INTRODUCTION & SHORT HISTORY OF SHURIKEN

Introduction

The word shuriken, composed of the characters " shu", "ri" and "ken", is literally translated as "hand hidden blade". The character "ri" is composed of the morpheme (meaning component) "i" as in clothing, in the sense of covering, as well as the phoneme (sound component) "li", together representing the idea of "reverse, back, or covered. Ri (the on yomi reading) is also read in kun yomi as ura, which to us martial artists would be familiar from expressions such as "ura waza" as opposed to "omote waza". In combination with the first character, "shu-ri" suggests "hidden in the hand, or in the palm". "ken" means blade, and is the same character as found in bokken, or shinken, hence "hand hidden blade".

There is however, occasional usage of the character "ri" which means separate, or to release, and this has sometimes led to the translation of shuriken as "hand release blade". Why this usage occurs is not clear at this stage, though it could refer simply to thowing of blades such as tanto, kodachi, or even katana, where it is not necessary to hide the blade in the hand. The other possibility is that people were not greatly literate in feudal times, and they simply used any character that sounded correct. Mou En Ryu documents, the Mou En Ryu Shu Ri Ken Goku Hi, held in the University of Kyoto library contain one particular example of this usage.

During the time of the Sengoku Jidai, (Warring States period, 1482 - 1558) shuriken were also once known as shiriken, meaning "rear end blade", due to a popular misconception that the weapon was the small utility knife (kozuka) held in the scabbard of the long sword, which was thrown from a grip which held the tip of the blade in the palm, (the rear end of the knife thus pointing outwards to the target). Of course, kozuka were indeed thrown as a weapon, but they were not all that were thrown. As we shall see, there were many types of blades and objects, small enough to be worn hidden on the body, but heavy and sharp enough to be thrown as a tactical weapon.

There are two basic types of shuriken, bo shuriken (), which are long, thin and cylindrical, with varying thicknesses and shapes, and shaken (), which are made from flat plates of metal.

Bo shuriken consist of three main designs, defined by the origin of the material used for the their construction, the first being cylindrical, and straight sided, which are called hari gata (), or needle shaped. The second type are square sided, and are called kugi gata (), or nail shaped, and the third type called tanto gata (), or knife shaped, that are flatter and wider, and maintain a knife shaped appearance. Within these three bo shuriken categories, there is a more detailed classification system, which mostly describes various blades based simply on their shape, or the objects from which they were adapted. (Please refer to table below)

Shaken are further classified as hira shuriken (), which are the multi-pointed, star-shaped design, and senban shuriken, which are lozenge-shaped blades. The source for these is not clear and could be from the washers that sit under nails in the woodwork of traditional Japanese buildings, from carpenters nail removers, (see below), from stones, fashioned into throwing objects (tsubute) or hishi-gane, derived from coins. There is a 3rd type, called teppan which is a large version of the senban, some as large as 12cm in width, that were adapted from the carpenters "nail-removers", whether they are classed as shaken or not is uncertain at this stage.

The basic method of throwing of the shuriken varies little between schools, the main differences being the shape of the blades and their origin.

Origins

Throwing things has no doubt been a pastime of human beings for thousands of years, and when early man learned he could protect himself and catch food by throwing hard objects at living things, the idea of a throwing system surely developed from here on. A study of the development of throwing things throughout human history would be a next to impossible task, so this site will be mainly concerned with the highly refined traditional Japanese system of throwing concealable edged/pointed weapons.

There is very little historical documentation, particularly accurate, detailed and objective information, available today on the shuriken art, due to a number of factors. Possibly the primary reason is that it was a rather secretive art...the technique of using the shuriken itself involved deception and surprise, and the main schools that utilised such methods of battle were also heavily involved in deceptive and secretive activities. This probably also contributed to a certain amount of disdain held towards the art and its proponents, by the innocent population in general. What documentation that may exist would be held by the individual schools in the form of scrolls, the contents of which would only be shown to trusted students of the particular school. Furthermore, the simplicity and utility of the weapon was probably not held in such high esteem as that of the kenjutsu arts, which used highly developed techniques to wield swords of great refinement and advancement in metal technology. Added to this is the fact that the shuriken itself was a supplementary weapon to the sword and other weapons within the main martial art schools of the time, and hence probably did not gain much popularity, even among students who were initiated into the secrets of the schools they were member of. Nevertheless, it did hold some historical and practical value, as there are occasional mentions of the use of throwing blades in the literature showing them to be held in a positive regard.

The earliest Japanese work, the Kojiki (around 600AD), contains a passage where Prince Yamato-Takeru throws a cylindrical vegetable into the eye of white deer, killing it. Some translations have him throwing a chopstick.

The Nihon Shoki (also around 600AD) mentions a stone throwing implement called an ishihajiki, but its possible this was a sling. Yet another ancient work, the 8th century Man'yoshu, in one section describes throwing an arrow, and another section a flat stone called tsubute (see below).

The record of the Later Three Year War (Gosennen no Eki, 1083-87AD), entitled Hiyori no Ki, contains a passage describing holding a short blade hidden in the palm and throwing it from a distance "shuriken ni utsu" (lit. strike with a blade in the palm). One researcher believes this may be the origin of the term shuriken (1)

The Osaka Gunki (military record of Osaka) contains a passage that says: "Tadamasa saved himself from his foe by drawing out his wakizashi and throwing it, as you would a shuriken". It is said that Tadamasa later created the first shuriken, called the Tanto-gata from a short sword.

Chronicles of Japan's history, such as the Heike Monogatari, and Gikeiki make mention of "ishi-nage", or stone throwing. The stones were specially shaped to aid throwing, and were called "totekibuki", and later "tsubute", which means both to throw a small stone, and the stone itself. Tsubute were later made of "iron-stone", and thus called "tetsutsubute"., and appear to be the precursor to the lozenge shaped senban shuriken.

Today, there are many and varied types of shuriken, which suggests that the development of the art was rather fragmented and insular among various schools and areas. According to Yasuyuki Otsuka Sensei, headmaster of Meifu Shinkage Ryu Shuriken-jutsu, there were no standardised or formalised set of rules governing manufacture and use of the shuriken blades as there were with the katana, or Japanese sword, and this would have aided in the proliferation of differing designs and schools around the country. Chikatoshi Someya Sensei attempted to form some sort of categorisation of shuriken in his book "Shuriken Giho", but admitted that without historical records, such categorisation is purely speculative, and that there were a number of examples that could not fit in his categorisation method as well. Nevertheless, such categorisation can be useful today for the purpose of describing and discussing the art and the items in use.

Origins of bo shuriken - Needle, Knife and Arrow

In discussing bo shuriken, Someya Sensei divides the blades into two main groups, needle, or cylindrical, and tanto, or square. The tanto group possibly derived from the early practice of throwing knives, (tanto) and even swords. Blades such as those found in Chishin Ryu, Mou En Ryu, Katori Shinto Ryu etc, are those that are believed to have originally been fashioned from the Japanese nail, called wakugi, having been found to be the suitable replacement material for knife blades ground into the eventual shuriken shape. These nails varied in size from small pins for furniture to huge rods used to hold the support beams of houses and temples. Early nails up to the Meiji period (1863) were square, with large heads of various size and shape, and subsequently became round with the influence of western manufacturing methods. Of further note is that these shuriken schools were closely related to, or a part of the kenjutsu or sword schools, and hence it follows that the shuriken would evolve from a thrown blade.

  
Figure 1. Some examples of size of traditional Japanese nails, called wakugi.
(web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/people/kanamono/wakugi.htm - link no longer active)

Figure 2. Some examples of traditional nails from various ages.
(www1.sphere.ne.jp/tknk-mse/dougu-e/e14kugi.htm - link no longer active)

Some people have stated that shuriken were actually forged in the method of the Samurai sword, and were thus of very hard, tough metal rather than the somewhat unrefined iron as evident in several of the photos below. It is true that traditional nails were hand forged, a practice which is apparently still in use today (see link), so it may be true that blades had some hardening and forging to a certain extent, though I sincerely doubt it was to the same extent as that of swords. Shuriken by their very nature, being small, and thrown from one's person, very likely were either lost or left embedded in the opponent (or the ground) during battle. Since they were primarily used as a distracting weapon, many of their applications would involve being thrown by the proponent before they took to escape by foot from the attack. Blades which were forged would have taken time and money to create, and thus would not have been so readily left behind after use. My feeling is that because shuriken were adapted from pre-existing items found in everday places, there was little value placed upon them as objects, and thus being left lost or unretrieved from battle would not be a costly mode of operating.

The Needle group is a little more problematic, while the material origin of these blades can quite possibly be thought to be needle - like objects such as chopsticks, tongs, hairpins (see hibashi below) etc., the idea for the throw possibly came from the arrow, or from the Chinese method of piau, or dart throwing. Michael Finn in his book "Art of Shuriken Jutsu" suggests that shuriken evolved first from sticks used as striking weapons held in the hand, then into sticks that were thrown, hence the uchine (see below).

That the idea of throwing needle and arrow like blades came from archery is a strong possibility. It is interesting to note the similarity in shape between the Ganritsu Ryu shuriken, one of the earliest examples of shuriken in Japan, and with the Qin Dynasty crossbow bolt (see below). The arrow is about 18cm long, and has a triangular conical head. Compare with the Ganritsu Ryu blade next page)

Figure 3. Bronze Crossbow bolt of the Qin Dynasty (221BC), China,
From the Shaanxi Museum of Terracotta Warriors, Lintong.(see more)

Figure 4. A Ganritsu Ryu bo shuriken, one of the earliest examples in Japan
of a needle intentionally adapted to be used as a throwing weapon.

Chinese Origins

Chinese Martial Arts have a lenghty and well represented history of throwing weapons. Many of these weapons are rather unusual in shape and usage, and obviously bear no connection to the Japanese throwing weapons at all, however there are at least two examples that may have a historical connection to one or two schools of shuriken in Japan. The Fei Biao (or piau, air dart ) and the Lo Han Ts'in (Magic Coin - see below) both have strong similarities, in both design and method of throwing, to a couple of the Japanese schools. There two reported types of Fei Biao, one is a dart shaped spike much like the Ganritsu Ryu blade shown above, and the other a triangular shaped blade which is held and thrown in an unusual way (called Chinese Fist).

Figure 5. Piau, (biao). This is a modern, stylised version of the original Chinese throwing dart.

Tibeto-Indian Origins

There is also some suggestion of an influence from India and Tibet, via China and the importation of Buddhism to Japan. Mikkyo Buddhism played an important role in relation to several Japanese martial arts, particularly with the use of mystical symbolism, some meditative practices, and a form of numerological divination. It is interesting to note the Tibetan purbha, a dagger with 3 sided blade that often figures in Buddhist religious art, has some stylistic similarities to certain shuriken blade shapes. The historical use of these items is not fully known, some referring to them as being pegs to tether horses, others saying they are ritual daggers used to pierce ghosts. Some of the Ninjutsu schools include items similar to purbhas, called Vajra, or Dorge, being double ended blades, as part of their shuriken tradition, particularly in the development of the ryobari-gata shuriken, or double pointed blade, and possibly also the uchine, or throwing arrow. Some examples can be found throughout this site. (more research on this in the future)

Figure 6. An 8th Century Tibetan bronze purbha or ritual dagger. The stylistic similarity
in shape to uchine, (throwing arrow), and to the vajra and dorge is quite evident.

Otsuka Sensei postulates that Shirai Ryu derives from the practice of throwing needle-like tongs called hibashi, along with Negishi Ryu and others, but I suspect the type of throw is more important an indicator for the origin of the school, rather than the type of material used. Therefore, schools which use the turning hit method, or hantendaho or ikkaitendaho method quite possibly derived from the throwing of tanto, whereas schools which use the direct hit method, or jikidaho or chokudaho throw, quite possibly derived from needle or arrow throwing, since these projectiles do not turn in their flight to the target. Once the throw had been established, the blade shape was later adapted from whatever suited the throw. So I suspect that although Shirai Ryu uses a round, needle shaped blade that may have originated from long thin coal tongs, because it uses the turning hit method, it actually evolved from a thrown blade. When one considers that Shirai Toru, the founder, studied extensively in some kenjutsu arts, this theory seems all the more plausible. Anyway, until more evidence comes to hand, this remains purely speculation.

The octagonal blades of Negishi Ryu are believed to have derived from the round, needle shaped utensils used in sewing. The large leather needles were then thought to be ground to possess the eight flat sides...as this aided the jikidaho method of throwing. Since the throwing method required a certain amount of snap in the wrist, and finger pressure on the tail end of the blade as it left the hand, it has been observed that a flat sided blade allows this effect much more effectively than does a rounded surfaced blade. The rounded surfaced blades of Shirai Ryu don't particularly need this same snap, since they utilise the turning hit method of throwing.

Senbakoki
Otsuka Sensei has heard of some forms of bo shuriken being made from parts of agricultural farming implements, and gives this example, called a senbakoki, as one such item which may have been used. Senbakoki is a rice/grain threshing tool developed during the Tokugawa period, that has a number of iron teeth which could have been modified to produce blades for throwing. Further information and photos on Senbakoki and their possible use as shuriken can be found here.

Figure 7. Senbakoki, a traditional rice threshing machine
( http://www.ina-ngn.ed.jp/~newyama/H14/shiryoukan/noukou/senbakoki.JPG )

Kogai , Kozuka , Hashi , Hibashi , and Hari .

These are long, thin, knife and needle shaped items used in various parts of traditional attire or around the home, and have been known to be readily adapted for use as a thrown weapon. There are a wide variety of stories in Japanese literature that give examples of these items being thrown as a weapon, in various situations.Their use generally does not belong to any particular Ryu, rather they are either items that were used because they were available at the time as a weapon, and thence began the idea of a throwing system, or were used by proponents of a throwing system, who through their training, were able to pick up any object at hand, and effectively throw it as a weapon. So it could be said that they are more of an opportunistic weapon; they were used because they were available at the time, and were an item that could be effectively thrown. Perhaps, at a later stage, because of their everyday use, these items were then used as a disguised weapon, however there are no schools or styles that use these items in particular.

Kogai are a somewhat mysterious traditional household item. They are essentially a long, thin, pointed metal stick, about 20cm long with a handle around 1.5cm wide. They were originally made of ivory or silver of various decorative designs, later to be made in a variety of metals (see Figure 7). It appears no-one can definitively say what they were designed to be used for, but there are many examples of various uses for them, such as traditional Japanese ornamental hairpins, used by both men and women to hold the traditional styling of the hair, or chonmage, of samurai together in a bundle. Some have suggested they were head scratchers, finger nail cleaners, ear wax removers, even specially designed spikes used to pierce and carry the heads decapitated by execution, but these are more correctly known to bekankyuto (more on these later). What is clear is that they were regarded as a multipurpose instrument, which included throwing as a weapon.

Figure 8. Kogai , Japanese ornamental hairpin

There is a famous story which relates a duel between Shosetsu and Sekiguchi Hayato, who faced each other off with swords. As Hayato rushed at Sekiguchi, the latter pulled a kogai from his hair and threw it, pinning Sekiguchi's hakama, or pleated skirt, to the wooden floor. It is thought that Sekiguchi used a specially fashioned kogai that was balanced, and made to look like a hair-pin. (Tsubouchi)

Kozuka are small utility knives that fitted into the saya, or scabbard of the Samurai sword and served, as the name suggests, a variety of purposes (see Figure 8). The tsuba, or handguard, generally had 3 holes, one for the blade tang to pass through, in the centre, and two smaller holes either side for the utility blades to slide through, fiting into the saya. (see fig. 10)

Figure 9. Kozuka , or utility knife.

Figure 10. A Tsuba, or handguard for a Samurai sword, showing two
holes for the utility knives, kozuka, and chopsticks, hashi, that fitted into the scabbard.
(Photo - Author's collection)

Hashi are chopsticks, and while traditionally made of bamboo or other woods, some were made of metal, and hence were adapted as a throwing weapon. Picture of hashi here The founder of Daito Ryu Aiki-jujutsu, Sokaku Takeda, reportedly carried his own set of metal chopsticks, which were sharpened, and no doubt used on occasion. There are two kinds of hashi, the even tapered, straight sided sticks, purpose built as chopsticks, and a second type (wari-bashi, or wari-kogai) with thin blades and thicker handles, which was a type of utility chopstick set that was pressed together and inserted in the saya of the long sword, alongside the kozuka.

Hibashi are metal tongs used for lifting hot coals from the fire and into various heating and cooking implements in the kitchen. (see fig. 11). Although there appears to be no documentation to support the theory, Mr. Otsuka believes hibashi were the original items used to create the blades of Shirai Ryu, due to their similarity in size, shape, and material. The tongs pictured here are 39cms in length.

Figure 11. Modern day hibashi , or coal tongs, a simple design which has not changed much over the centuries.
(http://www.ichaya.com/yamizo/kaziya/default.htm)

Hari are needles, and there appears to be great variety of these, mainly according to the type of sewing they were required to do. Mr. Otsuka believes the bulbous projectile shaped blades of Negishi Ryu (see above) are derived from the large and heavy needles used for sewing leather, probably because the bulb head of the needle was used to form the hole in order to pull twine or thonging through. This would account for the reason why many Negishi Ryu blades have a hole or ring at the tail end, as the twine would be attached. It is possible that this hole or ring was then used as a convenient way to connect the tassles to the end, and thus serve an advantageous purpose of steadying the blade in flight. This would also explain why some of the Negishi Ryu blades did not have holes or rings in the end - not all needles would have had holes or rings, as some would have been used solely as hole punches, or tools simply used to make holes in the leather. Mr Otsuka also believes that the hexangonal and octagonal shape of the Negishi Ryu blades was added later to the needles, as the flat faces of the blades are easier to throw, particularly in the jikidaho method.

hari gata		needle shaped
hoko gata		spear shaped
kankyutao gata		hand held piercing tool shaped
kugi gata		nail shaped
kunai gata		kunai (utility tool) shaped
matsuba gata (enbi ken)		swallow tail shaped
mesu gata
tanto gata		knife shaped

Table 1. List of blade types in the bo shuriken category.

Various Photos

Figure 12a and 12b. Some straight blades from various schools and sources,
from the collection of Charles V. Gruzanski
(Used with permission,© Robert C. Gruzanski)

Figure 13. A variety of straight throwing blades from the collection of
Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, current Head Master of Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu.

This interesting collection of blades (fig. 13) shows a wide variety from a range of schools. The large blade with long tassle, and the second from left, top row, are called uchine, which are actually throwing spears. They are held and thrown much like a modern-day javelin (see fig. 14b). The long chord was used to retrieve the uchine, and also the tanto-gata (top row, 7th from left) immediately after the throw, so it could be thrown again, in rapid succession. The smaller uchine has tassels which are used to create drag in flight, ensuring a straight hit. Centre row, 4th from the right is a kozuka, a small utility knife that fits into the scabbard of a katana, or long sword. There are several blades peculiar to Ninjutsu, such as the flat spatulate blades or itaken shuriken, and the arrow-head shaped blade, as well as several from Negishi Ryu and Shirai Ryu. At some point in history, Negishi Ryu became utilised by various schools or clans of Ninjutsu.

 
Figure 14a, b. Posture for throwing the uchine.

It is also suggested by an authoratitive Japanese source that some shuriken, particularly those of Tsugawa Ryu, were adapted from parts of the soldier's armour, called yoroi. Figure 15 shows detail of the narrow, thin metal plates that were sewn together to form a protective armour against the sword, particularly the splines that form the kote, or wrist protector. No doubt an industrious soldier, in the thick of battle, possibly staring death in the face and attempting all that he could do to survive, ripped pieces of his own armour off and threw them at his attacker as a last resort effort in defending himself. If successful, it follows that the use of such metal plates of similar shape and size would have been investigated as a potential weapon - anything to give one the advantage - and from there we have the beginnings of a new tradition of throwing weapon: Tsugawa Ryu (see blade here)

Figure 15. Detail (L) of yoroi, or armour of the samurai, showing the thin plates
of metal that could have been adapted for use as a throwing weapon.
(Photo courtesy of Takeshi Yoshizaki, used with permission)

Origins of shaken (), or hira shuriken ()

The origin of these blades is somewhat unclear, as historical detail is severely lacking, especially in English. Shaken are generally used in the Ninja ryu-ha, who have been somewhat secretive as to the nature of their techniques and activities. This situation is made worse by the fact that false, misleading and mistaken information is sometimes passed around, often unwittingly, among teachers and students of these arts who have not actually had formal training in these ryu-ha. Further to this, many of the arts which used hira-shuriken of various designs have since died out and become extinct, leaving only examples of their blades behind in collections and people's memory.

Within the contemporary Ninjutsu arts there are two particular methods (among others) of throwing shaken, firstly; the overhand throw which is like a baseball pitch, and secondly, the horizontal throw which is like throwing a frisbee. These two types of throw suggest two possible and separate origins for the early development of throwing shaken, both determined by the nature of the objects originally being thrown.

Shaken thrown in the overhand method may have originated with the throwing of flat circular stones, called tsubute () There are very early mentions of this in Japanese literature, such as the Man'yoshu, where the word was first used in conjunction with the act of throwing stones, and, as mentioned above, in the Heike Monogatari and the Gikeiki, where stone throwing in combat is referred to as ishi-nage, and later inji-uchi. Tsubute were around 4 - 6 cms in diameter, and 1 - 1.5cms in thickness (see fig. 16a), and were thrown originally as percussive weapons, designed to smash bone and/or armour. Eventually, these rounded blunt objects were fashioned from ironstone, called tetsutsubete, into slimmer and more perfect round shapes, even octagonal or hexagonal shapes, and then began to be sharpened along the edge, when it was realised the sharp edge could cut.

Figure. 16a and Figure 16b
Figure 16a. A flat round, round stone of similar size and shape to the tsubute,
and 16b a depiction of throwing round objects such as tsubute is shown in Fujita Seiko's "Zukai Shurikenjutsu"
(Photo A - author's collection)

Just as a number of bo-shuriken, namely the kugi-gata type, were constructed from construction materials such as nails, it is possible that some types of shaken may also have been fashioned from construction materials, such as cross shaped brackets found in traditional timber architecture, as in Fig 17, and from metal washers, used to sit under the heads of nails, as in Fig 21 (below). These would have been mass produced as flat plate metal (teppan) and cut to size and shape for particular building applications. They would then have the nail holes punched out, and then get hammered into the curve shape that suits the timber they are affixing. It is not difficult to see how an industrious person could take these blank pieces of metal, find that they are easy to throw and then sharpen the edges to make a dangerous weapon, at virtually no expense to themselves. Most people would recognise these plates of metal as construction items, and thus would not become suspicious if they were discover an individual carrying them. This way an assassin could hide the tools of his trade in plain view.

Figure 17. A cross shaped construction bracket found at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo.
(photo courtesy of Danny Fletcher, used with permission)

The influence from China is not to be overlooked, as Chinese Kung Fu arts also have a lengthy tradition of throwing weapons, and shaken thrown in the horizontal manner could quite possibly have originated on the Chinese mainland.

In addition to the piau, , there is also a tradition of throwing coins called Lo Han Ts'in,( "ts'in" being a coin see fig. 18) as weapons. Douglas Hsieh in his "Ancient Chinese Hidden Throwing Weapons" tells the story of how coin throwing first developed.

A man was watching children throwing tile fragments across the water. He noticed that the thinner fragments seemed to carry better than thicker ones, and from this got the idea to throw coins.

It is said coins were sharpened and thrown as weapons at a very early date, and these could be the precursor to the Hishi-gata and senban shuriken , and also the origin of the horizontal throw. The method of throwing the coin is to hold it horizontally between the thumb and the forefinger, with the palm facing towards the belly. The throw involves forcefully flicking your hand at the wrist, causing a rapid spinning of the coin as it travels in a flat straight line to the target, usually the face. It is said that if you could cause the coin to penetrate the clay surface of a wall, your skill in throwing was very high. These coins could be either sharpened, of left with their normal edge.

Figure 18. Lo Han ts'in, a large Chinese coin of the type that is possibly
the precursor to flat circular thrown objects, eventually known as hishi-gane.
(Photo - author's collection)

From this one can gather that the thicker heavier tsubute could not be thrown in this method, rather, only a thinner object, such as a coin and later the thinner senban. The throwing of these coins, therefore, appears to be the historical origin of the horizontal throw. From this innovation, the idea of throwing round, flat sharpened blades probably arose, and everyday items were then recognised as being easily adaptable to be thrown in this manner. There seems to be several sources of material for the construction of these blades; large old coins called hishi gane ( Hishi = Japanese water chestnut shaped like a diamond, Gane = money) (see Fig. 19, L), washers (senban - ) (see Fig. 20, R) carpenters nail removers (kugi-nuki) (see FIg. 19, top L), and possibly Mikkyo Buddhist religious objects such as horin (see Fig 21.).

Figure 19. Examples of carpenters kugi-nuki, or nail removers. Note top left
(www1.sphere.ne.jp/tknk-mse/dougu-e/e14kugi.htm - link no longer active)

Figure 20. Hishi-gata shuriken (L), formed from old coins and Senban shuriken (R), formed from washers.

Figure 21. Horin. Mikkyo Buddhism religious items of unknown usage

Another report states that the Chinese also had a cross shaped blade called Mu-Zi Shi Zi Biao (Mother-Son Cross Dart), but this needs clarification.

All these blades are based on a circular design as opposed to the straight pencil shape of bo shuriken, hence the name shaken, meaning "wheel shaped blade". Whatever the origin, it was the convenient shape of these items which first attracted proponents of these schools to forming a throwing weapon, with minimal modifications. From this point, the many innovations and different designs became formalised and adapted by practitioners who eventually formed schools, where knowledge of the construction and use of the items began to be passed on and used seriously.

Shuriken in the 20th Century and beyond

As it was an art often associated with the use of the Samurai sword, the use of shuriken declined along with that of the sword. The art seemed to have lost popularity and almost died out in the period immediately after the second world war. Many masters of the martial arts did not return from the war, as Mr Shirakami recounts, only three of master Kanji Naruse's students survived the war; Shirakami Sensei, Isamu Maeda Sensei (1901 - 1988), and Satoshi Saito Sensei, the present headmaster of Negishi Ryu. Many such arts suffered after the occupation, such as the traditional art of sword-making, but in subsequent years, as interest and understanding of Japan grew around the world, the valuable cultural heritage of this great nation began to attract many in the West, and hence a resurgence of cultural preservation has been occurring. Shirai Ryu would have died out completely were it not for Satoshi Saito Sensei resurrecting the art and incorporating it into Negishi Ryu practice, and now, students from around the world visit Japan and train in the traditional arts under these masters.

Fortunately however, the art of shuriken has probably been saved by it's inclusion as a supplementary weapon within a rather large number of koryu bujutsu arts, or classical martial systems, such as Katori Shinto Ryu, Tatsumi Ryu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, Kukishinden Ryu, etc. Due to the nature of transmission of these arts from teacher to student, or headmaster to successor, the continuation of these schools has been possible even under the most oppressive and difficult of times. However complete transmission of a schools curriculum requires many years of dedication and service, and since shuriken was considered to be of somewhat lesser importance than other weapons within the curriculum of many schools, it is probable that shuriken jutsu could continue to decline over time.

Despite this, Shuriken jutsu seems to recently be undergoing somewhat of a rise in popularity. Information is becoming more freely available, and the art is being more freely taught in dojos in Japan. An example of this is in the Iwama Aikido Dojo in Ibaraki prefecture, live in students are becoming increasingly interested in the art, of which the late headmaster, Morihiro Saito Sensei was for many years a master. Entry into this particular art until recently was quite limited, students having to sign a ledger recording an oath of responsibility, and to be judged of sound character by the headmaster before being permitted to learn.

It is difficult to justify to the authorities the ownership and use of shuriken these days, especially with the high rates of violent crime in today's society. Offences relating to sharp, concealable and throwable weapons are quite common these days, and prohibitions on such weapons are a logical and easy solution. Yet, still the problems of violence remain, suggesting that the root of the problem lies deeper within the fabric of society itself. It is simply not feasible to continue placing endless prohibitions on everyday objects which can be adapted to become weapons, because if violence and hatred are still present, crimes will continue to occur. This is one area where Martial Arts can have a positive rather than a negative influence, and one that often gets overlooked. I believe there are many reasons for training in a Martial Art, especially a traditional art which places great emphasis in moral values such as respect, humility, honour and integrity as well as techniques of self defence.

Arts that are aimed at developing skill in fighting are useful only for military purposes, and simply remain as a jutsu, or method. Arts that follow the principles of Japanese Budo, are deeper in that they become a way of life, and that these moralistic principles become a strong guiding influence over the student, and for them the art becomes the way. Development and mastery of a Martial Art requires years of patience, perseverance, dedication and humility, and this kind of training can only have a positive influence on a student. For this reason, I believe that proper practice of shuriken can and does have a place in the modern world. The skill in throwing a blade is to have it strike the target perfectly, and such is the danger of the weapon, but to achieve such skill requires a calm and relaxed mental state, free from distractions and feelings of egocentricity. Such a mental state can only be achieved by years of dedication and understanding, which makes it an unattractive proposition for persons of ill intent who wish to maliciously cause others injury.

Shirakami Eizo tells a story in his recollections of how a problem student of his at high school turned his life around after studying the shuriken art. The student was throwing a knife in a classroom, and Shirakami walked in on he and his friends. Shirakami got angry and reprimanded the boy, then told him that if he was going to throw a knife, he should throw it in earnest. Shirakami took the knife and threw it at the wall, embedding deeply. This act so impressed the student that he came to ask Shirakami to teach him, to which Shirakami replied that violent, dishonest and lazy people cannot throw a blade correctly, so he wouldn't teach him. The boy was disappointed, and practiced on his own, vowing to surprise his teacher, but couldn't make the blade stick. He came to his teacher and asked again, this time promising to work hard and earnestly. Shirakami agreed and showed him the basic form. As it turned out, the boy trained diligently, and his parents noticed a change in their son. Over time, the boy began to apply himself more to training and less to troublesome activities with his friends, and eventually he earned a new found respect for teachers, and his grades began to improve. The student went on to be accepted in University.

This story serves as a good example of how Martial Arts can lead those who are astray into a focussed and worthwhile path in life.

It should be mentioned here that there are weapons regulations in place that govern the possession and use of shuriken, so if an individual is endeavouring to begin practice by purchasing or making one of their own, they should check the laws of their area. Click here for more discussion on the law.

As a final note in this introduction, it is interesting to hear that some American Special Forces and other military units are becoming interested in shuriken, because, aside from their combative characteristics, the shuriken has potential in survival applications, where one needs to hunt for food.

Sleeve, or Wrist Daggers

H.G. Long and Co. of Sheffield, England, made an item called the OSS Sleeve Dagger, a 7 inch long spike with a triangular blade intended for piercing and causing a nasty wound. The blade is 3 1/2 inches long, with three grooves, or fullers, sharpened into flat blade edges The handle is rectangular cross section 3/8inch wide and 1/4 inch thick, with a groove around the butt forming a hammer head. Used in World War 2 as a close personal defence weapon; whether the blade was actually adapted for throwing is not known, but highly possible, given its shape.

Figure 22. OSS Sleeve, or Cross Dagger, by H.G. Long & Co.

Figure 23. A replica of the OSS Sleeve Dagger by Crawford Knives

Some sleeve daggers also here http://www.snyderstreasures.com/

Cold Steel Special Projects produce a blade called the Delta Dart. It is 8 inches in length, with a 3 1/2 inch blade, which is triangular cross section. The handle is round, with a bulbous pommel, through which a lanyard ring can be attached. It, like the Sleeve Dagger above, is intended to be a hand held piercing weapon, although as the name "Dart" suggests, could possibly be thrown as well.

Figure 24. The Cold Steel Special Projects "Delta Dart"

The design of both these weapons lends themselves very well to the throwing method of Japanese bo shuriken, and like the French flechettes of World War 1 which was in fact based on Japanese shuriken, the Delta Dart also appears to be based on the bo shuriken shape. However, whether these weapons were used as throwing spikes or not would have to be confirmed.

German Air Darts and French flechettes, World War I era (5)

There are several interesting items in the Imperial War Museum, London, which are worth mentioning. In the "Air Artillery" section of the World War I display one can find several pieces labelled "Air Dart" (see Fig 22-23 below). The items depicted in Fig 22 are German made "Fliegerpfeile" (lit. flier arrows), which are copies of the French "flechette", a 12cm long metal projectile dropped from airplanes and Zeppelins from a height of 500m - 1,500m. Held together in packages of 50, a single airplane could carry as many as 5,000 of these darts, which when dropped, developed a speed of 200m per second and a spread of 200m radius. They could pierce through both a man and the horse on which he sat, causing either severe injury or death. Illustrations depict the flechettes being stored and released from the plane with the tips pointing upwards, and as they fell to the ground, they turned in the air so the heavier tips pointed downwards on impact. Not widely employed, especially later, due to their small and random striking area, they play an important role in the development of aerial weaponry as the finned tail structure of the flechette came to be a major design feature of airplane bombs.

Figure 25. WW I German copies of the French "flechettes"
(photo courtesy of Martin Garnett, Imperial War Museum, London.)

These flechettes are of interest because it is quite clear that their design was adapted from the Japanese shuriken. Mr Shirakami relates an anecdote in his book where several Japanese dignitaries visited France in the 1880's in order to negotiate new trading relations. One of the dignitaries, possibly skilled in martial arts, carried several shuriken, believed to be of the Yagyu Ryu, as part of his equipment allowing him to serve the secondary function of a bodyguard. At the end of the trip, the dignitary in question saw no need to continue carrying such weapons, and donated them as a gift to the French government, where they were then installed on display in a military museum in Paris. The similarity in design of these weapons to the Yagyu Ryu blade, and the fact that they were released with the tips pointing upwards (away from the target), shows that the Japanese dignitary probably demonstrated their use to the French officials, who then experimented with the design and the method of throwing to develop an aerial weapon of their own.

The item in Fig. 25 appears to be a modified "flechette" with the metal tails cut down and bird feathers added by attaching with twine. The shaft is about 7 inches long, and the feathers appear to be those of a raven (crow). Further information on these items is not available at present. The dart is very similar in shape and design to, though much larger than, the Chinese "fei biao" (air dart), which is probably due not to any historical connection, but rather an independent innovation based upon a logical application of throwing sharp objects in a straight line.

Fig. 25. A German "Air dart"
(photo courtesy of Martin Garnett, Imperial War Museum, London.)

The future of Shuriken

During the pre-Meiji era in Japan, shuriken design was largely determined by the shape of the item borrowed and adapted to make a weapon. Arrows, knives, needles, nails, washers and coins were all everyday items that were adapted by martial artists form a throwing weapon. In early times, metal was somewhat scarce as compared today, simply due to the lengthy and inefficient smelting process, and the low grade of iron sand found in Japan at the time. Metal went first to construction, then weaponry, such as swords, spears, etc...the more commonly used battlefield weapons, then to armour, and it later filtered through to craftwork and artistry. Shuriken-jutsu was an obscure and unpopular form of warfare; it was not a lethal art, it had a limited range and capability, and required great skill to actually be used effectively. So it can be understood that little metal was given over to a formalised production of shuriken blades as compared to that with the sword. Metal was basically scavenged in earlier times, to make shuriken, and this is why many old, authentic examples of shuriken betray their material origin.

In later times, as metal became more freely available, through both importing and improvement in smelting processes, shuriken began to be purpose built, particularly within schools that had a well established tradition in the of use of shuriken. Generally, a metal smith was known to a particular dojo, or family, who would commission the smith when necessary, but, still, the design was still somewhat restricted to emulating that of the material origin of earlier blades. With most of the sogo budo, or composite martial arts that contain a shuriken component in their teachings, such as Yagyu Ryu, Katori Shinto Ryu, etc., the skill of an innovative individual was initially absorbed into the school's training. The skill became formalised into a collection of techniques, particularly for teaching and preservation processes. Once this tradition of passing on the form within the art was established, a particular blade shape became accepted as the standard, and thus a particular shape of shuriken blade.became associated with a particular school or style of martial art. Thus blades would eventually be specially made, usually hand forged, as per the requirements of a particular school. There are still teachers of the traditional arts today, who maintain a shuriken teaching regime, and develop their skills within the arts they transmit. Yasuyuki Otsuka Sensei of Meifu Shinkage Ryu is a more public example of this, taking his teacher Someya's knowledge from Katori Shinto Ryu and applying it a modern understanding of the throwing art. Otsuka Sensei has access to some highly skilled smiths who make high quality blades for his school's use. There are also quite a number of classical arts that continue, in a more insular way, to pass on their tradition, and no doubt they obtain their blades in much the sme way.

Today, metal of varying grades is freely available to the individual, as is access to the metal trades. We are no longer restricted by the material origin of an existing metal item over the shape of a small, hand held throwing weapon. I believe the development of shuriken and shuriken-jutsu is now at a crucial stage. As the art becomes more popular, interested individuals are beginning to make their own blades, and develop their own styles of throwing. Hozan Suzuki of Mumyou Ryu is a prime example of this. His blades are unusual, quite radical in design, yet they retain an understanding of traditional knowledge. His throwing style is very individual, but he has developed quite a high level of skill, and is constantly researching and experimenting with not only blade shape and throwing style, but methods of concealment and carry.

There are also several smiths, both in Japan and in the west, who have become quite well respected as shuriken smiths, such as Ed Green and Jeff Adams in the US, and Daniel Bowley in Australia. Although these smiths take great pains to make accurate reproductions of authentic blades using traditional methods, catering mainly to students of more traditional schools as bound by their design requirements, they are also experimenting with their own designs and construction processes. I sense a growing movement within the shuriken community that is vibrant, innovative, and positive, and this is healthy for the art. It means positive advances will be made in the art, both in design, and in technique.

However, due to the changing nature of our society today, I also see a movement towards a prohibition on weapons. It began with restricting automatic firearms, spurred on by no doubt, murders on civil soil by misguided and angry individuals. Over the years despite these restrictions, killings have continued, but with tamer and tamer weapons. Nowadays we are hearing of petrol station hold-ups by individuals brandishing cheap replica Samurai swords...the type that would hardly do much damage even if the attacker could properly weild them. But due to media attention and hysterical reaction against the acts of killing themselves, prohibitions are becoming even more restrictive. In Australia only licensed martial arts instructors are permitted to possess a sword. This movement towards prohibition, I feel will not remedy the problem of violent crime in our society, and to make matters worse, local law enforcement appears to be seen less and less as a reliable force to assist in civil unrest and domestic violence. What I think will happen, in response to this seeming lack of power by the relevent authorities is that individuals will begin to take the law into their own hands. Only this week we had a home invasion in Melbourne, where two attackers, one armed with a sword, and the other with a gun, confronted a man in his own home. The man disarmed the intruder holding the sword, and used it on him, killing him, and he then cut the man holding the gun, wounding him pretty badly. It appears police will not be charging him, but I can't help but think if it was a less brave man whose house was invaded and he relied on help from the authorities, would he still be alive?

No, I think the nature of our society is such that people are beginning to think for themselves, to stand up, join together and look after themselves. Look at the community of Bendigo when the Commonwealth Bank pulled out leaving the town without banking facilities. The town got together and formed their own bank, the Bendigo Bank. So I think then that people will begin to think for themselves about personal protection. I believe we will see a development in shuriken-jutsu that while being a modern innovation to deal with a modern problem, it will at the same time be also a rekindling of the original spirit of the shuriken art. There will be a movement towards carrying and using small, durable, easily obtainable yet inconspicuous everyday items that can double up as a stabbing and throwing weapon, - this is the practical nature of the minds that developed shuriken in ancient times. But there will be a movement towards using non-metallic materials to make these items. Metallic items are now easily picked up by detectors, which are becoming more and more present in our society - airports, nightclubs, even schools. Ed Green makes items in a modern plastic called Delrin, a very tough and durable compsite developed in the aerospace industry. Porcelein is also making great advancements, armour-piercing bullets are made of porcelein, and I believe some surgical instruments. - this is the stealthy nature of the art that was a major aspect in its usefulness as a weapon.

What I think will also happen is that we will see some developments in the throwing technique. As people choose particular items based first on their innocent concealability, then on their merit as a personal defence weapon, I think will will then see that people will then experiment with how to use these items, and probably develop their own method of use and style. This is again, the practical and adaptable nature of the people in the past who developed such weapons and made them the interesting and unique items today. The tradition lives on.

Definitely interesting times ahead.

Notes:

1. Mol, Serge (2003) Classical Weaponry of Japan: Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Artists. Kodansha, Japan

Shirakami, Eizo (1985) Shurikendo: My study of the way of Shuriken, Paul H. Crompton, London

Tsubouchi: Kinsei Jitsuroku Zenshu (complete works of the modern authentic record, in Shirakami)

Note 5: Sources of information on Flechettes
"Aeroplanes, Dirigibles, Zeppelins" periodical, Paris, France, c. 1915, pp 211-212
"Aeroplane Darts and Fire Darts", Scientific American Supplement No 2042 (Feb 20, 1915)
"The War In the Air" by C. G. Grey, in The War Illustrated, 23rd January, 1915
"Pliegerpfeile" (flying arrows), Waffen Lexikon 2102-000-1, Waffen-Revue 2, pp 311-312.

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