Video of Iranian women “ninjas” goes viral on social media

A video showcasing a group of Iranian women executing martial arts drills, acrobatics, and weapon techniques went viral on social media. The footage, circulating online and posted by Iran's state-run Press TV, shows female martial artists practicing Ninjutsu outdoors in Tehran, highlighting an athletic subculture that has steadily grown in the country over recent decades. Ninjas in Tehran, Iran Around 30,000 women have graduated from Iran's Kunoichi ninja school since 1989. https://t.co/WlEXabQ4SJ — WANA Visuals (@wana_visualss) October 16, 2026 In the video, athletes dressed in black traditional uniforms perform backflips, high-altitude tosses, handstands, and weapon sequences using staffs, batons, and wooden swords. Ninjutsu was officially introduced to Iran in 1989 by Sensei Akbar Faraji, who established the country's first Ninjutsu club. Managed under Iran's Martial Arts Federation and regulated by the Ministry of Sport, the discipline now claims tens of thousands of female registered practitioners nationwide. The sport has historically drawn global media attention. In 2012, international coverage of female Ninjutsu clubs sparked controversy when foreign outlets initially framed the practitioners as state-trained "assassins," leading several athletes to file defamation complaints and prompting the Iranian government to temporarily suspend Reuters' press credentials. IRAN'S ALL-FEMALE NINJA SCHOOL in action 30,000 kunoichi trained since 1989 https://t.co/BBCLsG0Vvv — Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) October 17, 2026 Practitioners and instructors consistently emphasize that their training focuses on physical endurance, self-defense, discipline, and personal confidence within legal and cultural frameworks. Commentators note that coverage of the sport by Iranian state media serves dual purposes: promoting domestic fitness programs while presenting an image of female empowerment within Iran's traditional social structure.