Weapon Myths

[Genenahs]

Is there any myths or tall tales out there that you have heard regards to different weapons? I suppose this would include modern or old, long range or short range types. My first one would be the myth of the nunchaku, I still hear people think it use to be a rice flail of some sort, it was actually used as part of a horse bit and bridle.Got a pic of the old types but have to learn to paste it in!

[Jinen Kym]

Is there any myths or tall tales out there that you have heard regards to different weapons? I suppose this would include modern or old, long range or short range types. My first one would be the myth of the nunchaku, I still hear people think it use to be a rice flail of some sort, it was actually used as part of a horse bit and bridle.Got a pic of the old types but have to learn to paste it in!

Don't get frustrated. To paste it in you'll have to put it up at photo bucket first. I think Shawns got the details in the admin sections.

took me ages to work out what I was doing wrong at first. The bit part sound plauseable but werent the first nunchuks with a leather tie?
Be good to see

[Genenahs]

Finally worked it out sort of.

[Genenahs]

The bit part sound plauseable but werent the first nunchuks with a leather tie?

Im not sure myself but it sounds possible!

[Shawn]

Shane, not to question you mate... but I'm going to.

Is there any supporting facts to this? I refuse to believe that all traditional Kobudo weapons were improvised farm tools. I think I've seen this explanation for all of them in some form or other, but only some seem logical. I must admit, yours is the best explanation I've seen yet, but I'm not quite convinced yet.

My next favourite one is that Shuriken were originally just a blade for scraping rice or something. It's plausible, but if it were true, they seem to have undergone a lot of transformation since then.

[Dean Whittle]

Myth: that senban (star shaped) shuriken where dipped in poison and could kill people when thrown and they 'stuck' into the opponent.

Shuriken of all types (senban and bo) are designed to be used as a distraction to either facilitate escape or create an opening for entering to strike/grappling etc. If the shuriken 'stuck' then they're even more of a distraction but they are not big enough to cause a fatal injury ... even if dipped in special ninja poison ( )

There's also a lot of myth around what weapons were designed and solely used by feudal ninjutsu practitioners and what were used by samurai. Too many myths to debunk but essentially senban shuriken, kyoketsu shoge (a hooked knife, rope & ring used to stab/cut, entrap and strike - http://www.seratoga.com/ninjutsu/images ... _shoge.jpg) and kunai (a combination digging/prying tool/knife - http://www.seraphswords.com/naruto/naru ... -black.jpg) hav ebeen found to be the only tools/weapons used solely by ninjutsu practitioners.

For more information on some of Japan's other freaky weapons see Serge Mol's excellent book Classical Weaponry of Japan
(Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Arts), which looks at not only "the ... main weapons such as the katana, yari, or naginata, but on the kobuki (small/minor weapons), hibuki (secret weapons) and kakushibuki (hidden weapons)".

With respect

[freq]

most awesome myth ive ever come across was from the tv "documentary" "kung fu killers where they stated that the deadliest kung fu weapon ever was the flying guillotine a weapon no one has ever seen or found plans for. it apparently was used to decapitate a person at a distance by use of a rope operated blade inside a hat like cover (thrown like Frisbee) you dropped it on their head and pulled the rope and the blades closed on the neck and presto decapitation and you dont even have to be close . of course when they tried out the wooden replica (which weighed in at a couple of kgs) couldnt even get it to "decapitate" a straw dummy and only way could get it on the head was use a trampoline and gymnast to somersault over dummys head and drop it straight down even the took about ten goes and couldnt even get it every time. this came from a story that a person was found in his office with his head missing but of course someone ( ) couldnt have used a sword and took the head it must have been the "flying guillotine" it removed his head and allowed some one ( ) to get away with it at the expedient pull of the chain

[Genenahs]

Shane, not to question you mate... but I'm going to.

Is there any supporting facts to this? I refuse to believe that all traditional Kobudo weapons were improvised farm tools. I think I've seen this explanation for all of them in some form or other, but only some seem logical. I must admit, yours is the best explanation I've seen yet, but I'm not quite convinced yet.

Haha hey no prob, I found it hard to believe when i heard it first too.
I actually agree with you when you refuse to believe that ALL Okinawa weaponry came from farm tools. I was shown and told about the nunchaku origin when i was in Okinawa especially in Grandmaster Hokama's Karate and kobudo Museum. Since it is their culture and history that they were talking about i wasnt going to disagree with 10th Dan grandmasters about their own weapon origins.
Here are a couple more that usually generate discussion about their origins:
Tonfa(Tuifa)-Was suppose to be a handle of a Mill grinding machine.
Tekko- These knuckle dusters are rumored to have come from Horse stirrups.
Kama- Used for cutting grass or for harvesting,very common i was told can buy good ones from the hardware shops over there.
Sai- Now a lot of people have their own opinions about the history of this one.The one i believe the most is that it was a tool used by the local law enforcement to keep the peace and was never used as a farming implement, being fully made from metal as well would be a very rare item for a peasant to own since metal was scarce and expensive in the RyuKyu Islands in the old days.
I would like to hear what other people have heard about these weapons as well, its an interesting topic!

[Shawn]

Tonfa(Tuifa)-Was suppose to be a handle of a Mill grinding machine.
Kama- Used for cutting grass or for harvesting,very common i was told can buy good ones from the hardware shops over there.
Sai- Now a lot of people have their own opinions about the history of this one.The one i believe the most is that it was a tool used by the local law enforcement to keep the peace and was never used as a farming implement, being fully made from metal as well would be a very rare item for a peasant to own since metal was scarce and expensive in the RyuKyu Islands in the old days.
I would like to hear what other people have heard about these weapons as well, its an interesting topic!

Now those I agree with!

Tekko- These knuckle dusters are rumored to have come from Horse stirrups.

Hadn't heard that one... but sounds plausible to me

[Genenahs]

Myth: that senban (star shaped) shuriken where dipped in poison and could kill people when thrown and they 'stuck' into the opponent.

Shuriken of all types (senban and bo) are designed to be used as a distraction to either facilitate escape or create an opening for entering to strike/grappling etc. If the shuriken 'stuck' then they're even more of a distraction but they are not big enough to cause a fatal injury ... even if dipped in special ninja poison ( )

Yeh Ive read somewhere that the shuriken were dipped in poison,haha guess i shouldnt believe everything i read!!
There must be a lot of inconceived myths and misguided conclusions about Ninja weaponry and equipment!

[andrewp]

Myth: that senban (star shaped) shuriken where dipped in poison and could kill people when thrown and they 'stuck' into the opponent.

Shuriken of all types (senban and bo) are designed to be used as a distraction to either facilitate escape or create an opening for entering to strike/grappling etc. If the shuriken 'stuck' then they're even more of a distraction but they are not big enough to cause a fatal injury ... even if dipped in special ninja poison ( )

Yeh Ive read somewhere that the shuriken were dipped in poison,haha guess i shouldnt believe everything i read!!
There must be a lot of inconceived myths and misguided conclusions about Ninja weaponry and equipment!

There are toxins that will kill you....depending on your size etc. that will kill you by being on the skin....let alone intra muscular.

[Jinen Kym]

Remember many of the myths come from the deaths caused by simple infections because of the lack of todays medicines. I'm going to learn some traditional weaponry like a chair, or earlier day Western weapons such as studded belt or motorcycle chain.

[Shawn]

motorcycle chain.

Now that ones no myth, that one's proven to work...

[Sifu Davo]

Hi fellas

Do a bit of research into European agricultural tools - let alone Asian ones.In a recent show hosted by Michael Palin about Eastern Europe, we saw large Nunchaku type tools being used to thresh wheat. These are still in use in the more primitive European countries (i.e. the ones that had the benefit of being Communist until recently). I'll stick with the rice flail story!

Cheers


Davo

[Genenahs]

Do a bit of research into European agricultural tools - let alone Asian ones.In a recent show hosted by Michael Palin about Eastern Europe, we saw large Nunchaku type tools being used to thresh wheat. These are still in use in the more primitive European countries (i.e. the ones that had the benefit of being Communist until recently). I'll stick with the rice flail story!

Hey No prob Davo, gotta respect an individual's opinion or else we'll be debating it till we are blue in the face. Very interesting about what you said of the European countries though, thanks for the insight!