In the Ninja weapons arsenal, you’ll find effective fighting tools such as: the heart attack; sling shot; Kubotan; and the crossbow pistol. The most well-known weapon is the throwing star, or shuriken, which is a flat metal disc, edged with up to eight star points. The Japanese origin for the word is: shu (hand), ri (release), and ken (blade). Which means the literal description for the shuriken is “hand released blade.”

The fascination of Ninja weapons conjures different images for people. While some may think of the silent and deadly black-clad assassins that were seen in numerous martial arts movies; others may think of the mutant turtle heroes from the kid’s show. Far from being a crime fighter, the real legendary ninja was actually a guerilla warrior who did not seek to engage in open hand-to-hand combat with his intended victim. Ninja weapons in the hands of the masters, therefore, were used for surprise attacks and not self defense.

Martial arts enthusiasts have been adapting Ninja Weapons for purposes of self-defense (heart attack and Kubotan) as well as in recreation and for target practice (sling shot and crossbow pistol). Purists, however, will want to learn and emulate the art of the invisible ninja by mastering throwing stars.