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Originally Posted by Ninjinister
I just find it laughable that people get so angry over things like this. Like STOP LIKING THIS PIECE OF METAL BECAUSE IT'S YOUNGER THAN YOUR PARENTS BLARGGGH when I don't see anybody doing that about other stuff with similar origins. The only thing I could see someone take contention with is if someone pretended that they were actually ancient weapons, and really only then I'd think that history/martial arts/weapons buffs would give that much of a crap.
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It is a embarrassing piece of the Ninja Boom's history, and a lot of schools seems to directly avoid reference of ninjato since it has a negative connotation, and the people that still cling to ninjato as a historical weapon regardless of proof are a very... unprofessional bunch. Case in point, guys like Choson Ninja.
I've never seen anyone get flak if they just have a straight bladed ninjato for cutting in their backyard, but near every MA forum have several threads where someone believes its a real historical blade.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninjinister
But yeah, most of the identity of the ninja in pop culture is either made up outright or appropriated from other parts of Japanese culture/history. And that's not even an "ignorant 'murcan" thing. All this shiz began in and is all over Japan.
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The black clad ninja wielding straight bladed katana did originate from Japan and made popular thanks to the Ninja Boom in Japan during the 60's, and can still be found in Japanese depictions today just like in Norway we still depicts vikings with horns on their helmets in souvenirs and tourist attractions. But had the Norsemen had horned helmets in HBO's Vikings, it'd look really silly.
But the ninjato certainly have gained a foothold in martial arts communities thanks to the 80's Ninja Exploitation Boom in the US, and got regarded as a real historical weapon thanks to Hayes, articles in Black Belt magazines and Mail Order ads. And of course the Ninja movies.
The reason the ninjato is shorthand called "Hollywood fiction" isn't by it's roots and origins. It's American movies and TV shows that cemented that Ninja used ninjato only, and it was specifically a ninja-only weapon. Even in Japanese movies and shows at that time, that had a stereotypical ninjato or a sword resembling the stereotypical ninjato, had the individual ninja use other swords too, it wasn't ninjato only.