally referred to fighters from Japan , today it is sometimes applied to any individual with such knowledge and skills.
According to historians, the first ninjas were mercenaries trained at the military level to carry out unconventional attacks and war operations. The ninjas, in this framework, carried out multiple tasks, from sabotage to commission crimes through espionage tasks.
In addition to using their own body as a weapon through blows and kicks, the ninjas used swords , chains and other elements. They even threw explosives and used toxic substances . On the other hand, these fighters used to disguise themselves so as not to be detected by their enemies.
It is also interesting to know that the ninjas were divided into three groups: the Jonin, who were the ones who led the different secret clans; the Chunin, who made sure that the rules of the previous ones were complied with, and the Genin, who were the ones who carried out the orders.
Beyond their specific historical role, ninjas became known in the western world as assassins with multiple abilities and skills, capable of attacking undetected. Over time , the idea of vigilante ninjas, who fought for noble causes, was also accepted.
"The Ninja Turtles" are an example of how, from fiction, the meaning of ninja was modified. These are martial arts expert turtles that fight villains.
It was in the 1980s that those unique anthropomorphic turtles that have names of important Italian Renaissance artists were presented: Leonardo, in honor of Leonardo da Vinci; Michelanguelo, like Michelangelo; Raphael, in honor of Rafael Sanzio, and Donatello, who takes its name from the sculptor of the same name.
Specifically, it was in 1984 when they became known through a black and white comic that was the work of Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman.
These turtles live in the sewers of New York, they have Splinter as their teacher, who is an anthropogenic rat, and they count as an ally a journalist.
Today, these have become protagonists not only in comics but also in cartoon series, video games and even movies.