3 Most Famous Shapes of a Ninja Star
Could a shuriken kill? Probably not. Could a ninja star help ninja triumph? Definitely yes. Ninja star is one of those weapons that may not look remotely useful to a warrior, but is a vital part of a ninja mode of combat. Most ninja stars we see today belong to the hira-shuriken or shaken family of ninja stars. You have probably heard of a shuriken (and gotten yourself a stack too) when Steve Jobs was found with ninja stars at the Japanese airport and had to have his throwing stars confiscated. So it is interesting to know what different shapes of the ninja star exist out there and how ninja used a shuriken to irritate the hell out of their enemies.
Manji
Manji shuriken was a type of ninja star made from flat metal objects like coins or metal plates. In fact the origin of ninja stars was through the use of metal plates as throwing stars. When the ninja were defeated in the civil war of the 12th century, they retreated into the mountains and became spies and shadowy assassins we see and romanticize in movies today. Ninja took work at a construction site to get information about their enemy's castle and got the metal plates from there to assist them in their combat as ninja stars. A Manji shuriken has 4 edges which protrude outwards forming a four-bladed weapon with a hole in the centre. The blades actually help to hold the shuriken better and throw this ninja star over longer distances. A ninja would sharpen the blades, or give them pointed ends to make the ninja star more injurious for the target. This type of shooting star is very common today and popular amongst shuriken aficionados. Manji shuriken would usually be coated with charcoal then dipped in poison. This was because this ninja star had a huge surface area that could enter the skin of the target. A manji shuriken was most feared of all shooting stars because of its lethality and daunting shape.
Juji Juji ninja stars were shaped into various points. A three pointed star, square, pentagonal and octagonal shapes were popular amongst the ninja. The popularity of this style of shuriken was because it was easy to forge a ninja star from metal plates into various pointed objects according to preference of the ninja who had to use them. Although most ninja stars were made of cast metal, the pointedness made them easy to hold and throw. The pointy ends also made a shuriken hurtful upon impact causing the enemy to get distracted and the ninja to deploy his second and main weapon of attack.
A ninja would typically stack up 8 or 9 of these nina stars in the palm of his hand. He would then tough the pointy end with thumb if his opposite hand and use his index finger and thumb to hold the ninja star. He would then bring his arm forward, twisting his elbow upwards to prepare to throw the ninja star. The most effective method to throw a shuriken was always to just flick the wrist. If the ninja moved his arm as well, he would never have his ninja star land on target.
Bo Bo shuriken was the most lethal of all ninja stars. As the name suggests, a bo was a needle shaped ninja star with one end tapered and sometimes pointed. This style of shooting star isn't very popular today but i was highly effective during a ninja fight. Since the ninja lived mostly in the mountains, they prowled the wilderness for needles or needle shaped to throw at their enemies. They had no skill or technology to carve a ninja star out of a big block of wood or metal. A bo shuriken was easier to throw and acted like a dart. So it often landed on target. The needle point, when struck on foot or eye would viscerally injure the opponent and cause him to scream in pain. The process of removing this ninja star from the target area was slow and extremely painful. These were three of the many shapes of a ninja star. Whole you find yourself thrilled, awed and more informed about this ninja weapon after reading this post. Read Also: 3 Types Of Bo Staff And How They Are Used