Japanese Throwing Weapons

Japanese Throwing Weapons: Mastering Shuriken Throwing Techniques is a detailed instruction manual for learning authentic shuriken throwing techniques as practiced in Japan, known as shuriken-jutsu. Daniel Fletcher studied under Japan's most notable shuriken sensei, Yasuyuki Otsuka, of the Meifu Shinkage Ryu and in this knife throwing book he reveals the secrets learned in his years of study and training.

Fletcher explains the origins and purpose of the shuriken as a weapon and provides information on the various types of shuriken used by the historical samurai and ninjas. Fletcher's expert instructions, along with over 200 photographs and the enclosed DVD can help anyone become proficient with Japanese throwing techniques.

Weapons instruction includes:

Shaken Shuriken--The most familiar of the shuriken family, this sharp-edged, star-shaped weapon is the one typically seen in martial arts film.

Bo Shuriken--Shaped like a spike, easy to manufacture, economical, and convenient to carry, this simple weapon is a staple in the arsenal of the Japanese warrior.

Teppan Shuriken--A multi-purpose weapon made from iron plates, it can take a variety of shapes and is used both for throwing or hand-to-hand combat.

In general, there are three categories of shuriken:

• Bo shuriken: "stick-like blades"
• Shaken shuriken: "wheel blades" Also called Hira shuriken "flat blade" or Senban shuriken "lathe blade"
• Teppan shuriken: "iron plate blade"

In this book we will be looking at all three major categories of shuriken. We will discuss the different types, how they are thrown and how they were used as hand-held weapons. It is a gross overstatement and a mistake to suggest that one group of military men used any one type of shuriken exclusively, however, for the sake of clarity and maximizing the educational benefi t of this book, we are going to divide the shuriken between two main schools (despite the fact that both schools use shuriken from both groups). There will be overlap, but that is a good thing. Our two schools will be the Meifu Shinkage Ryu and the Bujinkan (which is actually nine old budo schools taught together). We will look at the bo shuriken-jutsu of the Meifu Shinkage Ryu and the senban and teppan use of the Bujinkan.

Daniel Fletcher lived and trained in Japan from 2001-2008. He studied Budo (combat), Shurikenjutsu (throwing weapons), Kyudo (samurai archery), Satsuma Biwa (the samurai lute) and Horimono (traditional Japanese tattooing).