By now, you’re probably already familiar with throwing stars.  These are the quintessential ninja weapons apart from the katana and no ninjitsu practitioner should ever be without it.  The throwing star, also known as the shuriken, can be a formidable self-defense weapon but only if you’re someone who knows how to use it.  To be able to deploy shuriken efficiently and safely, learn how to use them.  Here are tips on how to practice using the throwing star:

Understand the weapon Throwing stars are not always deadly.  In fact, they were generally used to temporarily disable an enemy, make it difficult for them to move or use their weapons or at least discourage them from attacking.  Only if they hit the target in places such as the throat or neck can the throwing star actually become lethal. A throwing star has 6 to 8 sharp points.  When thrown properly, it can hit the target vertically, horizontally or diagonally from 10 to about 30 feet.

Holding and concealing the throwing star To begin practicing using throwing stars, learn how to hold them properly.  The first skill you need to learn is how to conceal them.  Do this by keeping the shooting star in the palm of your hand.  Practice holding it firmly enough so you don’t drop it and it doesn’t cut your hand.  From this original position, you can begin learning how to slip the throwing star from your palm to fit between your forefinger and thumb.  These two fingers are often used to hold a tip of the shuriken prior to a throw.

Throwing the shuriken There are several ways you can actually use the throwing stars.  The most common include the overhand (the same manner you’d use if you were throwing a dart), the underhand and the sidearm.  The movement involved in the sidearm throw is similar to the movement you’d be using if you were throwing a frisbee — your hand comes from your chest and your arm straightens as you release the star. The underhand throw requires a little bit of skill and strength but it can be quite effective and such, should be practiced as well.  The throwing star is held between two fingers with the palm facing backward, arm straight on the side of the body.  As you draw the arm out from underneath, you release the star as soon as your arm is parallel to the ground.

Learning to gauge the distance The only way a throwing star becomes effective is if it actually hits the target.  Practice using it at different distances — 5 feet, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 feet.  You’ll find that the force necessary to reach a target will increase as the distance increases.  Through muscle memory, you’ll be able to determine how much force or effort to put into your throw depending on the distance involved. To practice using throwing stars efficiently, use a cardboard target, a plyboard or a piece of wood.  Make sure these are propped against a concrete wall to avoid any accidents.

By: Phil Washington About the Author:

If you are into fantasy swords, medieval, fencing swords, futuristic swords, samurai swords or anything else in between then have I got news for you! Recently I was searching online for a friend of mine because he is really into the whole “Gladiator” and “300″ deal and decided to start collecting some of the coolest swords I have ever seen in my life. Well the one problem with collecting swords is that a lot of the time they are overly-expensive. And even if you are a die hard it’s still hard to put hundreds if not thousands of dollars down on a sword! So I figured I would do my friend a favor and try to find him an awesome site that offered a ton of variety but that was still cost efficient. The results? Amazing. After I dug through a few of these sword sites online, I found some real gems. I found a few items that my friend has and they were three to four times less than the amount he bought his for! Listed below I have named a couple of the most popular high quality swords available to the consumers. Handmade Ninja Sword – Masahiro Tsunami Nin-To – Finally, Masahiro has made a Ninja Sword worthy of armed combat! This Tsunami Nin-to (ninja sword) can be used for actual training and tameshigiri. The Tsunami lives up to its name with rapid yet powerful striking force. No edged weapon in history has ever been surrounded with such mystique and tradition like the Japanese sword. The sword is so intimately associated with the Japanese samurai that it became known as the “soul of the samurai”. It was both artillery and symbolic representation, formed as a religious act and handled with superhuman skill. A sword forged by a legendary master was one of the most prized gifts that a warrior could receive. During the period of Warring States (770-476 B.C.), a famous sword maker named Ou Yezi created the most well-known sword in Longquan. Since then, the secret arts of crafting swords have been passed down from generation to generation. Ryumon Hand Carved and Painted Phoenix Katana – 41.5 inches – Hand formed, very powerful AISI1065 high carbon steel blade. The HA (edge) is hardened using the conventional Japanese clay tempering technique to produce an HRC 56 and an HRC 45 for the back. A true Hamon (temper Line) is evident on the HA (edge). This is a “Live Steel” Sword crafted by traditional sword-smiths well-trained in the art of sword making. This sword will stand up to practice in the DOJO and Tameshigiri. Shelby Officer Sword – 42 inches – This sword is a replica of the sword General “Jo” Shelby carried in the Civil War. The 42 inch stainless steel blade is carved with CSA (Confederate States of America) on one side. It boasts a black handle covered in gold wire with a brass guard and pommel. This Shelby Officer sword also comes with a black metal scabbard. In 1861, Shelby enlisted as a captain in the Confederate cavalry and later crusaded at Wilson’s Creek. Advanced to Colonel, he controlled a brigade at Prairie Grove. He led his “Iron Brigade” of Missouri volunteers on the longest cavalry raid of the war. From September 22nd to November 3rd, 1863, Shelby’s unit crossed 1,500 miles throughout Missouri, inflicting more than 1,000 casualties on Union forces, and seizing or demolishing an estimated $2 million worth of Federal provisions and property. He was promoted to brigadier general on December 15th, 1863, after the victorious conclusion of the raid. 39 Inch Knight Templar Sword w/ Hard Scabbard – This classical sword style has been around since King Arthur swore in his first knight. This modern variation offers up the identical look and feel as the antiquated mock up. The stainless steel blade is 25 1/2 inch overall with a mirror finish. The case metal handle, guard, and pommel are surrounded with ornate symbolic representations and engravings. The sheath coordinates with a cast metal tip and collar. A wonderful, high quality piece for any collector. These sites are cool because they don’t just offer swords, but they offer other things you enthusiasts might be interested as well such as helmets, axes, shields, and daggers! I’m actually really partial to the official helmet and shield from Gladiator myself, but whatever you like, they probably have! And the prices are as aforementioned are seriously ridiculous! By: Kristi Ambrose About the Author:

For many years the question of how to properly display Japanese swords has been an issue. Many people have many theories. It has even been suggested that due to the fact that most “Japanese” style swords manufactured today are not even from Japan but in fact from China, then the display procedure shouldn’t matter. Perhaps this is true but for this article we will be only discussing Nihonto – forged and assembled in Japan.

The Japanese daisho, the Katana and Wakizashi set, should be displayed on the horizontal sword stand with the sharp edge of the blade on top. The sword would then be curving downward. A good rule of thumb is to always display the swords on their stands as they would have be worn traditionally. The only Japanese sword, when resting on the horizontal stand, that would curve upward, would be the Jintachi. The Jintachi was worn hanging from the belt, blade edge downward. The Jindachi can also be displayed on the vertical stand – handle at the bottom, blade pointing upwards, sword curving inward.

Handle (Tsuka) – To the right or to the left?

There is varying opinion on which way the handle should be facing on the horizontal stand. To the right is conducive for drawing the sword right off of the stand. Where if the handle is to the left, one would have to pick up the sword and turn it over before drawing. Some say that a handle facing to the right is a sign of aggression and to the left is a sign of peace. Others say that the handle facing to the right is the sign that the owner is trained in swordsmanship and to the left indicates that he is not and perhaps received the weapon as a gift. As I said, opinions vary on this one.

By: Ted Hanulak

About the Author:

The katana sword is a gruesome looking weapon and its history tells the story of a weapon designed strictly for war. The reason that I have chosen the Katana to do a bit of research and writing on is because of my love for sword collecting. Any collector of swords should take a bit of time to gain more knowledge of the katana whether you own one or are tempted to add one to your collection.

The katana is a curved, single edged sword traditionally used by the samurai after the 1400s. These long blades were strictly used for combat, but ownership meant so much more to the Samurai and possessors.

The Katana was known by that samurai as Daito, which literally meant long saber. The samurai would also carry a side arm known as a Shoto meaning a short saber. This short sword is customarily a wakizachi.

The Katana was mostly made famous by the samurai who were undoubtedly masters of sword warfare. The samurai could unsheathe their katana and cut through just about anything with the precision of a surgeon in a matter of seconds.

The samurai were able to spin this weapon in an intimidating butterfly method so quickly that the blade became a blur. I suppose this was intended to intimidate the adversary with a sort of, “look what I can do” tactic. I certainly would loose my desire to enter combat with a gentleman that could do something such as this.

The samurai were actually allowed to carry these weapons freely in Japan until the 19th century when this privilege was abolished. The reason for carrying the katana was much similar to the duties of a knight. These warriors would protect and serve the elite.

The samurai were great warriors who mastered their abilities. These abilities were things such as martial arts, the sword and many other weapons such as the bow and arrow, the spear, staff and many more.

The samurai considered the katana the source of the warrior spirit. This was the favored weapon. The samurai would bestow a name upon his katana that would mean more to him than any other earthly possession. This was a great honor and even enemies had respect for the honor that the samurai felt towards his weapon.

The samurai lived by the beliefs of duty and fearlessness of death. They did this with such devotion and passion that they were unrivaled and more so, feared.

The samurai had to transcend the fear of death to gain a certain peace. This peace would allow him to serve his master faithfully without the human emotions, considered weaknesses, interfering with his service.

Death was more desirable than dishonor. Many times, ******* was chosen over a dishonorable action or would be implemented after a dishonorable action took place. The samurai lived by their codes of honor, loyalty and warrior virtues. Humiliation amongst peers was unacceptable.

The katana sword smith also lived by a very honorable code. His honor and service were devoted to a different kind of master. His master was his work, the creation of the katana.

The katana was signed by the maker on the tang. Each test given to the katana was also recorded on the tang of the blade. This would ensure the quality and remove any doubt of the perfection.

The creation of the katana was a long and laborious art in Japan. The katana was created by forging pieces of carbon steel together. They were then heated and pounded together.

The steel would be folded many times and the pounding would continue until almost all traces carbon were removed from the steel. Strips of steel were continuously added to the product and beaten hundreds of times.

The next step of the katana creation process was to temper the blade. This would be done by reheating the blade so everything but the edge would be reheated. The blade would be coated and covered by a hardened charcoal paste, clay and a powdered grinding stone. This would allow only the edge to be heated during reheating.

The edge of the katana would be heated to an extreme red hot glow. The edge only, would be dipped into cool water allowing it to cool much quicker than the rest of the blade. This would enable the blade to be very flexible preventing snapping during combat. This also enabled the blade edge to be very fine. The final step was for the edge to be honed and sharpened even more to produce the equivalent of a razor.

I can think of no other weapon, used and created with such passion and honor, as the katana. The sword was more of an idea, passion and an art than anything.

By: William Doggett

About the Author:

When it comes to Samurai Swords, there is quite a bit of terminology for the new collector to understand. But we want to make it easy for anyone to find a good quality samurai sword that will last a lifetime, no matter if you’re looking for one of the very sought after Paul Chen Katana swords for battle or just a quality sword to hang over the mantle.

The first thing to consider for your new samurai sword is the type and quality of the blade. If you’re looking for a you want to be sure and choose a full tang blade, which all of our authentic samurai swords feature as well as all of our battle ready swords. The term “full tang” means that the blade and the part of the sword under the Tsuka (handle) is one long piece of steel. If you get a sword that is not full tang then you’re basically buying it to hang on the wall and nothing more.

The next thing to consider when choosing a sword is the type of steel that the blade is made of. There are basically 3 types of steel, 420 J2 (Stainless steel), High Carbon, and Folded steel. If you are looking for a battle ready sword you’ll want to stay away from the 420 J2 Stainless. High carbon steel is very high quality steel; however folded steel is the strongest. Actually it’s not that the folded steel is a different type of steel, but how the blade is forged.

A folded steel blade is typically made from high carbon steel. The difference is that a folded steel blade is just like it says; the steel is folded over and over again until the smith believes that it is adequate.

Some people say that a good high carbon steel blade can be just as strong as a folded steel blade. The smiths for the Thaitsuki Nihonto Swords claim to have mastered a form of forging high carbon steel blades that is just as strong if not stronger than many of the folded steel blades.

When choosing?Japanese Swords?there are basically 3 different styles to consider, the katana sword, the Wakizashi sword and the Tanto sword. The Japanese Katana Sword is the most popular among collectors and martial arts students alike.

The katana sword was the first and is still the most popular of all samurai swords. The blade is typically 29” long with an overall length around 40”

The Wakizashi sword is the shorter companion blade of the katana sword. We first see the Wakizashi sword during the Muromachi period (1568-1603). The Wakizashi was about 18” long and only allowed to be carried by a samurai. Carrying both the katana and the Wakizashi was popular for the next few hundred years.

The smallest samurai sword would be the tanto sword or dagger. Originally tanto swords were 12” in length or less but it’s not out of the ordinary to come across a Tanto that is 15” long.

Samurai sword collecting is a very popular past time for many Americans. Something that is becoming even more popular is martial arts that make use of samurai sword for fighting and cutting exercises. The most popular and affordable authentic samurai swords are the Paul Chen Swords. You can find decent Paul Chen Practical Katana Swords?for under $200. However for less than a hundred more you can get yourself a Paul Chen Practical Plus Katana. If you’re looking for something a little more pricy the Paul Chen Bushido Katana or the Orchid Katana will last a lifetime and can take quite a beating. The Orchid and Bushido also come in a Wakizashi and Tanto.

In conclusion, the most important thing when buying your sword is that you know what kind of blade you’re getting. If you want a functional sword be sure that you’re not getting one that’s only made to hang on the wall.

By: Anil Kumar Pammidimukkala

About the Author:

The movie Conan, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, was released in 1982 and the sword called “The Atlantean” was specifically designed for the movie and for the actor. It was given a major role in the movie because it played a major role in the Conan stories and novels written by Robert E. Howard. The sword itself proved to be very popular and replicas were created for sale on the mass market. Twenty-five years later replicas of the Atlantean are still made and sold. This sword started a whole trend in movie making and today fantasy moviemakers take great care to design, create, and market unique swords as part of the movie and as part of their marketing. This can be seen in the recently released movie 300, which has caused a resurgence in the gladiator type sword. And the new Harry Potter movie will spotlight a sword wielded by Harry himself. This sword replica has already been released and is available in currently limited quantities on the mass market.

The Highlander movies, (First installment released in 1986) are another good example of the sword as a centerpiece of the movie. The swords play a major role in the film plot in that the sword must be used to dispatch a foe, and consequently, to gain the foe’s powers. In the first film a Scottish Claymore was used and as the Highlander moves through time into the present he switches to a highly stylized version of Japanes katanas. This use of the Japanes katana is one of the earliest examples of mass marketing of Japanese swords and this has been very successfully followed in the Kill Bill movies.

Braveheart (released in 1995) is a good example of using replica swords that stay true to the flavor of the time period they portray. Mel Gibson wields a number of different weapons that stay accurate to the time of the movie. These weapons include a warhammer and a flail. The most famous of the weapons that he wields is A Flamberge which is a two-handed sword with a leather wrapping around a portion of the blade which allows the user to choke up on the weapon and use it in close combat situations.

Blade (1996-2004) is a series of vampire movies that use a variety of weapons including flailing, and whipping weapons. The primary weapon of the main character (Wesley Snipes) is a Japanese Katana that has the added effect of a booby trap. If a person picks up the weapon they have a few seconds to press a secret button. If they don’t, secret blades pop out of the handle damaging the hand that is holding it. This series of movies are another good example of how the Japanese katana has become very popular in the movies.

Gladiator (2000) is a good example of how the weapons of the high Roman era have made their mark on movies and on the collecting of swords. The Roman Gladius wielded by Maximus (Russell Crowe) is a good example of the weapon that was wielded at the time and it is still a popular choice of weapon collectors.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies (2001 – 2003) have had an impact on the collecting of movie swords that goes beyond all other movies. This movie returned the collector to the art of the pure fantasy sword much like the Conan sword. While the trend in movies was to create period accurate replicas this series of movies moved the whole trend toward the creation of fantastic blades that represented the wielders personality. Each major character in the movies has his own or her own weapon. Each weapon is unique, and easily available on the mass market for collectors.

Eragon (2006) continues the tradition of unique fantasy sword in that the main character wields a beautiful sword called Zar’roc. This sword has a blue Sapphire mounted at the base of the hilt and the sword itself has significant power and symbolism. It plays an important role in the movie and an important role in the replica collection world.

The past twenty-five years of filmmaking has given us a wonderful selection of fantasy swords that are both accurate reproductions from the real swords of the past and exciting creations of fantasy that never existed except in the minds of writers and blacksmiths. This trend was first started with Conan and over the next twenty-five years we are sure to get an even more incredible selection of weapons and swords in the movies.

By: Will Kalif

About the Author:

I guess every kid, regardless of where they are from, at one time or another bangs a couple of sticks together and pretends he’s a swordsman.

Back in my ‘hood, I was always Zorro, my buddy Scott was always Robin Hood, and my buddy Larry was always Lancelot. Then Max showed up.

A Japanese boy by way of California, Max came out to play wielding 2 pieces cut from a broomstick. We were amazed. After all, who the heck uses 2 swords? Zorro needs his free hand for his whip, Lancelot his shield, and Robin Hood his bow…this 2 sword thing was blasphemous!

Even worse, Max began to call himself Musashi and insisted on wearing his bathrobe as we trekked through the woods.

Now as a kid you just don’t ask too many questions or for explanations (from other kids at least). We liked Max, so we just accepted his “weirdness”, and went on with our adventures as usual.

Fast forward 15 years to when I made the changeover from Korean Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido, to Japanese Karate, Judo, and Jujutsu. And wouldn’t you know it? That very first day, Sensei began class with a quote from “The Book of Five Rings” – The premier text of Japanese philosophy on close-combat written by…Miyamoto Musashi! (I almost **** my pants as I quickly pieced everything together)

Musashi was born in 1584 in the village of Miyamoto in Southern Japan. His father Hirata Munisai was a renowned samurai and considered by many to be the best swordsmen in Japan at the time.

Musashi started his warrior career early in life with a dual against a samurai named Arima Kihei. The samurai had posted an open challenge for any takers and Musashi signed up to fight the warrior.

Musashi’s uncle, hearing that his 13 year old nephew had volunteered to fight to the death ran to prevent the fight. Musashi did not want to back down and entered the ring to fight Kihei armed only with a bokken – a wooden training sword. When the bigger, older, and more experienced samurai charged, Musashi dodged, grabbed, and brutally threw the man to the ground and beat him to death with his stick.

He would go on to win over 60 duals defeating or killing all that came before him in combat regardless of weapon. His challengers would use staffs, swords, and a variety of other weapons while he would use his katana or bokken. While many samurai used only their katanas, Musashi pioneered two-sword combat by using his wakizashi and katana together.

Eventually he would be honored with the rank of Kensei or “Sword Saint” because so many believed his swordsmanship to be perfect. When he later penned his philosophy of combat in “The Book of the Five Rings”, he would attain literary immortality as countless martial artists, scholars, and executives would hang on his every word for generations to come.

Musashi would eventually pass on his valuable knowledge to his sons and students. A skilled artist, poet, architect, and businessman, Musashi felt every day was a day to learn, create, and live to the fullest. And that was his strategy for a good life.

Now what’s pretty funny about Musashi (and why little Japanese boys love him), is that he was about as unconventional a Samurai as you could get.

The man rarely bathed, shaved, or washed his clothes. So good a swordsmen was he, that Musashi eventually completely stopped using a katana and would just use whatever was on hand to beat his opponents to death…a tree branch, a rake, even a boat paddle.

He would use other strange and “dishonorable” tactics as well…Showing up hours late to a dual to anger his prim and proper opponent…Showing up an hour earlier, hiding in the bush, then jumping out and immediately killing the unsuspecting fool who agreed to fight him…using horse stirrups as brass knuckles…and even attacking, running away, attacking, running away, and attacking again!

Scholars still to this day debate on whether Musashi did all these “crazy” things to toy with his opponents, test various strategy, and if these tactics were the very reason no one could beat him not his swordplay.

That’s all well and good for the bookworms, but as “men of action” similar to Musashi, we all know better -

Just like many of the toughest and most dangerous men of today and throughout history, Musashi seemed to take himself none-to-seriously while at home or at the dojo.

But when life and death were on the line, Musashi simply believed that nothing should be left to chance and you must do whatever needs to be done to kill, or be killed yourself.

By: Chris Pizzo

About the Author:

Mr.Twin Ocean asked:

I just got ninja gaiden dragon sword for ds but i jyust beat the game so i was wondering if i can trade it back in toys r us. It’s in really good condition. Will they give back you the money? and is nintendos labrador and friends fun? whats the difference between the other verisons?
Am I weird if i play this game? All people i know who plays this games are girls, so just wondering if playing this game will make me look wierd.

p.s. I love dogs!!!!!!

Uchiha Sasuke’s sword made its debut in the popular manga Naruto Chapter 308 and the blade’s name was highly debated among fans worldwide. In that chapter which was titled “Sasuke’s Strength”, Yamato Taichou tried to stop Uchiha Sasuke’s sword with his kunai but failed. Instead his kunai was cut in two by Sasuke’s sword. Sasuke later quoted “You see, the sword of Kusanagi I hold here is a little special. It’s the kind that can’t be blocked”. This caused some confusion because readers who have followed the manga since the beginning would know that Orochimaru also had a sword of Kusanagi when he battled it out with the 3rd Hokage, only difference is Orochimaru’s Kusanagi looked more like a katana.

Sasuke’s Sword of Kusanagi is a chokuto which is a straight Japanese sword. The chokuto’s design was originally from China and Korea. It was developed before the Japanese blacksmiths discovered differential heat treatment which later gave birth to the best martial arts weapon ever – the Japanese katana. The chokuto is easily distinguished by its straight blade which is a rare feature in most Japanese swords these days.

The Kusanagi or more popularly known as Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (Sword of Kusanagi) actually had its origin from a Japanese myth. Legend has it the Japanese god Susa-no-o had an encounter with Ashinazuchi, the head of a family with eight daughters. Ashinazuchi previously lost seven of his daughters eaten by a giant eight-headed serpent called Yamata-no-Orochi. The serpent was coming back to feast on his last daughter Kushinade-hime. The desperate Ashinazuchi begged Susa-no-o to save his daughter which the Japanese god agreed in exchange for Kushinade-hime’s hand in marriage.

Susa-no-o devised a plan and instructed Ashinazuchi to prepare eight vats of sake, each placed separately behind a wall with eight gates. The giant serpent came and took bait, slithering each of its eight heads through each gate. In an instance, Susa-no-o emerged and severed all eight heads before turning to the serpent’s tails. Susa-no-o later found a sword inside the Yamata-no-Orochi’s slain body which he named Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi or “Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven”. He then presented the sword to the goddess Amaterasu to settle an old grievance. The sword’s name was later changed to Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.

In the Naruto manga, Orochimaru calls out the Kusanagi sword from a snake’s mouth (the snake’s head juts out from Orochimaru’s mouth). Orochimaru’s character which is skilled in snake jutsu is actually drawn from the serpent Yamata-no-Orochi. In chapter 392, Orochimaru broke free from Sasuke’s control and used his Hydra technique to reappear as an eight-headed giant serpent. But unlike the story in the myth, Susa-no is the name of the ultimate jutsu that Uchiha Itachi used together with the Sword of Totsuka to seal Orochimaru in an illusion genjutsu for all eternity. The jutsu Susa-no took on the form of a giant spirit with sharp nose, jagged teeth and three hands – one holding a shield, one carrying a container and the remaining hand wielding the Sword of Totsuka when it is released from the container.

Was that an interesting story for you? Many anime and manga titles use Japanese myths as reference to create amazing stories, keeping readers enthralled and coming back for more. An excellent channel to learn more about Japanese cultures and history, don’t you think?

If reading the story made you want to own a Sword of Kusanagi replica, come visit the blog post:

http://awesome-movie-sword-replica.blogspot.com/2008/10/uchiha-sasukes-sword-of-kusanagi.html

By: Jason Liew

About the Author:

Spazboy asked:

ive finally narowed down my choices for a weapon but still cant decide between a canesword,a ninja sword ,a wakizashi or,a dagger(and if dagger is your choice should i have 1 or 2?).

by the way this is for decoration