Shuriken

File:Shuriken.jpg

Hira Shuriken

Shuriken (手裏剣; lit: "hand release blade") are throwing blades. The martial art of wielding the shuriken is called shuriken-jutsu. Tracing back through history to determine the origins of the ninja's unique throwing weapon is difficult, if not impossible. In theory, it can be seen how the four-pointed Senban shuriken, characteristic of the Togakure Ryu of ninjutsu, was perhaps developed from the four-cornered, iron reinforcing plates (washers) that backed up the heads of the used in the joining of timbers in castle and fortress construction. Such washers are also seen in the construction of the large taiko drums still played today.

The major varieties are the bo shuriken (棒手裏剣) and the hira shuriken, throwing blades with multiple points, sometimes called senban (車剣, also read as shaken) but more commonly known in the West as throwing stars or ninja stars, due to their distinctive shape. These "throwing stars" usually had only four points, but they were known to have up to eight.

Contrary to popular belief, (video games, Hollywood, etc.) shuriken are not designed as a primary weapon, but rather as a distraction or tactical weapon. The first bo shuriken were large nails used in the wooden construction of temples and houses. However, the more commonly seen four sided shuriken was a tool used by carpenters to dig out those nails. Usually ninja could not afford to buy an expensive weapon from a weaponsmith. As a result, they improvised by using everyday objects for weapons. Contrary to popular culture, It was not nesessary to "stick" it into the target. When throwing it they would spin the weapon very fast, so that it would then hit opponents' arms or legs, creating a "saw" effect. Shuriken could be used on the battlefield as a distraction; a hidden ambush group might throw a volley as a diversion or delaying tactic. Shuriken were at times contained with tipped poison. Corrosion is also a relentless factor in humid Japan, and the rust may be an effective poison if introduced into the bloodstream.

The straight bo-shuriken were thrown so that they spun slowly in flight. Thus, the thrower did not have to worry about how many rotations the shaken would make on its way to a target. This allowed the thrower to stick the shuriken in a target that was moving toward or away from the thrower. A skilled shuriken thrower would have been able to hide the shuriken and throw it while just outside of sword-striking distance to distract their opponent. A bo shuriken is not a dart. A dart has feathers or a tassel which correct the path of the shuriken in flight in the same manner as an arrow. The flight path and rotation speed of a bo shuriken are controlled entirely by the release of the shuriken by the thrower.

Bo-Shuriken

This is a throwing weapon consisting of a straight, iron or steel spike, usually round or octagonal but sometimes 4 sided. They were normally single-pointed but variations exist that are double pointed. The average length was 16 cm and the average weight was around 50 grams. The Bo shuriken is thrown by holding it in the palm of the hand with a finger on one edge. The shuriken is thrown by snapping the wrist forward and brushing the back of the blade. This slows down its rotation in the air, thus controlling the distance at which it will stick.

Senban Shuriken

Senban shuriken are used in feudal Japan. They were originally a carpentry tool and as such do not generally look like what is usually concieved of as the ninja star. Typically they have a hole in the centre, are only sharpened on the very tips and are very nearly square in shape with slighty curved side and a fairly thin blade. The reason for the hole is that they were originally nail pullers, and the hold was used to grab the nails while the edges provided leverage. Also part of the design is the fact that the tips alone were sharpened, for the simple fact that having sharpened edges would lead to cut fingers. In addition, the thinness of the blade added to the penetrating power.

It should be noted that unlike bo-shuriken, senban shuriken were used as harassment tools rather than as a true throwing knife in many instances. Generally they would gash an opponent and bounce off, making it difficult to ascertain the direction from which it was thrown.

Popular culture

• In the popular manga/anime Naruto, ninja also use bigger versions of shuriken as well as a modified version called a Fuuma Shuriken.
• The DC Comics character Manhunter was skilled with this weapon.
• In the Warhammer 40K universe, the Eldar use shuriken weaponry; however, theirs are a single molecule thick and are ammunition for shuriken pistols, cannons and carbines, as opposed to being a thrown weapon.
• In the video game Mortal Kombat: Deception, one of Noob Saibot's fatalities is to throw shuriken into precise pressure points, killing the enemy.
• The character Case in William Gibson's cyberpunk novel Neuromancer is fascinated by shuriken and one occurs as a minor motif throughout the story.
• Various RPGs have been known to have a shuriken as a selectable weapon, one of the more popular titles being Final Fantasy, where the Ninja class can use them in the "throw" ability.

See Also

• shurikenjutsu

External links

• Shuriken in Iga-Ueno Museum