Basic Ninjitsu

The origins of Ninjitsu are shrouded in the mists of time. It was greatly influenced by Chinese spying techniques, many of which are found in Sun-Tse’s classic, The Art of War.

The word Ninjitsu itself originated during a war between Prince Shotoku and Moriya over the land of Omi in sixth century Japan. During this conflict, a warrior named Otomo-no-Saajin contributed to the victory of Prince Shotoku by secretly gathering valuable intelligence about the enemy forces.

For this service, he was awarded the title of Shinobi, which means “stealer in.” From this ideogram, the character for the word Ninjitsu is derived. Originally, the role of the Ninja was to gain information about the enemy and to sabotage his operations.

Agents were classified as:

Indigenous, meaning local personnel who gathered intelligence or worked for the Ninja on site;

Sleeper, being one long in place, merely awaiting instructions;

Doubled or Turned, a former agent of the enemy who spied for both sides; and

Expendable agents who were used for only one mission and then left to fend for themselves. Such agents include both men and women, the female Ninja were called Kunoichi and carried out missions of assassination and sabotage, as well as espionage.

Ninjitsu is not a magical technique which will enable you to disassemble your body and reassemble yourself somewhere else. It will not change the structure of your body, making it transparent. This Art of Invisibility consists of the skills employed to make yourself unseeable; in this context, the art becomes almost a philosophy.

The ancient masters have said, “A tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it, makes no sound; but, it falls nonetheless.” So it is with Ninjitsu. A Ninja attacking a blind man is invisible, but he is attacking nonetheless.

Ninja throw knives, primarily, to achieve three goals: To distract. To wound. To kill. With practice and hard work, a Ninja can learn to accomplish all three of these goals, but the last purpose is difficult to achieve, and requires the utmost skill and dedication. This book was developed for practicing Ninja who wish to round out their training. Only western style throwing weapons are covered.

For information on oriental throwing devices, a serious Ninja should obtain a coy of Throwing the Ninja Star of Death, the companion edition to this book, which was also written by Michael E. Peters and published by Butokukai. To obtain throwing knives, look through the pages of any martial arts magazines and you can usually find a supplier. Knives may also be found in surplus shops, at gun shows and at flea markets

Above photo shows a number of throwing knife designs.) How many throwing knives should a Ninja own?

For effective practice, a Ninja should own at least a  dozen knives of the same kind. That is a minimum number. If  they cannot be acquired all at once, they should be purchased a few at a time over a short period. Twenty or  two dozen knives would be more advantageous for the Ninja  who can afford them. This will cover any knives which are damaged, lost, etc. Throwing knives are relatively easy to maintain. They should be kept clean, dry and rust free.  Some throwing knives do not have to be sharpened. Others can be sharpened with a mill-bastard file. Still others require the use of an oil stone. Take the appropriate  sharpening measures, depending upon which type of throwing knives are owned. Throwing knives are difficult to destroy under normal use. If they become bent, they can be hammered or bent flat once more. On the rare occasion that a throwing knife does break, it should be thrown away and replaced.

Another important factor to consider is design. A Ninja may wish to own more than one type of throwing knife. Many of the current designs throw well, with practice, but the most important factors with regard to throwing knives are:

Length, Weight  and Balance

Length is the first crucial factor. For a throwing knife to have good flight characteristics,  power and penetration, it must be at least nine and no more than sixteen inches in length. A knife any shorter than nine inches will often result in poor penetration; any length beyond sixteen inches will cause the knife to be awkward and difficult to throw. Smaller throwing knives may be used as distractions, but they seldom cause serious wounds, and they are virtually nonlethal. The weight of a throwing knife is also important. Among trained knife throwers, a well known approximate ratio of one inch to the ounce is standard knowledge. Therefore, a nine-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately nine ounces, and a sixteen-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately sixteen ounces. If a knife is too light, it will have poor  flight characteristics and not enough hitting power.If a

knife is too heavy, it is difficult to throw, has a shorter range and is slow.

An old Ninja maxim states that, “A thrown knife should not fly like a feather or a rock, but like the beak of a hawk.” Last but not least, balance is another important factor determined by a throwing knife’s design. It is inherently related to the other two factors. The finest and most versatile throwing knives can be thrown either by the handle or by the blade. They are balanced exactly in the center of the knife. Test this by balancing the knife on the end of one finger to find its center of  gravity.

Other knives are meant to be thrown by holding the handle. These knives have blade ends which are heavier than the ends of the handles. The balancing point will often be found approximately in the center of the knife or up to one inch toward the handle. Such knives require round numbers of spins in order to hit a target point first. Thus a knife thrown by the handle must make one, two, three-up to five or six complete revolutions in order to strike home.

Any increment of half revolutions will not strike the  target point first. If this is not clear at this point, the matter will be explained in the section on throwing  mthods. Still other throwing knives are designed to be

thrown by holding the blade. Such knives have lighter blades and heavier handles. The blade’s center of gravity will be found anywhere from approximate center up to a inch toward the point of the blade. These knives must be thrown in half increment rotations. Therefore, in order to land point first, knives thrown by holding the blade must make anywhere from l/2 up to 5% and 6% revolutions in order to hit home. The universal throwing knife is the most versatile and easiest knife to begin training with.

Handle-thrown knives are the second best. Blade-thrown  knives are slightly more difficult to master for beginners. Other facts about throwing knives. Do not be surprised if throwing knives do not resemble regular combat knives.

Many throwing knives are flat and do not have regular wood or plastic handles. They can be used in  hand-to-hand combat, but that is not their primary function. A note on throwing ordinary knives and  miscellaneous objects: Any knife (or any object which can be picked up) can be thrown effectively, once a Ninja understands both how an object is balanced, and the basics of throwing: judging distance, throwing methods and

rotations. This includes knives and objects not specifically designed for throwing: hunting knives, kitchen knives, and even items seldom considered to have potential as weapons, such as ice picks, scissors and screwdrivers.

Once the basics of knife throwing contained in this book are learned, a Ninja can apply those same principles to throwing almost anything. The general rule of thumb is to find the center of balance of an object, and understand how it flies. For example, a screwdriver can be treated like a knife. If the handle is heavier, throw the object by the blade, using full rotations. If the blade is heavier, throw it by the handle, using half rotations. Practice with such irregular items on large cardboard boxes. It will be surprising just how many “household” items can be transformed into deadly throwing weapons in the hands of a Ninja who has mastered the art of throwing.

But be careful; items not designed to be thrown may be damaged or ruined by  such practice and training. It is often enough just to know that the principles of Ninja knife throwing can be applied to other objects as well. One other caution remains to be explained. Knife throwing is a difficult skill to learn which requires dedication, determination and constant  practice. Study the following throwing and training methods and practice them consistently. But once in combat, never  throw a knife or other weapon unless there is a good chance of distracting, wounding, or slaying one’s opponent. A knife which misses and does not affect an opponent results

A knife is the first weapon given to a Ninja. He or she learns Tanto-jitsu, knife art. As well as becoming an expert in hand-to-hand combat, a Ninja learns to throw knives, as well as many other objects. But some knives are designed specifically for throwing. With such specialty knives, the Ninja knife throwing expert is particularly dangerous. Normally, a Ninja carries four such throwing knives as well as a combat knife which could be thrown if necessary. Ninja throw knives, primarily, to achieve three goals: To distract. To wound. To kill. With practice and hard work, a Ninja can learn to accomplish all three of these goals, but the last purpose is difficult to achieve, and requires the utmost skill and dedication. This book was developed for practicing Ninja who wish to round out their training.

Only western style throwing weapons are covered. For information on oriental throwing devices, a serious Ninja should obtain a copy of Throwing the Ninja Star of Death, the companion edition to this book, which was also written by Michael E. Peters and published by Butokukai.
To obtain throwing knives, look through the pages of any martial arts magazines and you can usually find a supplier. Knives may also be found in surplus shops, at gun shows and at flea markets. (Photo 1.1 shows a number of throwing knife designs.) How many throwing knives should a Ninja own? For effective practice, a Ninja should own at least a dozen knives of the same kind. That is a minimum number. If they cannot be acquired all at once, they should be purchased a few at a time over a short period. Twenty or two dozen knives would be more advantageous for the Ninja who can afford them. This will cover any knives which are damaged, lost, etc. Throwing knives are relatively easy to maintain. They should be kept clean, dry and rust free. Some throwing knives do not have to be sharpened. Others can be sharpened with a mill-bastard file. Still others require the use of an oil stone. Take the appropriate sharpening measures, depending upon which type of throwing knives are owned. Throwing knives are difficult to destroy under normal use. If they become bent, they can be hammered or bent flat once more. On the rare occasion that a throwing knife does break, it should be thrown away and replaced.

Another important factor to consider is design. A Ninja may wish to own more than one type of throwing knife. Many of the current designs throw well, with practice, but the most important factors with regard to throwing knives are: Length Weight Balance Length is the first crucial factor. For a throwing knife to have good flight characteristics, power and penetration, it must be at least nine and no more than sixteen inches in length. A knife any shorter than nine inches will often result in poor penetration; any length beyond sixteen inches will cause the knife to be awkward and difficult to throw.

Smaller throwing knives may be used as distractions, but they seldom cause serious wounds, and they are virtually nonlethal. The weight of a throwing knife is also important. Among trained knife throwers, a well known approximate ratio of one inch to the ounce is standard knowledge. Therefore, a nine-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately nine ounces, and a sixteen-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately sixteen ounces. If a knife is too light, it will have poor flight characteristics and not enough hitting power.If a knife is too heavy, it is difficult to throw, has a shorter range and is slow. An old Ninja maxim states that, “A thrown knife should not fly like a feather or a rock, but like the beak of a hawk.” Last but not least, balance is another important factor determined by a throwing knife’s design. It is inherently related to the other two factors. The finest and most versatile throwing knives can be thrown either by the handle or by the blade. They are balanced exactly in the center of the knife. Test this by balancing the knife on the end of one finger to find its center of gravity. Other knives are meant to be thrown by holding the handle. These knives have blade ends which are heavier than the ends of the handles.

The balancing point will often be found approximately in the center of the knife or up to one inch toward the handle. Such knives require round numbers of spins in order to hit a target point first. Thus a knife thrown by the handle must make one, two, three-up to five or six complete revolutions in order to strike home. Any increment of half revolutions will not strike the target point first. If this is not clear at this point, the matter will be explained in the section on throwing methods. Still other throwing knives are designed to be thrown by holding the blade. Such knives have lighter blades and heavier handles. The blade’s center of gravity will be found anywhere from approximate center up to a inch toward the point of the blade. These knives must be thrown in half increment rotations. Therefore, in order to land point first, knives thrown by holding the blade must make anywhere from l/2 up to 5% and 6% revolutions in order to hit home.

The universal throwing knife is the most versatile and easiest knife to begin training with. Handle-thrown knives are the second best. Blade-thrown knives are slightly more difficult to master for beginners. Other facts about throwing knives. Do not be surprised if throwing knives do not resemble regular combat knives. Many throwing knives are flat and do not have regular wood or plastic handles. They can be used in hand-to-hand combat, but that is not their primary function. A note on throwing ordinary knives and miscellaneous objects: Any knife (or any object which can be picked up) can be thrown effectively, once a Ninja understands both how an object is balanced, and the basics of throwing: judging distance, throwing methods and rotations.

This includes knives and objects not specifically designed for throwing: hunting knives, kitchen knives, and even items seldom considered to have potential as weapons, such as ice picks, scissors and screwdrivers. Once the basics of knife throwing contained in this book are learned, a Ninja can apply those same principles to throwing almost anything. The general rule of thumb is to find the center of balance of an object, and understand how it flies. For example, a screwdriver can be treated like a knife. If the handle is heavier, throw the object by the blade, using full rotations.

If the blade is heavier, throw it by the handle, using half rotations. Practice with such irregular items on large cardboard boxes. It will be surprising just how many “household” items can be transformed into deadly throwing weapons in the hands of a Ninja who has mastered the art of throwing. But be careful; items not designed to be thrown may be damaged or ruined by such practice and training. It is often enough just to know that the principles of Ninja knife throwing can be applied to other objects as well. One other caution remains to be explained. Knife throwing is a difficult skill to learn which requires dedication, determination and constant practice. Study the following throwing and training methods and practice them consistently. But once in combat, never throw a knife or other weapon unless there is a good chance of distracting, wounding, or slaying one’s opponent. A knife which misses and does not affect an opponent results in wasted effort.

And it may even supply one’s enemy with a weapon he did not have before.

Weapons

Entangling Attacks

Prone and Entangled Opponents

Tools of the TradeOriental cultures feature many weapons not commonly found in western cultures, and the ninja uses tools that are uncommon even within his own culture. This article describes many ofthe weapons and gadgets that the presence of ninja will bring to a campaign.

Weapons

Some of the weapons are new to the AD&D® game, while others appeared previously in the Player’s Handbook. The reason some weapons are repeated here is to show players which “normal” weapons are also available in Oriental cultures. A hand axe may have a differentconfiguration and a different name in an Oriental setting, but it has the same weapon statistics as its cousin from a western setting.

Entangling Attacks

When attacking with a weapon that makes an entangling attack (as noted in many of the weapon descriptions), the attacker must specify that he’s aiming for either his opponent’s upper body or lower body. If the attack roll succeeds, one end of the weapon wraps around that part of the body and pins it, at least for a moment.If the upper body is entangled, the opponent cannot make attacks that require use of the arms. If the lower body is entangled, the opponent cannot make attacks that require use of the legs, nor can he move from that spot.

To break free of an entangling weapon, the opponent must make a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation in place of his next attack in combat. The weapon takes no damage. If he is unsuccessful, he remains entangled but can try again to break free on his next available attack.

Once an attacker has made an entangling attack, he can make other attacks on the same. If the attack was made against the opponent’s lower body, the attacker can spend his next attack to yank the opponent’s feet out from under him, throwing him to the ground. Also, if the attacker’s entangling weapon has an attacking part at both ends, as do many of the weapons described in this chapter, he can make subsequent attacks against the target with the weapon’s other end.

Prone and Entangled Opponents

A character who is entangled is easier to hit; all attacks made against him get a +2 bonus to the attack roll. When a character is on the ground, he is also easier to hit; all attacks made against him get a +2 bonus to the attack roll. The poor character who is both entangled and on the ground suffers doubly; the bonuses are cumulative, and his attacker gets a +4 bonus to the attack roll.

Each Togishi has his own secrets and a mastery of polishing a blade. A professional polisher tends to achieve harmony and quality. It is evident that the art of each Togishi reveals the appurtenance to a specific school and period.

Stages of Polishing

Each blade is unique; therefore each requires specific types of polishing. Though, there are two general polishing stages: Shitaji (lower polish), and Shiage (final polish).

Stage 1. Shitaji – Ground work. This is the step when grained stones are used to preserve the traditional slightly curved shape of the Japanese sword. This is why the stones have a gently curved surface (lengthwise and crosswise). This assures that the stones grains are parallel to the sword’s curvature and preserve the shape. The blade is pitched, twisted, pushed and pulled.

There are several stones used to get the final result:

• Bisui – a very coarse stone, can easily damage the blade if used unwisely, but very efficient in removing the rust.
• Kaisei – it is a recently used stone. Its purpose is to smooth the marks of a Busui stone.
• Chunagura – a medium hard stone fine grained, comes after Kaisei to smooth even better the surface.
• Komanagura – a reminiscence of Chunagura, it refines the Chunagura marks.
• Hato - a very hard stone for finish touch. Many masters use it to create a hamon line.
• Jito – the stone is the hardest one. It is used to work another pattern called Jihada. It has to be used with much care as it defines the final step of first stage and can easily damage or scratch the blade.

It is important to mention that Shitaji stage takes a great deal of time. It can last from 10 to 12 hours per day during four to six days!!!

Stage 2. Shiage – Final Polish.This stage consists in burnishing with a variety of tiny thin stones, a steel stylus and powder polishing.

Here are he general steps of the Shiage stage:

• Tsuya – Creation of Jihada (skin) pattern. Jihada is a specific pattern of steel representing small pieces of raw material (Tama-hagane). It is worked with a Jizuya stone.
• Nugui – is the technique which makes the Jihada withstand rust and other deteriorates. It features an infusion of oil and specific ground (Kanahada). Due to Nugui the sword takes on a darker color.
• Hadori – Is a widely used technique to make a hamon line. It is characterized by the use of an oval Hazuya which finally creates a ‘white’ hamon.
• Shitamigaki – Is a burnishing technique designed for a specific area of the blade: between the ridge running along the side of the blade, and the blade’s back. The final result is a mirror-polished finish.
• Uemigaki – This technique uses Migakibo stone for a final polish.
• Sugikiri – Sugikiri consists in burnishing the area at 90 degree angle at the tip of the blade (Yokote).
• Narume – It is mainly used to polish the point of the blade. It is extremely difficult to work the point (kissaki). It should always be polished horizontally and with specific movements. By the way the kissaki is the part which indicates the period of manufacturing. It is about the length, the curvature, and the thickness of the point and sometimes of the blade (ken).

Need of Weapons

Let’s take for example the weapons. Initially they appeared as necessity to protect against wild animals. Later the weapons developed to offer protection against offensive fellow men. Then, came the period when people fought for lands. Great wars generated new ideas of fighting devices, tactics, strategies, etc. This is the stage when weapons became not only defensive means but also offensive.

Weapons’ Revolution

Still, the greater revolution in weapon creation was the discovery of powder and invention of the machined weapons. The major purpose in creating a machined weapon was to make it kill more people with each new performance. It was a period of passage from cold steel arms to a higher performance, with the ability to kill even more people. This is the period when weapons, especially blades, became not only fighting means but also objects of rituals, culture, honor, etc. In other words it became a halidom and a relic.

Heirs of Destruction Means

Today we already come to the point when Great Powers of the World spent up to 1/3 of the budget for military purposes. Today, we ‘fight’ for peace (no matter how ridiculous it might sound) and against weapons of any kind. Still, we improve weaponry and we admire old pistols, swords, armor, etc. And all this comes to evidence, that WE ARE A CONTROVERSY SPECIE!

Dilemma – which weapons are better: blades or guns?

This is not actually the question to be asked. What indeed should be asked is: better for what? Firstly, there are no ‘better’ or ‘best’ weapons. Each has its designation and meaning. Secondly, if we talk about self-defense, than it is believed that cold steel weapons like knives act batter than a gun, in case you are attacked.

a. It is unexpected and can be easily hidden in your pocket or bag.

b. In case a woman is attacked, then a knife can scare the attacker more than a gun. It was proved by psychologists that men (if the attacker is a man) have a greater fear of knives than women (who are used to them in the kitchen).

Final Considerations

I’m one of those who admire and adore cold steel arms. When I look at a sword I see a masterpiece, a warfare art piece! Again, when I see an old pistol, bayonet, etc. I see something beautiful and I shiver at the thought how people misuse noble pieces like these ones for dirty purposes.

Remember one thing! It is not the weapon (gun or blade) which hurts and kills people. It is man himself who hurts fellows of his kind.

It should be mentioned that their weapons slightly but differed from Europeans ones. Actually, it should be made a distinction between Viking Era weapons and Viking weapons itself. The first category includes Anglo-Saxon weapons along with many others tribes arms.

Some History

Very few weapons of Viking origin have survived till our days. This is not because of low quality of the weapons as some tend to believe. The reality is that Vikings used to bury their weapons (swords, helmets and armor) in the ground when the warriors died. Thus, many of the artifacts survived either in bad conditions or didn’t survive at all. Some experts affirm that there are only about 1000 artifacts of Viking origin which survived; all of them are spread in major museums around the world.

Most of the found swords date back to 10th century and were mainly dug out Iceland; though evidences of Viking weapons are spread throughout the Europe.

Short Description of Swords

Most of the Viking swords are simply designed. They are equipped with a typical double edged blades and strong handles. They are actually single-handed to let one of the hands free for the shield.

Usually, blades ranged from 24 to 36 inches long, but the most typical reached from 27.50 to 31.50 inches. In late Viking Era blades have extended up to 40 inches.

The blade’s width was from 1.5 to 2.3 inches. The range of sword’s weight situated between 2 and 4 lbs. Blades had a slight taper, which helped bring the center of balance closer to the grip. It goes towards the point and deeper central fuller on both sides.

The hilt construction with its elements (pommel and hand guard) provided needed balance for the huge blade.

Blade Creation Art

Pattern Welding

During the early Viking Era there was present a specific tradition of blade forging. It is now called pattern welding! This technique was used because of poor knowledge of blacksmiths concerning all details of smelting process and lack of a proper control over it.

It was tended to obtain flexible, hard and resistant blade! This indeed was very rarely achieved and only on incidental basis. Thus, the smith used available materials, creating a composite material:

Step 1. There were selected bars of different types of iron in a specific order and bundled together.

Step 2. The bars were welded into a layered bar.

The pattern welding process created wonderful and extremely thin patterns. Later in the Viking era, the pattern welding was no longer used because the iron control became available.

Decoration

On the other hand, there were developed methods for blade’s decoration. Blades used to be inlaid with precious metals such as silver and gold. The inlays didn’t play only the decoration role they sometimes indicated the smith’s or possessor’s name.

To create inlays there were necessary to cut a groove into the blade (usually in the fuller) and then hammer a wire of desired metal in place.

Distinguishable Features of the Hilts

It was notices that in different period of Viking era the design of the hilts differed. Generally, the hilts were classified by Jan Petersen in 1919. He mentioned that the size and shape of the hilt vary along with the construction details. One of the main criteria of classification was the pommel. So there were distinguished swords with:

- Fastened to the sword pommel
- Framed to the upper guard pommel
- Attached to the tang pommel

It is very interesting to observe how hilt components were decorated! There were several techniques: scribing, wire inlays, etc. The inscriptions were not accidental they indicated the maker or the possessor (as the blades did too).

The materials the grips were made of varied with intensity from wood cores with leather wrapping, to wire wrapped and precious metals made. Some of the swords even were covered with embossed plates of precious metals.

To observe the uniqueness of the Viking swords it is enough to watch the photos. Pay special attention to the details!

The knife is even an older type of weapons than the sword and the spear. Ancient people used it as mean of protection or attack, it served at the same time for hunting as well as for combat. The knives reached a very wide diversity due to its use in different areas: crafting, medical, cosmetology, etc.

A specific role of the knife was its significance in the symbolic systems of different cultures, which indeed led to enlargement of its functions. Eventually the knives became a direct attribute of rite playing the role of talismans, fetishes and amulets (mainly worn by men, but also by children and women for protection). The knives were bearers of great powers being considered sacred objects endowed with magical potential. The role of ritual knives were played either by poly-functional knives (which were involved in more activities than one) or by specially created knives (meant only for ritual purposes).

A special role the knives played in India, they served as the most elevated attributes of the higher castes: Kshatriya, Rajputana and Sikh. Sinhalese cult of Sri Lanka the knife is considered the indicator of courage, kingship and aristocratism.

Bladed Ritual Weapons

From antiquity the bladed weapons (particularly knives and swords) were considered symbols of power, indicator of social statute, and attributes of men. For, example in Nepal the Khadha sword with wide and slightly curved blade was considered the symbol of king. The Yataghan (or Scimar) was a Turkish attribute of power and the official weapon of janissary. The Japanese katana was also a privileged sword and was wielded only by samurais. For Mongol men a symbol of power was the belt which was always equipped with a knife – Khuda.

One of the main predestination of the blades was the ability to defeat the enemy. In many traditional cultures the act of physical annihilation was always linked to ceremonial actions. For example, in Sumatra the Kris blade served as execution weapon.

Prohibitions

The knife is very often associated with ritual killings of the living beings and with bloodshed; this is why there existed certain interdictions regarding their use. For example, in Mongolia it was prohibited to pass the cutting edge through fire in order not to ‘cut the head’ of it.

The custom to keep the blade secured in a sheath or the prohibition to direct it to a person existed in Mediterranean, Caucasian, Middle East, Central Asia, Indian and Nepali regions, and even in Southern America.

In Turkmenia and in some regions of Central Asia was allowed to kill with Pchak knife, whereas the Djouher was prohibited for use against enemies or in animal sacrifice rituals, it was made only for the blood feud (vendetta).

In the medieval Europe the sword was used as the main tool of the executioner. It was prohibited to use the same sword in battles or for other purposes.