My stepmom's sensei was Tadashi Yamashita, or "Black Star Ninja" from American Ninja. My playground clout was through the roof from that pedagogical lineage.
Wow yeah, now I think about it it's crazy how Karate/Kung Fu was so prolific in media in the 90's. Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Mark Dacascos, Jackie Chan, Karate Kid. I wonder what kicked it off?
Martial Arts was very trendy in the early 90s in my area, we were all taking Karate of some sort at one of several dojos in my small town. Now, after the BJJ MMA fad died out 10 years ago, I don't think even one dojo is around anymore.
You jest, but co-Turtle creator Kevin Eastman started a graphic novel in the early '00s called Radically Rearranged Ronin Reptiles, cribbed from a long-dead comic called Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls.
Eastman's version was four female samurai lizards, Ragdolls was three cats, two male, one female. Eastman eventually acquired the rights to the feline version and published a short run using the original writers, himself and a couple of guest artists, ca. 2019.
The lizard version, as best as I can tell, never became anything more than a pet project of his, because of obvious copyright issues.
Source: worked on the other side of a failed development deal for several animation projects with Eastman in '03 - '04.
Kinda a joke, but also real. I had the first issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Marrs
"In 1986 Blackthorne Publishing published Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung Fu Kangaroos, a three-issue series created by Marrs which parodied the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series, as well as the American Flagg! comics.[15]"
I was into ninjas before the turtles. In fact when TMNT came out I thought it was an insult to the traditional warrior art of ninjutsu and the ninja. I actually believe that ninjas could do all that crazy stuff we saw in the movies and thought that TMNT was making a mockery of it.
Thankfully the ultimate Fighting championship disabused me of my notions of the Ninja fairly quickly.
I wore a ninja outfit to school in 7th grade 1984 with my friend Matt. It was a heavy cotton gi with tabi boots and mask and everything. We weren’t allowed to wear the mask during class. We then also realized how extremely hot these were sitting in class all day.
Depends on what you’re looking for. The action and fight sequences hold up surprisingly well. Most American Ninja fans agree AN2 was the best.
The acting and plot? Not A tier. But still better than a lot of small budget action films at the time. .
Bought the American Njnja 2 VHS at a gas station in 1991. Probably watched it at least 50 times. Particularly the scene where the Drug Lord is showing off his ninja army to his drug lord friends. An kills like 10 of them just for entertainment. It doesn’t really make sense. But that was never the point. Nostalgia rush.
Totally believed I was a ninja and would grow up to be one. I felt like I could be invisible whenever I wanted and sneak up on my victims deftly. It was a whole thing
I was so into ninjas when I was a kid. I saw all of the Sho Kosugi movies (enter the ninja, revenge of the Ninja, Ninja III domination). I remember that old ninja TV show called The Master, where that old white guy claim to be a ninja but hardly ever did any ninja stuff in the show.
I even used to practice those hand movements that they showed in American Ninja, thinking it would give me magical powers. My mom bought me a authentic ninja outfit and grappling hook for Christmas one year, but wouldn't buy me a real ninja sword. That was probably for the best because I would have likely cut off my fingers on an accident.
The thing that knocked me out of Ninja Love affair was The ultimate Fighting championship. Specifically UFC 2. This was one where they had a ninja come in to fight.
The first problem was that the ninja didn't look like a ninja. You look like the guy who changed my mom's transmission the month before. The second problem was he absolutely got the crap beat out of him buy a kickboxer named Pat Smith.
Ninjas can kill anyone they want! Ninjas cut off heads ALL the time and don't even think twice about it. These guys are so crazy and awesome that they flip out ALL the time. I heard that there was this ninja who was eating at a diner. And when some dude dropped a spoon the ninja killed the whole town. My friend Mark said that he saw a ninja totally uppercut some kid just because the kid opened a window.
And that's what I call REAL Ultimate Power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You forgot the /s, unless you are really mixing up this person (Michael Dudikoff, from American Ninja and other 80s cheese) with Thom Mathews, the third Tommy in Friday the 13th VI, and also famous for the first two Return of the Living Dead movies.
"You got any of those American Ninja movies?"
"I... I think I just took my last one back, but....OH! Whats this one? It has no title... I wonder what it could be?"
"I dunno"
"Lets solve the mystery together!"
"Heeeeey lets serve her up"
I found a huge box of 70s/80s martial arts magazines in the trash when I was a kid.
I used to look at the ads for hours thinking of all the sneaking I could do or situations I could get myself out of once I saved up enough to start ordering some of that sweet gear.
I still think of that scene in 3 Ninjas where a bunch of ninjas try to attack the kids and thr kids just turn them into absolute clowns. All I could think was "I wanna be awesome enough to beat up bad adults" at the time. Haha
I loved these movies so much. The scene where the ninjas form a human chain and pull themselves up the rock face lives in my head to this day. Also, I had a toy that was a ninja on a motorcycle lol.
CNote_89@reddit
hyjnx@reddit
i was doing martial arts in the early to late 90s. All i wanted was to be a ninja.....still kinda do.
FundioRider@reddit
3 Ninjas was peak
firegecko5@reddit
My stepmom's sensei was Tadashi Yamashita, or "Black Star Ninja" from American Ninja. My playground clout was through the roof from that pedagogical lineage.
hermes-thrice-great@reddit
“He posses great skills”
FoolishProphet_2336@reddit
By “American Ninja 2” it was already over. We loved our fads.
Cael_NaMaor@reddit
You can be again...
Ninjago!
Stuffleapugus@reddit
I feel like kids these days lack the imagination to be into Ninjas. They're all into YouTube.
SlaverSlave@reddit
Ummm Naruto? Everyone loves ninjas
ArtDecoModerne@reddit
This was like “Shot Caller” for 11 year olds.
I will not elaborate further
Fluffy-Flamingo3983@reddit
You HAD to have ninja moves to escape the quicksand that we all expected to inevitably come across at some point
Your_Perspicacity@reddit
My name is Robert and I can't stop thinking about ninjas.
christhomasburns@reddit
are you ready go get PUMPED?
big_z_0725@reddit
I love ninjas with every part of my body (including my pee pee).
Hilsam_Adent@reddit
... priceless
Purple_Holiday2102@reddit
Dang it's been a long time since I've seen this haha. Crazy that it's still up.
koei19@reddit
Oh my God, what a throwback. I used to have his book, I don't know what happened to it
Gr00mpa@reddit
It’s so amazing that that site is still up in its original form. And still hilarious.
Digweedfan@reddit
This takes me back. I loved this back in the day.
christhomasburns@reddit
Are you ready to get pumped?
NoLimitHonky@reddit
This was a great movie
Philly_3D@reddit
Is that Dennis Reynolds?
tmotytmoty@reddit
Ninja 3: Domination is the ultimate ninja movie for tme
Seraphtacosnak@reddit
No retreat no surrender! Was a staple with my older brother and I tried watching it recently and it was horrible.
I love the rifftraxx version only now.
ialsohaveadobro@reddit
Dennis Reynolds: Ninja
dusktreader@reddit
Because of the implication...
AmputeeHandModel@reddit
Oh man, those movies were so cheesy. I remember there being lots of multi colored ninjas and I called them the Crayola Ninjas.
richlaw@reddit
Ninja magazine. I was a subscriber.
BuyInHigh@reddit
I’m still into ninjas. In fact, I became one.
Uncle_Slo_Mobius@reddit
3 Ninjas, specifically.
blahdre@reddit
light up the eyes boys! light up the eyes!
Squirrel_Master82@reddit
Surf Ninjas
EducationalFig1630@reddit
Rhythmalist@reddit
Moto surf!
carryon4threedays@reddit
I watched that as an adult and it didn’t hold up. I was sad.
Purple_Holiday2102@reddit
Three American Surf Ninja Turltles!
BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit
Bruce's three American surf ninja pet turtles
flamingknifepenis@reddit
Rock-y loves, Em-il-y! Rock-y loves, Em-il-y!
deathbyjohnson@reddit
American ninja 2 was excellent when I was 10.
Millkstake@reddit
Were??
Minute-Yogurt-2021@reddit
The astonishing fact is that this was on both sides of the Iron Curtain.
leesharon1985@reddit
Fucking Ninja Turtles, Three Ninjas, Double Dragon, Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee. Shit, it’s was everywhere as a kid. Remember Side Kick? Classic cheese.
presidentsday@reddit
MORTAL KOMBAT!
Buttermilkman@reddit
Wow yeah, now I think about it it's crazy how Karate/Kung Fu was so prolific in media in the 90's. Van Damme, Wesley Snipes, Mark Dacascos, Jackie Chan, Karate Kid. I wonder what kicked it off?
absentlyric@reddit
Martial Arts was very trendy in the early 90s in my area, we were all taking Karate of some sort at one of several dojos in my small town. Now, after the BJJ MMA fad died out 10 years ago, I don't think even one dojo is around anymore.
BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit
Bruce Lee kicked it off in the late 60s/early 70s.
leesharon1985@reddit
I was such a fucking sucker for Van Damme movies as kid.
Buttermilkman@reddit
Hell yeah! Hard Target is my personal fave Van Damme movie.
UponTheTangledShore@reddit
So good! Bloodsport and Kickboxer are my faves.
Horse_Dad@reddit
How dare you leave out Beverly Hills Ninja.
leesharon1985@reddit
Oof! 😫 Fuuck. I love Chris Farley, just a great movie.
smoot99@reddit
Still into ninjas
TheREALBaldRider@reddit
I blame the turtles.
Edgarmustavas@reddit
I prefer Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung-Fu Kangaroos.
Hilsam_Adent@reddit
You jest, but co-Turtle creator Kevin Eastman started a graphic novel in the early '00s called Radically Rearranged Ronin Reptiles, cribbed from a long-dead comic called Radically Rearranged Ronin Ragdolls.
Eastman's version was four female samurai lizards, Ragdolls was three cats, two male, one female. Eastman eventually acquired the rights to the feline version and published a short run using the original writers, himself and a couple of guest artists, ca. 2019.
The lizard version, as best as I can tell, never became anything more than a pet project of his, because of obvious copyright issues.
Source: worked on the other side of a failed development deal for several animation projects with Eastman in '03 - '04.
A cover from one of the Ragdolls issues:
Edgarmustavas@reddit
Kinda a joke, but also real. I had the first issue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Marrs
"In 1986 Blackthorne Publishing published Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung Fu Kangaroos, a three-issue series created by Marrs which parodied the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book series, as well as the American Flagg! comics.[15]"
Hilsam_Adent@reddit
That's outstanding! Thank you for the knowledge drop.
fridder@reddit
The movie holds up too!
mcjon77@reddit
I was into ninjas before the turtles. In fact when TMNT came out I thought it was an insult to the traditional warrior art of ninjutsu and the ninja. I actually believe that ninjas could do all that crazy stuff we saw in the movies and thought that TMNT was making a mockery of it.
Thankfully the ultimate Fighting championship disabused me of my notions of the Ninja fairly quickly.
Hilsam_Adent@reddit
Bullshido tricked us all:
e.g.: "True masters of ancient Shaolin Kung-Fu could shoot lightning from their chests!"
BlueSnaggleTooth359@reddit
Bruce Lee!
Much_Usual_3855@reddit
I blame Vanilla Ice
t_bone_stake@reddit
Word to your mother
leesharon1985@reddit
Blame is such a harsh word. Maybe something like contribute.. not sure of the right word to use. 🥷🐢
ExitUser@reddit
Turtle tainted probably isn't it either...
avalonfaith@reddit
Turtle power, not turtle sour!
mcg_090@reddit (OP)
We all wanted to party with Michelangelo
webcrawler_1@reddit
Was….? I became a
Somone-Who-Isnt-Me@reddit
Dude I loved American Ninja. That at Iron Eagle were influential in my later daze.
Bitter_Specific2263@reddit
The amount of times I begged my mom to take me to rent American Ninja 2 was probably ridiculous.
likesexonlycheaper@reddit
Are you guys not into ninjas still? ... guys?
Excellent_Vehicle_45@reddit
Were???
Mick_Limerick@reddit
OskeyBug@reddit
This is the movie where the bad guy forces a cancer doctor to genetically engineer an army of perfect ninjas.
onepostandbye@reddit
Ninja movies taught me that a ninja star sticking 1/4 inch into your forehead is an instant kill
ragnarrolandson@reddit
I’m kinda pissed that now I’m in my 40’s, I have yet to get into a random ninja attack. My childhood expectations were built on Hollywood lies.
No_Cow_4544@reddit
Yes , lots of tshirts made into ninja masks in our house
bfume@reddit
Go ninja go ninja go ninja GO!
Impossible_Memory_85@reddit
I remember they even had ninja magazines in the store.
RetroMulder@reddit
I remember playing with shuriken (ninja stars) when I was young and parents were totally ok with it. Right of passage
Key_Street1637@reddit
Ninja III - The Domination is the pinnacle of cinema.
_1JackMove@reddit
Sho Kosugi is the ONLY ninja worth talking about. Sorry Dudikoff.
ShazRockwell@reddit
I wore a ninja outfit to school in 7th grade 1984 with my friend Matt. It was a heavy cotton gi with tabi boots and mask and everything. We weren’t allowed to wear the mask during class. We then also realized how extremely hot these were sitting in class all day.
seemartineasy@reddit
I had no idea Dennis Reynolds knew karate
Abject-Local1306@reddit
What do you mean “were”?
andrewsmd87@reddit
The best ninja ever is still Chris Farley
Mudcreek47@reddit
Snake Eyes
Storm Shadow
Chuck Norris
TMNT
Daredevil comics
Rambo cartoons
Heck, I even had a Ninja coloring book
LarryGoldwater@reddit
My brother loved the movie 3 Ninjas
I hated it. So much.
Baroque1123@reddit
I was ninja obsessed.
Glittering_Ocelot_67@reddit
Is this series a so bad that it’s good type?
Digitallydust@reddit
Depends on what you’re looking for. The action and fight sequences hold up surprisingly well. Most American Ninja fans agree AN2 was the best. The acting and plot? Not A tier. But still better than a lot of small budget action films at the time. .
lastcallhall@reddit
Just finished rewatching this about 30 minutes ago. Wild.
Digitallydust@reddit
Bought the American Njnja 2 VHS at a gas station in 1991. Probably watched it at least 50 times. Particularly the scene where the Drug Lord is showing off his ninja army to his drug lord friends. An kills like 10 of them just for entertainment. It doesn’t really make sense. But that was never the point. Nostalgia rush.
TiEmEnTi@reddit
Schooled on American Ninja, Ninja Turtles, Karate Kid and 3 Ninjas. Graduated to Van Damme and Jackie Chan.
_kurt_propane_@reddit
You guys aren’t still into ninjas?
TiEmEnTi@reddit
Started my life long love of kung fu movies
CEEngineerThrowAway@reddit
Blue Eyed Samurai was my latest watch. Can confirm m, Ninjas and samurai are still a fun watch
Pitiful_Ad2397@reddit
Right?
DaveyJonesFannyPack@reddit
Were?
collinwade@reddit
Surf ninjas and three ninjas were staples
NonCorporealEntity@reddit
Were?
ONE1-ZERO@reddit
Iykyk
Sweet-Apricot8568@reddit
RamblinShambler@reddit
Aww yiss Arashikage
Also, shout out to mah boys the Night Creepers
ONE1-ZERO@reddit
And their leader
Sweet-Apricot8568@reddit
Totally believed I was a ninja and would grow up to be one. I felt like I could be invisible whenever I wanted and sneak up on my victims deftly. It was a whole thing
Excellent-Price-9388@reddit
I glad that ninjas are as big of a worry as I made them out to be when I was a kid!
froops@reddit
Quicksand and acid rain too
Dense_Surround3071@reddit
I had like a 6 year run as a Ninja for Halloween. 😎
nocturnalfrolic@reddit
He could have been a good Expendables main villain.
Top ninja mafia with bunch of masked ninja henchmen.
Roland-Of-Eld-19@reddit
Ninjas have captured the President we're gonna need some BAD DUDES to set President Ronnie Free!
mcjon77@reddit
I was so into ninjas when I was a kid. I saw all of the Sho Kosugi movies (enter the ninja, revenge of the Ninja, Ninja III domination). I remember that old ninja TV show called The Master, where that old white guy claim to be a ninja but hardly ever did any ninja stuff in the show.
I even used to practice those hand movements that they showed in American Ninja, thinking it would give me magical powers. My mom bought me a authentic ninja outfit and grappling hook for Christmas one year, but wouldn't buy me a real ninja sword. That was probably for the best because I would have likely cut off my fingers on an accident.
The thing that knocked me out of Ninja Love affair was The ultimate Fighting championship. Specifically UFC 2. This was one where they had a ninja come in to fight.
The first problem was that the ninja didn't look like a ninja. You look like the guy who changed my mom's transmission the month before. The second problem was he absolutely got the crap beat out of him buy a kickboxer named Pat Smith.
LineImpossible3958@reddit
I remember playing “Ninjas” with some neighbor kids. Run around, attempt karate, try to be badass
Jairoglyphics1@reddit
Fuck yeah!!!!!! And Godzilla!!!
S_A_R_K@reddit
Ninjas can kill anyone they want! Ninjas cut off heads ALL the time and don't even think twice about it. These guys are so crazy and awesome that they flip out ALL the time. I heard that there was this ninja who was eating at a diner. And when some dude dropped a spoon the ninja killed the whole town. My friend Mark said that he saw a ninja totally uppercut some kid just because the kid opened a window.
And that's what I call REAL Ultimate Power!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BeneficialHamster567@reddit
When I read this post I could hear a ninja off in the distance, wailing on a guitar.
B_Williams_4010@reddit
I hated the sneaky little bastards. Except for the Turtles.
Ishvale@reddit
I still am. And dinosaurs. I'm 50
Olelander@reddit
My friend legitimately sewed us (two dudes) ninja costumes complete with duck tape shoes in 7th grade.
karaloveskate@reddit
The only ninjas I was into as a kid were the ninja turtles and the G. I. Joe ninjas.
avoozl42@reddit
And slime!
Wyden_long@reddit
Who knew that Tommy Jarvis also knew karate m?
vikmaychib@reddit
You forgot the /s, unless you are really mixing up this person (Michael Dudikoff, from American Ninja and other 80s cheese) with Thom Mathews, the third Tommy in Friday the 13th VI, and also famous for the first two Return of the Living Dead movies.
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Yes, Demi Moore was in this "movie."
mstermind@reddit
And here I am playing the latest Assassin's Creed...
ALT3NPFL3G3R@reddit
Ask a Ninja, old YouTube was different...
MrsEsterhouse@reddit
"You got any of those American Ninja movies?"
"I... I think I just took my last one back, but....OH! Whats this one? It has no title... I wonder what it could be?"
"I dunno"
"Lets solve the mystery together!"
"Heeeeey lets serve her up"
Embarrassed_Spell_28@reddit
https://i.redd.it/wl28vh6de4tg1.gif
No-Cardiologist472@reddit
I found a huge box of 70s/80s martial arts magazines in the trash when I was a kid.
I used to look at the ads for hours thinking of all the sneaking I could do or situations I could get myself out of once I saved up enough to start ordering some of that sweet gear.
jimkurth81@reddit
Yall were pretending to be ninjas while I was dancing like a Newsie. 😂 ok, I kid.
BeneficialHamster567@reddit
Morning more American in this era than being a non Asian American boy obsessed with ninjas.
ImOnlyHereForTheCoC@reddit
Just realizing Dudikoff looks like the love-child of Kevin Costner and Michael Rappaport
Sharpshooter188@reddit
I still think of that scene in 3 Ninjas where a bunch of ninjas try to attack the kids and thr kids just turn them into absolute clowns. All I could think was "I wanna be awesome enough to beat up bad adults" at the time. Haha
iliveonramen@reddit
I saw it as a kid, and can’t remember which one, but I remember being disappointed he barely dressed as a ninja in the movie
RamblinShambler@reddit
I was all about GI Joe Ninja Force and Ninja Turtles growing up, so yeah this tracks.
Narc78@reddit
Yes 😁! I loved American Ninja as a kid. And playing Shinobi on my Sega Master System. I believed Ninja is real.
Cross-Eyed-Pirate@reddit
My best friend was a ninja every Halloween of our childhood.
DengarLives66@reddit
Anybody else remember Ask a Ninja from the early 00s Internet?
flamingknifepenis@reddit
Fuck, this just blew out some cobwebs I didn’t even know existed. Yes, I do, but I didn’t remember that I did.
Realistic-Western242@reddit
I’m still into them..
Roscoe_P_Trolltrain@reddit
I still know ninja magic
the_hand_that_heaves@reddit
This and Beastmaster were my daily VHS jam!
Deadshadow84@reddit
Damn right we were. Im sure we all had ninja suits as well.
poop-money@reddit
I mean, unless you were a pirate.
emcoffey3@reddit
Yeah, heh, growing up...
VegasFoodFace@reddit
Pirates have entered the chat...
Intelligent-Invite79@reddit
I loved these movies so much. The scene where the ninjas form a human chain and pull themselves up the rock face lives in my head to this day. Also, I had a toy that was a ninja on a motorcycle lol.
meatsaballz@reddit
I need to go rewatch Beverly Hills Ninja now.
RunRickeyRun@reddit
My older sisters had a major crush on Michael Dudikoff. They would play these American Ninja movies in the vhs constantly 😂
-threefeetoffun@reddit
I think a good example of this is when the Power Rangers got new powers. Season 1 was dinosaurs. Jurassic Park just came out. Perfect.
Season 2 they kept the same powers. They could have used the Japanese footage and saved money on that but nope. Didn't want Chinese god powers.
Season 3 the sentai footage was based on ninjas. So Power Rangers changed to ninja powers.
Ninajs can replace dinosaurs. That's fine.