A 63-year-old engineer is Japan's 'last ninja'

AFP via Yahoo ^ | Aug 19, 2012 | Miwa Suzuki

[nerdwithagun]

A 63-year-old former engineer may not fit the typical image of a dark-clad assassin with deadly weapons who can disappear into a cloud of smoke. But Jinichi Kawakami is reputedly Japan's last ninja.

As the 21st head of the Ban clan, a line of ninjas that can trace its history back some 500 years, Kawakami is considered by some to be the last living guardian of Japan's secret spies.

[nerdwithagun]

I apologize to the mods if this is not ok to post. Sometimes I see quirky threads up with mods themselves posting, sometimes I see them taken down. I am fascinated with history and martial arts and I really am posting this with serious intent.

On the article itself, the reporter never bothered to background check the guy to make sure he is legit. As if us Freepers never seen that be for by journalists. It is an apolitical article and there are so many phonies, hucksters, and liars you really need to investigate and the person making claims needs to submit themselves to the academic community with proof. Old scrolls, documents, knowing language and terminology from many hundreds of year long ago that would be known by people with PhD or people who actually use them. If this man in the article is the real McCoy, I think he would be the first of all the people claiming to have a living lineage including the founder of Bujinkan. To my knowledge, he never submitted much proof either. Don't even get me started on Frank Dux.

I am not trying to insult anybody here who may be a practitioner of any of these men. This is my opinion and I won't argue, insult or troll you.

[Menehune56]

Interesting! Thanks.

[Joe 6-pack]

[Perdogg]

"I can kill in mere seconds with only my right hand"

[a fool in paradise]

[nerdwithagun]

Oh good Lord, what have I done!!! XD

I should have known what was going to happen with this thread. I was curious to see other Freeper opinions on this sort of thing, being it is made of very thoughtful and intelligent people, and it becomes Ninja memes galore! I am laughing though. Hard

[Slings and Arrows]

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[fieldmarshaldj]

Mr. Hankey Ninja...

"Heidy HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!"

[Jet Jaguar]

I like the shirt!

[Yardstick]

Brilliance!

[shibumi]

The "real" Last Ninja -

[Slings and Arrows]

[Slings and Arrows]

[martin_fierro]

[Slings and Arrows]

[nerdwithagun]

Argh, I almost pooped my pants when I saw cat pics! I like my FR account. o.o

[MikeSteelBe]

I did not know that Ninjutsu had a drunken money style. Would mixing Japanese and Chinese martial arts make it Ninjufu?

[OSHA]

http://www.realultimatepower.net/ninja/ninja2.htm/

[Slings and Arrows]

Finally, a reliable source.

[Slings and Arrows]

http://drmcninja.com/archives/comic/0p1/