7 Most Common Weapons Used by Ninjas

All of us are familiar with the notion of a ninja, but we need to realize how much history there is behind the idea. Armed with this knowledge and some historical texts, you'll be able to transform your understanding of every ninja in your life. (Well, maybe not all...unless you're an expert or something.)

The first step to understanding the history behind ninjas is to examine the culture that gave birth to them. The people of Japan were living in relative peace when it all changed. In 1543, a man named Oda Nobunaga emerged as a strong warlord with the ambition of unifying Japan under his rule.

He gained control of the provinces surrounding Kyoto and set sights on conquering this capital city. Nobunaga was ruthless in his conquest and during this time he acquired many skilled warriors from defeated armies who were willing to be his retainers for money, prestige, and power.

Weapons of Ninjas - Ninja Weapons!

Ninjas were a stealthy and powerful class of warriors who practiced various martial arts. They have been portrayed in many forms of media, ranging from movies to anime to video games. The weapons they typically wielded included swords, daggers, throwing weapons, and staff.

In addition to these ninja weapons, they would also use shinobi scrolls that allowed them to perform ninja magic. These ranged from traps such as explosive shuriken or smoke bombs that came in handy for near-silent kills as well as remotely detonating explosives or summoning animals and monsters like scorpions or bears.

The ninjutsu of the ninja was not only formidable but versatile as well. They could adapt to nearly any situation and became masters in several different forms of combat, including unarmed fighting, swordsmanship, archery, and horseback riding. Their combat styles were later classified into a number of different disciplines that made up the ninja arts. These included:

The sword was an aspect of the ninja arts that ranged from the simple katana to a wide variety of bladed weapons ranging from scimitars to halberds to katanas and even naginata. The shape and length of these weapons varied greatly depending on the type of weapon it was supposed to be used with.

Ninja’s Favorite Weapons

The ninja began as a shadowy, mythical figure. They are often seen killing or poisoning their targets, wearing black outfits and straw sandals, and carrying a sword or other short weapon in the manner of the samurai.

But what is most important to know about these assassins is that they have some of the coolest weapons in history! There are seven coolest ninja weapons that ninjas tend to use over any others when taking on their missions.

1. Foot Knife

The foot or boot knife was often worn on the inside of the boot for sneaky withdrawal and quick accessibility. This is one of the most common weapons of ninjas and can be used in a variety of situations.

The foot knife is known as a small, single-edged blade (1-3 inches); this blade can be a double or single edge and can be straight or curved. The foot knife was used to stab and slash in close-quarters combat. This weapon is commonly found on ninjas who were on assassination missions.

2. Ninja-To

The ninja-to or ninja sword is probably one of the best-known weapons associated with ninjas. It is a long, curved blade that ninjas favor because it is easy to conceal and cuts so well. The wickedly sharp edge can kill almost anything in a single swipe. This is a blade that typifies ninja power.

The ninja-to is said to have originated from the Muromachi Period (1336–1573) of Japan, though some historians argue that it was developed in the Warring States period as a weapon for close-quarters combat. Regardless of when it came into being, almost all ninja-to are constructed in the same way.

These ninja weapons are forged from high-carbon steel, usually folded to make them both strong and flexible. Along with its construction, there is one more thing that makes the blade distinctive. Usually kept hidden under the tsuba (hand guard), most ninja-to have a notch on the back of their blade.

3. Ninja Throwing Star

The ninja throwing stars were often used by ninjas as a weapon to put distance between them and their attackers. But the throwing stars can also be used more offensively against a charging warrior or an advancing enemy. One of the ways to learn to use them effectively is to start with your feet spread apart.

Hop back, put your arms down, and then throw the stars at different angles at different distances. This keeps you away from unwanted contact while covering the distance needed to get a hit in successfully.

The throwing star can be made out of paper, gold, and iron. Gold is recommended for most throwing stars because it will hold its shape better than paper or iron ones. The iron ones are good for people who have problems with bending metal, but they are also more difficult to make them with because of their difficulty in shape and polishing.

4. Poison Dart Gun

The most powerful weapon of all is the poison dart gun. These small devices can shoot out a number of poisoned darts at once. This is a weapon that can be used with deadly effectiveness in the hands of a ninja. The darts contained in this weapon are extremely poisonous; the victim of one dart dies within 24 hours.

In addition, a ninja can cause the poison's effects to last for one week by blowing into the device. This is a device that looks like a toy gun, which transforms into a special dart launcher when it is pointed at an enemy. The actual firing mechanisms are hidden inside.

This allows the user to fire more than one dart at once. The darts contained in this magic weapon explode on impact, causing numerous lethal wounds and causing various kinds of damage over an area equal to 10 square feet.

5. Hidden Blade

The hidden blade also goes by many other names, including katana and wakizashi. This blade is worn on the inside of the belt or wrapped around the forearm and hidden with a sleeve so it sticks out only enough to draw attention to it while still being concealed. The hidden blade was one of the most reliable weapons in ninjutsu, used by ninjas throughout history to kill their enemies in stealthy ways.

These ninja weapons were invented by Choi Kwang-Jun during the mid to late 600s. It was a direct descendant of the dagger with the blade protruding from a folded strip of cloth and was used by ninjas in Korea, Japan, and China before and during the time it is said that ninjas were still active in those countries.

The hidden blade is notable for being unusually small and easily concealable, thus perfect for stealthy assassinations. The weapon received popularity throughout Japan more than 1400 years ago during the early Heian period (794-1185 AD) when warrior monks ruled much of Japan. To this day, some ninja schools still use this weapon as part of their training system.

6. Kusarigama

The sickle and chain is a weapon favored by ninjas because of the range it offers; it can reach up to fourteen feet. Ninjas use this distance to their advantage by luring their opponents in, then cutting them down with the sickle or striking them down with the weight at the end of the chain. Some ninjas even have been known to add poison to the sickle or metal spikes to maximize damage.

7. Kunai

The kunai knife is probably one of the most well-known ninja weapons because it's what Rock Lee from Naruto uses for his weapon style and, as such, has become popular in America recently. The kunai is a ki-enhanced dagger that can be thrown. It is similar to the shuriken in terms of appearance and function but with a wider blade.

Ninja Weapons Today!

Ninja weapons are used by some ninjas today. A few modern-day ninjas use these weapons these days. Some of these people are not actually ninjas, but instead students of martial arts or practitioners of the discipline.

These people may be unaware that the term "ninja" is only sometimes applied to those who practice this sort of fighting technique and alternatively can denote somebody else entirely outside the world of martial arts: a person hired to do stealth work such as demolition, espionage, and assassination. Some people are reluctant to admit that ninja weapons are used today.

They insist that ninjas in the modern world don't exist, despite having seen videos of ninja demonstrations. People who deny the existence of modern ninjas and ninja weapons usually claim that they are a myth, a legend or that they are only an imaginary weapon used in fictional works of fiction such as the "Rise of the Ninja" series and "Ninja Assassin".

A popular misconception is that all ninjas were solely skilled in martial arts. While there were some such individuals, many others were just hired assassins, who did not necessarily need to be skilled in martial arts.