Rebshinobi has not been here in a month, you may not get an answer.

Then I'll answer. Ninja masked their faces with either two clothes tied over the upper and lower part of the face, called sanjaku-tenugui, or else with a mask dyed with sappanwood. Chain mail headgear was also used sometimes.

Ninja also used smoke bombs and explosives. One of the 18 skills taught in the Bujinkan is kayakujutsu, which deals with that sort of thing.

Annoying sayings in the MA's. I have a few.

"There is no first attack in Karate"
"Martial Arts were developed to build character"
"I practise the style of no style"
"That's not how Ed Parker did it"
"Forms are useless"
"It won't work unless it's been tested in the octagon"

HKF

It's not exactly an annoying saying, but rather an annoying habit.

My former instructor used to try and place his religious beliefs in his martial arts training. He tried to equate the "3 Battles" aspect of Sanchin to the Holy Trinity! WTF?

Now, many of the students there, he recruited from the Catholic School where he taught during the day, so it didn't make much mind to them, they were used to religious crap in teaching. I, personally, am of a very Pagan [more of a druidic mysticism] religous outlook, and it really does tend to get on my nerves when people force their religion on others.

* 'The Deadly Art of ...'

* inappropriate and overuse of: 'Osu'

* 'numchucks'

* people/kids who kiai in a high-pitched scream.

* when doing kata half-speed, students that kiai in slo-mo. 'ooaaiiiieeeaaaahhhh'. lol

* 'Thats the way its always been done.'

* 'Jack of all trades, master of none.' <-not only annoying, but not true for MA. all of the pictures of the masters hanging up on your kamiza wall had experience in several arts. I think this saying propegated in MA to be used for student retention and org/dojo loyalty.