By Mike McKiernan Fri, December 5, 2008, 12:01 am PST

Master Sho Kosugi Today, we celebrate The Day of the Ninja. People of all shapes and sizes are encouraged to dress up like ninjas, perform ninja techniques (but don't assassinate anyone, please!), and spread the word of the ninja. So here we are... I, myself, am a huge fan of ninjas. During my pre-teen years in the early '80s, I discovered one of the coolest things in my tiny young universe: ninja movies. "Enter the Ninja," "Revenge of the Ninja," and "American Ninja." Hell, I even paid to see the ghastly "Ninja III: The Domination" (starring that hot chick from "Breakin'"). I even bought myself "authentic" throwing stars and a ninja sword from my local Asian imports store (this was before online shopping, kids). I proudly hung those awesome weapons on my wall next to my poster of the Ninja master himself: Sho Kusogi. There was no denying it; ninjas were totally rad and every pre-teen and teenage boy wanted to be one. To us, they were modern day cowboys: dressed in black, donning hoods and masks, sneaking within the shadows -- every kid I knew wanted to be a ninja. On Halloween night in 1985, one out of every 5 boys was dressed as one. The coolest costumes had the totally awesome Tabi boots that separated your big toe from the rest of your foot, so you could bust a sweet side kick in your ninja gear. (The not-so-cool kids were stuck with black Reeboks.) Fast-forward about 13 years: I discovered ninjas again, not in a movie, but this time on a "website" called The Official Ninja Webpage on that World Wide Web thing. Although that site was more or less a spoof, it was obvious that its makers are indeed fans of ninjas -- a testament to the fact that ninjas are still, and will forever be, super cool. And in 2009, my childhood fantasy will come full circle: Sho Kusogi will be starring in what might be his greatest masterpiece, "Ninja Assassin!!!" Could a whole new trilogy of Kusogi ninja movies be on the horizon?! Because that would be totally rad. Suggested Sites... Enter the Ninja.com - best ninja website ever. Ask a Ninja - you got questions, ninja got answers. The Official Ninja Webpage - click only if you're ready to get pumped. Wikipedia: Ninja - "The exact origin of the ninja is a matter of debate." But still, here it is.

Directory categories: Ninjutsu, Martial Arts Movies, Martial Arts, Japanese Martial Arts

Archived under: Assassins, Entertainment, Japan, Martial Arts, Movies, Ninjas

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