Bujinkan Sen Ryu
—Weapons

Ninja sword | Shuriken | Kunai | Makibishi | Kusari-gama | Staff weapons

SokeThere is a wide range of weapons in the art of ninjutsu. But the main thought is that if you know taijutsu ( movement of body ) then you can apply any weapon of your chose. From a sword to a butterknife and even a chair or the clothes you wear on your body. Everything can be used and applied. Still there are main weapons in ninjutsu. The sword is the ninja´s main tool of use, but he or she also uses, when necessary bo/yo/hanbo, yari, the chain and much, much more.

Ninja sword

Ninja used swords that was shorter than normal katana . They were called Ninja-to (sword of ninja). Though its reach was shorter, it was much more convenient when a ninja was fighting in a small space.
The sheath of a ninja sword could be used as a snorkel, which enabled ninja to hide in the water for a long time. Some ninja swords had another small blade in their grips to trick the enemy.

Shuriken

The word shuriken means ``a dagger hidden in a palm,'' so all daggers small enough to hide in a palm were called by this name. They have many variety in their shape and usage. Some are starlike shaped, and thrown with spin. Some other are needlelike shaped, and thrown just like a throwing dagger.
Though a shuriken can hardly penetrate armor protection, it was enough because ninja threw it at unarmed target mainly. Venom was used with shuriken normally.

Kunai

Kunai was a very convenient tool and a weapon for ninja. It looks like a spearhead with a short grip, about 30cm length. It serves as a knife, a gimlet, a shovel, a small hammer, and a throwing dagger. It can be compared to an army knife today.
As a thrown weapon, it was much more powerful than a shuriken. So most ninja preferred kunai when he could carry it with him (a kunai is more conspicuous and heavier than a shuriken).

Makibishi

Ninja didn't like direct fight with the enemy. Their primary purpose was
espionage, not killing enemy soldiers. So they were good at escaping. Makibishi
was one of their escaping gear.
A makibishi is a small spine to sting the sole of a foot. When a ninja was
chased by enemy soldiers, he scattered numerous makibishi to the ground. Because Japanese shoes ( zori ) were made of grass in those days, makibishi's spine could easily penetrate the shoes (it was very effective because those days people wore zori, sandals made of straw). The spine of a makibishi was often hooked, so it would be terribly painful if someone step on a makibishi.
Some ninja had more flashy version of makibishi, which exploded when someone stepped on it. It was called Bakurai-bishi.

Kusari-gama

Kusari-Gama is a small sickle with a long thin chain. A ninja, holding the other end of the chain, swings and brandishes it. It can cut enemy, or tangle enemy's limbs. It is also used to disarm by tangling enemy's weapon with the chain. Though it require some training, it has long reach.
The word kusari means ``chain,'' and gama means ``sickle.'' Manriki-Gusari , or sometime called Fundo-Gusari, is a close relative of Kusari-Gama. It has a weight instead of sickle, so it crash enemy's body instead of cutting. Though the weight is not so heavy, it can have a large amount of kinetic energy by swinging rapidly.

Staff weapons

There are three main staff´s. Bo, long-range 180 cm. Yo, midrange 110-120 cm. Hanbo, short-range 90 cm. All with there own advantages.
The Bo is very good for keeping your opponent away from you. Still you may not forget that you can use this weapon in close range combat also. This weapon was often discussed as a wanderer´s stick. The Hanbo is very good for locks and swift attacks. The Yo is a description of both Hanbo & Bo together.
The Yari is a spear. Han can be used compared with the Bo-staff in its fighting method. Difference is that you can use the short but deadly blade at one end. Thus changing the impact it should have, would it be a bo-staff.
Naginata is a very long staff with a curved blade at one end. This changes the method of combat in using it in many slicing moments. Instead of sticking. Note that you still stick with the Naginata and you still slice with the yari.

Last Update: 2000-06-15
Webmaster