Naruto Discussion Thread

[Hempire]

Hey people....ummm, i don't watch Naruto but i'm just wondering....since i came across something over the net...are there ANY signs or things in the anime or manga that relates to hemp? I came across this @ Hemp & Japanese Culture ---http://www.rense.com/general50/hemp4.htm---

A well-known children's adventure story tells about a technique used by ninja (stealthy assassins) to improve jumping skills. The learning ninja plants a batch of hemp when he begins training and endeavours to leap over it everyday. At first this is no challenge, but the hemp grows quickly everyday and so does the diligent ninja's jumping ability. By the end of the season, the warrior can allegedly clear the full gorwn stand of hemp. (Mayuzumi, Masuda) This certainly attests as much for hemp's vitality as the ninja's leaping ability.

From the southern islands of Okinawa which are culturally mixed of Japanese and South Pacific island culture, the skill of Karate emerged. In the Karate-do Kyohan (the book of the way of the empty hand) it relates the feats obtainable by the Karate master:

"A miraculous and mysterious martial art has come down to us from the past. It is said that one who masters its techniques can defend himself readily without resort to weapons and can perform remarkable feats: the breaking of several thick boards with his fist. With his sword hand he can kill a bull with a single stroke; he can pierce the flank of a horse with his open hand; he can shear a hemp rope with a twist or gouge soft rock with his hands . . ."

Oh and this is also interesting...

Ironically, it was the Japanese Imperial Army's invasion of the Philippines a few years earlier that acted as a catalyst for USA's "Hemp for Victory" campaign to replace the Manila-hemp used by the armed forces.

Manila hemp is also known as abaca...I also read that info in other books and seen a documentary that talks about Philippines as a strategic source of fiber which is one of the main reasons why the Japanese attacked and pwned us... =/
That was the past though, now we're all ok with the Japanese, but.....the americans......labeling hemp.....as....useless...while other industrialized nations use the plant for fiber, paper, fuel, medicine, and food...

This is the Documentary....
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The Americans decided to encourage farmers to plant hemp since they need it for the war effort...during that time victory was uncertain, so they were forced to do this, what hypocrisy...

Also sorry for hijacking the thread, at least it's for a good cause. =D