Ninjas are familiar to almost everyone in this world,
If you are not interested in the history and you don’t bother reading about
them. But, you must have seen them in the movies or video games. Ninjas were
some special warriors who were popular for their deadly weapons and the out of
the box techniques they used for defeating their opponents in the combats.
Well, there are many Ninja weapons, such as the iconic katana sword, but there
are some tactical weapons that are unknown to many of you today. Throwing stars
are one of the phenomenal weapons used for both tactical and fighting purposes.
Let’s dig them deep and learn what are they and what are their different types.
What are Throwing Stars?
A throwing star is often called a shuriken. It is an
ancient Japanese tool used for distracting the opponents. The weapon is shaped
like a star with 5,6 or more edges (stars were shaped and designed
differently). A few had more edges than the others, and sometimes around 10.
These stars were thrown from a distance to the enemies that caused some
distraction and allow the users to launch a sudden attack. However, they were
not always intended to be thrown.
Ninjas used them brilliantly. They often placed them
on the ground in a way that the half of the star was in the ground and half was
out. The sharp edges that were above the ground could do the damage to the
enemies walking on them. They could seriously hurt the feet. Hence, this way
the Ninjas used them as both tactical and combat weapons. This techniques
enabled them to cause some distraction among their enemies to gain an upper
hand in the combat.
Different Types of Throwing Stars
Hira Shuriken
This is the most frequently used throwing star. It
very much resembles the main concept behind the shuriken. The manufacturers use
thin and flat metal plates for constructing them. These metal plates are
obtained from sources like nail removers, coins and carpentry tools etc. There
is often a hole incorporated by these stars on a thin blade with a very sharp
tip. These stars could be strung or dowel into their belts, making them easy to
carry. The hole on these stars assisted in the flight of the star. This star
had different shapes and each of them is identified by the number of points on
the blade. The different shapes of the stars represent different schools and
regions that made those shapes popular. So, by the shape, one can determine the
school that the star represents.
Bo Shuriken
Perhaps, the most popular throwing star is the Bo
Shuriken, and possibly the most widely recognized. It is designed to inflict
severe injuries and has an appearance like a spike. It incorporates a small
spike of iron or steel. The spike is sometimes round in section, octagonal and
usually had four sides. Many of them also incorporated points on both ends. The
weight of such stars is often 25 g to 150 g. However, the length is measured
between 12 cm to 21 cm. Many people wrongly consider it a kunai, but kunai is a
different weapon which serves thrusting and stabbing, although it is a throwing
weapon.
This throwing star can be thrown in different manners. For instance, they are thrown sideways, rewards, overhead and underarm. There are different techniques for throwing them, but in any technique, the throw should make the blade slide out of the user’s hand through his fingers in a very smooth and controlled flight. The most frequently used throwing techniques include direct hit and turning hit techniques. Turning hit techniques spins the blade while the direct hit techniques does not spin the blade while it hits the target.
Harigata Shuriken
Harigata is another throwing star and very similar to
bo shuriken. But, some differences do exist among the two. These stars appear
more like the needles. They includes long and slender spikes and taper towards
the point. The spikes are usually made of metal. These stars are effective in
causing some serious damage, and with their small size, they can be concealed
easily as well.
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