Throwing Stars
Throwing Star or Shuriken is a basic throwing weapon with striking surfaces on all edges. It is specially designed to harm the target regardless of which end it lands on. Some throwing stars or shurikens are diced with poison to accomplish a quick kill. The Japanese art of Ninjitsu was most known for their use of the throwing star (shuriken). Being masters of concealment and deception, a quick release killing tool was ideal. Throwing stars usually come with 3 points and up to 8 points. They are very sharp and made of stainless steel or other hard metallic material. They are usually stashed in pouches and thrown at will at victims. Many years of practice is required to master the Shuriken throwing star. A wooden board or taret can be used to practice the art. The throwing star actually originated in China. Chinese Kung Fu encompasses many arts and even Ninjitsu can be traced back to China. The Shuriken or the Ninjitsu Star is a throwing weapon designed to lethally injure or kill the target. It is a stealth weapon as one can easily hide it. The throwing star is made of hard carbon steel and hard and sharp along the edges. It is thrown by gripping the shuriken with the index finger and thumb. Ninjitsu is in many ways a fusion of these philosophies to become it's own distinct flavor. The ninja clan was harrassed and complicated by the ruling sovereignty of Japan. The government of Japan considered them to be a threat, and rumors flew of their amazing powers. This made the Ninja clan particularly feared among the Shoguns and Samurai.The Ninja worked primarily as farmers and studied Ninjitsu as a means of defense and protection.
Katar
A Katar ,also known as a Bundi dagger, is a type of short punching sword that is native to the Indian subcontinent and popular elsewhere for swift and quick attacks. It is notable for its horizontal hand grip, which results in the blade of the sword sitting above the user's knuckles.
Typically, Katars were used in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is effective in armour piercing. The blade was often folded or corrugated for additional strength. Some knives have a mechanism responsible for making the blades split. This happens when the user pulls the hand grips together. In this variety of katar, two hand grips are used, so that the mechanism can be activated. This feature was often used to inflict a greater damage to the enemy, having the blades splitting inside of them and cleaving their insides. "Hooded katars" are katars with a shield extending over the back of the user's hand. Katars ceased to be in common use in the 19th century.
The Katar is one of the oldest and most characteristic of the Indian knife weapons. The peculiarity lies in the handle which is made up of two parallel bars connected by two, or more, cross pieces, one of which is at the end of the side bars and is fastened to the blade. The remainder forms the handle which is at right angle to the blade. The blades are always double-edged and are generally straight and with lengths from a few inches to about 3 feet. The blades of southern India are often made broad at the hilt and taper in straight lines to the point, and elaborately ribbed by grooves parallel to the edges. European blades of the 16th and 17th centuries were often used, especially by the Mahrattas and were always riveted to projections from the hilt.
Katars with native blades are often thickened at the point to strengthen them for use against mail and are often forged in one piece with the hilt. The blades are sometimes forked at the point, and katars with two, and even three blades occur. The Indian armorers occasionally made katars that were hollow and served as a sheath for smaller ones: or with three blades that folded together, appearing to be one, until the handle bars were pressed together, when they opened out. There is even a katar displayed at the City Palace Museum in Jaipur, with two single-shot pistols built into either side of the weapon. This is an innovative design, as it enables the user to immobilize at least two opponents even before having to use the blade. Many katars have guards for the back of the hand made with solid plates but many are elaborately pierced. Among the Mahrattas the gauntlet sword, called pata, was evolved from the katar. The Katar is a purely Indian weapon and is never found outside of India.
The katar is unique because to stab an opponent one has to punch instead of thrust, unlike when using a regular knife or dagger. This leads to much more acrobatic fighting styles. It is more like an extension of the fist than a dagger, and it seems more natural to attack and defend with a katar. Sometimes, a katar is also used as a main-gauche in dual blade fencing. When a katar with multiple blades is used, it is rather easy to catch any more traditional weapon (sword, staff) between them and get a hold. Katar wielder has an advantage in a narrow passage.
A longer bladed weapon similar to a katar is the pata. A similar style western weapon is the push dagger. Multibladed katar is sometimes called suwayah.
Katar is also a basic term for any short bladed weapon with the same handle as the one in the picture above, although stabbing is its primary purpose, many blunt ended Katars have been made, some with no tip at all.
Typically, Katars were used in close range hand-to-hand combat, which is effective in armour piercing. The blade was often folded or corrugated for additional strength. Some knives have a mechanism responsible for making the blades split. This happens when the user pulls the hand grips together. In this variety of katar, two hand grips are used, so that the mechanism can be activated. This feature was often used to inflict a greater damage to the enemy, having the blades splitting inside of them and cleaving their insides. "Hooded katars" are katars with a shield extending over the back of the user's hand. Katars ceased to be in common use in the 19th century.
The Katar is one of the oldest and most characteristic of the Indian knife weapons. The peculiarity lies in the handle which is made up of two parallel bars connected by two, or more, cross pieces, one of which is at the end of the side bars and is fastened to the blade. The remainder forms the handle which is at right angle to the blade. The blades are always double-edged and are generally straight and with lengths from a few inches to about 3 feet. The blades of southern India are often made broad at the hilt and taper in straight lines to the point, and elaborately ribbed by grooves parallel to the edges. European blades of the 16th and 17th centuries were often used, especially by the Mahrattas and were always riveted to projections from the hilt.
Katars with native blades are often thickened at the point to strengthen them for use against mail and are often forged in one piece with the hilt. The blades are sometimes forked at the point, and katars with two, and even three blades occur. The Indian armorers occasionally made katars that were hollow and served as a sheath for smaller ones: or with three blades that folded together, appearing to be one, until the handle bars were pressed together, when they opened out. There is even a katar displayed at the City Palace Museum in Jaipur, with two single-shot pistols built into either side of the weapon. This is an innovative design, as it enables the user to immobilize at least two opponents even before having to use the blade. Many katars have guards for the back of the hand made with solid plates but many are elaborately pierced. Among the Mahrattas the gauntlet sword, called pata, was evolved from the katar. The Katar is a purely Indian weapon and is never found outside of India.
The katar is unique because to stab an opponent one has to punch instead of thrust, unlike when using a regular knife or dagger. This leads to much more acrobatic fighting styles. It is more like an extension of the fist than a dagger, and it seems more natural to attack and defend with a katar. Sometimes, a katar is also used as a main-gauche in dual blade fencing. When a katar with multiple blades is used, it is rather easy to catch any more traditional weapon (sword, staff) between them and get a hold. Katar wielder has an advantage in a narrow passage.
A longer bladed weapon similar to a katar is the pata. A similar style western weapon is the push dagger. Multibladed katar is sometimes called suwayah.
Katar is also a basic term for any short bladed weapon with the same handle as the one in the picture above, although stabbing is its primary purpose, many blunt ended Katars have been made, some with no tip at all.
Kunai
Many ninja developed weapons that were merely adapted farming tools, not unlike those used by Shaolin monks in China. Since Kunai were cheaply produced farming tools of a decent size and weight, and could be easily sharpened, they were readily available to be converted into simple weapons.
As with the shuriken and ninjutsu, the exaggeration persistent in ninja myths played a large role in creating the current pop culture image of kunai. In the mythology of ninja, the kunai is commonly portrayed to be a Japanese knife that is used for throwing as opposed to stabbing. As a weapon it is larger and heavier than a shuriken, and with the grip could also be used in hand to hand combat more readily than a shuriken. In addition, it could be used for climbing, as either a kind of grappling hook, or a piton.
The blade is shown shaped like a squashed octahedron, a rod for the handle with a ring on the end, extremely simple in design. It would be made of tempered steel, with sharpened edges, and polished to a shiny surface. The handle is wrapped in fabric or cord to act as a grip.
As with the shuriken and ninjutsu, the exaggeration persistent in ninja myths played a large role in creating the current pop culture image of kunai. In the mythology of ninja, the kunai is commonly portrayed to be a Japanese knife that is used for throwing as opposed to stabbing. As a weapon it is larger and heavier than a shuriken, and with the grip could also be used in hand to hand combat more readily than a shuriken. In addition, it could be used for climbing, as either a kind of grappling hook, or a piton.
The blade is shown shaped like a squashed octahedron, a rod for the handle with a ring on the end, extremely simple in design. It would be made of tempered steel, with sharpened edges, and polished to a shiny surface. The handle is wrapped in fabric or cord to act as a grip.
Fuma Shuriken
Fuma Shuriken (風魔手裏剣, Fuma Shuriken?) (also known as the "Shadow Windmill Shuriken" or the "Japanese Boomerang" or the "Windmill of Death") is a fictional weapon sometimes seen in Japanese media. Fūma literally translates to "Wind Demon". It is an enormous shuriken, which the user holds by the hole at the center of the weapon.It has four blades that can be sheathed as one, creating a sort of dagger.
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