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by: mmazone01
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Word Count: 535
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 2010 Time: 6:16 AM
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Throwing stars have been made popular today because of the mystical legend of the Ninjas. The throwing stars also known as the Shuriken “shu”, “ri” and “ken”, which is literally translated as "hand hidden blade" and are commonly known in the West as (throwing stars) that were generally for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing. A shuriken weapon is thrown on the striking surfaces on all edges. Unlike the popular throwing knife the throwing stars can damage an opponent regardless of the surface it comes into contact with. Many ninja stars used by the ninja started out as a tool or piece of metal used on the farm or old coins. When the tool was sharpened on the edges it quickly became a weapon that was perfect for the ninja weapons. Ninjas were master of deception and concealment, and these hidden weapons with their quick release along with numerous uses became a favourite killing tool.

Ophidian Shuriken Star: Originated in China and mastered by the Japanese, the shuriken was mainly taught as a minor, or more correctly, a secret part of the martial arts. This is a great Shuriken! In its folded position the star can be used as a dagger. Unfold the fourth side and be ready for long range combat. This Ophidian Shuriken Star has been designed by world renowned Tom Anderson.

Kohga Ninja Star: It originated from the town of Koka, modern Koka City in Shiga Prefecture. This school of ninjutsu specializes in the use of guerrilla warfare tactics. The Kohga Ninja Star (Kouga Throwing Star) features four sharp edges. This throwing star has always primarily been a weapon of the orient. They were originally developed in China. Later, the throwing star technique (also called Ninjitsu and Shuriken) was mastered by the Japanese.

Bo-Shuriken (spikes): The origin of the Bo-shuriken is considered to be Japan. This is partly because shurikenjutsu is a secretive art, and also to the fact that throughout early Japanese history there were actually many independent innovators of the skill of throwing long, thin objects. These spikes are usually single-pointed, but there are some that are double-pointed and is thrown in a number of ways, such as overhead, underarm, sideways and rearwards, but in each case, the throw involved the blade sliding out of the hand through the fingers in a smooth, controlled flight. Other items were also thrown as in the fashion of Bo-Shuriken, such as kogai (ornamental hairpin), kogata (utility knife) and hashi (chopsticks).

Hira shuriken (throwing stars): It has a wide variety of forms and they are now usually identified by the number of points the blades possess. They often have a hole in the center and possess a fairly thin blade sharpened only at the tip. The hole also had aerodynamic and weighting effects that aided the flight of the blade after it was thrown. In ancient times it was used as a nail removing tools and are constructed from thin, flat plates of metal from a variety of sources, such as hishi-gane (coins), kugi-nuki (carpentry tools), senban (washers), and as such do not generally look like what is usually conceived of as the ninja star.

Throwing Stars or Shuriken has a lot of fun to practice with, It sharpens the skills in martial arts of perfect aiming and also build self-confidence within.