Short History of Ninjutsu
In Japanese history, a ninja is a warrior specially trained in a variety of unorthodox arts of war, and used skills such as assassination, illusion, espionage, survival, explosives, poisons & medicine, weaponry, evasion and a combination of various martial arts techniques to develop a well rounded system of knowledge to provide a warrior with the skills to achieve their task and to survive in almost any situation.
The Kanji (Japanese system of writing) for Ninjutsu is a Chinese character made up of the characters for blade/knife and heart/mind. in contrast to what you now see in some Hollywood movies, the Art of Ninjutsu was often used by certain villages / clans to protect themselves from the brutal reign of Daimyo's and Shogun's of Japan who sought to acquire their lands.
Ninjutsu (忍術), sometimes used interchangeably with the modern term ninpō (忍 法), is the strategy of unconventional guerilla warfare and espionage practiced by the Shinobi (commonly known outside Japan as ninja). Ninjutsu was a separate discipline in some traditional Japanese Schools, which integrated study of more conventional martial arts (taijutsu) along with Shurikenjutsu, Kenjutsu, Sōjutsu, Bōjutsu and others.
What is different today?
We often hear news reports and stories where innocent people of all ages, cultural backgrounds and sexes, have been attacked, sometimes brutally for no good reason, or for criminal motivation. There are also stories in the news regarding children, tourist and other residents being taken and sometimes found, sometimes not.
Today, the art on Ninjutsu has evolved to cater for 21st Century needs based on our societies changing attitudes towards each other. While it is impossible for us to be there to help innocent victims, we can show students methods of escaping, the ability to defend themselves against an attacker, and the ability to protect loved ones. If what we teach even saves one person, we have achieved our goal.
Ninjutsu & Ninjitsu
Ninjutsu is often referred to as Ninjitsu by a lot of people. The correct pronunciation of the term "Ninjutsu" often sounds like 'Ninjitsu', and as such, the difference between the two is simply the fact that Ninjitsu is the American spelling of Ninjutsu based on the sound of the word.
Samurai & Ninjas - What's the Difference?
When we look at the difference between Samurai and Ninja's, apart from the fact that Samurai were of a noble class while Ninjas were usually farmers / villagers, was the fact that Samurai were interested in honour and reputation, while classically Ninja's were known to prioritise the fulfilment of their task/job above all. In other words, Ninjas would do anything it took to achieve the task without worrying about the methods they used.