Japanese Ninja Weapons

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <IMG SRC="074c2b80.jpg" border=0 width="194" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#CC3300" FACE="Arial" ><B>International Ninjutsu Society </B></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC99" FACE="Arial" >   </FONT>  |   <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="International Ninjutsu Society "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Japanese Ninjutsu "><U>Japanese Ninjutsu  </U></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="04358020.png" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Japanese Ninja Weapons</div> <bR> <div> Traditional Ninja weapons </div> <bR> <div> Here are a few traditional ninja weapons:</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ninja Tou</B>: This was a sword with a plain square <I>tsuba</I> (guard). Like all the weapons of the ninja, this had more uses than simply attacking the enemy. The sword was several inches shorter than a samurai's <I>katana</I>, but the <I>saya</I> (scabbard) was roughly the same size, allowing the concealment of blinding powders, secret documents, etc. It has been postulated by some that the sword whilst still sheathed could be used as a step, due to the large tsuba and then pulled up back to the ninja by the <I>sageo</I> cord which could also be used as a garrotte or a tourniquet. Some Ninja even concealed <I>shuriken</I> throwing blades within the saya. The Ninja Tou was usually crafted quickly and more cheaply than the samurai sword, and so the ninja could not trust the sharpness of the blade alone to cut the foe, instead it was necessary to move the whole body to generate power. The public perception of the ninja Tou is of a straight-bladed weapon, but this is not likely to have been the case (there was an article on swordforum.com debunking this myth), and indeed the whole misconception is believed by some members of the Bujinkan to have eminated from Stephen K. Hayes who wrote a number of books on ninjutsu in the 1980's. Since then, the straight-bladed short sword has become a staple item in hollywood ninja movies, so from hereonin I shall call the straight-bladed version the "Hollywood Ninja Tou". Thinking about it, why would a ninja choose a straight-bladed sword when the weapons of the periods the ninja were supposed to have operated in did not contain a straight bladed sword (the Ken or Chokutou which was a straight-bladed sword is from approx. the 6th century AD, some 300 years before Ninjutsu would have developed, so those weapons would have been antiques even then.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bo/Jo/Hanbo</B>: These three staffs are of length 6 feet, 4 feet and three feet respectively A ninja armed with a <I>bo</I> staff could hold off against as many as five foes armed with swords. The smaller staffs were used in close combat for aiding joint locks and short range striking. The <I>Shinobi Zue</I> was a hollow staff, containing a length of weighted chain which could be released at a proper moment.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Kusarigama/Kyoketsu Shoge</B>: These were composite weapons. The <I>kusarigama</I> (chain-sickle) consisted of a wooden handle to which a sickle blade was mounted at right angles and a long weighted chain attached to the bottom. It could be used as a lasso to aid climbing or equally as a bludgeoning or slashing weapon in fighting. A very similar weapon was the <I>Kyoketsu Shoge</I>. This had a small hand sickle with a second blade protruding directly out of the end of the handle, attached to a metal disc by a length of woven woman or horses hair. A common tactic was to throw the disc at the enemy, hoping he would catch it, then shoot a coiled loop over the opponent hand, before moving in for the kill with the blade. There were other variants to the kusarigama, usually replacing the weight on the chain with a poison, blinding powder, or small poisonous animal to distract the enemy.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Shuriken</B>: The most famous of the ninjas weaponry was the <I>senban shuriken</I> "death star". A flat disc comprising of 3-8 blades, this was effective at medium range to distract and injure the foe. These also had a hole in the centre, which allowed them to be used as a nail puller. However, not many people realise there were other types of shuriken. Indeed, the word shuriken translates as "dagger hidden in the palm", and the main type of shuriken used was a pencil-shaped sliver of metal, similar to a throwing knife named the <I>bo </I>shuriken. The classic senban shuriken was itself a variant of the <I>hira </I>shuriken, of which the most basic type is two bo shuriken coupled so that the points are all at right angles. Another type of shuriken was called the <I>endokuken</I>. This was a senban shuriken covered in a poisonous smoke-producing slow burning chemical, used to make an enemy reveal his hidden position or else be overcome with the fumes. A ninja usually carried nine shuriken - the number nine was believed to be lucky.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Metsubushi</B>: This translates as "sight removers" and was a word used to describe items used by the ninja to temporarily blind or distract the enemy. The most common form of <I>Metsubushi</I> was that of a paper packet or hollowed-out eggshell filled with fine dust, nettle-thorns or slow burning explosive. A ninja usually carried nine packets of metsubushi.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tetsubushi </B>or <B>Caltrops/Igadama</B>: These were used by the ninja to hinder his pursuers as he made good his escape. Either consisting of broken dried <I>hishi</I> (water chestnuts) or woven iron (often barbed at the points), these would be dropped behind the ninja, and were shapes such that no matter how they fell, a spike would always be pointing upwards. The pursuer would have to slow down or else risk the <I>tetsubushi</I> (foot removers) digging in his foot. If the ninja had no tetsubushi, he could improvise by hurling a number of senban shuriken into the ground behind him, so that it was perpendicular to the ground. <I>Igadama</I> (Iga balls) were small ball-like ornaments comprising of a number of spikes or poisoned needles which could be concealed in a house without looking conspicuous but be used like tetsubushi.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Jutte</B>: The <I>Jutte</I> (ten hands) was an iron bar with a small protruding iron sidearm. Although the gap between the main rod and the sidearm looks like it could be used to trap swords, the ninja could not count on the craftsmanship of the weapon to stop a blade. The ninja used the Jutte to strike and stun, and for painful joint locks. The Jutte was also used by policemen in the Tokugawa era.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Yari/Naginata/Bisentou</B>: The <I>Yari </I>was a long spear, usually about 10 feet in length. A common tactic against many attackers with swords involved the ninja swinging and thrusting with the Yari to keep the attackers at bay, whilst stabbing them one by one with the spear tip. The <I>Naginata </I>and <I>Bisentou </I>were halberds (with the Bisentou being a huge war-halberd). The naginata was used in flowing motions to slice the foe, and the Bisentou with heavy chopping motions to hack and bludgeon. All three of these weapons were especially useful against opponent on horseback.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tessen</B>: The <I>tessen </I>or Iron War Fan was a symbol of authority on the battlefield. It could be constructed either from a single slab of metal, or like a real fan from iron ribs, but true paper or silk folds. Either way, it was used as a club and as a blocking weapon against blades.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Shuko/Ashiko</B>: These were climbing claws, <I>shuko </I>(claw) were worn over the hands and <I>ashiko </I>over the feet. However, they also doubled as raking weapons and due to the steel frame around the claws, shuko could be used to catch swords.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Yumi </B>and<B> Ya</B>: The <I>Yumi </I>(bow) and <I>Ya </I>(arrows) carried by the ninja were usually shorter than a battlefield bow, so that they could be concealed within a tube. This obviously meant that they afforded less range on the field Adaptations to the Ya included poisoned and explosive arrows.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Fukiya</B>: The <I>fukiya </I>(blowpipe) was a short-range weapon used for assassination and as a distraction. Easily disguised as flutes or canes, the fukiya used darts comprising of a steel sliver and paper cone, but could also fire poisoned darts or secret messages could be written in the paper cone.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Kusarifundo</B>: The <I>kusarifundo</I> (chain-weight) was a short chain with weights attached to each end.. It was swung to achieve great momentum and then aimed to strike with the very end of the weight for maximum impact.</div> <div> And here is a picture of a few traditional and many less-than-traditional ninja weapons (!):</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="10" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=CENTER BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="0"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="0" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <B>1</B> - <B>Kama</B> (With Chain -> <B>Kusarigama</B>, With rope and coil -> <B>Kyoketsu Shoge</B>);</div> <div> <B>2</B> - Smoke bombs, <B>Metsubushi</B>;</div> <div> <B>3</B> - Crossbow (Modern Advancement of the <B>yumi</B>/<B>ya</B> - bow/arrow);</div> <div> <B>4</B> - A variety of <B>Shuriken</B>; Hira (straight), Senban (star);</div> <div> <I>5 - Tonfa (non-traditional for the Ninja, as these originated from Okinawa);</I></div> <div> <I>6 - Nunchaku (non-traditional rice-flail);</I></div> <div> <B>7</B> - <B>Jutte</B>;</div> <div> <B>8</B> - <B>Rokushaku Bo</B>;</div> <div> <I>9 - "Hollywood Ninja Tou";(Note: It is likely that the Ninja Tou was not straight-bladed - see above);</I></div> <div> <I>10 - Another "Hollywood Ninja Tou"</I>;</div> <div> <B>11</B> - <B>Katana</B> (Tradtional Japanese longsword);</div> <div> <I>12 - Pistols (non-traditional - top is a revolver, bottom is an automatic);</I></div> <div> <I>13 - Sub-machine Gun (Very non-traditional! - top is an UZ1, bottom is a MAC-10);</I></div> <div> <I>14 - Shotgun (Non-traditional);</I></div> <div> <I>15 - Rifle (Non-traditional);</I></div> <div> <I>16 - Throwing Knife on cord (Non-traditional)</I>;</div> </td> </tr></table></body>