The "ninja star
Shuriken
A shuriken is a Japanese concealed weapon that was used as a hidden dagger or metsubushi to distract or misdirect. Shuriken came in a variety of forms; some were manufactured, while others were improvised from tools. The edges of shuriken were often sharpened, so they could be used to p…
What is a ninja star?
What are the throwing stars?
What are the two types of throwing stars?
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What is ninja star in Japanese?
shuriken (plural shurikens or shuriken) A dart or throwing blade, sometimes with multiple points, used as a weapon by ninja (or samurai). synonyms ▲hyponym ▼ Synonyms: ninja star, throwing star.
What is another name for a ninja star?
Shuriken refers to Japanese throwing stars. Ninja Shuriken is literally translated from sword hidden in the user's hands. These Ninja Weapons are used for throwing, stabbing and slashing. The Ninja Shuriken is sharpened and can be made from ordinary tools that easily can be found like needles, knives, and nails.
Were ninja stars a real thing?
While most people remember samurais for their razor-sharp swords, there is another fearsome weapon in their arsenal that was just as deadly: the shuriken. The shuriken, also known as the ninja throwing star, was one of the most effective weapons on the battlefield. However, its uses in combat might surprise you.
Is a ninja star a weapon?
Shuriken, which literally means a sword hidden in the hand, is a special weapon traditionally used by ninja. Samurai also learned to use them along with their use of spears, training in archery and fencing. Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the Edo Period's last Shogun, is known to have been an expert in the use of shuriken.
Is a female ninja called?
Kunoichi (Japanese: くノ一, also くのいち or クノイチ) is a Japanese cant term for "woman" (女, onna). In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (ninpo).
Who is called a ninja?
Definition of ninja : a person trained in ancient Japanese martial arts and employed especially for espionage and assassinations.
What are ninjas in real life?
A ninja (忍者, Japanese pronunciation: [ɲiꜜɲdʑa]) or shinobi (忍び, [ɕinobi]) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.
Are ninjas Japan or China?
More accurately called shinobi, ninjas were a group that could be considered secret agents or mercenaries in Japan. They were thought of as ranking beneath the samurai warriors for their 'alternative' practices of accomplishing their missions.
Who was the first real ninja?
The Japanese legend of Prince Yamato is often considered the first ninja story, although Yamato did not adopt the black costume or stealthy tactics so often associated with ninja.
What shape is a ninja star?
Bō shurikens consist of a straight iron or steel spike that is easy to carry and conceal. Though bō shurikens vary in length as well as in the shape of their cross sections — which could be round, triangular, square, rectangular, pentagonal, or octagonal — most have one pointed end, but on occasion can sport two.
What is the strongest ninja weapon?
1/14 Sword of Nunoboko This weapon is known to have been powerful enough to shape the entire world and, if the user wishes so, it can just as easily destroy the world. Obito Uchiha used a version of this sword in the Fourth Great Ninja War but still failed to defeat Naruto and Sasuke.
Do ninjas have sword?
Ninja Swords The typical ninja sword is called the ninjato. This is the ninja's primary weapon. It could be as long as a katana or even shorter. It is give or take 24 inches in length.
What is a high ranking ninja called?
A jōnin ("upper person") was the highest rank, representing the group and hiring out mercenaries. This is followed by the chūnin ("middle person"), assistants to the jōnin. At the bottom was the genin ("lower person"), field agents drawn from the lower class and assigned to carry out actual missions.
What is a ninja leader called?
The general structure of a ninja organisation is headed by the jonin (literally 'high ninja'), followed by some chunin ('middle ninja'). Finally, under each chunin were several genin ('low ninja'). Ninjas usually receive their missions from feudal lords.
What is ninja Magic called?
Commonly referred to as ninja magic, kuji-in was thought to be the source of a ninja's powers of spiritual and mental strength. Kuji-in translate to mean Nine Syllable Seals, and are nine different seals performed by ninja in the form of hand signs.
What is the upper level ninja called?
JoninJonin (上忍Jōnin?, literally "Higher Ninja", Viz "Jōnin" and "Elite Ninja") are generally highly experienced ninja with great individual skill who serve as military captains.
Did you know?
Ninjas may seem mysterious, but the origin of their name is not. The word ninja derives from the Japanese characters nin and ja.
Examples of ninja in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web As the staff sergeant then took off running, the man dressed as a ninja began kicking and punching doors and windows, then reportedly threw a block of asphast through a building window. — Brigid Kennedy, The Week, 30 Sep.
What is a ninja?
A ninja ( 忍者, Japanese pronunciation: [ɲiꜜɲdʑa]) or shinobi ( 忍び, [ɕinobi]) was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included espionage, deception, and surprise attacks. Their covert methods of waging irregular warfare were deemed dishonorable and beneath the honor of the samurai.
What are ninjas associated with?
Ninja figured prominently in legend and folklore, where they were associated with legendary abilities such as invisibility, walking on water and control over natural elements.
Why did Miura Yoemon send ninjas to Osaka?
Miura Yoemon, a ninja in Tokugawa's service, recruited shinobi from the Iga region, and sent 10 ninja into Osaka Castle in an effort to foster antagonism between enemy commanders. During the later "summer campaign", these hired ninja fought alongside regular troops at the Battle of Tennōji.
Why are ninjas black?
The popular notion of black clothing is likely rooted in artistic convention; early drawings of ninja showed them dressed in black in order to portray a sense of invisibility. This convention was an idea borrowed from the puppet handlers of bunraku theater, who dressed in total black in an effort to simulate props moving independently of their controls. Despite the lack of hard evidence, it has been put forward by some authorities that black robes, perhaps slightly tainted with red to hide bloodstains, was indeed the sensible garment of choice for infiltration.
What are some examples of ninjutsu?
Most ninjutsu techniques recorded in scrolls and manuals revolve around ways to avoid detection, and methods of escape. These techniques were loosely grouped under corresponding natural elements. Some examples are: 1 Hitsuke: The practice of distracting guards by starting a fire away from the ninja's planned point of entry. Falls under "fire techniques" ( katon-no-jutsu ). 2 Tanuki-gakure: The practice of climbing a tree and camouflaging oneself within the foliage. Falls under "wood techniques" ( mokuton-no-jutsu ). 3 Ukigusa-gakure: The practice of throwing duckweed over water in order to conceal underwater movement. Falls under "water techniques" ( suiton-no-jutsu ). 4 Uzura-gakure: The practice of curling into a ball and remaining motionless in order to appear like a stone. Falls under "earth techniques" ( doton-no-jutsu ).
Why were ninjas used in battle?
In battle, the ninja were also used to cause confusion amongst the enemy. A degree of psychological warfare in the capturing of enemy banners can be seen illustrated in the Ōu Eikei Gunki, composed between the 16th and 17th centuries:
How did ninjas make a living?
To earn a living, ninja had to be employed by the governments of their Han (domain), or change their profession. Many lords still hired ninja, not for battle but as bodyguards or spies. Their duties included spying on other domains, guarding the daimyō, and fire patrol. A few domains like Tsu, Hirosaki and Saga continued to employ their own ninja into the bakumatsu era, although their precise numbers are unknown.
Bo-shuriken
A Bo-shuriken 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 12 to 21 cm (5–8 1⁄2 in) and the average weight from 35 to 150 grams (1.2–5.4 ounces).
Usage
Shuriken targets were primarily the more exposed parts of the body: the eyes, face, hands, or feet. The shuriken would sometimes be thrown in a way that slashed the opponent in a glancing blow and travelled on, becoming lost, leaving him confused about the cause of the wound.
Today
Modern shuriken are most often made of stainless steel and are commercially available in many knife shops in Europe and North America, or via the Internet. They are illegal to possess or carry in some countries, such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom (manufacture, sale, distribution and import).
What is a ninja star?
The "ninja star" is really just a shuriken—Japanese for "dart" or "throwing star." It began its place on the battlefields of Medieval Japan not primarily as a killing device—save that for the katanas, boys!—but as a tactical accessory. When, exactly, remains a subject of debate—records as early as 600 AD recount a Japanese prince throwing a sliced vegetable into the eye of a deer, for what must have been a small part of quite a story.
What are the throwing stars?
The throwing stars came in two popular forms: Bo-shuriken were really just straight up darts—long, sharp, pins, easily flung like those fired from a dart gun. Hira-shuriken, on the other hand, are probably what most of us imagine when you hear the term "ninja star" or the like—flat, metal bladed discs, frisbeed through the air with circle-slicing action. Some had points, while some remain rounded discs. Most include a hole in the middle—allowing them to be strung together for transportation, and a nod to their origins in objects as commonplace as large coins and spoons. It's true! The great great grandfather of the shuriken (according to some theories) is an ancient Japanese technique of rendering thrown weaponry out of household items.
What are the two types of throwing stars?
Hira-shuriken, on the other hand, are probably what most of us imagine when you hear the term "ninja star " or the like—flat, metal bladed discs, frisbeed through the air with circle-slicing action. Some had points, while some remain rounded discs. Most include a hole in the middle—allowing them to be strung together for transportation, and a nod to their origins in objects as commonplace as large coins and spoons. It's true! The great great grandfather of the shuriken (according to some theories) is an ancient Japanese technique of rendering thrown weaponry out of household items.
