[SHURIKEN]

SPD-8614

Ken Ryu Shuriken Jutsu Introduction
by Tomoo Yamashita

The word Shuriken has the meaning of a blade in the hand. In other words, Shuriken Jutsu is Ken Jutsu. In training, one must therefore not ignore elements of presence such as Hasuji (correct blade alignment) and pre-emptively reading the opponent.Shuriken can be broadly divided into Kuruma Shuriken and Bo Shuriken. Kuruma Shuriken are flat plates with protruding blades.These are well known due to Ninja cartoons and movies. Bo Shuriken are shaped like a stick with one end sharpened, and it’s the Bo Shuriken that are the mainstream in the world of martial arts.More than just being a type of throwing tool, an important use of Shuriken is to quickly stop an opponent’s advance. Most Shuriken masters were Samurai who studied the sword. So there’s a deep connection with the use of the sword with both hands. The method called Jiki Daho, used in most Shuriken Ryuha (schools),in which Shuriken are thrown straight, without turning, was influenced by the Katana. Also, the effective range of Shuriken is approximately three and a half to five meters, about the length of two to three Tatami mats,which doesn’t differ much from the distance at which one takes a guarded Kamae with the Katana.