Ninja throwing star. Shuriken - "blade hidden in the hand"

On record Hiyori no Ki chronicles Gosannen no eki("Second Three Years War", dating from 1083-87) mentions an aimed throw of a blade hidden in the hand, " shuriken ni utsu"Perhaps this is where the term itself originates" shuriken"Throwing objects has no doubt been a common practice among people for thousands of years, and ever since ancient man learned that he could defend himself and get food by throwing stones at living creatures, and ideas about throwing techniques were developed.

They reacted especially “creatively”, so to speak, to this in mysterious Japan, where the technique of using small weapons as weapons throwing plates, has received the greatest development. And the most famous among them are, of course, throwing blades, which are called “shuriken” in Japanese.

Technically, the art of throwing shuriken goes back to the technique of throwing various knives - from tanto to short sword wakizashi, as well as special throwing arrows utine. It is believed that the predecessors of shuriken were various items of equipment and weapons, which, subject to some skill, could be used for throwing, such as a short dart (ko-yari, te-yari), a sharpened file (yajiri), a hand-held point for spurring a horse (uma- bari), etc.

In the public consciousness, shurikens are inextricably linked with the image of the “shadow man”. That's why they are often called "ninja stars." However, in reality, throwing weapons of this kind were widely used by all Japanese warriors, but it was for the ninja that it became, as it were, " business card".

The reasons for this, as usual, are extremely simple: stars and arrows can be easily hidden in clothes and used for secret murder on the sly, which predetermined their popularity among the “invisible people”. By holding shurikens of a suitable shape in both hands, you can stab, tear, rip with them like brass knuckles in hand-to-hand combat. In addition, shurikens were used as fire-making chairs, as aids when climbing trees, etc.

Unlike the movies, in practice the effective range of shuriken destruction was not so great. It depended mainly on the physical condition and skill of the warrior and only partly on the design and weight of the weapon itself. In any case, it was no more than twenty meters. And at such a distance it was effective only if the enemy was without armor and did not see the throw.

Shuriken device

Shurikens consist of bases with or without a hole, teeth with a tip, usually sharpened on one side.
A special feature of the design of shurikens is their flat surface, which provides a “wing” effect in flight when thrown with a twist, which makes it possible to throw it over a long distance. The presence of numerous teeth, ensuring almost 100% defeat, unlike single-blade throwing melee weapons. The relative roundness in general and the symmetry of the elements ensure flight stability, guaranteeing, if you have skills in throwing techniques, good aiming of the throw.

Like most other types of weapons of the throwing type, shurikens were worn several at a time. Most often there were nine of them, as this number was considered sacred and bringing good luck.
In appearance shuriken also showed the Japanese's desire for esotericism and mystical symbolism. In order to be convinced of this, it is enough to compare their form with any of the numerous publications devoted to the occult sciences, in which the corresponding symbols are shown. In addition to the information contained in the form itself, mystical signs were sometimes applied to the surface of the weapon. There is no bravado in this, and this was not done for beauty, because the people who made the weapons and used them firmly believed that with their help they could attract powerful otherworldly forces to their side.

In terms of the number of different forms, shurikens are perhaps second only to arrows, however, even among this type of weapon, several general groups of characteristics can be distinguished, according to which it is customary to classify them:

a) for the device as a whole: solid (solid) and folding, consisting of several prefabricated elements, brought into firing position using a push-button spring mechanism; with and without a hole in the base;
b) by design: with a classically expressed base and teeth and with an unexpressed base and teeth, where the base is a direct continuation of the teeth and vice versa without a pronounced border between them;
c) by size: small - up to 6 cm in diameter, medium - over 6 cm to 8 cm, large - over 8 cm in diameter up to 12 cm or more;
d) by the number of teeth: three-tooth, five-tooth, four-tooth, six-tooth, eight-tooth;
e) according to the shape of the teeth: triangular, polygonal, figured, crescent-shaped;
f) by type of teeth: needle-shaped, wedge-shaped, diamond-shaped, arrow-shaped;
g) according to the shape of the bases of the teeth: straight, curved to the left (right);
h) according to the presence of sharpening: one-sided and two-sided;
i) by the presence of blades: single-bladed teeth and double-bladed teeth.

For all of the above types, there are a number general requirements requirements for them: To effectively hit a target, the weight of small shurikens must be at least 60 g. With an increase in the diameter of the shuriken by 1 cm, the weight must increase by 10 g in direct proportion.

Some, unlike the Japanese (they initially made it from improvised means), believe that great value has also the material of manufacture. An indispensable requirement is that it must be sufficiently rigid and hard so as not to deform or collapse when meeting with a relatively rigid obstacle when thrown with the maximum effort of an adult man from a distance of 3-4 meters, it is also mandatory to check for “break” Shuriken thrown from 3 -4 meters into the training target, in the form of a wooden board, must enter the obstacle to a depth of at least 5mm

The philosophy behind making your own shuriken.

There are many commercial sites on the Internet offering beautifully made, expensive blades. In various ways, I feel that they lack the true spirit of shuriken. When you look at how blades were made historically, there are a lot of innovations that I think are often missed by most people who visit these sites. In fact, shurikens are nothing more than metal objects adapted to become throwing weapons, and they were made from improvised materials that were most accessible and cheap at that time in Japan. For example, senban shuriken, which are square-shaped blades, were made from a simple metal plate placed under the head of a nail during the construction of buildings. Since they had a shape that was already close and easy to throw, its edges were simply sharpened and it was ready for use. In the same way, bo shurikens, square and triangular in cross-section, had this shape because they were made from nails and other improvised materials. It was an expression of searching for something that would be functionally available to perform the task at hand with minimum quantity rework, and this was an expression of fighting spirit more than the expensive and aesthetic extravagance of perfectly made and beautiful looking blades. This mercantilism does not correspond to the Japanese idea of simplicity, naturalness and practicality, the desire to do only what is necessary and achieve the best results without excess. Secondly, I think you can get a lot more satisfaction out of making your own shurikens. I'm sure the ancient ninjas, ronin and bushi would rather make such weapons with my own hands, rather than buying them in forges or somewhere else. Part of developing this technical skill is investigating the properties various materials and different shapes, to find out which ones are best and make changes accordingly to your own products. Making your own blades also allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the weapon and the art. Looking at the incredible variety of blades that have been used in shuriken jutsu, we can see that there really is no " perfect shape", rather, what was used was what was readily available and could, by simple sharpening, be turned into sharp, practical and effective weapon, which was easy to learn to throw with proper training.

TECHNIQUES OF THROWING

Unlike the western arrow (dart), the center of gravity of which was located closer to the pointed end, and the flight of which was really flight, the weight of the shuriken was evenly distributed over its entire area. Consequently, a special grip was required to ensure a hit on the first throw and not hit the target at an obtuse angle, which would significantly reduce the force and effectiveness of the strike.
The shuriken was held (shuriken mochikata) in the palm, pressed tightly with the thumb. It lay between the outstretched index and middle fingers. The greater the distance to the target, the deeper the shuriken was placed in the palm before throwing.

Shuriken is thrown (shuriken nagekata) with a slashing motion that starts from the shoulder and passes through the forearm to end at the fingertips. There are two main types of grip. With a direct (masugu) grip, the tip of the shuriken lying in the hand faces outward. In version with reverse grip(kaiten) the tip is turned away from the enemy and rests under the thumb.
Shuriken can be thrown with throws: top (omote), side (uoko) and bottom (gyaku). The top one is the simplest and most powerful. Side and bottom throws are not as powerful, but since they are more difficult to notice and predict, they are quite unexpected for the enemy. With any method, shuriken can be thrown straight or with a half-turn.
Shurikens are thrown from various positions (ichi). Ninjas practice throwing while standing, running, kneeling, sitting, lying on their stomach or back, as well as throwing two shuriken simultaneously in two different directions.

Epilogue

Shuriken is simply ideally designed for throwing, so it is not as difficult to do as, for example, when throwing a knife. Its design is such that it easily sticks itself in, and all that remains for its owner is to learn how to simply get where it is necessary :).

When writing the article, materials were used (C) (C) a also excerpts from the book “Armament of the Samurai” by K.S. Nosova

Appearance shurikens reflects the Japanese interest in mysticism. Often various signs were also applied to the surface of the weapon itself, since both the craftsmen who made the weapon and those who used it believed that in this way they could attract powerful otherworldly forces to their side.

As a rule, in the arsenal of a warrior shurikens were additional weapons attached to the katana sword or yari spear, but often they played a decisive tactical role in battles. The Art of Ownership shurikens, known as shuriken-jutsu, was taught as a minor skill in many famous schools: Yagyu Ryu, Katori Shinto Ryu, Itto Ryu, Kukishin Ryu, Togakure Ryu. Nowadays you can buy shuriken as a souvenir, but in some countries you need a special permit for this.

There are two main types shuriken: bo shurikens and shakens (shakens include hira shurikens, semban shurikens, and tepan shurikens).

Bo shurikens

Bo shurikens

Bo shuriken - throwing weapon wedge-shaped, made of iron or steel; has a quadrangular, round or octagonal shape. As a rule, they are sharpened on one side, but there are also double-edged specimens. The length of bo shuriken ranges from 12 to 21 cm, and the weight from 35 to 150 g. The weapon is thrown in different ways: from behind the head, from below, from the side and back, and in each of the options the blade is directed in the desired direction using the fingers. Bo shurikens should not be confused with kunai (impact and thrust weapons, which were also sometimes used as throwing weapons). Bo means "needle"; in the photo - not needles, but a blank for a kunai.

There are two main methods of throwing bo shuriken: jiki da-ho and han-ten da-ho. In the first case, the blade does not rotate before hitting the target, in the second - vice versa.

Bo shurikens were modeled after everyday objects and have different sizes and shape. Some of them received names from their progenitor: kugi-gata (nail shape), ari-gata (needle shape), tango-gata (knife shape), others were named after the objects they resembled: oko-gata (shape spears), matsuba-gata (shaped like a pine needle).

Various gunsmiths applied to shurikens various information, which (they believed) was supposed to make the life of a ninja warrior easier.

There are other weapons that resemble bo shuriken in shape: kogai (hairpin), kogata (knife) and hashi (chopsticks), but these were not associated with the school of shuriken-jutsu and were only thrown by an experienced master on the appropriate occasion.

Origin

Despite the fact that a huge amount of research has been done, the origin of bo shuriken in Japan remains a mystery. This is partly due to the fact that the art of shuriken-jutsu is kept secret, but also because ancient Japan had many inventors of throwing weapons. The first school mentioned is Ganritsu Ryu (17th century). The surviving examples of blades from this school represent something between an arrow and a needle used in leatherwork.

Also in early mentions, for example in "Osaka Gunki" ( military history Osaka), there are records of short knives and swords that were used as throwing weapons, as well as how the samurai Miyamoto Musashi killed his opponent with a precise throw in one of the fights.

Modern shurikens are made of stainless steel. They can be purchased at many gun stores in Europe and North America, but in many states, such as California, ownership shurikens considered illegal.

Hira shuriken

Hira shuriken are made from thin metal plates obtained from ordinary items: from coins (hisi gan), carpentry tools (kugi-nuki) and others. Because of their shape, they are often called “ninja stars.” A hole is made in the center of the shuriken's hira, which allows them to be carried on a rope and gives the flight an aerodynamic effect. There are many varieties of these shurikens, and they are often distinguished by the number of pointed tips. Just like in the case of bo shuriken, various shapes hira shuriken were associated with the schools in which they were used.

Usage

Contrary to popular belief (Hollywood films, games, anime), shurikens weren't main part ninja arsenal: they served as an additional weapon attached to the katana sword or yari spear. Mostly shurikens were used to disorient the enemy, and main goal There were parts of the samurai's body that were not protected by armor: face, eyes, arms and legs.

Shurikens could be worn in the belt, since in ancient Japan they were not considered a forbidden weapon. In the practice of hira ninjutsu, shurikens were worn in groups of 8-10, wrapped in cotton fabric, placed in clothing pockets. Sometimes they were worn as hair pins.

Shurikens they could bury them in the ground to cause damage to those who step on them or hold them in their hands and use them in close combat. Sometimes they were poisoned and thrown, or simply left in plain sight for someone to pick up and become infected.

Unlike the katana, the ancients shurikens poorly preserved to this day, since they were made from improvised materials and were often used as disposable weapons.

Reflection in culture

It is generally accepted that shurikens were the weapons of Japanese ninjas. They can be found in many old and modern books, films and games. They were used by heroes of comic books: Batman, Elektra, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Miho; characters from the games: “Mortal Kombat: Deception”, “Ninja Gaiden”, “Tenchu”, “Shadow Warrior”, anime: “Naruto” and films: “Three Ninjas”. Although shurikens associated with ninjas and, to a lesser extent, with assassins and thieves, you can sometimes find references to the fact that they were used by completely different creatures: for example, the character in Darren Shan's novels, the vampire warrior Vancha March, fought only with these weapons. In the game "Painkiller" there is a "gun" that shoots shurikens and lightning, something similar can be seen in the secret mode of the game “Tyrian”.

In films

In the movie The Last Samurai, during an attack on Katsumoto's house, a ninja throws a hira shuriken at the samurai.
Shuriken- the main weapon of many characters in the Naruto anime.
In the movie Gamera vs. Giron, Giron throws shuriken.
In the movie You Only Live Twice, Tiger Tanaka, throwing shuriken, saves James Bond from Blofeld's gun.
In the movie "Tomorrow Never Dies" Wai Lin with the help shuriken saves James Bond from being shot.
In the film "Alien vs. Predator" the Predator was armed with shuriken-boomerang.
In the film "Reckor" English. Hot Rod Rod's father throws it at him shuriken, and it hits him in the chest.
In the movie "The Beastmaster" shurikens Kiri is used in the scene at the Arok Gate to repel the guard's attack.
In the animated series "South Park" Kenny knew how to handle shurikens and hit Butters in the eye with it
Mei from the animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is fluent in shuriken jutsu: she is fluent in bo and hira shurikens.
In the cartoon "Transformers: The Movie 2" almost all the characters use from time to time shurikens.
In the animated series "Transformers: The Animation" hira shurikens armed Autobot Detective.
In the films "Transformers" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen", Autobot Ratchet during battle can use the blades of his circular saw, which he usually uses during rescue work, as shurikens.
In the movie "Transformers" the Decepticon Frenzy dies from his own shuriken.
In "Jeepers Creepers 2" shuriken, which Jeepers Creepers himself used to punch out the wheels of a school bus, was made of human skin and bones.

In games

In the game Infernal, the main character can use shurikens
In "Shinobi" shuriken- Joe Mousasi's first weapon.
In "Warhammer 40,000" the Eldar are armed with many types of weapons that shoot shurikens .
In Neverwinter Nights, throwing weapons include a variety of shurikens, and characters have a corresponding skill that can be developed to increase the effectiveness of such weapons.
In Ninja Gaiden II shuriken can be used as a second weapon.
In "Nox" shurikens- the main throwing weapon of a character of the “warrior” class.
In The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, the player can purchase "throwing stars" and use them.
In Final Fantasy IV, the character Edge can throw weapons that resemble shuriken.
In Final Fantasy V, characters who choose the Ninja job can throw shuriken or "throwing stars".
In Final Fantasy VI, the character Shadow can throw weapons that resemble shuriken.
In Final Fantasy VII, a giant shuriken- Yuffie's main weapon.
In Final Fantasy IX, the character Amarant owns shurikens.
In Mortal Kombat, Noob Saibot can throw shurikens.
In "No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy In H.A.R.M."'s Way" Kate Archer, along with many types of weapons, owns shurikens.
In Shadow Warrior, Lo Wang uses this type of weapon and says, "I love shurikens».
In Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap, in the Japanese Castle level, ninjas are thrown shurikens.
In Kirby: Squeak Squad, ninja Kirby wields shuriken jutsu.
In "Sacred 2" There is a type of weapon throwing stars, reminiscent shuriken
In "DotA" Hero Gondar knows how to throw shuriken
In Red Alert 3, the ninja spy Shinobi is armed with shurikens
In "Painkiller" there is a saw with a disk, the disk itself can be launched at the enemy to cut it up (and there are also such shurikens, although they are small and can only pierce the skin)

History of edged weapons special purpose in Russia - truly multifaceted. The knife is an integral part of the “wardrobe” of special forces in Russia. However, it is surprising how diverse this wardrobe can be. The scouts themselves admit in conversations that if it comes to fire contact with the enemy, or, even worse, to hand-to-hand combat, then the operation can safely be considered uncovered.

However, the same special forces soldiers admit that sometimes, in certain cases and situations, “working with your hands” is still the most best option. That’s when special equipment comes into play, neutralizing any enemy without noise or dust.

About history

The very concept of a “knife” for Soviet army was not a novelty - despite the fact that fighters were taught to use edged weapons in the heat of battle mainly together with a rifle, equipping firearms so-called “bayonet knives”, the Soviet army had experience in handling edged weapons as a separate type of weapon. As an independent combat unit in the hands of a soldier, the knife began to be actively used by Soviet soldiers during the Soviet-Finnish War, and its finest hour reached during the Great Patriotic War.

In those years, the situation on the fronts was such that quite often attacks from one side or the other ended in real bloody hand-to-hand combat, in which anything was used - from rifle butts and helmets to sticks and knives. It is no secret that some types of weapons, due to the lack of their own developments and, for the most part, due to lack of time, were simply copied in the Soviet Union from foreign ones.

One of the first Soviet knives NA-40, made on the basis of a uniform bayonet-knife of 1919, became just such a brainchild. They did not assign an unpronounceable name to the knife and the name was simply deciphered - Army Knife, and the number 40 meant nothing more than the year of adoption. It was the HA-40 that became the main working tool Soviet soldiers in close combat, and also became a reliable ally for a good hundred units involved in sabotage operations.

An expert in the field of edged weapons and a master of artistic forging, Oleg Zvonarev, in an interview with Zvezda, told several interesting facts from the history of the Soviet knife: “As for this particular knife, it is a typical representative of good copying, and to be even more precise, good manufacturing based on existing samples.

The knife required minimal care, sharpening was quite long time was preserved even under conditions of very harsh use, and in hand-to-hand combat the NA-40 could give odds to the best German blades. There were often cases when the Germans took knives from killed Red Army soldiers and subsequently used them themselves. It cannot be said, of course, that the knife was perfectly made - the handle sometimes flew off in the heat of battle, but this is the most serious thing that could happen to it then. Soviet intelligence officers, for example, called this knife an “arrow” because of the rapid lines, and in reports on the completion of the task they often wrote: “The object was hit by the intelligence officer’s arrow,” the expert said.

"Shurikens" of Private Torsunzhakov

The use of edged weapons by Soviet troops and special forces was justified - although there were devices for covert (silent) shooting, due to the insufficient development of technology, the shot was only partially masked, and, despite the significantly lower noise level, they still drew attention to the shooter . Edged weapons for forward detachments became a real lifesaver, but no one could even think that in addition to knives and bayonets, scouts would use... shurikens.

There is no consensus on where the exotic Japanese originated from. throwing knives in the shape of stars - still does not exist. Some experts argue that shurikens appeared at the disposal of Soviet soldiers immediately after the Russo-Japanese War as trophies, while others argue that the little Japanese killers appeared only a year or two before the war. One way or another, shurikens did not receive widespread use due to the exotic nature of the “devices” themselves.

However, at the end of 1942, reports increasingly began to come from sabotage detachments in which shurikens appeared as a more lethal weapon than conventional ones. soviet knife. Historian and collector of bladed weapons, retired special forces officer Viktor Krasilnikov, in an interview with Zvezda, told where and by whom Japanese throwing knives were used: “The first shurikens, or rather, the first mentions of their use, date back to 1942-1943. Sabotage groups during the Rzhev-Vyazma operation then used them. They say that hira-shuriken (sharp four-pointed throwing “stars”) were made by one of the volunteers back in peacetime and just lay there like an outlandish souvenir, however, with the onset of the war, they came in very handy.”

“With the help of shurikens, with proper skill, it was possible to easily “remove” the sentries without noise and dust. Private Red Army Torsunzhakov during the Rzhev-Vyazemsky operation generally distinguished himself by having a unique skill: he inserted shuriken into the area of the cervical vertebra of the Fritz and could instantly neutralize almost any enemy. I also heard about other cases of using shurikens, but there were more throwing knives than Japanese things made according to ancient designs.” - said the expert.

Scout's shooting friend

The post-war years became a real haven for weapons inventors of any kind - pistols, rifles and other deadly devices were invented by the dozens. Edged weapons, in turn, underwent only minor changes - and how can one develop an ordinary-looking knife, in which the main area for work is the handle and the blade? However, even in this case, Soviet gunsmiths had surprises prepared.

It is difficult to say for sure how exactly the Tula gunsmith Khlynin came up with the idea of creating a shooting knife. Historians and experts in the field of unusual small arms say that the influence was most likely the study of German trophies: such as a shooting buckle and other unusual shooting products. One way or another, the special scout knife (or NRS), developed by Khlynin, still remains, perhaps, the most unusual piercing-cutting and simultaneously shooting item adopted for service.

The creation of this type of weapon for the needs of the special forces of the Ministry of Defense and the KGB of the USSR made it possible to kill two birds with one stone: firstly, an effective item appeared with which a scout could operate even without a weapon, and secondly, an opportunity arose to study the practically untapped niche of special personal weapons in development which involved entire research institutes.

The head of the artistic forging studio and collector-historian Viktor Novopoltsev told in an interview with Zvezda some facts from the history of the most unusual knife in the world: “Since this knife is a combination weapon, this means that you can also shoot from it if you really press it. In order to not only cut, but also shoot, a small trigger mechanism was built into the knife, and for the shooting itself, SP-3 ammunition was adapted, which, in addition to the knife, is used in special silent pistols.”

“This is a special cartridge with a cut-off of powder gases, which is fired almost silently in a natural environment. The 7.62x38mm cartridge can kill at close range with a successful hit, and with a not entirely successful hit, it can almost mortally wound an enemy. In addition, in addition to the unique trigger mechanism, the knife is excellent for “field” work - planing wood, sawing through thin steel rods, “thorns” and other protective structures can be done with this knife without much difficulty - for such purposes there is a special file on the butt.”

My opinion is this: this tool was created not so much as a knife, but as a last chance for survival. Judge for yourself: cover the muzzle of the knife with a thick rubber curtain to prevent dust and moisture from accumulating, making the descent as simple as possible. Everything indicates that the creators did everything possible to ensure that the knife at the critical moment worked 100% like clockwork and did not fail. I’m already silent about the cutting qualities of the knife. With it you can easily survive in the taiga for some time.”

“I am often asked the question, why is there only one barrel for a knife? Well, the answer to this question is simple: as a weapon for the last shot, which decides the fate of the wearer, a knife does not need two barrels. I think the enemy will not allow you to fire a second shot in conditions of active shooting and combat in general. Therefore, it’s either hit or miss here. Although, on subsequent shooting knives, the ammunition was increased,” the expert said.

Combat "Chameleon"

Tula is the birthplace of unusual weapons. From anti-tank to cold - Tula gunsmiths do it all. In the 90s, already having some developments in the field of special weapons and equipment, a special four-shot shooting knife “Chameleon” was developed at the Tula Military Artillery School. In developing a new knife, Tula residents use their entire knowledge base - from the use of advanced materials for manufacturing to an extremely simple and reliable trigger mechanism design.

Expert in the field of small arms and special forces veteran Viktor Snegir shares in an interview with Zvezda interesting facts from the life of a Tula shooting knife: “I’ve only worked with it a few times, but I can sum it up as follows: reliable, convenient, and won’t let you down. The 5.45mm cartridges were taken from the PSM pistol. The “Chameleon” differs from the scout knife, firstly, in the amount of ammunition it carries for firing. There are four of them there versus one for the LDC. Well, so to speak, it increases the chances of survival. (laughs). But seriously, besides good qualities The blade of the knife itself, which can be sawed, planed and cut quite strongly, the knife can be disguised well as some unnecessary device and, if necessary, quickly snatched. Fortunately, the handle promotes a good grip. I know that there is also a modification for underwater combat swimmers. It already uses needle-type cartridges - like the APS assault rifle, for example. However, the land version of the knife turned out to be such that after a shot... from a distance of about 25-27 meters, the 5.45x18mm ammunition pierced a titanium plate 1.5-2mm thick. This, you know, is a very good indicator, which in combat conditions would guarantee hitting the target.” - said the expert.

Experiments on the creation of advanced weapons in Russia, in fact, never stopped. It is reliably known that even in the difficult 90s for the country, the development of shooting, special, small-sized and tactical knives for special forces of the army and navy was in full swing. With a high degree of probability, it can be argued that the developments and results obtained precisely during this period will form the basis of a new combat edged weapon for Russian special forces. And something tells me that the demonstration of advanced special-purpose edged weapons for Russian army- a matter of the near future.

In addition to the katana, among the weapons of Japan, throwing blades, which were the “calling card” of hired killers and ninja spies - shurikens, became extremely famous.

Shuriken weapon

Shurikens are often called the ninja star, since they were used mainly by warriors of the night. They became widespread among Japanese assassins due to the fact that pointed plates, stars with sharp edges and thin blades can easily be hidden under clothing and suddenly, surreptitiously used against the enemy. Taking shurikens of the required shape in two hands, the ninja could not only throw them, but also cut and stab them in close combat. In addition, shurikens helped in climbing trees and were used as chairs when making a fire.

Types of shuriken

Shuriken are divided into many types, usually these ninja throwing weapons are classified into two types: throwing arrows bo-shuriken, and sharpened stars or shariken plates.

Bo shurikens, in turn, come in the form of a stick (hashijo), a sharp wedge (kusabigata), a spindle (bosuigata), needles (harigata), knives (tantogata), etc. There are about fifty types of bo.

Bo shuriken

Most often, ninjas used the well-known throwing “stars,” otherwise called shaken. The variety of shakens is very large (several dozen types): in the shape of a cross, multi-pointed stars or swastikas, in the shape of an iron ring (tekkan).

The most interesting among the shareken are tetsumari-shuriken and manji-shuriken. Tetsumari shuriken was made from two metal rings in the shape of a windmill wheel. Poison was applied to the pointed parts of the manji shuriken.

Shuriken throwing

The technique of throwing shurikens comes from the skill of throwing all kinds of knives - tanto, etc., and special arrows for throwing utine.

Shuriken throwing techniques

Bo-shuriken is thrown using a half-turn throw (hankaiten-daho) and a no-turn throw (choku-daho). When performing a throw, they try to completely eliminate rotation around the transverse axis. A properly balanced bojo shuriken moves almost straight.

Shakens were usually thrown in batches at high speed, taking turns. When throwing, a twist is required, which is done by gripping the shaken closer to the edges and moving the hand, which resembles a snap of the fingers. With this twist, the movement of the shaken is more accurate, and during a throw in the horizontal plane, a wing effect is created, which increases the flight distance.

The warrior of the night was obliged to be able to throw shurikens not only accurately, but also unexpectedly, from any position of the body.

Methods of throwing shuriken

Toji no kata - a throw was made from top to bottom with the hand that was opposite to the leg extended forward.
Hon-uchi - the same as Toji no kata, but the arm and leg were of the same name
Yoko-uchi - throwing shuriken in a horizontal plane from the shoulder;
Gyaku-uchi - hon-uchi with the body turned sideways;
Dza-uti - throw in a vertical plane while sitting on your knees;
Hanza toji no kata - toji no kata sitting on one knee;
Hanza hon-uti - hon-uti sitting on one knee;
Hanza yoko-uchi - yoko-uchi sitting on one knee;
Hanza gyaku-uchi - gyaku-uchi sitting on one knee.
Ne-uchi - throw a shuriken while lying on the ground;
Juji-uchi - throwing two shurikens at once different sides;
Onken-uchi (“hidden blade”) - an unexpected sharp throw of a shuriken from a hidden pocket;
Inyu-uti - throwing while lying down in the dark;
Haya-uti (“speed throwing”) – alternate throws at high speed right hand, left hand at the same time, he squeezes a pack of shuriken and with his thumb pushes them out to be handed to his right hand.

Shurikens were often thrown several at a time per throw, which made it possible to deprive an enemy of his sight or to plunge shurikens into both legs.

Shurikens were difficult to throw over long distances, so they were used mainly to delay pursuers or wound an opponent and then engage in hand-to-hand combat.

Basically, shurikens were thrown at the eyes, temples, neck, and areas of the arteries. Due to the fact that shurikens were often thrown at the head, throwing was practiced on a round twenty-centimeter target.

Shurikens also performed auxiliary functions - they were used as master keys, nail pullers, and they cut holes for surveillance.

Carrying shurikens

Assassins carried shurikens in a special pouch on their belts, as well as in numerous hidden compartments in their clothes or sword hilts. The ninja carried about twenty to thirty throwing blades with him.

Article genre - Ninja

According to ancient Japanese treatises, warriors used various objects as throwing weapons. The most common projectile - stones - was thrown using ishihajiki (the Japanese name for a sling), but in the arsenal Japanese warriors There were also more exotic types of weapons. One of the surviving sources (circa 600 AD) tells the story of how a Japanese prince tried to kill a white deer by throwing a certain cylindrical vegetable into its eye. In another ancient source contained a description of throwing arrows or how warriors defended themselves by throwing a short wakidazashi sword. This, in all likelihood, became the prototype of the famous Japanese throwing weapon - shuriken. About the transformation of a flying sword Japanese samurai Yuri Kukin tells about the flying “star” of Japanese ninjas.

In general, the word shuriken can be deciphered literally as “a blade hidden in the hand.” Contrary to the popular belief that they are the secret weapon of the ninja, it must be said that shuriken were also part of the arsenal of most Japanese samurai. The very evolution of weapons occurred precisely due to the fact that warriors found themselves in situations where, in order to save their own lives, they had to throw various objects from their equipment at the enemy: a point for spurring a horse, a sharp file, utine (arrow-dart) or needles that were worn in hair The Japanese could well have borrowed the technique of throwing the same “clip” for hair from the Chinese, who had their own throwing weapons - the pyu arrow or, for example, sharpened coins.

There are 2 types of Shuriken: bojo-shuriken (rod) and shyaken (star)

Actually, Japanese shurekens were divided into two main types: long, thin rods - bojo-shuriken, and shayken - flat metal disks, each of which is further divided into several types. For example, there are up to 50 types of bojo-shuriken, which can be stick-shaped, wedge-shaped, spindle-shaped or needle-, knife-, or nail-shaped. The technique of throwing these weapons was studied by samurai in many schools. Especially after the appearance of kobudo weapons in the 17th century, which included combined types (for example, kusari-gama - a sickle with a chain with a load), studying the technique of throwing such knives became vital.

Some types of shuriken acquired their names in honor of the schools in which the technique of their use was practiced: for example, a metal rod pointed at one end and rounded at the other (15-25 cm long and 5-6 mm in diameter) was called Shuriken-Shirai Ryu, and similar ones In uchine, shurikens with a tassel tied to a blunt end for smooth flight were used in the Negishi Ryu school.

Not only ninjas, but also samurai studied the technique of using shurikens

Naturally, each school had its own way of throwing a blade, but the general technique was that the blade was clamped between the index and middle fingers so that the blunt end lay or rested (if the shaft was not long) in the palm, and was thrown towards the enemy. In theory, the shuriken should fly in a straight path, but for maximum efficiency, both ends of the shuriken were sharpened.

But the shaken was more common among ninjas, which made the famous “stars” popular in the West, which in the 60s and 70s of the twentieth century eagerly became acquainted with the new culture of the East. “Stars” were thrown mainly in bursts: in quick series one after another, twisting the projectile with a brush. The rotation created allowed the shuriken to fly more steadily, accurately and far. By the way, the approximate flight range of the shakiken was about 12-16 meters, while the bojo-shuriken could be thrown an average of 7-8 meters.

With such weapons they tried to hit the most open, unprotected areas of the enemy: eyes, throat, temples, open places on the arms and legs. Small cuts could be compensated for by the frequency of throws and the number of wounds the projectiles left. However, in addition to combat, ninjas also used them as a tool when they needed to cut through something, pry up some kind of nail, or create an overview for observation. At the same time, the size of the shaken depended on the characteristics of the warrior himself (his size, strength, etc.). However, on average these were plates with a thickening in the center and with a diameter of 115 mm to 175 mm. Their manufacture is a separate art: it was necessary to evenly temper and make rays (if we're talking about about the shape of a star), for this purpose the metal was strongly heated, a round cake was formed from it, and then rays were made with a hammer, after which the excess metal was removed and sharpened.

There are up to 50 types of bojo shuriken

In Russia, making shuriken is possible only as a decorative weapon, where the length of the rays should not exceed 8 mm (according to GOST). Thus, in 2011, a resident of Simferopol was given a suspended sentence of 1 year for illegally carrying (without permission) shurikens.

Sources:

Gorbylev A. M. Claws of the invisible. Authentic ninja weapons and equipment. Minsk. 1997.