Shuriken are small hand held throwing blades
the most common and obvious are the star shaped ones which are easy to use and require less skill than a throwing knife
star shuriken are called shaken
the flat modified square ones are called shaken
stilletto ones are called bo shuriken are require more practice to master
the ninja never really bothered learning to throw knives - why throw away a good weapon when you can carry purpose made disposable throwing blades
shuriken are used when closing distance
at close range they are held and used the same as boshi ken thumb drive, but a far more lethal option
they are used to distract for an escape or finish
shuriken are thrown from the dokko kamae or jumonji kamae with taijutsu body mechanics
they can be thrown individually, in succession, or several at one time in a scatter effect
Metsubushi are blinding powders thrown into the opponent's eyes to distract
once thrown the ninja can finish the opponent or escape
a small cap of paint or heavy powder like talcum works well
a ninja to can have a hollow handle with a loose cap so a gyaku to chamber allows a metsubishi attack
historically a ninja would use a walnut shell filled with powder to throw at the right moment
historically metsubishi may also contain pepper or some other irritant
modern day metsubishi could be CS gas or mace
or a handleful of change or car keys
As every action is guided by intention at STMA we define shuriken as weapons that are intended to cause harm or damage, and we define metsubishi are tools to distract
in a pub fight if one is standing there with a pint of beer one can throw the beer as metsubishi or the glass itself as shuriken
when pubs had ashtrays the contents would be be metsubushi while the ashtray itself would be shuriken
in a pub fight a snooker cue is usually a stick blunt weapon, but if broken can become an edged weapon, especially for stabbing
a snooker ball is a good shuriken, and is also a good hand held striking weapon, used in the same manner as a shuko claw
These "escaping rat" forms use metsubishi and shuriken to evade and then escape from a sword attack
they are learnt at a later stage but it is the CONCEPTS rather than techniques we are interested in for modern times
Shuriken do not have to be the star shaped shaken, they can be any small blade that is balanced for throwing
At outrange, or even further out at Projectile range, you use the shuriken to injure or distract - this allows you to escape or close the gap
It is possible to incapacitate with a thrown shuriken but don't rely on it
It is possible to kill with a thrown shuriken but that is as much about luck as skill
If you choose to fight you would use a longer weapon, usually sword or 2 swords, or 2 knives, but might be stick weapon
If the gap is closed by the opponent you use the shuriken in trapping and grappling range, even on the ground
This may involve stabilising the position before drawing and using the weapon
We make cuts to the deadliest targets, the arteries, to get a bleed out:
carotid
subclavian
brachial
femoral
so, with knife newaza, we still attack the neck and limbs
knockout
choke out
bleed out
end result the same
Art of Winning
