Shuriken-jutsu is the Japanese martial art and practice of throwing shuriken 手裏剣 (literally hand hidden blades). Few weapons have as many myths around them as shuriken and ninja stars do, which has caused a lot of confusion about how they were actually used. However, Shuriken-jutsu is an exciting and skilled martial art that has shaped many other fighting styles in Japan.

 

Shuriken have Appeared as a Ninja Icon Throughout Japanese Pop Culture

 

You’ve most likely seen shuriken in manga, anime and movies. Whether it’s a TV show, movie or comic book, shuriken are most often depicted as either a throwing star or kunai.

 

Similarly, visual media commonly associates the use of shuriken with the ninja – a heavily romanticized and fictionalised Japanese character archetype.

 

Movies from the third ‘ninja boom’ in the 80’s wouldn’t be complete without a number of shuriken being used to deal with unsuspecting foes.

 

Famous manga like Lone Wolf and Cub and Naruto, as well as their screen adaptations, made common use of Shuriken as an exotic weapon wielded by friend and foe alike.

 

Different Types of Shuriken

 

The two best known types of shuriken are ninja stars and kunai, but there are a lot more types of shuriken that are not often shown in pop media.

 

Let’s cover the basics first though. Ninja stars are called ‘hira’ (flat) shuriken or ‘teppan’ (iron plate) shuriken. These shuriken are disc-like with sharp corners that are normally spun when thrown. They most often have 4 corners, but variations of 3, 5, and 6 corners do exist.

 

Kunai 苦無 (lit. suffer not) weren’t technically shuriken, but actually a type of general purpose gardening tool or trowel. Kunai came in various sizes but often appear to have been a simple leaf-shaped digging tool made from iron.

While it is possible to throw a Kunai, they were not often used in this manner. If they had to be used in a fight, then they would most likely have been wielded as an improvised hand-to-hand weapon instead.

 

‘Bo’ (‘rod’) shuriken were probably the most common form of throwing blade that was used historically. These were made from a rod or cylindrical piece of iron that was sharpened at one or both ends. This type of shuriken takes more skill to use as the technique to throw the blade without over rotating it is quite hard to get right.

There are sub-types of bo-shuriken ranging from straight rods to ones with an irregular profile. There were even shuriken made with a drag-stabilising flight attached to the end.

 

Kougai 笄 (hairpin) and Kozuka 小柄 (a small utility knife) were both kept by samurai, often in a special sleeve made in the scabbard for their katana. Both were capable of being thrown in the same manner as a bo-shuriken in an emergency. Young samurai children often practiced throwing Kozuka as a type of game.

 

Reality vs Fiction – The Real Use of Shuriken

 

Pop-culture often depicts shuriken being used in a lethal way where being hit by one would often lead to the death of the victim.

However, in reality these tools were used more as weapons to distract or harass. Shuriken would often be used as part of a combat strategy rather than the sole solution to a confrontation.

The hidden blades could be thrown during the first moments of a fight to surprise the opponent. This could make an opening for a follow up attack with a more capable weapon.

The weapons could also be used to injure enemies that are in pursuit, thereby delaying them and allowing the thrower to escape.

Aside from throwing, shuriken could also be used to stab, slash and control an enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

Regardless of how they were wielded, shuriken would have been kept hidden right up until the moment of their use.

 

Shuriken-jutsu as part of authentic Japanese Martial Arts Culture

 

Currently, Negishi-ryu is the only listed Japanese martial arts school that is dedicated to teaching shuriken-jutsu by itself. There are other martial arts that have shuriken-jutsu in their syllabus, but it is not the main focus for them.

Tourists will find many opportunities to throw ninja stars at attractions in Tokyo and Kyoto (like the Samurai Ninja museum for example). However, if you’re truly interested in the authentic martial art of throwing shuriken, we recommend trying to get a lesson from a Negishi-ryu practitioner. Let us know if you would like to include such a lesson as part of your next trip with us.

 

 

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