Quote:
Originally Posted by Broadsword2004
Was it ninja or samurai? My understanding is that ninja were as outlawed as the Okinawan farmers knowing martial arts...?
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Samurai were the warrior ruling class of Japan and ruled the Island essentially they were the current dynasty.
Ninja were former Samurai also from the warrior ruling class but a different family who had been ousted.
Ninja were from double sword carrying Samurai ruling warrior class families that since they were not in power were not allowed to be armed on Japan but not outside of it. Since they were born and bred warriors they maintained their warrior skills. Ninja were servant to the Samurai as mercenaries and were sent to maintain order in Japanese territories like Okinawa while the Samurai maintained Japan itself.
IRT to your comment about legitimacy, Karate is legitimate just no so much in the U.S or outside of Okinawa for that matter.
The difference between the Samurai and Ninja was the Samurai were Overt and the Ninja operated covert on Japan itself outside of Japan they continued as warriors do. They weren't farmers they weren't craftsman or writers or religious leaders the Ninja were warrior class through and through.