Ninja
throwing stars are actually called shuriken. The Japanese written
characters for the word shuriken include shu (hand),
ri (release), ken (blade), for the quite literal
description of "hand released blade." Shuriken has also been
interpreted and referred to as "hand hidden blade". Historically,
there were two fundamental blade designs.
Bo shuriken were straight spike-like blades with
either one or two pointed ends, which would vary in size from short
needles to broad knives. A variation of the bo shuriken were
itaken "board blades," which were flat bars of steel with one or
two pointed ends. The second fundamental shuriken design concept,
which most people are familiar with nowadays, was the (flat)
hira shuriken, which
were thin metal plates with anywhere from three to as many as eight points
radiating out from the center. The hira shuriken were also
sometimes referred to as shaken, or "wheel blades," because
of their distinctive spoke-like shape.
Tracing back through history to determine the origins
of the ninja's unique throwing weapon is difficult if not impossible.
However, there is enough information of specific shuriken designs that can
be traced back to certain ninja families. For example, 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 that backed up the heads of the
spikes used in the joining of timbers in castle and fortress construction.
Such blunt heavy throwing washers were known as tsubute.
By heating and hammering out the four-pointed reinforcing washer, it would
be possible to form a thin flat blade that could be ground at the points
for sharpness. This square weapon can be used accurately up to 30
feet from the target, and can also be held in the hand for close-range
fighting. The ninja's
eight-pointed happo shuriken could have likewise been
developed from a source totally unrelated to weapon combat. One of
the nin-po mikkyo ("secret knowledge" spiritual lore) ritual
implements was a wheel-like device of eight spokes, representative of the
eight-fold "wheel of cosmic law." Since the true ninja families of
feudal Japan saw themselves as the tools of universal law, it would be
highly likely that the symbol of the rimless wheel of law could be seen as
an appropriate means of accomplishing the family's aims.
The hira shuriken were used primarily for wounding or
harassing the enemy. The shallowness of the points usually prevented
them from penetrating deeply enough to kill. However, the weapon was
very effective when thrown into the hands or face of an armed pursuer by
surprise. The hira shuriken could
also take the role of an "invisible attacker." If a guard or enemy
stood out in a cleared area, the ninja hidden in shrubs or beside a wall
would throw the star blade in a spinning manner. The blades would
cut the startled adversary and fly off into the grass or dirt out of
sight. The bewildered victim, having been slashed by an invisible
swordsman, would then take off to seek help, leaving the area unguarded.
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 utilized such methods of battle were
also heavily involved in deceptive and secretive activities. 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.
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 Otsuka Sensei, there were no
standardized or formalized 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 categorization of shuriken in
his book "Shuriken Giho", but admitted that without historical records,
such categorization is purely speculative, and that there were a number of
examples that could not fit in his categorization method as well.
Nevertheless, such categorization can be useful today for the purpose of
describing and discussing the art and the items in use.
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, 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.
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