Page 37 - Green Butterfly Book 2

Date:
An interesting fact is that women also had the privilege of becoming ninjas. Male Ninjas were called Shinobi and female Ninjas were called Kunoichi.
Kunoichis were well known for their skills to gather information using their intuition. Like men, they were also trained to protect themselves.
Ninjas had the ability to hide and disguise themselves. Women were particularly useful because they were able to perform tasks men would have never been able to (i.e. maids, dancers, courtesans, servants, etc.)
http://vintageninja.net/?tag=vn-revisited
A common myth is that ninjas wore only black. They usually wore normal clothes, and sometimes even dressed like their enemies to trick them.
In the 14th and 15th century, ninjas played an important role in the Japanese wars. They were hired (on both sides) to fulfill missions. Their skills were extremely useful in wars, but, by the beginnings of the 1600’s; Japan was no longer at war, and their once useful skills were no longer required.
Today, the legend keeps on growing; you can see them in TV shows, comic books or movies, but did you know you can still study “Ninjutsu” (the art of the ninja)? Their philosophy today is highly similar to the one they had centuries ago.
Oral activity
• After you have read the history of Ninjas discuss among your classmates if you would like to be a ninja and why?
• Would you like to study Ninjutsu?
• If you are a girl, would you like to be a Kunoichi?
• Did your opinion of ninjas change after reading about their history?
unit
35
5