| |
The Shuriken and
the Art of Throwing, (Unique Publications) 1985?
by George Foon
An ad for this book
is found at the back of Jeff Imada's "Advanced Balisong Manual".
Hard to find any info on the book itself, although it appears George Foon
is well known, mixing in circles with Gene Labell...
|
 |
Shuriken
jutsu: The Japanese art of projectile throwing 
by Billy Hammond
Format 178 pages
Publisher: A.E.L.S (1985)
ASIN: B0007B60TC
Billy
Hammond trained in both Shirai Ryu and Shinei Ryu shuriken jutsu,
under Eizo Fujita Sensei, of Shito Ryu Itosukai Karate. Fujita Sensei
was a student of Isamu (also known as Shinei) Maeda Sensei, and Shinei
Ryu is an offshoot of Negishi Ryu formed by Maeda Sensei.
Shuriken
jutsu: The Japanese art of projectile throwing was the only book permitted
by Maeda Sensei to be written on the subject in English (at that time),
and was printed on a very limited run of 500 copies. It has been out of
print/unavailable for years.
|
 |
Chukyu
Shurikenjutsu
Author: Hozan Suzuki
Privately Published, Japan 2005
Format: Softcover, 164 pages, Japanese
Mr
Suzuki is a self taught practitioner of shuriken jutsu, but don't
let that deceive you - his ability is very impressive. He appears to have
developed or adapted some unusual throwing methods, such as "pushing"
the blade towards the target, rather than throwing. This facilitates the
direct hit method, and from observing video that he kindly sent me, his
blades appear to be consistently striking the target straight, with considerable
force. Suzuki also makes his own blades, which are also very impressive,
and fly extremely well. He utilises both leather and twine wrapping around
the tails, finished with Urushi lacquer, making these excellent blades
for the direct hit method of throwing. His website also has a lot of pics
and information on the technical aspects of shuriken flight, well worth
having a look.
See
www.mumyuoan.com/shuriken
or copy this url and paste it in Google's
translator bot
|
 |
Shuriken
Author: Kanji Naruse
Publisher: Shin-Taishusha, Tokyo (1943)
Format: Japanese
Just
sold on Yahoo auctions Japan - a rare book on shuriken. Kanji Naruse
was the 3rd headmaster of Negishi Ryu shuriken jutsu. He was also
a skilled swordsman, and was employed during the Russo-Japanese war (1900)
as a sword repairer. He wrote a number of books, on sword and other subjects,
including this single work on shuriken.
For some biographical details, please click here.
|
 | Kakushi
Buki jutsu Nyumon (Hidden
Weapons Training Manual)
Author: Chikatoshi Someya
Publisher:
AIRYUDO 1987, Tokyo
Format: Japanese
A
presentation on the range of obscure and hidden weapons of the Meifu Shinkage
Ryu of Chikatoshi Someya Sensei, it include a couple of pages and photos of shuriken,
but the focus is on other less well-known weapons, such as kakute, shoken,
etc. It appears to be the companion book to the Meifu Shinkage Ryu Video depicted
below |
 | The
Way Of The Warrior
Author: Howard Reid, Michael Croucher
Publisher:
Overlook Press;
Format: Paperback, 240 pages
Reprint edition (January
28, 2004)
ISBN: 158567513X An
interesting book on martial arts in general, it is the companion book to the BBC
TV series of the same name, which was an excellent documentary looking at a wide
variety of arts across several continents. What
makes this book of great interest is that it contains two rare photos depicting
the Katori Shinto Ryu shuriken stance. A senior student of Otake Sensei
demonstrates the kamae, (stance) with a photo taken from the side, showing
both the stance and a clear depiction of the blades used, and from the rear, showing
the distance to, and the type of, the target used indoors. There is also a short
caption, making mention that before the throw, the weight is backwards, on the
rear foot, with the left heel slightly off the ground, and the weight transfers
forward onto the left foot during the throw. The
only other photo I have seen of KSR shuriken is in Michael Finn's "Art
of Shuriken jutsu" (below) |
No
Image available | Shuriken
and the Art of Throwing
Author: Unknown
Format: softcover
ISBN:0938676067
Publisher: Unique Publications,December 1988
Price: USD$9.95
Note:
Not Available - Publication Cancelled (??? - I wonder what the story is here
- Ed.) |
 | Shuriken
no Sekai (The World of Shuriken)
Author: Shirakami Eizo
Published:
Japan, 2001?
Format: Hardcover, Japanese A
reprint of "Shuriken-do: My study of the way of the shuriken" (see below)
that appeared in English in 1987. It is the best book in English (so far) on the
subject, but has been long out of print and is becoming quite a collectors item.
I don't know why they don't republish in English as well. There were a lot of
spelling errors and production mix ups in the original, but it shouldn't be too
hard to re-edit. |
 | Kakushi
Buki Soran (An Overview of Hidden Weapons)
by Yumio NAWA
Published:
Japan 1962?
A
rare book, long out of print, and very difficult to find. Contains some nice enlarged
photos of old, authentic shuriken. Hopefully I will get some more publishing
details soon. Thanks to Danny for the cover shot. |
 | Shuriken
Jutsu no Susume
By
Yasuyuki Otsuka
Published: 2004
Pages 208
Format: A5 Available
on BAB here
1,800Y |
 | Meifu
Shinkage Ryu Shurikenjutsu DVD
As
above, on the BAB page, here |
 |
Kakushi Buki Shurikenjutsu
- (Hidden Weapons Shuriken Techniques)
Produced
by Hatsumi Sensei of the Bujinkan
Year:
2004
Runtime: 51 minutes
Formats: DVD - English and Japanese Language (All
Region Code)
The latest and newest DVD in the Bujinkan Series by Hatsumi Masaaki.
Entirely new material covering several traditional ninjutsu hidden weapons.How
to Use the Shuko, How to Use the Kyoketsu Shoge, Kakushi, Kanide and Kusarifundo,
Kakushi Buki, Sokutoki, Senban Shuriken, Real Techniques by Using Hidden Weapons (information
from www.buyubooks.com) |
 |
Shinobi No Buki (Ninja
Weapons)
Author:
Nawa Yumio
Published:1967, in Japanese
Pages: 280 pages
Photos: Black
and White Rare
and hard to find. Information comes from www.buyubooks.com |
 | The
Art of Throwing Knives
Author: James W. Madden
Publisher:
Paladin Press; (July 1, 1991)
Format
Paperback, 104 pages ;
A
more serious book on blade throwing in general, it contains a short, 9 page general
introduction to the shuriken art. He adds nothing terribly new or profound
to the subject, and concentrates only on shaken. but appears to throw them
in the western knife throwing style. Listed
at Amazon.com for $198.00 gotta be kidding!
|
 | Bowies,
Big Knives, and the Best of Battle Blades
Author :Bill Bagwell
Publisher:
Paladin Press; (November 1, 2000)
Format: Paperback: 184 pages The
ignorance of this man just has to be read to be believed, about the most intellectually
challenging thing he managed to do with this publication is string a whole lot
of B words together, in conjunction with his name into the title. He obviously
has no idea about the subject beyond the concept of "the bigger the blade,
the better the man", and proceeds to belittle hundreds of years of tradition
of Japanese blade throwing, albeit only focussing on shaken, or throwing
stars. I may reproduce the whole section so readers can see for themselves, but
here's a quote anyway: "...I
feel the Oriental mind that dreamed up this use for small pieces of scrap iron
must have had his tongue firmly fixed in his cheek..." That about says it
all... Don't
bother buying the book - just hop onto Amazon.com and use the "Search Inside"
feature to look at a few pages for a laugh. |
| | |
 |
Zukai
Shurikenjutsu
Author: Fujita Seiko
Pages: 170 pages
Photos:
Black and White
Formats: Japanese Hardcover 2nd Edition Out of Print Mint
Condition Dustcover (50 currently in stock)
Available www.buyubooks.com
Fujita Seiko was said to be the 14th Soke of Koga Ryu Ninjutsu. He was a well
known and respected Martial Arts practitioner and researcher. He died with 3 of
his students in the late 1960`s in a fatal car crash. This book covers shurikenjutsu.
It describes in detail the proper way to hold and throw various projectile weapons
such as stones, spears, blades and throwing stars. It shows stances, techniques,
a variety of different types of Bo and Hira Shuriken, as
well as Spears and even Kongo. Standing, kneeling and throwing techniques
while holding the sword are shown. The book is large format and has 172 pages.
The book is part of a 4 volume set, the others being on Shindo Muso Ryu,
Secrets of Atemi, and Rope tying techniques. |
 |
Ninjutsu No Kenkyu:
Hissho no Heiho
(Ninjutsu Research: Strategy for Certain Victory)
Author: Nawa Yumio
Publisher: Japan Publications, Inc.
Year: 1972
377 pages
Photos:
Available www.buyubooks.com Nawa
Yumio was the last grandmaster of Masaki Ryu, a school teaching the manriki-gusari
(double weighted chain), as well as a martial arts researcher. This book, focussing
on Ninjutsu, has a section on shuriken, with photos. |
 |
Samurai
Fighting Arts:
The Spirit and the Practice
Author:
Tanaka Fumon
Publisher: Kodansha International
Date:
July 2003
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages, English. A
master of so many arts, one wonders at the competence of this teacher, being so
young. Some discussion of his abilities has been had on E-Budo.com, but mostly
speculation. He is the teacher of Serge Mol, author of another book on traditional
weapons, shown above. Fumon provides a general introduction to a wide variety
of weapons and arts used by the samurai of feudal times, and shuriken
figure in 3 pages, showing mostly large photos of hira-shuriken, as well
as a few postures. |
 |
Exotic
Weapons of the Ninja Author:
Sid Campbell
Publisher: Paladin Press
Date: 1994
Format: Softcover,
186 pages, English At
first sight, an interesting, potentially valuable book, but on closer examination,
reveals little interesting detail at all. And some of the sword poses with the
hands reversed makes one wonder about the credibility of the whole work. Very
disappointing. About 3-4 pages on shuriken, providing nothing new to the
public...very general information that could be extrapolated by simply looking
at a few pictures. Save your money. |
 |
Secret
Weapons of Jujutsu Author:
Don Cunningham
Publisher:Tuttle
Date: 2002
Format: Softcover, 120
pages, English This,
of all books, one would think had plenty of information on shuriken, in
fact it is not mentioned. A lot of interesting and unusual weapons are discussed,
but shuriken is almost conspicuous in its absence. There is a bit of discussion
on the "kogai" going off on a tangent about it being an implement
that was used to carry the decapitated head of fallen opponents. Other writers
seem to regard it as an ornamental hairpin, so this is something that would need
to be investigated. Seems to mostly concentrate on iron fan and jutte weapons
and techniques, understandable since they are weapons the author as trained in.
|
 |
A series of books
on shuriken by Wolfgang Ettig.
I
have no details on these books other than what is found on this commercial
page, translated by Google from the German. I believe Mr. Ettig is a Ninjutsu
teacher based in Europe. How
good these books are, I have no idea...
Shuriken - Vol. 1
Introductory
volume on Shuriken throwing. 56 pages, 54 illustrations. Price: EUR 7.99 Shuriken
- Vol. 2
Apart from new throw techniques contain the 2. Volume also Ninjutsu
Nahkampftechniken and weapon art with Charles Daniel. With Bruce Lee's Shuriken
Wurftechnik. 62 pages, 110 illustrations. Price:
EUR 8.95 Shuriken
- Vol. 2
Here many new Shuriken forms and self-defense techniques from
the Taijutsu are described. 72 pages, 45 illustrations. Price: EUR 8.00 Shuriken
- Vol. 2
The different Shuriken schools, throw characteristics and modern
Shuriken as well as techniques with Gonton Po form the conclusion. 72 pages, 69
illustrations. Price:
EUR 9. |
The Ninja Shuriken Manual by
Takayuki Kubota. No information available at this time.
Ninja
Star: Art of Shuriken Jutsu
Author: Katsumi Toda
Publisher: Dragon
Books, 1984.
64 pages
Contains
little useful information on shuriken. Apparently Katsumi Toda is the pen-name
of David Chambers, who wrote a series of b-grade books on Martial Arts. Buyer
beware!!!
Brief
mention of shuriken is made in the section on the Ninja in Donn F. Draeger's
"Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts", Kodansha, 1982
 |
Meifu Shinkage Ryu Shurikenjutsu
Publisher: Nihon Budokan
Runtime: 30 minutes
Formats: Video
- Japanese (NTSC) 2nd Edition, Subtitles
Available www.buyubooks.com
No other details
about this video are available at present |
 |
Nihon budo no engen:
Kashima-Shinryu --- Sojutsu, Jojutsu, Shurikenjutsu;
by:
Seki Humitake
Runtime: 60 minutes
Formats: Video - Japanese Language (NTSC)
The
19th shihan, Seki Fumitake, who received Menkyo Kaiden from the 18th, Kunii Zen'ya
demonstrates shurikenjutsu of Kashima Shin Ryu containing some films made
in public for the first time. This video is the last in this extraordinary 11
volume series of tapes. Now
available at www.buyubooks.com
US$88.00 plus postage |
 |
Shuriken
and Kusari Techniques of the Meifu Shinkage Ryu
Format VHS NTSC
Languages Japanese (no English)
Length 40 min.
Now
available at www.budovideos.com
Price: UD$ 79.95 This
is a very interesting video. It features not only shuriken, but several
other obscure weapons (see cover at left), the jutte, kakute, joken,
shoken, and manriki-gusari. It is produced by the Meifu Shinkage Ryu
group, who seem to be dedicated to preserving some pretty unusual weapon systems.
Of note, this video features the late Chikatoshi Someya Sensei, the previous headmaster
of Meifu Shinkage Ryu, as well as Yasuyuki Otsuka Sensei, the current headmaster.
There is a brief introduction to various blades from the various Ryu, then demonstrations
of several basic forward throws. The video is more of a demonstration or presentation
of the art, with a select few examples of basic forms from each of the weapon
systems. There is no technical instruction or teaching, rather a general commentary
describing the visuals. However it is good to see the throwing action of Someya
Sensei, who by the way, does indeed provide an impressive performance with his
blade throwing. There is also considerable chain demonstrations, with the manriki-gusari,
although they are solo forms, so it is difficult to see how they would be applied
to defence, but there is a lot there to work with. This video is a necessary addition
simply because it shows weapon forms one rarely ever sees these days, if not for
the shuriken content.
|
Shuriken
in film
It
may probably be futile to try and list all the instances where shuriken
appear in film, but I'll add what I find as I go.
1.
"Shoot the Sun Down" starring Christopher Walken, 1978. Walkens character
wore blades strapped to the insides of his wrists, and was quite adept at throwing
them. For a review see Panopticon's
site
2. "Red
Sun", starring Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune. A great Samurai-meets-Western-gunfighter
movie. Mifune is excellent in his role as a bodyguard. There are two instances
towards the end of the film where Mifune throws some blades at raiding Indians.
We don't get to see the blades themselves, but he appears to use bo shuriken with
the standard overhead throw.
Instructors
of Shuriken
Satoshi
Saito Sensei, soke, or headmaster of Negishi Ryu, teaches in Tokyo.
Pierre
and Claire Simone, students of Saito Sensei in Tolouse, France.
Shuriken
in Games
The
popular Playstation game "Tenchu: Stealth Assassins" has a set of shuriken
as a selectable item. Fun to play with. Interestingly, "Tenchu 2", the
new instalment of the game, does not have shuriken, rather it has throwing knives
instead. I wonder if there was any legal pressure there...?
