Korisuya Kakushibuki blog – Tenouchi weapons part 2: Tekken鉄拳

Another subset of tenouchi kakushibuki are whats known as tekken(鉄拳), meaning iron fist. Tekken are knuckle-duster type weapons in a variety of shapes and sizes used by various ryu for atemi in unarmoured and armoured situations. In most cases the tekken would used to attack the sword hand when dealing with an armed opponent, or for striking various kyusho, though striking any point would break bones. Tekken could be as simple as an iron ring through which the hand is inserted as in the image below.

They may also complex with protruding teeth as in this example.

Tekken made of wood are known as mokkan(木貫), the name here means wooden crossbeam, tekkan(鉄貫) using the same crossbeam kanji was also a term used in some ryu such as Nagao Ryu. The tekkan of Nagao Ryu was one of several tekken weapons used in the art, the tekkan was a variety which was incredibly heavy, and shaped like a trapezoid with an ovular cutout in the flared end through which the hand was placed. This weapon dates back to the Sengoku Jidai and may have been used against armoured opponents. Its great size made it unsuited toward concealment in normal clothing, though other varieties exist within the school of smaller size more capable of being used as kakushibuki. The mokkan of Nagao Ryu is one such weapon, being wooden the weight is greatly reduced and it becomes far less clumsy to conceal on the person. Generally these weapons are concealed in the fold of the kimono known as the futokoro(懐) or the sleeve of the kimono called tamoto(懐), from this placement we encounter the name of another Nagao Ryu weapon, the Musashi kaiken (武蔵懐剣). The name here refers of course to Miyamoto Musashi and the term kaiken is a word that combines the term futokoro, here the kanji being read as kai, with the kanji for sword. However this weapon is not a sword. The Musashi kaiken resembles an axehead with a trapezoid shaped opening through which the hand is passed. An example of a Musashi kaiken from my personal collection can be seen below.

The technique for using Musashi kaiken involves flicking of the wrist to generate slicing motion. However without the proper grip the weapon is very awkward. I will not discuss the proper technique here, or the proper gripping method.
Kakute(角手)　meaning horned hand as discussed earlier is a term used in Gyokko Ryu and Shindo Tenshin Ryu to in this case refer to tekken where as the weapon known as kakute is known as kakuyubi and kakushi in those ryu respectively. The designs of the Gyokko Ryu and Shindo Tenshin Ryu are somewhat similar. Both ryu use a kakute with holes for each finger, however the Shindo Tenshin Ryu kakute has a different shape of palm piece. This is very important because the gripping method changes. Once again I will not discuss the proper gripping technique of the Gyokko Ryu kakute, however those with training in other tekken weapons will realize immediately why it is designed the way it is. Below is an example of a Gyokko Ryu kakute from my personal collection.

A weapon that can be used in a similar way to tekken, but in most cases isn’t considered one would be the shuko(手甲)　of Togakure Ryu. Below are an example of shuko from my collection.

Shuko evolved from the items used to carry bails of hay. Originally the hooks were very large and protruded from iron bands, another set of spikes pointed forward. What we know as shuko today could be used in the same method as tekken striking with the iron bands on the back of the fist. Conversely the spiked variety of tekken could be turned teeth in and used in the same way as shuko. Another variety of shuko are known as tekkokagi(手甲鉤) meaning back of the hand hook. This were used in a similar method as tekken, but could also be used to stop swords or other weapons.
As with all weapons there are still countless variations we may never know about, or that may not have been discussed here. The main purpose of training with these weapons is to be able to adapt them to modern implements.

Korisuya Blog – Kakushi buki Tenouchi(手の内) weapons part 1

My collection of tenouchi weapons has been growing lately so I’ll discuss a few of them in this post. Te no uchi(手の内) means “inside the hand”, which can refer to a huge variety of weapons, also known as nigirimono(握り物）, which means held or gripped in the hand, just like the term nigirizushi which may be more familiar. Shuriken, for example can be considered tenouchi, and used in the same way to deliver atemi, whilst being concealed in the hand as both names imply. Kakute, as discussed earlier, are also tenouchi weapons and the name kakute is also used for a different variety of tenouchi weapon that will be discussed in a later entry.
The most basic tenouchi would be whats known as a tegiribo(手切棒) which is simply a stick cut to the size of the users palm, though it may be longer. Other names for these types of weapons are gorinkudaki(五輪砕き) five ring crusher, of Koka ryu dealing with Koka ryu’s kyushojutsu, inken(陰拳), or hidden fist, tariki(他力) “other power”. Another simple tenouchi is known as eda koppo (枝骨法) meaning “twig bone method” in the Takamatsu-den arts, or just tenouchi written various ways. These would be constructed of wood in a variety of rod shapes, with one or more holes drilled into the shaft and cordage passed through. The cordage would create a loop for anywhere between one and four fingers to be passed through. Another example of tenouchi was made with either a wood or metal rod with a rope of about 6 feet in circumference threaded through the central hole and bound together at its center. This weapon was considered a torimono dogu. Below is an example of this type of tenouchi made by Iwai Kohaku sensei given to me by Suzuki Hozan sensei

Another variation of tenouchi was the suntetsu. Suntetsu(寸鉄) meaning “inch iron”, sun were a Japanese unit of measure equal to about an inch however the weapon was usually between 5-8 sun in length and may have also been called gosuntetsu(五寸鉄) 5 sun iron or　hassuntetsu(八寸鉄) 8 sun iron depending on the length. The weapon consisted of a rod in a variety or shapes, or even a bo shuriken, fitted by a pin to a ring, or sometimes a kakute. The pin allowed the rod to rotate freely around the hand of the user allowing a variety of striking positions and techniques, as well as concealment of the weapons. The ring was not so tight as to not allow the weapon to be removed quickly as needed. In fact the secret techniques of some schools describe using the suntetsu as a shuriken by allowing it to slide off the fingers and into the eyes of the opponent. Below are two suntetsu made by Iwai Kohaku sensei and given to me by Suzuki Hozan sensei.

These items can all be considered kakushibo(隠し棒), or hidden sticks, because of their design. Other tenouchi weapons such as the dokko(独呼) and kongosho(金剛杵), which are religious implements of Buddhism adapted as self-defense tools also fit this category despite having one to three points extruding from their tips. Yet another hidden stick like weapon was the saku(サク) an iron stick with a short iron protrusion in the center. A similar weapon to the saku is the shoken(掌剣) of Meifu Shinkage ryu, which are iron sticks mounted to a wood shaft with protruding spikes on each side and a sharped tip, best illustrated as resembling the kanji for earth, 土. However, tenouchi aren’t restricted to stick like objects. A tsuba held in the hand could be used in the fashion of tenouchi, as could a shaken in the case of shokenjutsu. Another strange tenouchi was made in the shape of a fish. Yet another known as kyutetsu(球鉄) was, as the name implies, shaped like a droplet of water made of iron. In the next entry I will discuss the class of tenouchi known as tekken(鉄拳) meaning iron fist.

Korisuya Blog: Kusaribuki – Part 2 Konpi 根飛

In this post I’ll discuss a few more common examples of kusaribuki. The first true kusaribuki to appear in record is a weapon called the konpi(根飛　or 魂飛), the translations of these names are perseverance flying or scatter or spirit flying respectively, so we can assume that this weapon was imported from China and given kanji based solely on the way the word was pronounced. One fitting name maybe 金飛 which means metal flying. There are a few other variances of the name, much like other weapons due to illiteracy of the commoners at the time, but the prior two names are the most prominent and date back to the 1300’s. The length and construction of the konpi varied greatly with the time period, the most primitive was a length of chain between about 3 feet at the shortest and up to 13 feet at the longest connected at one end to a small weight known as a fundo(分銅), the other end was simply held in the hand or wrapped around the fist. Later variations came about allowing better control of the weapon. Here is one example of a common form of konpi I made.

This variety of konpi was very common and one of the most basic. It consists of a length of chain and a round fundo as with all konpi, but a handle is formed by adding a second length of chain and a metal ring. The hand is slid through the open loop created by the second length of chain allowing a more secure grip and possibility to use the weapon in a variety of fashions. Another variety of konpi was made by replacing the loop of chain with a kakute, a horned ring discussed in an earlier post. This was a part of the torimono dogu(捕り物道具） or tools for arresting criminals. The konpi, in this case, was used as a restrain in methods similar to, but more brutal than, normal hojojutsu techniques. The criminal would be struck with the fundo, then ensnared with the chain all the while being controlled by pressure from the kakute. Another variety of konpi consisted of the same round fundo and chain construction but with a flat iron bar acting as a handle. This may be considered a weapon very similar to the fundogusari or kusariuchibo or even the kaibo discussed earlier. Yet another variation of the konpi was the kusariryuta(鎖竜咤the computer doesn’t seem to have the kanji for ta but the meaning is chain dragon’s claw or hand). This weapon consisted once again of the chain and round fundo, however, the other end was attached to a hook resembling a dragons claw. These measured up to 13 feet in length and may have their origins in tools used in naval battles or sailing. The “claw” was three or four pronged and may have been what’s known as a nage ikari(投げ錨）,　a throwing anchor similar to a grappling hook. The tool was also used as an arresting implement much like the konpi with kakute combination. An example of a kusariryuta can be seen below from Nawa-sensei’s book on torimono dogu.

One more variation of the konpi was, of course, the konpei(棍平 once again the computer doesn’t have the exact kanji needed for the kon in konpei). This weapon was essentially a konpi with kakute as discussed before with a steel pipe which could slide along the length of the chain. The handle was also fitted with crescent-shaped handguard known as hanakagi, which faced toward the user to deflect weapons or ensnare the opponent. This weapon is essentially the same in use as the chidorigane(千鳥鉄, 鵆鉄）, one thousand bird iron or plover iron, used in Nanban Ippon Ryu. The difference being the chidorigane has a handle length of about 1.5 feet while the konpei was much shorter at 6 inches, yet the chidorigane’s chain did not extend nearly as far as the 3 foot reach of most konpei. Another differentiating feature was the fundo on the chidorigane, it was not round like the konpi, instead it was a sharpened weight in the shape of a bird’s wings.
So as you see the konpi led to the development of many specialized weapons. In the next post I will discuss the biggest section of weapons the konpi led to, Kusarifundo.

Korisuya Blog: Kusaribuki 鎖武器 Part 1 – Introduction

In this post I’ll begin to cover kusaribuki(鎖武器) meaning “chained weapons”. In most, but not all, cases kusaribuki are kakushibuki(隠し武器), due to their ability to be concealed in many places on the body, or the chain can be hidden in a weapon itself in the case of shikomibuki(仕込み武器), meaning prepared weapons. Chained weapons may have their origin in a variety of places, one belief is the origin of chain weapons came with the origin of the chain itself from China in the Kamakura period of Japanese history around the year 1200. A second history may have chained weapons evolving from corded weapons after the introduction of chain. Possibilities of this evolution are shown through weapons such as the kaibo(櫂棒), which is a rudimentary version of the kusari uchibo which will be discussed later.
Before weapons can be discussed the chains themselves should be addressed. Japanese chains used in weapons vary from those for other uses and are incredibly strong. The process for making chains involved long strips of iron which were then wrapped around a cylinder. After the wrapping a cut was made in one side of the iron creating a number of links that can now be joined by twisting the open ends of the link and forging them together. The cylinder was a bit oblong which served a very important purpose, if a perfectly round link is made it can shift, however, when the ring is oblong it maintains itself in the correct orientation. If the link were to shift and the shearing force was directed specifically onto the opening the link could fail catastrophically, resulting in the weapon being completely useless. For this reason kusaribuki were some of the most time consuming weapons to be manufactured.
In the next post I will begin discussing the more common chain weapons and their history then move on to more obscure examples.

Kakushi Buki Blog 1

Shuriken can be considered kakushi buki (隠し武器, hidden weapons) depending on how they are used, but when people think of the term kakushi buki other small handheld weapons come to mind. Today I’ll talk about the kakute (角手 horned hand), which is a ring that has spike protruding to add pain in grabbing techniques, or to cause more damage in atemi. Kakute were normally worn on the middle finger with the points facing in, or on the middle finger and thumb when using more than one kakute, they could also be flipped and used on the outside of the hand for atemi. Some varities of kakute even have points on both sides requiring the hands to be kept open when striking, but devastating to the opponent no matter which fist is used. Kakute come in countless varieties and have equally as many names. Normally the name is based on the number of spikes or “horns” protruding, in that case the kanji 角 which is kaku in kakute is read as tsuno and the counting form of 本 hon, a counter for cyllindrical objects is used, i.e. 1 point ippon tsuno kakute(一本角角手), two points nihon tsuno kakute (二本角角手)
seen here , and so on as shown here.

However, these are very general terms, specific ryu-ha may use specific names. Seigo Ryu and Nanban Ippon Ryu refer to kakute as kakushu(角株）　meaning horned jewel though the kanji te in the original word kakute is also read shu, but yet another variation on the original pronunciation of kakute is a change in the kanji kaku to this incarnation 隠手, meaning hidden hand. Yet another variation following this pattern is kakushi(隠し), which as shown above means hidden, but once again a substitution can be made and the kana for shi is replaced with kanji giving us this combination which is still read kakushi, 角指　meaning horned finger. A very obvious name for kakute was kakuwa(角輪), horned ring, and more obscure name was taka no tsume,鷹の爪 meaning hawks talon. Within Tenkamuso Ryu an ippon tsuno kakute was called senriki(千力） meaning 1000 powere, because it was believed that’s how much your ability was increased by using a kakute and their name for nihon tsuno kakute was senninriki （千人力） power of 1000 men for the same reason. Keeping with the kanji riki, meaning power, the Saihoin Buan Ryu also used a kakute, but it was very different. The kakute used in Saihoin Buan Ryu was a single piece of metal hammered around a pipe and sharpened at each end and bent up. This made what was essentially a one size fits all kakute, this weapon was given the name temanriki(手万力）, hand with ten-thousand power, ten-thousand being the Taoist euphemism for infinity this weapon was considered the ultimate force amplifier. A very strange kakute doesn’t appear to be a kakute at all can be seen below.

It can be considered a goshinyowa (護身用輪) self defense ring. As you can see it looks like a normal(depends on your taste) ring, but the design leads it to be used similarly to a traditional kakute. That’s about all I have to say on kakute. I am working on a wide variety for my store. If you would like any other information just ask.
Sanbon Tsuno kakute from Korisuya.

Shuriken Blog 4

Today I want to update my sanko shuriken post. Though not technically a sanko shuriken but still a flat shuriken with three points, I am going to talk about matsubagata shuriken.

Before anyone asks, no I won’t tell you how they’re thrown, I was asked specifically to keep this method secret, and as fake ninjer style as that sounds I will follow that request. It was asked of me by a serious shuriken practitioner and if you know me you know who that person is. Continuing, matsubagata, 松葉形手裏剣, pine needle or pine leaf shaped shuriken are also known as enbiken, 燕尾剣, swallow tail sword or even hiengata 飛燕形 flying swallow shape. They were used by Iga ryu and Yoshio ryu, and perhaps another ryu called Gio ryu, though this isn’t clear. The matsubagata has a lot of mystery around it, such as the origin or the peculiar shape. Some historical examples lead us to believe they are made from broken swords ground on both sids and splayed, or of course the shuriken could have been just another of countless variations on hira shuriken. Some say the matsubagata shuriken was actually a utility knife, this may be true based on some examples, it could also be considered a te no uchi weapon, like most shuriken, using various grips, such as putting the thumb in the v shaped opening, or placing the v in the webbing of the fingers. The matsubagata is a very interesting wepaon and can be obtained at Korisuya

Shuriken Blog 3

First off for everyone who is interested the shuriken sampler is up on the main page at Korisuya
I was going to talk about juji shuriken today but the number of variations on juji shuriken would be a bit much, I will cover them when I have each variety available for sale. Today I will first talk about the Manji shuriken. Manji shuriken 卍手裏剣 or manjiken 卍剣 are of course named after their shape which is the manji 卍 or swastika. I would say the manji shuriken is technically a juji 十字, figure ten, or 　四方 shihou, four directions shuriken because of the basic shape or four points protruding from the center. Manji shuriken are one of the few varieties of hira shuriken in which blade orientation matters. Penetration is only possible with the points facing the target, when the points face the user the shuriken would have a clubbing effect. When used for shoukenjutsu 掌剣術 or tenouchi 手の内 the manji shuriken can be used for severely damaging ripping techniques with the points protruding between the middle and ring finger as well as on both sides of the hands.
Within the classification of manji shuriken there are kakumanji 角卍　meaning angular or cornered manji and nagare manji 流れ卍 meaning flowing manji. Kaku manji as seen here

were a secret weapon of the Kobori ryu. The nagare manji shown here

was used by an unknown ryu, though some sources state this blade was used in Ryusei ryu. Both are available at Korisuya.

Korisuya Shuriken Blog 2: hira shuriken

Today I’ll talk about hira shuriken 平手裏剣. Hira shuriken are shuriken which are flat and usually have at least three points, an exception to this would be the enbangata(円盤型 round tray style) shuriken, which are sharpened around the entire circumference and have no points. Other names for hira shuriken are tashin shuriken 多針手裏剣, many needle shuriken, kurumaken or shaken 車剣 meaning wheel blade also used was shashuriken 車手裏剣 wheel shuriken. The origin of hira shuriken techniques probably lies in the use of tsubute which I talked about in my first blog, but it may also have been influenced by China. A throwing weapon in China known as Lo Han Tsin, a large coin, maybe have formed the basis of such shuriken as the hishigata 菱, hishi is a Japanese water chestnut but in this case hishigata refers to hishigane 菱金a large coin. The horizontal throwing style used for Lo Han Tsin is the same method that appears in Togakure ryu. Hira shuriken were also fashioned out of numerous flat items aside from coins, the most basic of which is the teppan shuriken 鉄板手裏剣, or metal plate shuriken. Teppan were just square thick sheets of metal thrown at the enemy with incredible force. These weapons were used in Kukishin ryu, Koto Ryu, and Kxxxx Ryu. Another souce for hira shuriken could be kuginuki 釘抜き, which are nail removers. As most people know, the Togakure ryu senban 銛盤(lance tray) shuriken is a kuginuki shuriken and is also known as kuginukiken 釘抜剣 or nail remover sword, but there are more styles of kuginuki than just the one that resembles senban, there were also juji shaped kuginuki. The last idea for a source of origin for hira shuriken is in the buddhist Horin 法輪 or dharma wheel. This tool is illustrated in the mid level secret scroll of Yagyu Ryu. Shuriken modeled after the horin are used in Kobori Ryu.
The first style of hira shuriken I will discuss is the Sanko shuriken 三光手裏剣, meaning three lights shuriken. The sanko shuriken available from Korisuya seen here

is from the Ikeda Ryu. There are also other varieties which stem from Shinkage Ryu seen here
and Yagyu Shinkage Ryu seen here
. The sanko shuriken was said to have been created by Shinkage Ryu founder Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Nobutsuna. Another name for sanko shuriken would be sanpo shuriken 3 directions shuriken 三法手裏剣 or, as used in another ryu, mitsubishi shuriken 三菱手裏剣 seen here
. These varieties will be posted on Korisuya shortly. That covers three point shuriken, I will move on to a different variety in my next blog.

Shuriken Blog 1

I’ve decided to spread information about shuriken through a blog. I know this is going to get stolen and abused, like many of my photos of my collection have, but hopefully people who want true knowledge will use this properly. Since secrets-of-shuriken is down this will probably be the best, and only accurate source of information about shuriken. I’ll post on on variety of shuriken whenever I feel like it basically, maybe make a video about it too, I’m not too sure. Today I’ll start with the word shuriken itself and maybe cover one variety.
Shuriken are part of a group of weapons called totekibuki 投擲武器, meaning objects thrown at enemies. The first usage of totekibuki in text as a weapon was in the Heike Monogatari and Gikeiki which recorded soldiers using ishinagejutsu 石投げ術 which is the throwing of stones. Ishinagejutsu later came to be called 礫 meaning pebbles, though the rocks used were actually 4.5 cm across and nearly 1 cm thick, later on the stones used were actually iron stone and called tetsutsubute 鉄礫. These arts formed the basis of throwing technique but the thrown items were still crude and unrefined.The next step in the evolution of shuriken would come from the oldest of Japanese martial arts, kyuujutsu 弓術 , the use of bow and arrow. When a bow was broken the bowman would throw his arrows at the enemy, but there is not enough power behind the arrows to do much damage. This gave rise to the uchine 打根, which means striking source. Other terms for uchine are futoya 太矢, meaning big arrow or 投矢 nageya which means throwing arrow, also the term tetsukiya 手突矢 was used meaning hand thrust arrow. Negishi ryu states this is the mother of shuriken, while the father is uchimono. Uchimono, 打ち物, are any daggers or swords thrown as a weapon, basically the first tantogata shuriken, though they could be swords of any size as recorded in the Jouzan Kidan and Osaka Gunki. These are the seeds that lead us to what we now know as shuriken.
The word shuriken is usually written 手裏剣 hand, inside, sword. This meaning implies anything blade capable of being hidden in the hand is a shuriken. The first record of this usage was in the Hiyori no Ki, which describes the Gosannen no Eki, or Later Three Year war(though it actually lasted 4). The text describes “shuriken ni utsu” which means strike with a shuriken. In Japanese generally it’s disrespectful to say throw shuriken, meaning to use the term nage from the verb nageru, to throw. Normally we say uchi, meaning to strike, it implies a different ideology to the attack. The alternate writing method could be 手理剣 hand justice sword、手利剣 hand benefit sword、修理剣 cultivate justice sword 、手離剣 hand released blade(this is used in Mouen Ryu Shuriken), 修利剣 cultivate benefits sword, and 四寸鉄刀 4 sun iron sword  all still read as shuriken. Another term used was shiriken, 尻剣, which meant butt sword. Of course there were other words that didn’t have the similar pronunciation such as onken 穏剣 unseen or not present sword also pronounced onken is 隠剣 meaning hidden sword, anken 暗剣 meaning dark sword, daken 打剣　meaning striking sword, touken 投剣 meaning throwing sword, gekiken 撃剣 meaning striking sword, fusatsuken 不殺剣 which is very interesting because it describes shuriken as non-killing sword. Also 三不過剣 sanbukaken which is three no passing swords, I don’t know exactly what that means.
This took a little longer than expected to write. I assume I’ll also get an account at blogspot or some other thing like wordpress and share this information. Please though if you want to use this ask me. There was a lot of research put into this and if you want me to continue sharing this information I would prefer it if we kept it out of the hands of frauds. The truth is as dangerous as it is helpful.