WEAPONS

• Swords : As opposed to what you might think Ninja swords were not made of high quality material. Since they were outlaws most of the time they couldn't afford great weapons (which were difficult to come by since non- samurai were not allowed to have weapons). However, what they lacked in quality they made up for in skill. Ninja swords were generally shorter than most katannas to allow better manoverablity, and when attacking the ninja would generally do so at great speed, for instance while running past someone without stopping, for speed and surprise. The scabbard could also be used as a snorkel.
  
• Shuriken : Commonly known as throwing stars. Mostly used as a distraction, these dangerous stars could inflict a mortal wound if used with the utmost of skill. Some ninja’s dipped the ends in poison to add more potency to the weapon. Throwing knives were also used in a similar manner to the shuriken.
  
• Other Weapons : The Bo and Jo (long and short staff, respectively), nunchuka, sai, hands and feet, just to name a few. The primary weapon of ninjutsu was versatility, a ninja could turn anything into the deadliest weapon. Hollowed out egg shells were filled with glass and metal scraps and thrown into an opponents face, thus blinding him/her. A similar device was also used with bamboo.

NINJA CLOTHES

• Tabi : The tabi were the common Ninja shoe, they are split between the big toe and the smaller ones to allow much better balance. Some had detachable spikes for better traction (like cleats). Sometimes ninjas would put special tracks on the bottom of their shoes to make them look like a child, or an animal, or even a man going in the other direction to throw off any chance of being tracked. Also, they had devices that gave the impression of "walking" on water.
  
• Grappling Hook : A rope and a hook, used to scale walls and gain entry to enemy fortresses. This could also be used as a weapon.
  
• Smoke Bombs : For a quick get away.
  
• Shozoko : The ninja's full uniform, this covered everything except the eyes, and the palms of the hands. Came complete with multiple pockets for a whole arsenal of Ninja weapons and gear including shuriken, poison, antidotes, first aid, knives, smoke bombs, and mirrors. Contrary to popular belief they were not all black, other colours such as dark blue, brown, or camouflage were more common. A ninja usually dressed for the occasion, if he/she was in the snow, white was used. Some of the most deadly and fearsome ninja wore red, this hid the ninja's blood giving the impression that the ninja was an invincible warrior, dealing a major psychological blow to the enemy.
  
• Bolo : Ninja often have some devices weighted on the ends which were used to entangle an opponents feet, thus stopping them in their tracks.
  
• Darts : Poison darts both in the throwing and blowgun variety. Kunoichi (Female Ninjas) often hid these in their hair disguised as hairpins.

NINJA STYLE

• Ninjutsu : Simply: the art of being a ninja.
  
• Nindo : A "higher" form of Ninjutsu, focusing on spirtual enlightenment.
  
• Taijutsu : Ninja fighting style which emphasised fluid movements as opposed to crude punches and kicks of other martial arts forms. This helped the ninja to infiltrate an enemy base, while not having to take the time to stop and engage in lengthy combat.
  
• Kunoichi : Female ninjas. Often use seduction/deception as a tool.
  
• Climbing : Ninjas were expert climbers and commonly used the aid of ropes and spikes on their hands and feet to allow the ninja to reach places others would find impossible.
  
• Jumping : Ninja’s trained very hard to be able to jump higher and further than most would think possible. Useful for many situations, such as building to building escapes, jumping over walls for quick entry, over walls for a quick exit, jumping over an opponent for an extra suprise, or if the ninja was simply too busy to fight an enemy.
  
• Running : Instead of a normal run, ninja’s shuffled their feet. This was done in a sort of a pumping action always pushing them forwards. This helped the ninja maintain their balance.
  
• Stealth : Stealth is of the utmost importance to the ninja. Unlike the samurai, who favoured the direct approach to combat and generally met their enemy head on. Some ninja were masters of camouflage, and could blend in to almost any background. Others developed techniques to calm their aura so others wouldn’t feel their presence.
  
• Ranks : Ninja’s also had status ranks . The Genin was basically your black clad sword wielding spy, they got to do all the front line missions. The Chunin is the next rank up, and they planned jobs, lead the mission, etc. The Jonin is the ninja equivalent of the Godfather, he accepted or declined contracts, and lead the ninja group.

NINJA MAGIC

Only the greatest of ninja ventured into the magical realm, but those that did were a deadly force indeed. Not all of these skills are "magic" but extremely advanced techniques.

• Flying : The most common ninja magic was the ability to fly. Most of the time the ninja would touch the ground occasionally to stay airborne.
  
• Invisibility : Some ninja have been known to posses the uncanny ability to bend the light around them, rendering them invisible. It takes great concentration however, and most ninja would appear if they were forced to run/fight/etc.
  
• Path of the Cat : Beyond simply being quiet, this skill allowed the ninja to make absolutely no sound at all. A ninja with this skill could for instance run in spiked shoes (for better traction), over a metal floor and not make a sound.
  
• Hands of the Spider : Not to far from Spiderman himself. These ninja went way past normal climbing and could actually stick to walls.
  
• Nine Hands Cutting : These are special techniques that allowed the ninja to perform special skills by lacing his fingers together. There are many of these forms, and they vary in use from healing, mediation, telekinesis, telepathic powers, super senses and so on.
  
• Onibi No Jutsu : A ninja transforming his face into a demon and gaining the ability to breath fire.
  
• Bullet Blocking : Ninja were known to gain such quick reflexes that they were able to deflect bullets with their sword.