Invisibility: the best night stealth color

Find the 2 ninjas in the image

To practically understand what is the most effective stealth color in conditions of low light let’s do a little game. In the image of this article, there are 3 hidden characters (how many can we see?):

  • The first wears a black suit (he is a fake ninja)
  • The second wears a gray suit (and he is a real ninja)
  • The third wears a blue suit (and he is a real ninja)

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

As anyone can see, the first character wears a very noticeable color not only by day but also at night and even in conditions of poor visibility. The reason that makes the black extremely easy to identify is the fact that:

  • Black is a rare color in nature – In most scenarios, it is rare to find objects (animals, natural features, buildings, etc.) so dark (even the trunks of the trees are lighter)
  • Black is an unusual color – Black is a color so unusual that it would not be noticed almost only in the complete absence of light (but in this case even if we were dressed in white it would not change anything)

The best stealth color

If the mission required it the ancient ninjas used to wear clothes of different colors depending on:

  • The environment (buildings, forest, etc.)
  • Weather conditions (snow, fog, etc.)
  • Time of day in which they had to act (evening, morning, etc.)

In the case exemplified in the illustration (at night in a forest) probably they would have worn uniforms with:

  • Matte blue tint – The color of the sky during the night
  • Matte brown or green tint – Like the ground and the trees
  • Matte gray tint – The most generic color

A note by Master Kongling – The black gradation that we see in Hollywood movies (read for example 5 teachings from the movie ninja assassin), it is practically never worn. Historically, the real ninja was a totally different figure if compared to today’s imaginative version (read Ninja (shinobi): who they were and how they acted).

Why gray-like colors are less noticeable in low-light conditions

The reason is very clear to those who have experience in digital graphics and is very simple:

  • In low-light situations happen that each thing loses part of its saturation (becoming similar to gray)
  • Everything is influenced / covered / filtered by the refraction color of the sky (purple / blue / green / etc.)

A note by Master Kongling – The only reason why some special forces (normally in public contexts) wear a black uniform is psychological: to instill fear (read also Self-defense: the only 2 ways to instill fear), nothing more nothing less.

Conclusions

A few final notes and tips:

  • The ideal color to blend with the environment during the night is not black but gray
  • It is useless to say that to be invisible is not at all sufficient to wear a gray dress (read for example Invisibility: hiding in the shadow)
  • When the ancient ninjas (or the current special forces) wanted to appear completely invisible they worked on various factors such as timing, alteration of the human shape, merging with the surroundings, etc.
  • To be invisible does not mean forcibly not being seen but also, for example, to not get noticed (read Be invisible in the crowd: preparation and clothing)
  • Visiting this link it’s possible to view the image that highlights the outlines of the characters in the picture /// Subscribe (it's free!) or Login to see this content ///

In the next article, we will deepen the technique of visual camouflage through other colors and through the correct way to approach them in order to go unnoticed.

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Questions

  • Did you find the 3 ninjas?

Author: Master Kongling

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