Shikomi zue

here is one of my older works,  full wooden Shikomi Zue, 
but not as some standard hidden blades, more like walking stick from Zatoichi movie, from Takeshi Kitano 

this one is with black finish, but as all what I make you have choice

Hidden Teppo

The other night when I brought this new " toy" to training, everyone was surprised,

 which is my main goal, a comment was again "you're crazy", perhaps the best compliment you can get,
only Sensei said, "I thought that was a real gun, but by the smell of lacquer I known that is not"

What to say, for now, this is about the highlight of my armorer skill,

after all, during my military service I was trained as a mechanic of infantry weapons, gunsmith.

So you are looking at Hidden Teppo wooden wersion made for practice.

Profession says that it's actually Tanju Aikuchi, or Tanto (depends on the length),

 although you would think that it is really a ninja weapon, but it seems that's not the case.
It was known that Samurai's have rejected the idea to replace their swords with firearms, so it seems that "some" were later accepted the firearm but packed in a familiar look.

By the number of this firearms that can be found in antique shops, it seem to be exactly what was happened, normally they never ​​mass manufactured, but still ...

Ninja like that idea too, for his undercover mission, and probably the only one who has used this tool fully, why?
Because after you use this single shot, you could use it like Jutte too, there were also cases that Jutte was conceal to look like Tanto (I make one too, pic. will be in new topic)

But what is really this?, 

it is Japanese made single shot percussion pistol, disguised in Tanto koshiare,

usually it was Caliber 31,

history of this weapon goes in the middle of 19th Century, after Japan has been open to foreigners, the common types of European pistols types of Curiosa percussion pistols.(according to "The Gun Report")

Some other say that  this is rare tanto pistol was used during the political turmoil in Japan, following the arrival of Commodore Perry's black ships in 1854, political assasinations were so frequent that Daiymo began carrying concealed pistols, giving them some protection
against visiting opposing Daiymo.
Most of these special order pistols are unsigned (but find some which is signed) 

Profession says that this percussion firearm is particularly rare because Japanese firearm technology was suppressed until the mid-1850’s, which is about the time that metal cartridges began to achieve commercial success.

Whatever that was the reason for the development of this weapon, for those of us who practice ninjutsu, is essential idea of hidden, unexpected and element of surprise, which gives us the advantage, in the battle for survival.

So if you ask me why this? here is my answer:

As you all know, Ninjutsu legacy is huge, because it grows in parallel with another great power, Samurai,

means that ninja need same knowledge with additions and special equipment to survive in combat against the Samurai, real number of that equipment we will newer know :-(

There is many Dojo's around the world, but they equipment for training is poor, mostly, you will know better.

So my mission is to create authentic equipment for training, yes today is time of new and modern weapons, but "root" is the same.

I that time it was Tanto pistol, today is cell phone pistol, again idea is same.

Soke used to say,  "explain the feeling", so yes it is all about "the feel", 

 but how can you explain the feeling when you do not have the real thing in your hand?

 it's true you could try  to imagine it, but is it same feel?

I had luck (or bad luck) to spend my best years of life around war and in war (Croatian independent war 1990. -1995.) so I see many things. 

Today's young people who come to train at our Dojo do not know almost nothing about the weapons of that time, twenty years after war,
we, the older ones that train ninjutsu not know much about weapons from the Samurai time, 

all that because we not have the opportunity to see real one and take in hand "to feel".

So now I ask you, how you will learn from history, how you will explain to other that history?

Miyamoto Musashi in "Go rin no sho" book in one chapter  say;

 "it cannot be clearly explained in writing, You must practise diligently in order to understand"

             
and yes, it will be some more for sale, for lucky on's : )

Kunoichi's Neko Te

Dear ladies,

 
I apologize if it seems that I forgot about you in my work.
This is one of the projects that was a long time in my drawer (there are still plenty of),

 I planned to present it on the first Kunoichi TAIKAI, but unfortunately due to personal problems remained unfinished until now.

 
In front of you is the simplest version of Neko Te for training, it was made of rubber to be safe and prevent injuries, 

I have a similar version of the metal, on which I still work, to make it easy to adjust the size of finger person which will use it.

According to the book "NINJUTSU History ad Tradition" from Soke  Hatsumi, this weapon of Kunoichi we called "Neko te"

 

Originally, this instrument of female Ninja is made of leather and steel,

Neko te, fingertip weapons, as the book says, turn a Kunoichi's hand into a death- dealing claw,

how you are use it, I live up to you or your sensei's .

 

As for the technical side I can say that this tool requires adjustment to the size of your fingers, 

 

soon I will explain how you can easily make a measurement of your finger, if you decided ask me to make this tool for you.

Anyway, I will add new info about this project so check this topic from time to time if you are interested.

Jutte with jabara ito

Dear Buyus,

 
in line with the improving quality, here is more variations  of  truncheon called Jutte,

handles are bound with Jabbara ito.
Colors of bindings are now olive green, wine red and dark blue, there will be more.

 

As you see for the first time there is the octagonal Jutte,  it is possible to make a hexagonal, but I'll leave that for another project

 

more info soon 

Large rokushaku Bo

Hi to all,

 

if you follow the Soke 's books, then you surely saw this huge octagonal rod Bo.

  In the pictures below you can see the difference between the standard rod 3 cm thick and this thick.

White stick is made of hornbeam wood (weight is 3 kg), 

a brown stick is from South American IPE lapacho wood (weight is 3.5 kg), they have not been varnished or oiled, so far.

If any of you decide for something like that, all the dimensions can be according to your wishes.

 

Such a big stick is good for training and for the fight (if you are strong enough and agile)

Why is it good for training?  Except the weight, 

that will force you to pay more attention to Kamae, and you will need more to look at a balance that would be disturbed by the movement of heavy rod

 

thickness plays another important role, because some Koryu schools in Japan have used this thick stick's and bokken's too.

thickness  it  changes the grip, in this way, fingertip taking most of the weight, because of the thickness we can not completely close the fist (see pic.)

Bo shuriken

Bo shuriken, basically  it is kind of nail,

in the old days nails were made by hand and they were in the intersection square, rather than round like today's (see photo)

 different school, and different shapes

soon more info, but also You can click on the "Idea's", where I write about how to make Bo Shuriken

Nagamaki "PAART" version

Hi to all,

here is few pics of my new version of nagamaki, make with natural curvature of wood

as you all maybe know Nagamaki is version of naginata with longer blade, 

there is few shapes and I will try to make all which I find in different books about this weapon

soon more info