A is a Japanese

concealed weapon Concealed may refer to: * ''Concealed'' (album), a 2004 album by Augury * '' The Concealed'', a 2012 album by John Zorn * Concealed (film), a 2017 Australian thriller film See also

* {{disambiguation ...

used by

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

or ninja or in

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...

as a hidden

dagger A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...

or '' metsubushi'' to distract or misdirect.

History

The origins of the ''bo-shuriken'' in Japan are still unclear, despite continuing research. This is partly because shurikenjutsu was a secret art and also due to the fact that throughout early Japanese history there were many independent exponents of the skill of throwing long, thin objects. The earliest-known reference to a school teaching shurikenjutsu is Ganritsu Ryu, active during the 17th century. This school utilized a long, thin implement with a bulbous head, thought to be derived from the arrow. Surviving examples of blades used by this school appear to combine an arrow's shape with that of a needle traditionally used in Japanese leatherwork and armor manufacture. There are earlier mentions in written records, such as the , of the standard knife and short sword being thrown in battle. Miyamoto Musashi is said to have won a duel by throwing his short sword at his opponent, killing him.

Types

Shuriken are also known as throwing stars, or ninja stars, although they were originally constructed in many different shapes.

Bo-shuriken

A ' is a throwing weapon consisting of a straight iron or steel spike, usually four-sided but sometimes round or octagonal in section. Some examples have points on both ends. The length ranges from and the average weight from . They should not be confused with the kunai, which is a thrusting and stabbing implement that is sometimes thrown. ''Bo-shuriken'' were constructed from a wide variety of everyday items, and as such came in many shapes and sizes. Some derived their names from the materials of which they were made, such as ''kugi-gata'' (nail form), ''hari-gata'' (needle form) and '' tantō-gata'' (knife form); some were named after an object of similar appearance, such as ''hoko-gata'' (spear form), ''matsuba-gata'' (pine-needle form); while others have names that are purely descriptive, such as ''kankyuto'' (piercing tool form), ''kunai-gata'' (utility tool form), or ''teppan'' (plate metal) and ''biao'' (pin). The ''bo-shuriken'' is thrown in a number of ways, such as overhead, underarm, sideways and rearwards, but in each case the throw involves the blade sliding out of the hand through the fingers in a smooth, controlled flight. The major throwing methods are the ''jiki da-ho'' (direct-hit method), and the ''han-ten da-ho'' (turning-hit method). These two are technically different, in that the former does not allow the blade to spin before it hits the target, while the latter requires that the blade spin''.'' 4 bo shuriken

Other items such as hairpins, ''kogata'' (utility knife), and chopsticks were thrown in the same way as ''bo-shuriken'', although they were not associated with any particular school of shurikenjutsu.

Hira shuriken/shaken

or generally resemble the popular conception of shuriken. They are constructed from thin, flat plates of metal derived from a variety of sources including ''hishi-gane'' (coins), ''kugi-nuki'' (carpentry tools), spools, and ''senban'' (nail removers). They often have a hole in the center and possess a fairly thin blade sharpened mainly at the tip. The holes derive from their source in items that had holes—old coins, washers, and nail-removing tools. This proved convenient for the shuriken user as the weapons could be strung on a string or dowel in the belt for transport, and the hole also had aerodynamic and weighting effects that aided the flight of the blade. There are a wide variety of forms of ''hira-shuriken,'' and they are now usually identified by the number of points the blades possess. As with ''bo-shuriken'', the various shapes of ''hira-shuriken'' were usually representative of a particular school ('' ryū'') or region that preferred the use of such shapes, and it is therefore possible to identify the school by the type of blade used.

Usage

Shuriken functioned as supplementary weapons to the

sword A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...

or to other weapons in a samurai's arsenal, although they often had an important tactical effect in battle.

Effective areas

Shuriken targets were primarily the more exposed parts of the body: the eyes, face, hands, or feet. Shuriken, despite low mass, were capable of dealing lethal blows at short ranges. In some cases, shuriken were capable of partially disemboweling targets. Shuriken, especially ''hira-shuriken'', were also used in novel ways—they could be embedded in the ground, injuring those who stepped on them (similar to a caltrop), wrapped in a fuse to be ignited and thrown to cause fire, or wrapped in a cloth soaked in poison and lit to cover an area with a cloud of poisonous smoke. They could also be used as a handheld weapon in close combat. There are reports of shuriken being coated with poison, intended either as a throwing weapon or to be left in a conspicuous place for a victim to pick up. Other reports indicate that shuriken may have been buried in dirt or animal feces and allowed to harbor the bacterium '' clostridium tetani -'' if the point penetrated a victim deeply enough, the bacteria transferred into the wound could cause a then-incurable tetanus infection.

Shurikenjutsu

The art of wielding the shuriken is known as shurikenjutsu and was taught as a minor part of the martial-arts curriculum of many famous schools, such as

Yagyū Shinkage-ryū is one of the oldest Japanese schools of swordsmanship (''kenjutsu''). Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, who called the school Shinkage-ryū. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyū Munetoshi, who ...

, Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, Ittō-ryū,

Kukishin-ryū , originally "Nine Gods Divine (from heaven) School" (also translated as "Nine Demon Divine (from heaven) School" by many modern groups having different lineages) is a Japanese martial arts, Japanese martial art allegedly founded in the 14th c ...

, and Togakure-ryū.

Legality

Modern commercially available shuriken, which are sold in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, are often made of

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

. However, in many countries and jurisdictions, they are illegal to possess or carry, such as in

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

, the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

(manufacture, sale, distribution and import). In the United States, they are prohibited in some states, such as

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and New York. In some cases they may be allowed, but may still be subject to specific local legislation. Owners may be required to possess a certificate for possession.

Cultural legacy

Shuriken are simple weapons, but their historical value has increased. Unlike the ''

katana A is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the ''tachi'', it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the edge fa ...

'' and other bladed weapons, antique shuriken are not often well preserved (although some are blackened in ash to prevent corrosion), largely due to their expendable nature.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 17th-century introductions Japanese martial arts terminology Ninjutsu artefacts Throwing blades Samurai weapons and equipment Weapons of Japan Japanese inventions