The weapons of ninjas

Watercraft includes: floating bridges, sunken bridges, reed rafts, rattan cages, water spiders, water scrapers, herons, military ships, and so on

The ninja sword, also known as the "ninja blade," is typically a short sword with a length of less than 60 centimeters. The blade is wide and heavy, primarily belonging to the straight sword category (distinct from the swords used by samurai). When carrying out missions, the ninja sword often serves as an auxiliary tool for climbing. Additionally, its scabbard can be used as a breathing apparatus during water spider techniques and as a listening device.

The section on firearms consists of firearms and their methods of use, which include: the formula for water fire cord, the formula for water iron cannon, fire box, everlasting bright pine, the method of striking bright pine, the method of caged fire, the two methods of fire in water, the five methods of wind water torch, the method of fire mouth, the method of bear fire, the method of deep sleep, the formula for willow branch fire, the use of eternal fire, righteous bright pine, entry fire, the bright pine of birth and death, the method of burning medicine, the method of vehicle torch, the formula for bright eye powder, the formula for light foot powder, the method of cold formation fire, the method of water bonfire, the method of rolling fire, the formula for wolf glare, the formula for forgetfulness powder, the formula for dark medicine, and so on

The five-chain staff, similar to China's meteor hammer, generally has a length of about 1 meter and is also a type of defensive weapon. Its weight and thickness vary; the smallest and lightest version can be concealed within a sleeve and used as a hidden weapon

The blade of a ninja's short knife is relatively dull, so dull that even when gripped tightly by hand, it does not draw blood. Rather than being merely a weapon, the ninja's knife can be considered a multifunctional tool. For instance, if the short knife is thrust into the ground, the guard can serve as a footrest; if the guard is hung high, both hands can safely grip the blade to climb upwards. Even the scabbard of the ninja's knife has various uses. Typically, the scabbard is slightly longer than the blade, and the extended portion can be used to conceal poison or hidden weapons. The tip of the scabbard can also be removed, transforming it into a hollow tube, which can serve as an air pipe when the ninja is hiding underwater. In dark places or rooms, the scabbard can also function as a "detector" for the ninja.

The "shuriken," also known as the iron thorn, is similar to the flying darts in our martial arts, capable of hitting the target with a hundred percent accuracy within 10 yards (approximately 9 meters). In ancient times, the shuriken used by ninjas was often coated with poison. There are generally eight-pointed shuriken, hexagonal shuriken, cross-shaped shuriken, triangular shuriken, and "卍" shaped shuriken. When thrown, these shuriken rotate around their geometric center in the air, ensuring a stable trajectory and a certain degree of accuracy at close range. The multi-angular shuriken primarily relies on its sharp angles to injure the enemy, possessing lethal power that is limited only by the imagination, which is why ninjas would coat each angle with deadly poison (as seen in "The Tale of the Beast Warrior and the Ninja Wind," where a spy disguised as a monk used poisoned shuriken). This makes it a very dangerous weapon. Ninjas typically use shuriken in two scenarios: assassination and when surrounded by multiple enemies and in urgent need of escape. When in use, they usually throw four to five shuriken at once to increase the hit rate. These shuriken weigh between 40 grams and 60 grams, and generally, ninjas do not carry dozens of them, as their agility is their advantage.

The blades used by ninjas are shorter than those of short swords, measuring only 24 inches, and their quality is far inferior to that of samurai swords, with blades that are also much duller. Therefore, the ninja's blade is not intended for slashing but is primarily designed for stabbing. If a ninja and a samurai were to confront each other with their respective swords, the ninja would clearly be at a disadvantage. In order to achieve victory, the ninja must resort to other means

A sword (or knife) is a symbol of honor for Japanese samurai. Samurai typically carry two swords (or knives); the longer one is called a tachi, and the shorter one is known as a shoto. Both are crafted from high-carbon steel, meticulously forged through numerous processes. The blade is thin enough to be flexible, yet hard enough to penetrate armor, making the claim that it can cut through iron like mud not an exaggeration. It is said that after World War II, the American military attempted to use a rifle barrel to parry a short sword, only to find that the rifle barrel was actually cut through by the short sword.

The weapon that matches the stick is the staff (Jo), approximately 2 feet (about 70 centimeters) in length; it is an excellent defensive weapon that can be used for striking, slashing, thrusting, or throwing, designed to counter opponents armed with daggers or short knives

A tool used for unlocking cabinets and prying open sliding doors includes: a crowbar, a curved knife, an elongated key, a pick, tweezers, a awl, a sickle, a lock puller, a pry bar, a saw, a nail puller, and a listening device.

The tools used by ninjas are categorized into five main types: climbing tools, water tools, opening tools, fire tools, and concealed weapons

Shuriken includes three types: in addition to the dart-shaped shuriken, there are chopstick shuriken and sickle shuriken. The chopstick shuriken resembles chopsticks, while the sickle shuriken resembles a sickle without a handle. Ordinary shuriken can also be categorized into different shapes, such as rod-shaped and flat-shaped.

In fact, the weapons commonly used by ninjas are far more than the aforementioned five types. A bamboo chopstick, a hollow bamboo tube, and a rope, all of which can be easily found, can be transformed into weapons.

Recently, many friends have either privately messaged me or left comments, wanting to know everything about ninjas, especially their weapons. Here, Liu Yun will briefly discuss this.

The stick (Bo) is one of humanity's most primitive revolutionary weapons and texts. It is considered revolutionary because its performance is far superior to that of stones or roughly processed stone darts and spears. Once a stone is thrown, the weapon is lost from hand. In contrast, a stick is easy to obtain (one can simply break off a branch) and is advantageous for close combat, while also being throwable. In light of this, ninjas regarded the stick as the primary weapon and developed a series of methods and techniques for using stick weapons, which they called "Bojutsu"

The most common ninja tools include shuriken, ninja swords, hand guards, and smoke bombs. These items are all essential equipment for ninjas, and when going out to carry out missions, none of these can be omitted

Ancient ninjas were experts in the use of various weapons, proficient in the katana, naginata, bows and arrows, staffs, and concealed weapons such as shuriken

The stick used by ninjas generally has a diameter of 2 inches and a length of approximately 5 feet. The solid stick is made of hardwood and is a solid rod. A solid rod possesses great power, and once struck by it, one is likely to suffer broken bones; if it hits a vital area, the danger increases significantly. The hollow stick is lighter in weight and appears to be less dangerous; however, it has its own insidious nature. Typically, opponents would never expect that with a slight flick of the ninja's wrist, iron pellets hidden within the hollow of the stick, as well as concealed weapons like flying knives and short arrows, can directly target the enemy's throat or heart. The hollow stick can also conceal a 5 to 6-foot iron chain, which can unexpectedly ensnare the enemy when released.

In ancient times, female ninjas rarely used shuriken, instead opting for poisoned hairpins to inflict fatal harm on their enemies

Four types of bows. The bows used by ninjas are divided into two categories: large bows and small bows. The large bow is used for long-range shooting, while the small bow is used for close-range shooting. In addition to shooting arrows, they can also launch fire arrows, signal arrows, and flower arrows (a type of arrow that explodes with a sound) to harass the enemy. With the advent of handguns, bows and arrows have become cumbersome and inconvenient for modern ninjas. Only one type of blowgun crossbow has survived to this day. The blowgun contains a steel needle; when blown forcefully, the steel needle is launched, but the effective range is only two to three meters.

The climbing equipment used by ninjas includes: knot ladders, cloud ladders, high ladders, folding ladders, hooks, long flying capes, ninja staffs, dragon ascenders, spider ladders, probing iron, shurikens, hook ladders, rolled ladders, and cloud ladders, totaling fifteen types

Additionally, there are some oddly shaped weapons, most of which are derived from agricultural tools, such as short crescent-shaped sickles, grappling hooks, and short knives. Generally, these sickles and hooks are attached to a rope made from horsehair or human hair; similar to the function of a "shuriken," the hooked sickles and knives can be retrieved after being thrown.