Free In Search of the Niinja by Antony Cummins Page A

a horse and gear, keeping him on foot. Logically it seems that shinobi were a separate group to the Monomi , with a small margin of cross-over. Fujibayashi, author of the Bansenshukai, argues for the use of shinobi over Monomi , implying an actual distinction in qualified personnel as opposed to a distinction in employment of the same person. The Rodanshu military secrets scroll appears to provide some evidence for a mixture of Monomi and shinobi forms of scouting, but we cannot know how many people shared shinobi and Monomi skills.
    There are four main types of scouting (with some minor variations), normally found in samurai armies, using the term ‘ Monomi ’.

Large Scouting Groups ( O-monomi )
    Up to 100 men (out of 1000) can make up an O-monomi group, if not more. The military tactics appendix found at the end of the Bansenshukai states that this form of scouting party can be made up of mounted samurai, each with up to five Ashigaru or foot soldiers accompanying them. On the whole, this group was sent out before the army moved out and would scout ahead, checking the route and lay of the land. This is a large armed group who are not trying to hide their activities. In some cases an O-monomi group was said to reach the level of 1000 mounted warriors.
    To-monomi , To-miban and To-me all mean ‘far reaching scouts’. It is unknown if this was a large band of mounted warriors or only a few in number.

Middle-sized Scouting Groups ( Chu-monomi )
    Chu-monomi or middle-sized scouting groups appear to be made up of around 40–50 people out of 1000. This group were also heavily armed and prepared for engagement with the enemy.

Small Scouting Groups ( Ko-monomi )
    Ko-monomi or smaller scouting groups are a small number of warriors, possibly mounted, of up to five people, most likely used to keep up to date on enemy movements from a distance. However, some scrolls which feature Ko-monomi skills are almost identical to shinobi activity.

Secret or Stealthy Scouting ( Shinobi-monomi )
    Stealthy scouting is by far the most illusive kind to pin down. There are differences in title, differences in usage between clans and also grammatical issues. On a basic level, this is a form of scouting that is done in secret and away from the eyes of the enemy, be it mounted or on foot, the latter being far more popular. Examples of secret mounted scouting can be seen in a later chapter, with the study of the Otsubo Hon equestrian school and their use of their shinobi skills on horseback.
    According to Edo period records, Shinobi-monomi is also known as: Shibami , Kamari, 47 Shinobi or Kusa . According to the Koyogunkan war chronicle there were variations such as Kamari no monomi and they were also called Kagi-monogiki. The skill consists in scouting close to the enemy. This form of scouting was usually undertaken by lower class people and on foot, by men such as the Monomi-ashigaru or ‘foot soldier scouts’.
    This suggests that lower ranking shinobi who held the status of Ashigaru were employed to undertake the position of overnight watchmen, lying in the grass watching the enemy, whilst the higher ranking shinobi considered such work infra dignitatis ; however, this is merely speculation. One interesting anecdote that helps support this theory comes from the Hojo Godaiki document, which states that when a mounted warrior came to take up his position in the daytime, where a low class night watchman was situated, the night-time agent attacked and tried to kill the mounted warrior in anger.
    In the Japanese language an adjective comes before the subject. So in Shinobi - monomi the adjective is shinobi and the subject is Monomi . The combination means a secret-scout, i.e. ‘creeping in’ whilst scouting. The reason for grammatical examination here is that whilst the term shinobi-monomi exists, there is also an example of the reverse found in the Bansenshukai ; Monomi-shinobi . Here the adjective-subject argument shows that this is a ninja who