#bujutsu

"Katori Shintō-ryū shuriken-jutsu employs a 5-sun 6-bu 5-ri (approximately 17.2cm) straight throwing spike (bō shuriken). Virtually all the shuriken used by samurai of old were of this format, although depending on the tradition, slightly longer versions or with broader tips, to make the spike tip heavy, were used. Throwing methods to ensure spikes did not rotate before hitting a far-away target were also formulated.

Shuriken have an effective combative range of around between 2 and 4-ken (around 3.6-7.3m), and while not likely to cause fatal wounds to an opponent, they had a significant effect in causing an opponent to lose the will to engage. Shuriken also possess the advantage of being able to strike opponents from longer range than long weapons such as yari and naginata, as well as from narrow spaces.

When practising, the practitioner ensures the shuriken travels out along his second finger without rotating in flight, and gradually shifts the distance at which the target is placed from close to further away. Through throwing several hundred times in one practice session, in time the practitioner is able to hit the target with the shuriken penetrating at a right angle to the target. Shuriken-jutsu practice is conducted alone, so consistent tireless practice is vital. When I first learned shuriken-jutsu, I used an old tatami mat I acquired from a tatami maker and threw around 300 times daily for approximately three years."