Deadly Life of a Female Ninja

When we hear the word “ninja,” most of us picture those sword-wielding assassins wearing an all-black garb who are adept at martial arts and the art of stealth. We’ve read about these black-masked warriors in novels and comic books, and we’ve seen some fictionalized versions of them in a lot of movies for the past few decades. And in many of these materials, we’ve learned that a ninja is often a cloaked and masked man who can stealthily infiltrate an enemy’s territory to end the life of a specific target. 

In reality, however, the way of the ninja is not a life solely intended for men, and not all ninjas live in the shadows. Yes, some of these ninja assassins were female, and they often hid in plain sight. These female ninjas were referred to as the “kunoichi,” and while they equaled their male counterparts in terms of combat and stealth skills, they handled their assignments differently from men in several impressive ways.

Defining Ninja, Shinobi, Kunoichi

While the term “ninja” is what became popular among Westerners, written records in feudal Japan refer to these covert agents and mercenary assassins as the “shinobi.” Members of the shinobi clans in Japan were practitioners of ninjutsu, which taught them the strategy and tactics of espionage, infiltration, sabotage, assassination and even guerrilla warfare. They were like the antithesis of the honorable samurai as the ninja’s covert methods of warfare were regarded as irregular and dishonorable. Nevertheless, as spies and assassins, many of the shinobi lost their lives while in the line of duty and usually took on missions from which they were not expected to return alive.  

Medieval Japan was a time during which men dominated society while women were primarily relegated to the sidelines, taking “harmless” roles such as that of a wife, a mistress, or a maid. And so many incorrectly assume that ninja clans were strictly composed of males when the truth was women of that time also worked as covert agents and assassins alongside men although their approach in doing so is not the same as the male shinobi accomplished their missions.

The existence of female ninja warriors is mentioned in the Bansenshukai - a 17th-century book containing knowledge and secrets about ninja training. The Bansenshukai revealed the primary function of a kunoichi, and that is to infiltrate a target’s household by forming intimate relations with members of that clan and gaining their trust. Walking freely inside enemy territory and hiding in plain sight, they usually bided their time in collecting information about their target, but they were also capable of facilitating assassinations if ordered to do so.

Disguises And Tactics Of A Female Ninja

The shinobi knew the importance of using personal strengths to their deadliest advantage. In a world where women were prized for their beauty and were deemed ignorant and harmless, the kunoichi was less likely to arouse suspicion and found it much easier to get close to their targets compared to their male counterparts. The female ninjas used feminine wiles to accomplish their objective and even became concubines and mistresses to mask themselves for long periods of time.

The targets of the shinobi were typically powerful and influential members of the samurai class, which meant that they were heavily guarded and were naturally distrustful of men outside their clan. However, rarely were they as suspicious of the women around them as they were of men. This allowed the kunoichi to disguise themselves as maids, courtesans or as priestesses and go undercover, infiltrating dangerous enemy zones on a broader and more intimate level than male shinobis would have ever been able to achieve.

The kunoichi did not sneak in during moonless nights to steal information or eliminate their targets. A kunoichi was patient and took time to accomplish missions even if the mission took years. Female ninjas rarely attempted to kill their targets right away. First, they worked hard to integrate themselves well into the enemy’s household and to earn the trust of the household's many residents slowly. They gathered intelligence and passed on crucial information to a samurai’s enemies. When the time came to eliminate the target they were monitoring, they did not wait for a male shinobi to finish the job. Their combat skills were just as excellent, and sometimes, their method of execution was even more creative and brutal.

This is why some argue that the kunoichi posed a more serious threat than other members of the shinobi. It was hard to tell if a maid, a priestess or a courtesan was who she said she was since they could pretend to be one for a very long time if they must. And when they were ordered to strike, they did so cunningly when their targets are at their most vulnerable – often in bed and with their pants down. Hence, it is not so surprising that they suffered worse fates than the captured male ninjas when they were caught for committing such intimate betrayals.

Weapons Used By Female Assassins

Beauty and sexuality were the female ninjas’ primary weapons when gaining access to their targets, but they also wielded actual deadly weapons of their own. Considering they had to go to their enemy’s territory unnoticed, they could not bring around with them long swords that would catch people’s attention. Instead, they carried weapons such as dagger-like hairpins, throwing stars, tessen or folding fans with hidden blades, and poison as these items can be inconspicuous while wearing a standard kimono.

Perhaps the iconic weapon of choice used by the kunoichi was the neko-te. The neko-te mimicked Wolverine claws and was made of leather finger sheaths topped with very pointed metal tips. The tiger-like claws of the weapon extended between one and three inches in length and were sharp enough to tear away human flesh. Some of the kunoichis would even douse their neko-te with poison in order to quicken death or worsen pain.

Mochizuki Chiyome: Japan's Most Famous Kunoichi

There is little record available about kunoichis, and Mochizuki Chiyome is probably the only one whose name was solidified in Japan’s ninja history.  Mochizuki Chiyome was a noblewoman from the 16th century and the wife of a samurai warlord. She is credited for setting up an underground network of female spies, which she accomplished by recruiting around 300 female orphans, war victims, and prostitutes.

To the eyes of the locals of Nazu village in the Shinshu region, the noblewoman was merely running an orphanage, but in reality, she trained and managed a very sophisticated group of female espionage operatives and assassins who have infiltrated almost every aspect of the region’s community. These groups of female ninjas put their bodies and lives on the line all in service to the Takeda clan led by the uncle of Chiyome’s late husband, Takeda Shingen.

For reasons unknown, after the death of Shingen in 1573, Chiyome and her league of spies disappeared from Japan’s historical records, and no one knows what happened to the secret group after serving the Takeda clan.

Although we don’t know all the names of the Japanese women who were once among the kunoichi, they were no less important than their male counterparts within the ranks of the shinobi. These deadly female ninjas were highly respected by the men they worked for and those who worked alongside them, and for a time, they were truly a force to be reckoned with in Medieval Japan.

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Sources: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunoichi
http://www.ninjaencyclopedia.com/reality/kunoichi.html
https://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2013/06/kunoichi-female-ninja-spies-medieval-japan-susan-spann
http://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/deadly-female-ninja-assassins-used-deception-and-disguise-strike-their-target-021503?nopaging=1
https://www.mysterytribune.com/kunoichi-closer-look-female-ninja-spies-old-japan/

10 Most Badass Princesses in History

Forget Ariel, Jasmine, and Merrida. Disney princesses may have an appeal to us, but history has a lot more to offer when it comes to princesses who are the definition of "badass."

They are not your typical damsels in distress that get abducted by dragons and kept in stone castles. No. These women fought in wars or gained their title by keeping ten steps ahead of their male counterparts. Of course, it also helps a little if you are related to Genghis Khan or a Spartan.

So buckle up and sharpen your swords! We are counting down to the 10 most badass princesses in history!

#10 - Urraca of Zamora

One of the five children of Ferdinand I The Great of Spain, Urraca was destined for greatness as she was able to fend off an advancing army intent on taking her city.

At the death of her father, Ferdinand I, she and her siblings were each bequeathed lands to which they can rule it as their own city-states in peace. Of course, if there is anything that history has shown us is that he – or she – who has the largest amount of land gains control of a significant portion of a territory or country. This was the case with the eldest of Ferdinand’s children, Sancho.

Deciding that he wanted all the lands to himself, Sancho effectively overthrew each of his siblings, leaving Urraca last. When Sancho reached the city-state of Zamora, his little sister was more than prepared, and Sancho’s armies were not able to enter Zamora’s walls. In a final attempt to topple Urraca, Sancho surrounded Zamora to prevent anyone from coming in or out, hoping to starve its citizens and Urraca.

The princess, however, was not deterred by Sancho and set up a plan to assassinate her brother – which was carried out successfully – and take down the family bully.

#9 - Tomoe Gozen

While she was not considered a princess or of royal birth, Tomoe Gozen deserves a spot on this list because being a female samurai is pretty much an equivalent of being a badass warrior princess.

The life of Tomoe Gozen is one of the few to have been ever recorded of a woman who rode to war. While female samurais were not completely uncommon in Japan, they are quite a few, and Tomoe was one who has exhibited an extraordinary amount of talent in martial arts, archery, and swordsmanship.

Her skills, therefore, earned her a spot in one of the history’s most respected and iconic warriors: the samurai.

Her greatest, recorded, the accomplishment was when she fought side by side with her husband in the Gempei War. As records of her life show, Tomoe single-handedly killed a group of advancing soldiers and decapitated their leader as he attempted to dismount her from her horse.

While historical records about her were kept as accurate as possible, her later years became clouded in obscurity. One account has it that, after the Gempei War, Tomoe retired her sword and entered a monastery where she lived out the rest of her life. In another story, because her husband did not survive the Gempei War, it was believed that Tomoe Gozen took her life through the ancient ritual of seppuku.

#8 - Olga of Kiev

She embodies the age-old saying, “Hell Hath no Fury As a Woman Scorned.” Olga of Kiev lived a peaceful and prosperous life in the Ukraine around the 10th century AD until her husband, Igor, was brutally murdered by invading Drevlians.

Believing that Olga was of weak stock because of her gender, the Drevlians forced her to marry one of their princes, which she did consent to. Still scorned by the killing of her husband, Olga led a group of Drevlians to a pit, which was dug overnight, and buried them alive!

She continued her systematic purge of the Drevlians and lured their most elite and influential citizens to bathhouses that she set on fire, burning alive that faction of the Drevlians in her domain – and during her husband’s funeral, she managed to get 5,000 Drevlians drunk and wiped them out.

As a final stroke to her vengeance, she returned all the pigeons that were offered to her as a sign of peace by the Drevlians but not before powdering their feathers with bits of sulfur that burned their town to ashes.

#7 - Nanny of the Maroons

On the shores of Jamaica in the 18th Century, escaped slaves built communities to protect themselves from the British. With the help of a member of the Ghanaian Royal family named Nanny, they were able to fend off the British effectively.

Coming to the shores of Jamaica on her own free will, Nanny helped the escaped African slaves, called Maroons, set up a lookout system across the entire island that would communicate through telegraph should British ships be spotted and prepare to defend their community.

Among many other systems she put in place, Nanny was even able to develop a potent herbal mixture that knocked their enemies out cold by its fumes alone.

Celebrated as a hero, her face can be found printed on Jamaican $500 bills, as well as having her name on several schools, buildings, and institutions around the island country.

#6 - Lili’uokalani

She was the last reigning monarch and Queen of Hawaii. Spending her life on the throne protecting the native people of the islands and fiercely campaigning against the annexation of the United States, Lili’uokalani used brains and diplomacy and avoided violence as a means to maintain sovereignty and independence.

In one move, she attempted to pass an amended constitution that would restore power to the native people of Hawaii as well as grant her more political power to fend off any US involvement in their affairs.

Unfortunately, in 1898, she was forced off the throne and Hawaii was finally claimed by the United States. During her lifetime she advocated for peaceful resistance and resolutions to conflict, and despite losing her country to the Americans, she continued to preserve Hawaiian identity by curating all things related to its people and culture.

Not all of us may know this, but among her various contributions to Hawaiian culture was a song that she composed called “Aloha Oe.”

#5 - Zhao Pingyang

Pingyang lived in the 7th century AD when the Sui Dynasty was on the verge of crumbling. Originally, she was not of any royal descent, being only a daughter of a governor.

However, in this turbulent time, her father saw an opportunity to topple the Sui Dynasty through rebellion. As her father amassed a force to take on the Emperor, he warned Pingyang and her husband to leave their home – which was a stone throw’s away from the Emperor’s palace – because they would soon be labeled as enemies of the state and will likely be executed on sight.

Pingyang urged her husband to leave town first to join the rebel army. On the way to meet her husband and her father, Pingyang sold her family’s estate and used the money to raise an army to help bring down the Sui Empire.

Eventually, she began to lead an army of 700,000 soldiers from one victory to the next that the Emperor assembled a special force just to kill her. Unfortunately for the Sui forces, Pingyang and her army were able to rout them, destroying the Emperor’s hopes of ridding the rebellion of their female leader.

The Sui Dynasty was later toppled and replaced by the Tang Dynasty with Pingyang’s father as the country’s new emperor.

In honor of her daughter’s victory and contributions to the successful rebellion, the Emperor commemorated her with a military parade and bestowed her with the title of “Zhao, ” and she was crowned as princess of the Tang Dynasty. She was only 20 years old.

#4 - Chiomara

At the height of the Roman Empire when they marched from one country to the next; conquering, pillaging, and abducting women, they came across a tribe of people that were on their list of subjugating next.

As part of bringing the tribe to their knees, the Romans abducted a woman named Chiomara who was, incidentally, the wife of the chief.

While with the Romans, Chiomara had to endure some abuses and sexual assaults. One centurion promised Chiomara that she would be returned to her tribe if a ransom in gold would be paid in her exchange.

Eventually, the tribe agreed to pay her ransom and she was returned. While the centurion was busy counting the gold, Chiomara ordered her rescuers to behead the centurion, and they did. To add more insult to injury, Chiomara took the head of the centurion and carried it like a trophy as she walked back home. Meeting her husband, the chief, she throws the centurion’s head at his feet and declares, “Only one man who has lain with me shall remain alive.”

#3 - Isabella of France

Called the “She-wolf of France,” Isabella had it hard from the beginning when she was married to her, presumably homosexual husband, Edward. It was even said that to keep her from losing power, she had to also build an alliance with Edward’s lover.

It was when Edward found a new lover that Isabella’s life went upside down.

During a failed skirmish in Scotland after the death of William Wallace, Edward suddenly decided to flee and abandoned Isabella and her entourage. Before they were captured by the advancing Scottish army, Isabella, her entourage, and a few knights that stayed with her managed to steal boats to escape back to England.

Unfortunately, Isabella did not receive a warm welcome back home. Her lands and her many estates were confiscated, and her household staff were thrown in jail. To add more salt to the wound, her children were sold off to her political enemies.

Sensing that trouble was closing in on her, Isabella regrouped in her home country of France and raised an army and returned to England to overthrow Edward and his new lover, Hugh. She was later joined by multiple factions during her campaign who were equally fed up with Edward.

Sensing that they are close to being cornered, Edward and Hugh fled but were caught. Hugh’s father, who was Edward’s adviser and Isabella’s fiercest political enemy, was also captured and sentenced to be dragged by a horse, hanged, and decapitated.

Hugh suffered a much harsher fate. Like his father, he was dragged by a horse, hanged until he was mostly dead, then disemboweled and decapitated with his head put on a spike on display at the London Bridge.

Due to Edward’s existing political influence and allies outside of England, Isabella had no choice but to place him behind bars where, according to historians, he “accidentally died.”

#2 - Khutulun

She was the real Warrior Princess, and that title was well deserved. After all, what other title could you be given if you were the great, great granddaughter of Genghis Khan and your family ruled a third of the globe for centuries?

Known for her independent spirit, Khutulun was a Mongolian Royalty whose reputation preceded her wherever she went. Part of her life was chronicled by Marco Polo himself where he took note of her incredible abilities in wrestling among many other impressive skills.

Her political ambitions were fueled by her father from whom she learned the fierce military strategies of the Mongol army.

Naturally, her father wanted her to marry and bear children to carry on the legacy of her bloodline but, not wanting to be married off to anyone, Khutulun issued a challenge to anyone wishing to court her: that he should beat her in wrestling before she consents to be betrothed.

Another condition was that if a man lost to her challenge, he must give her a horse.

She ended up with 10,000 horses before she finally consented to be wed.

#1 - Rani Lakshmi Bai

Before you ask why Khutulun did not make it to number one, hear us out on this and you will be surprised why Rani Lakshmi Bai landed the top spot on today’s list.

Born in 1835 in India, Lakshmi Bai was the daughter of one of India’s Prime Minister’s aides who gave her the opportunity to grow up in a royal setting. Not content to just sit around and learn needlework or other tasks usually designated to women during that time, Lakshmi Bai spent a great deal of her youth learning to use a sword, mastering archery, and wielding guns.

Married to a prince at the age of 12, Lakshmi Bai’s road to power was being paved for her. Soon enough, her husband became raja, and they adopted a son to complete their family. Unfortunately, her husband died and a certain Lord Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, cited a legislation called the Doctrine of Lapse to justify seizing her family’s lands and further stated that, according to the British government – who was occupying India – Lakhsmi Bai and her son were not of royal descent and therefore was forced out of the throne.

After emotionally and mentally recovering from the trauma dealt with her by the British Empire, she began gathering an army of men and women to rebel against the Empire. Taking on the mantle of their leader, she led her army of rebels head on against British soldiers with her adopted son strapped to her back. You heard that right. Now if that isn’t the most badass thing in history, I don’t know what is.

Labelled by her enemies as “the most dangerous of all rebel leaders,” Rani Lakshmi Bai was eventually killed at the Battle of Gwalior while charging and firing at the man who had shot her in the back.

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And that wraps up our 10 most badass princesses in history! Let us know what you think by commenting below!

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Sources:

http://www.cracked.com/article_19478_5-real-princesses-too-badass-disney-movies.html

https://www.nylon.com/articles/badass-women-in-history

http://flavorwire.com/514284/10-badass-princesses-youve-probably-never-heard-of

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/10/127504/disney-rejected-princesses-jason-porath-book#slide-21

5 Reasons Why Jackie Chan May Not Be a Nice Guy

One way or another we have all seen his movies and have been entertained by his antics mixed with his Martial Arts skills on screen.

He has been cast next to some of Hollywood’s successful (and not so successful) actors and played parts in films ranging from the iconic to the downright laughable.

Jackie Chan has no doubt become a household name around the world and why shouldn’t he? With classics such as Drunken Master and roles in family-friendly movies like the Kung Fu Panda series, he’s an all-around talented guy; but underneath all that fame and glamor, what if there is a different man that we don’t really know? What if, Mr Nice Guy is not-so-nice at all?

Today we talk about the 5 reasons why Jackie Chan may not be the nice guy we thought he is.

#5 — The Beijing Connection

In one of his public appearances, Jackie Chan opened himself up to criticism from Hong Kong and the international press in an interview on a Hong Kong TV show. “We Chinese need to be controlled,” he said. “We know our country has many problems. We [can] talk about it when the door is closed. To outsiders, [we should say] ‘our country is the best’.”

This remark sparked outrage in the city-state. Once a colony of Britain, Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997 but maintains an autonomous form of government and economy far different from Beijing. For one, residents in Hong Kong enjoy much freer access to information and the internet whereas their counterparts in the mainland have to bear with strict censorship from the government.

On different occasions and interviews, Chan is known for making sweeping comments against calls for more freedom in China.

“I’m not sure if it’s good to have freedom or not,” Chan said when asked during the Boao Forum for Asia about his stance on the suffocating control of the media by the Beijing government on the mainland. “If you’re too free, you’re like the way Hong Kong is right now. It’s very chaotic. Taiwan is also chaotic... I’m gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we’re not being controlled, we’ll just do what we want,” he said.

These words were warmly received and applauded by Beijing, but pro-democracy legislators from Hong Kong were deeply provoked and offended with some legislators labeling Chan a “racist.”

In answer to Chan’s statements, veteran pro-democracy legislator Albert Ho said, “People around the world are running their own countries. Why can’t China do the same?”

This was not Chan’s first foray into making a clear stand on Beijing.

Even though he was critical of the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing in 1989, he has — quite ironically — taken a much more pro-Beijing stance in later years.

#4 — Biting the Hand that Fed Him

There is no doubt that Jackie Chan has been one of the most successful Asian actors in Hollywood.  Since the Hong Kong star’s debut into the silver screen in the 70s, his career has been stellar up until the early 2000s.

Although despite his success and a star on Hollywood’s walk of fame to commemorate his talents, a report published Chan allegedly stating that America was the most corrupt country in the world.

This remark may have spelled the end of his career in the United States and gave his later films a thorough decline in quality and audience reception.

The internet was quick to give a response to Chan’s supposed statement with several sites and communities calling for a “huge boycott of Jackie Chan’s films no matter how much they make small children squeal with enjoyment.”

#3 — In the Business of Making Business

Movie stars are rich. That is possibly a universal truth. What with the paychecks they receive from their movies, residuals from syndication and advertising, and the businesses they put up almost everywhere on almost anything from perfumes to restaurants, celebrities are always loaded, and Jackie Chan is no exception.

Chan practically gets involved in almost every aspect of show business. For the most part, he has directed, produced, and sang the soundtracks to his own films. With more than 100 films and about 25 albums in his portfolio, Chan is literally everywhere – and these days, he has started his own K-Pop group called JJCC.

However, Chan’s entrepreneurial side goes beyond show business. In the controversial Panama Papers leak, it was revealed that Chan had an intriguing relationship with officials of the Chinese Communist Party.  The papers also exposed a few of Chan’s interesting secrets involving Hong Kong and mainland China.

It was said that Chan allegedly had ties with wealthy businesses in Hong Kong, most notably Albert Yeung of the Emperor Group that acquired land to build the Beijing Emperor Group Center in 2006 but the project’s promotion did not begin until 2015, nine years after the acquisition; an acquisition that supposedly involved Chan who said, in 2014, that he did own a piece of land in the mainland.

Online communities in Beijing believed the land that Chan was talking about was, in fact, the one for the Beijing Emperor Group Center — land that was allegedly acquired by Chan and Yeung in 2006 through the sacked Vice Mayor of Beijing, Liu Zhihua.

#2 — The Not-So Environmental Advocate

“Who said Beijing had no blue skies? Such blue skies, green fields…” This was a caption appended to a photo shot by Chan and posted on Chinese social media Weibo in the midst of the heated debate about Beijing’s pollution crisis.

The backlash was almost instantaneous when the online community took no hesitation in calling Chan out with comments generously sprinkled with profanity.

It is known the world over that Beijing has been one of the most polluted cities in the globe with a smog count reaching 993 micrograms per cubic meter in the Xizhimen area alone. The people on the mainland and those living near and within city limits are subjected to the smog on a daily basis, affecting their health no matter what their age.

The photo and the comment posted by Chan may seem trivial to some, but it has a heavy handed, and insensitive effect on the people who are actually experiencing pollution that can potentially be lethal to them.

#1 — Daddy Issues

Celebrities will always have their personal lives dragged into the limelight one way or another. Since they are such public personalities, it seems to follow that whatever form of privacy they wish for is not possible.

The same goes for Jackie Chan. However, there is a different and more interesting story to the beloved star.

In 2015, a recently re-surfaced interview showed Chan talk about his relationship with Taiwanese actress Joan Lin, his wife for more than 30 years. In the interview, he said that he had only decided to marry her after she became pregnant with their son, Jaycee.

“It was an accident which conceived Jaycee,” Chan says, according to Asia One. “I had never thought of getting married, but felt it was akin to being forced to marry.” What an insult!

Of course, the rumors that Chan has had many other girlfriends while married to Lin were no surprise. He was said to have also been in an affair with Elaine Ng, a former beauty queen, to whom he fathered a daughter named Etta in 1999.

Calling his affair with Elaine a mistake, Chan said that he “only committed a fault that many men would commit.” Meanwhile, Etta says that her relationship with her father was practically non-existent and only saw Chan as “just a stranger.”

Chan’s reputation as a father continued to slide in 2014 when his son, Jaycee, was arrested after police officers raided his apartment and seizing more than 100 grams of marijuana: an offense that landed him six months behind bars.

After his release, Jaycee found it difficult to find employment after being blacklisted by several companies. In an effort to carve out a career path for his son, Chan gave his son a newer image even proposing to work on an album with him.

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Sources:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/chinese-shouldnt-get-more-freedom-says-jackie-chan-1671337.html

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/2042308-panama-papers-reveal-jackie-chans-clinging-to-super-rich-chinese/?expvar=004&utm_expid=.5zxdwnfjSHaLe_IPrO6c5w.1&utm_referrer=

http://shanghaiist.com/2017/04/11/jackie_chan_forced_marriage.php

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2014/03/10-reasons-why-you-want-to-punch-jackie-chan-in-the-face/