Japan’s ninja spies were rumored to possess extraordinary powers of mind and body. By some accounts, ninja could jump twenty feet in the air, walk on water, or even disappear.
Last March, Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters decided to put a few of these legendary supernatural skills to the test, with carefully designed scientific experiments. The following images show their results.
Walking on Water
Myth: Busted
Stopping a Sword Between Bare Hands
Myth: Busted
Catching a Speeding Arrow in Flight
Myth: Busted
Ninja Mythbusters
At first, it might seem as if the Mythbusters disproved every claim. However, at least in the case of the speeding arrow, they altered their trial to guarantee failure. Grasping at random shots is a fool’s game; wouldn’t a wise ninja eliminate the element of chance, using timing instead of speed?
When Nova filmed their recent documentary, Secrets of the Samurai Sword, they staged a comparatively honest test of this skill. In place of mechanical equipment, they used master swordsman Fumon Tanaka, and instead of asking him to catch a flying arrow, they shot it directly at his heart!
Tanaka succeeded, cutting the arrow with his katana before its tip could pierce his chest.
Secrets of the Samurai Sword
Could a ninja really catch an arrow in flight? What do you think?
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10 responses so far ↓
1 CReidS // Nov 18, 2007
Ah, but that’s the trick, isn’t it? He knew where they were going to shoot the arrow, at his heart. I’ll be his ability to cut arrows in mid flight goes down when the archer can aim at any point on his body.
Still, I admire the skill, courage, and commitment.
2 Rick Matz // Nov 18, 2007
In one of Donn Draeger’s books, there is a photograph of a swordsman cutting an arrow.
3 Jay Gischer // Nov 18, 2007
The Mythbusters website discusses the arrow-catching test, and says that what they found is that a hand can’t close fast enough to grip the arrow as it goes by. So, it would seem that knocking the arrow aside, or cutting it would be somewhat easier. They also didn’t address the notion of better timing, or using two hands in a clapping motion. I also note that if the arrow is fired from far away, with a large arc, it will tend to lose a lot of speed by the time it lands, making the catch easier.
Their take on sword catching has some issues, too. They built an apparatus to test it. Sensible, but it leaves open several questions. It seems to me that the catch must be powerful enough to overcome the swordsman’s grip on the sword. As the video you posted shows, the catch resulted in the sword being taken out of the swordsman’s hands. So you don’t have to stop all of his bodily force, you merely have to break his grip, and stop the momentum of the sword itself.
An apparatus also cancels out the notion of subtle angles and alignment of the catcher. Can we be confident that the apparatus faithfully recreates the momentary acceleration that the swordcatcher generates?
So, under the right conditions, sword and arrow catching seems plausible. Not that I’m likely to try it soon.
I’m willing to call the water walking mythbust pretty conclusive, though.
4 Jay Gischer // Nov 18, 2007
Just watched the mythbusters video, hehe. Still many open questions: How far away is the catcher standing? Who is shooting the bow? What kind of bow are they using? Probably not a fiberglass compound recurve bow, but a traditional Japanese bow, which won’t be as powerful. And how do you catch the arrow? I would do it with sort of an open hand slap with my hand relaxed, so that the impact with the shaft would accelerate the speed of my hand closure. Furthermore, striking it first would probably slow it down some, creating friction with your palm.
So, I still don’t find the mythbuster demonstration conclusive.
5 Thomas // Nov 18, 2007
Why are we ascribing so much truth to the ninja myths anyway? They’re just that: myths. Real ninjas wouldn’t waste time trying to catch arrows or swords, they’d kill at night and when they’re target was asleep, being in disguise any time before that.
6 Chris // Nov 19, 2007
Yes, people love discussing ninjas. Don’t hate the players, hate the game!
7 Rob // Nov 23, 2007
Yeah, I noticed a few problems of that myself. I’ve actually seen an arrow-catching stunt before (televised on a talent show, and the arrow was set on fire so it could be seen easier). Indeed, it isn’t so much about grip speed, but also timing and follow-through. Essentially, you’d be changing the arrow’s trajectory AND catching it simultaneously. Looking at that video, I believe that the hand could have caught it if they set the hand to go off just a few milliseconds before the arrow passed through. Also, for walking on water, didn’t ninja have collapsible stilts or some sort of tool in that vein?
8 Nobody Knows // Nov 23, 2007
I recall the tale of Tajima the Arrow Cutter who would deflect arrows with a whirling naginata.
I think what is missing in these attempts by Mythbusters to engage these things includes the human element. I have seen many people do extraordinary things when in actual combat both in competition and in “reality”. I have seen men anticipate, precog, attacks and firefights. I have seen men make impossible shots with rifles and other weapons. I saw a man sit up, while I was watching him, move two feet to the left, and avoid a sniper round.
I have no doubt that when totally committed to combat a man might catch an arrow, deflect an arrow, cut an arrow or avoid one.
Those of us who have been totally committed to engagements either in competition or in reality understand that when we are intimately connected to events around us as they unfold, we can act in both subtle and sublime ways. We become greater than the sum of our parts.
In my own experience I can say with confidence that detachment from the environment is the first step towards failure because that detachment implies that our minds are not integrated with the present and can’t react to something when they are focused elsewhere. That is why we empty our minds but retain emotional focus.
In your training sessions you need your opponents to commit to striking you, not to behave furtively and uncommited. Without their focus and will, you have no reason to defend yourself and your practice will not further your abilities.
The Mythbusters failed to catch the arrow because they didn’t need to. Master Tanaka probably understands this very well. Without a committed attack, there can be no committed response. If our friend on the video was fighting for his life or limb, he might have surprised himself.
9 Bridgewater // Apr 27, 2008
Many years ago, Real People featured a guy who could catch arrows as the flew past him. It appeared to be real and they showed it in slow motion.
10 Naveen // May 5, 2008
I think to a person who has achieved balance in his body and mind can do these so called myths… 100% no doubt about it… and unlike the myth buster projects, a ninjas or who ever is said to be capable of doing these feats, wouldn’t have kept their hands still… they’d be moving their hand in the direction the arrow is moving and there by achieving a lower relative speed of the arrow (cos you’d want a scientific explanation)… if you know the ways, the mind can be sharpened by meditation and discipline… these skills may not be impossible, even though they seem like myth to westerners…
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