e177 – KUDEN! – Why Ninja Wear Black (Not Stealth!)


One of the most recognizable images when it comes to the Ninja warriors of ancient Japan is their shinobi shozoku – the so-called ‘ninja uniform’. And one of the biggest misconceptions and misunderstandings surrounds, not just the parts of it, but it’s color…the color black! Most believe that this is because of stealth. And like many things, not in ninjutsu but in the world in general…are WRONG!

During this episode we’re going to look at no less than TWO historical realities about ‘Ninja Clothing’, where the black outfit we associate with Ninja actually came from, and why it makes a really crappy choice for what people think it was designed for!

We’ll also look at the color from the spiritual side of training, and its symbolic reference to one of the strongest tenets of being a true warrior.

All this and more on this episode of KUDEN!