Ninja Gear

A movie that ignited the popularity of ninjas in the 80’s was ‘Enter the Ninja’, directed by Menahem Golan.
Even though it was the typical low-production action ninja movie of the 80s, people found it amusing to watch.
Cole is played by Franco Nero, who is this western guy that manages to get to the top of the ninja scene by hard work and dedication, while facing many threats of others.
He figured that his skills made him a mighty weapon, and we see this when he travels to the Philippines to visit and old friend when he gets attacked by some local thugs.

Actually, these thugs are in fact working for a larger group of people dealing in organized crime, which is ruled by a cruel boss.

The boss soon learns that Cole is going to be a threat to him, so he makes a firm decision and hires Cole’s old enemy from Japan, Hasegawa, to take care of him.

Hasegawa starts a rampage everywhere and being very loud about his intentions. That’s when Cole puts on his white ninja suit and heads for a big fight with his enemy.

At that time, the film was made as a typical action film, comparable to the latest Chuck Norris movies. It had all the ingredients.

Many people find the horrible flaws of the movie actually funny. The sound effects are poor, including the visuals, which make the fights seem like comedy sometimes. And don’t forget those statements which sound like a variation of Arnold’s “Hasta la vista, baby!”. Typical for an 80’s action movie.

You can watch it here:

• Do You Want to Know How to Properly Throw Shurikens Author: Phil WashingtonBy now, you're probably already familiar with throwing stars. These are the quintessential ninja weapons apart from the katana and no ninjitsu practitioner should ever be without it. The throwing star, also known as the shuriken, can be a formidable self-defense weapon but only if you're someone who......
• Ninja weapons - stick (staff) Bo is Oriental equivalent of the quarterstaff and is normally 6-7 feet long. Its hard wood makes it difficult to cut or break. Hanbo (half staff) is 2-3 foot stick used as a weapon; practitioners often carry one in each hand. Jo (stick) is a weapon about 4 feet long,......
• Ninja weapons - axes Ninjas use battle and hand (throwing) axes of all kinds. The key to sticking is consistency (which is one of the most important ninja's characteristics). This is most easily attained with an axe or 'hawk with a bit of mass. It's best to throw heaviest you can without strain. Throwing......
• Ninja weapons - blowgun Many ninja use blowguns, as light weapons or as distractions. It may be used as a means to deliver poisons. A blowgun dart is larger and heavier, and does more damage than a blowgun needle but the needle is just as good at carrying poisons. Blowguns can also be used......
• Ninja Climbing Gear Used by ninjas to scale walls, climb trees, and aid in quick escapes, climbing skill is a ninja warrior necessity. Although climbing skills at low level are acquired by many people childhood, a Ninja's ability to scale any obstacle requires a great deal of practice. Climbing is not just the......

Most Ninja’s want to own more than one type of throwing knife. Many current knives work very well, especially with practice. Some of the most crucial things about a knife are length, weight, and balance.

Length is the first most important thing. A knife has to be at least nine inches long (not more than 16 inches) in order for it to have good performance and effects. If the knife is shorter than nine inches, it won’t go deep well. If it is bigger than 16 inches, it will be difficult to handle. On the other hand, a smaller knife will not be that effective, they will only be easier to hide.

The second most important thing is the weight of the knife. In the community of trained knife throwers, a well known approximate ratio of one inch to the ounce is standard knowledge. According to that, a nine-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately nine ounces, and a sixteen-inch throwing knife should weigh approximately sixteen ounces. If a knife weighs too little, it will have low power and not enough hitting power. If it is too heavy, then it will be harder to throw since it is too slow and has a shorter range. Some old Ninja expert said a nice quote “A thrown knife should not fly like a feather or a rock, but like the beak of a hawk.”

At last we have another important thing, balance. It is determined by a throwing knife’s design. It is very much connected to the other two factors. One of the most perfect knives are the ones that can be thrown when you grab them by the blade as well as by the handle. The thing about them is that they are equally balanced on the center of the knife. You can test this out yourself by balancing the knife on the end of one finger to find the center of its gravity.

• Ninja weapons - sword Bokken (wooden sword) This is a wooden copy of the katana, designed to simulate that sword’s weight and other characteristics. It is used to practice swordsmanship since it does not cause cutting injuries. Wielded aggressively, however, it can cause injury from the force of the blow. The bokken requires sword......
• Ninja weapons - blowgun Many ninja use blowguns, as light weapons or as distractions. It may be used as a means to deliver poisons. A blowgun dart is larger and heavier, and does more damage than a blowgun needle but the needle is just as good at carrying poisons. Blowguns can also be used......
• Ninja weapons - axes Ninjas use battle and hand (throwing) axes of all kinds. The key to sticking is consistency (which is one of the most important ninja's characteristics). This is most easily attained with an axe or 'hawk with a bit of mass. It's best to throw heaviest you can without strain. Throwing......
• Ninja weapons - stick (staff) Bo is Oriental equivalent of the quarterstaff and is normally 6-7 feet long. Its hard wood makes it difficult to cut or break. Hanbo (half staff) is 2-3 foot stick used as a weapon; practitioners often carry one in each hand. Jo (stick) is a weapon about 4 feet long,......
• Ninja weapons - Shuriken (throwing star) This small throwing weapon comes in many sizes and shapes. Three varieties are described here. All shuriken are thrown by hand and have a limited range. They are easily hidden in folds of clothing or tucked into sashes. Spike shuriken can even be worn in the hair. Spike shuriken look......

The first weapon Ninja has to master is a knife! That’s how they learn the knife art Tanto-jitsu. Ninjas also learn hand-to-hand combat and the art of throwing many objects, such as shurikens and knives. Not all knifes are made for throwing, so there are the types which are specifically made for that. A Ninja who masters the art of throwing knives is a lethal weapon himself. A Ninja usually carries four types of knives to throw. He carries a combat knife along with that for necessity.

Ninjas throw knives for three primary reasons: to distract attention, to attack, and to kill!

Even though all of there goals require hard work and dedication, especially the last one, a dedicated Ninja can make it possible.
To be able to achieve this through consistent practice, there should be at least ten knives available for the Ninja to practice with. You can find them at various online stores, like here or here.

If you are interested in learning more about the knife throwing techniques, check out these books:

Knife Throwing Techniques of the Ninja

Throwing the Ninja Star of Death (Paperback)

And here is a short tutorial for throwing Kunai knives by Choson Ninja:

• Ninja weapons - blowgun Many ninja use blowguns, as light weapons or as distractions. It may be used as a means to deliver poisons. A blowgun dart is larger and heavier, and does more damage than a blowgun needle but the needle is just as good at carrying poisons. Blowguns can also be used......
• The main factors of a ninja throwing knife Most Ninja's want to own more than one type of throwing knife. Many current knives work very well, especially with practice. Some of the most crucial things about a knife are length, weight, and balance. Length is the first most important thing. A knife has to be at least nine......
• Iga Ryu Ninja Museum If you find yourself in Japan, be sure to visit the Iga Ryu Ninja Museum located in Iga, Mie Prefecture. This museum is dedicated to ninjas, their history, culture, and ninjutsu discipline. Official website of the Museum is: http://iganinja.jp/en/museum/index.html The musem has four main sections: Iga-ryu Ninja House Ninja......
• Do You Want to Know How to Properly Throw Shurikens Author: Phil WashingtonBy now, you're probably already familiar with throwing stars. These are the quintessential ninja weapons apart from the katana and no ninjitsu practitioner should ever be without it. The throwing star, also known as the shuriken, can be a formidable self-defense weapon but only if you're someone who......
• Ninja Stealth Weapon as Nunchaku Author: Tony HackerottNinja were highly trained warriors of feudal Japan. Ninjas executed covert and dangerous missions, such as assassinations and espionage. They were well-known for their precision, skill, and use of weapons. Ninja weapons were typically weapons that would be easily carried and concealed, allowing the ninja to stealthily target......