Improvised Weapons: The Ninja's Secret Arsenal
DISCLAIMER: This blog post is for educational and historical purposes only, focusing on Ninja history and tactics. The content is not intended as a guide for creating or using weapons.
The author and website:
– Do not encourage or endorse creating or using weapons for any unlawful purpose
– Emphasize that certain improvised weapons may be illegal in many jurisdictions
– Strongly recommend prioritizing peaceful conflict resolution
– Advise consulting local laws regarding self-defense tools and techniques
– Encourage seeking qualified professional self-defense training
This information should not substitute for professional self-defense training or legal advice. Improper training can lead to serious injury or legal consequences.
A Long Time Ago
The Ninjas built their martial arts system with things they had at hand. Understanding how weapons are deployed helped them to develop their particular iconic weapons. But let’s start with the story of how these warriors started.
You need to go back 1,500 years or so when Chinese monks fled China, as they had developed much of the art of pre-Ninjutsu. They worked as spies mostly, but when the various dynasties fell, the rising powers hunted down these spies and eliminated them. So many fled to Japan and hid out in the mountains around Iga and Koga. Here is some research from Gemini:
“Early Influences (pre-12th century):
Indigenous mountain folk: It’s believed that the skills and practices that would later become Ninjutsu were initially developed by indigenous people living in the mountainous regions of Japan. These individuals possessed intimate knowledge of the terrain and were adept at survival techniques, camouflage, and unconventional warfare.
Yamabushi: These mountain ascetics, who practiced a blend of Shugendo (mountain worship) and Buddhism, were also skilled in martial arts, survival, and esoteric knowledge. They are often considered to be among the earliest precursors to the Ninja.
Chinese influences: During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), there was significant cultural exchange between China and Japan. It’s likely that Chinese military strategies and espionage techniques, along with esoteric practices like Taoism, influenced the development of Ninjutsu.
Formalization of Ninjutsu (12th century):
Daisuke Togakure: A former samurai who lost his position and status, Daisuke is credited with formalizing the art of Ninjutsu. He retreated to the mountains of Iga province, where he encountered Kain Doshi, a Chinese warrior monk. Together, they synthesized their knowledge and skills, laying the foundation for the Iga School of Ninjutsu.
Emergence of Ninja Clans (14th-16th centuries):
Iga and Koga: These two regions became renowned for their ninja clans, who served as mercenaries and spies for various feudal lords during periods of conflict. The Iga and Koga clans developed distinct styles of Ninjutsu, but both emphasized stealth, espionage, and unconventional warfare tactics.
Key Points to Remember:
Secrecy: Ninjas were masters of stealth and secrecy, leaving behind few historical records. Much of what we know comes from later manuals and fictionalized accounts.
Adaptability: Ninjutsu was not a rigid system but rather a collection of adaptable skills and techniques tailored to specific situations.
Versatility: Ninjas were not just assassins or spies. They were also skilled in a wide range of disciplines, including martial arts, survival, medicine, and even entertainment (performing arts).”
Sources
Internationalism in the Tang Dynasty (618–907) | Essay – The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
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The History of Japanese Ninjas – ThoughtCo
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The History of Japanese Ninjas | Connect times
media.connectiu.com
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History of the Iga Ninja | Koka Ninja House(The former House of Mochizuki Izumonokami)/Ninja House nowadays
Ninja – Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
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Ninja – World History Encyclopedia
Now, what was passed on to me was that the Chinese monks watched the Japanese mountain people get raided and abused by roaming bands of renegade samurai. As the mountain people grew their crops and stored what they could to survive the winter, these samurai bands would come into the hills and find the small villages of farmers.
They would take what they could carry and, of course, have their way with any of the farmer’s family members they desired.
One of the farmers left the village and headed down to the ports near the sea. On his way down the mountain trail, he was approached by several Chinese monks and they spoke Japanese.
They asked the farmer, “Do you like the roaming bands of samurai who pillage your village?”
“Of course not.”
“So, would you like to learn how to stop them from coming?”
The farmer said, “Yes. How can we stop such powerful men?”
The monks told them about setting up watching posts to warn of their coming. We talked about how to set up traps that would kill the samurai and how to train them to fight.
The monks helped them think differently about warfare. Ultimately, the natural man traps, which the Japanese put their creative twist on, started to make some real difference.
The word got out that you shouldn’t go into the mountains and steal food or mess with the people there. They didn’t know who was doing the killing, but it started some actual folklore.
The samurai were very uneducated and very superstitious, and the Ninjas used this to their great advantage. Some samurai would travel up into the mountains to figure out who was attacking them; however, few survived the adventure. At one point, the Ninjas attacked a samurai warrior with weapons he had never seen before.
At the end of this ordeal, the samurai ran back down the mountains. He had many tails of fighters that you didn’t even see. Their arms were much longer than a human’s as they could hit you from a far distance with their fist. They could walk on water and fly through the air. And they were demons as they would light fire rings in the sky so you could see their demon faces.
All of this is true.
In upcoming blog posts, I will tell you how all that was true, but for now, let’s focus on the weapons. Most of their weapons were all designed by the Ninja. Some were repurposed farm instruments, but others were very unique. And that brings us to the heart of this blog post: the ability to create and use improvised weapons.
As I continued to study Ninjutsu from my earliest exposure in 1972, but more heavily in 1980, I found the weapons nothing short of amazing. As I researched them, I started to see a pattern. As an Engineer, we are born to see patterns, I guess, but as an engineer in weapons systems, I began to understand weapons of opportunity creation better. Let’s take a look at what I started to see.
1 Categories of Weapons
In my martial arts classes, I routinely do a “Make a Weapon” class, which is really a “Make an Improvised Weapon.” To do it properly, I go through a simple category of weapons so that when they are out looking around outside or in the desert, they know how to make a successful weapon. They will need to demonstrate that weapon, too, so if it is junk or won’t function as a weapon, they won’t look like a good like a Ninja.
To help mitigate this embarrassment, I will spend time in the Ninja weapons categories. As such, they learn the essential features and performances that will make a weapon successful in that category. It also shows how some weapons fall into cross categories; therefore, more than one set of physics is involved, and it must be taken into account for the improvised weapon to function correctly.
The Ninja weapons currently fall into the following categories.
Ballistic: The Ninjas seldom used such a thing, but there are a few cases in which they played with this sort of weapon. Primarily for large-scale missions where they needed to signal each other.
Projectile: These are weapons dominated by flight dynamics. Examples are firearms, arrows, spears, knives, shurikan, blinding powder (or worse), and blowguns.
Rotational Weapons: This is a famous story from China about how the three sectional staff were created. A Bo staff broke into three pieces, and the monk used rope to tie the parts back together again. However, what he made was something fantastic. Bo staff against Bo staff when you strike at the head, and your opponent raises his Bo staff to block the strike, that is it.
Your Bo stops right there; however, with a three-sectional staff, the rope flexes, and the parts of the staff keep going right around the blocking Bo staff. You ultimately hit your opponent in the head with a fast-moving stick as the conservation of momentum is at play. Just like an ice skater spinning with their arms out, as they pull in their arms, they spin faster.
That is the conservation of momentum at work, and that is why the parts of the three sectional staff accelerate to hit your opponent. So, rope or chain weapons can use the same principle, and therefore, they should be designed with this in mind.
Linear weapons: This applies to swords, knives, and sticks. The power of the sword, for a Ninja, comes from the body. This is in contrast to other warriors who develop their sword power from their arms.
Chemical weapons: Ninjas are big in poisons and many other chemical weapons. Their use of pyrotechnics to start fires to move warriors to a location all the time the Ninjas were scaling walls on the opposite side of the compound.
Blinding powder falls into this category, but it also falls into the projectile category.
Biological weapons: Also, biological mixtures were used to poison the water sources, if possible, to make the warriors sick and also the animals. This was all done three days before the compound was due to be attacked.
Now, let’s explore some simple yet effective improvised weapons. Some of these improvised weapons also have videos of me showing how to make and use them. So, let’s jump right into the fascinating world of improvised weapons.
2.0 Improvised Weapons in Detail
All of these weapons are considered melee weapons as they are used in direct, hand-to-hand combat. They are designed to be effective at close ranges and act as an extension of the warrior or a part of their combat strategy. They usually are not the result of contact with an opponent, but rather, they are made ahead of time prior to their need of use.
Remember that this isn’t meant to be a roadmap for you to make these weapons and hurt people. Instead, remember that the point here is to highlight how the Ninja made weapons from pure junk. So, if you need to make some of these weapons, remember that if you should need to use them, do so responsibly. Also, once the aggression against you has stopped, so must you. You can’t punish your opponent legally.
2.1 The CD or DVD ROM
Yep, your standard CD or DVD ROM can be a deadly weapon. In the video below, you can see how my friend, Ron Lester, is puzzled by how this could be a weapon. I handed a DVD to him, and he tried to figure out how you could use a round piece of plastic as a weapon.
I showed him how to flex the DVD, which breaks into many pieces. Several are almost the size of the palm of your hand, and they fit nicely like a makeshift knife. There are many “Shards” that can be used to penetrate the ears, nose, or eyes. You could also reach many of the arteries of the body, which, in time, would cause death. With so many improvised weapons, you can cause serious injury, deterrent, or death.
On the DVD ROM or CD, you can use a knife to “Score” the plastic, and it will usually break on or near that line. Thus, you can have your DVD break into very sharp, curved knives that fit into the palm of your hand.
You must use this knowledge correctly, as you will live with the results for the rest of your life. It is something not to be taken lightly, and being kind to evil does have its place, perhaps. Also, know that once the aggression against you is stopped, legally, you are not permitted to punish your attacker, so be sure you don’t end up in jail and your attacker goes free.
Here is a demonstration with a hilarious guy, Ron Lester. RIP. I hope you enjoy the lesson and the entertainment. Oh, for those movie buffs, Ron was the quarterback of the movie Varsity Blues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAhGBbys4KI.
Ron Lester and Master Peter Brusso, the DVD ROM lesson: https://youtu.be/pcnOPBKfs0k
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY: Using the CD or DVD ROM as a self-defense improvised weapon means that you break a few of them and practice with the broken parts. Here is a link to get 50 CD ROMs for $11: https://tinyurl.com/yr3bkwu4. So, realistically, they are inexpensive for developing your skills with this tool. I would try to score some of the CD ROMs to make a tool more like a Defender Self Defense Weapon and see what you can make.
Then, once you decide on the shape you want to have, I would make ten of them and place them everywhere you might occupy. In your car, in the bathroom, next to your computer, in your TV room, and your backpack. You can also make some up for loved ones and, of course, show them how to use it. You can take them anywhere with you, and remember, they make a handy-dandy drink coaster.
2.2 Soda or Beer Can
Again, here I am with Ron Lester! We used a beer can this time, and I showed Ron how this could be used as a weapon. It’s not quite as aggressive as a DVD ROM, but it can do an excellent job on an attacker.
The Beer itself can be an effective Defender Self-Defense Weapon (https://PDWS.biz).
To make it a “Bad Boy,” you fold the thin aluminum so that it creases several times to cause metal fatigue, and then you can easily tear it into two parts.
What you have now is a very effective self-defense weapon. You can fold the aluminum foil parts to make points for stabbing, slicing, and cutting.
You can attack the eyes with ease, and that is a very strategic move. You can obviously poke them to move them around or out of your way so you can run. See the video for the entertainment and the complete lesson. Here is the one with Ron Lester: https://youtu.be/6QzwPaAAShY
And here is a longer, more in-depth video, Beer Can Pt 1: https://vimeo.com/725185871.
Beer Can Pt 2: https://youtu.be/Wzchx7nFPPw.
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY: The other day, I was telling my best friend about being able to take an empty soda can onto an airplane. I said, “Who would do that?”
My best friend Steve said, “Someone who had purchased a soda in a can AFTER the TSA checkpoint had, it would be available to take on the plane, perhaps, one or two more swallows of the soda left.” Ah,
OK then. It might be an excellent procedure to take an empty soda can onboard every plane you fly. This way, if they don’t give you a beverage in a can on the plane, you still have a can to use.
I would save up some cans, clean them out, and practice what I learned from the videos I provided. Once you get the idea of how to use the cans effectively, then refresh your skills once a year. Have your can in your backpack pocket right along with your CD ROM drink coaster.
2.3 Blinding powder
I can’t give you the exact recipe for blinding powder as it is a family secret; however, I can teach you to make something that works well. You can mix this up into a baggy and take it with you anywhere you go. If ever asked what it is, tell them it is your unique formula for spicing up your food. And it is entirely edible.
Mix equal parts of salt, ground black pepper, and ground red pepper or ground cayenne pepper. Mix it up really well and put it into a baggy.
OK, it’s time to use it.
Pour the mixture into the palm of your hand and close your fingers around it. When you have a clear shot at their eyes or even one eye, throw the mixture in a way that your hand opens up close to your target. Here is what happens.
First, if they inhale, they will start coughing. That is the first sign it’s time to run or go to the next phase of your attack.
Second, with some luck, the powder mixture will reach their moist eyes. Next, the black pepper and cayenne pepper will “cake” on their eyes. Finally, the salt, which hits first, will be there, and then they start to blink their eyes due to the pepper mixture.
Third, when they blink, the salt causes hundreds of scratches on the cornea of the eye, which is very painful if you have ever had a cornea scratch before, but the black pepper starts a quick burn of the eyes. More blinking means more scratches, which causes tears in the eyes. This wets the red cayenne pepper.
Fourth, the cayenne pepper gets wet and releases its long-term eye burning oil into the eyes. This is a long-term burn oil that flows into all those cornea scratches.
This is a no-nonsense improvised weapon. Now, if you are at a restaurant, what do you have on the table? Salt and pepper. You are almost there. If you have any hot sauce, you can add that to the salt and pepper mixture to get the long-term burn.
As a side note, if you are in the part of the country that doesn’t put salt on the table, that’s no problem, as sugar does the same thing as salt. In the cornea scratch, you are looking for something “Cubistic” in shape or at least abrasive. It must be something that will scratch the cornea for the other parts to work. So, sugar can perform this, too, or even sand. However, you don’t find sand at the restaurant table very often.
So, if someone comes into the restaurant and threatens everyone, it is time to open up the salt and pepper shakers. Pour the salt and pepper into the palms of your hands, then add your “Tabasco Sauce” or the like, and you are ready for a fight.
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY: Trying to teach each of you how to throw blinding powder correctly would not be possible. Therefore, I think each person should develop their own way of throwing the powder.
I would take a plastic dinner plate and nail it to a tree. Then, get five pounds of flour and grab a handful. Stand in front of the target and try tossing the powder until you hit the plate. Move a little closer to the plate and keep throwing until you can hit it most of the time.
Next, add one thing. Step off the line of attack of the opponent. Perhaps take some flour and form a straight line out ten feet or so. Stand over the line at the distance that you were able to throw the powder and start to practice again. However, this time, you step off the line and then throw your powder.
Finally, you make a baggy of the real stuff and try throwing that the same way you were doing. Make sure not to inhale the dust or touch your eyes. These would be the best way to teach yourself how to throw blinding powder.
Blinding powder use in these Ninja Demonstrations: https://youtu.be/nY7mU3rB-WM and https://youtu.be/dvY-2EHTph4
2.4 Plastic straw
Again, another yep! You can kill with a drinking straw from a fast-food joint or ones you purchase from the store. However, they do need to be plastic or metal, but not paper.
The Ninjas never had a plastic straw, but they understood compressed air. The harnessing of gases to do work is called pneumatics. So, if you take a straw between your thumb and forefinger and quickly try to push it into a potato, it won’t pierce the skin at all. Now, a potato is a more challenging target than the human body. If you could make the plastic straw penetrate the human body, you could hit targets that could cause serious issues for an attacker.
If you fold over the end of the straw, place the straw in between your fingers and palm, plus fold over the end of the straw so the air can’t escape; you have a weapon. This weapon can be used against the eyes, ears, and arterial targets.
How does this work? As you place your folded straw end into your hand, you stop the escape route for the air trapped in the straw. As the straw is pushed into the potato, the air starts to get compressed and doesn’t allow the straw wall to collapse. The farther you go into the potato, the more air pressure you have to hold up the straw wall. It’s just that simple, but only if you know about weapons theory.
Again, you must use this knowledge responsibly. There are both ethical and legal responsibilities.
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY: Go to the grocery store and purchase your drinking straws. Don’t forget a small bag of potatoes or a few baker’s potatoes. When you get home, try to stick them by holding the straw with your fingers. You can’t. So then, place the straw into your hand, with about one inch of the straw or more sticking out the bottom of your hand.
Find the place to fold over the straw tightly, and close your palm. Put the bent end inside your closed palm, too, and put your thumb over the bent end so It doesn’t slip.
Then, stealthfully approach your victim. Don’t look at them as they will feel you. Slowly reach out and grab your victim firmly and stab them repeatedly until they are dead.
You can now add straws to your backpack pocket to keep the CD ROM, empty soda can, and blinding powder company.
2.5 The Cane
Medical canes, or most of them, are light and flimsy, so you can’t do much with them. If you can find a custom wood cane builder, you have hit pay dirt. I have one from my teacher, Master Ed Martin, who lived in Pennsylvania and worked with the Amish to create a unique and robust cane.
My cane has a curved handle, as many aluminum canes do, but the handle gap is wider; it fits around an opponent’s neck! Also, the end of the cane is carved into a long, flat point that allows you to attack pressure points. So, taking this as an example, let’s digitally run outside the Dojo (Martial Arts School) and see what we might craft into an improvised cane.
We are in the desert in this case, and we can go into the clumps of small trees to see if we can find a branch that has a limb at right angles coming out of it. We can break off the branch or cut it out with our knife.
Now, we have a three-foot-thick branch for the cane shaft and a right-angle branch for a hand-grab location. Clean the bark off the branch and cut it off on the right-angle limb to make the handle. Make sure to carve the handle with a point so you can use that as a weapon. But wait, we are not done yet!
Now, since this isn’t hardwood, it might not hold up to repeated clubbing action, so let’s see if we can alter the cane to be more robust or add to the bite of the cane.
Around the desert, we have palm trees, and their leaves have some wicked thorns. These thorns run down the sides of the stem of the leaf. So, if one took one or two of these thorn leaves, cut off the leaves and use the stem only. Lash the stems onto the shaft of the cane with paracord or the like, and you now have created a very different walking stick or cane.
This cane could cut through an opponent’s neck in a heartbeat with the palm thorns. It could be used to hit like a Ninja sword using one’s body to add to the power of the hit. You could use the handle-pointed end to attack pressure points. It could also be used, in a sword motion, to poke into the opponent’s body and cause injuries. Attacking the eyes, hands, or arms at the pressure points.
Now, if you find yourself in a more rural-urban setting, you can look for sprinkler piping as a cane. Then, find a thorn bush to augment the shaft like Bougainvillea. It’s the components and the theory of weapons that give the Ninja the improvising skills. You can see how this everyday “Junk” was used by Ninjas to make their weapons. Again, they were poor warriors but very resourceful.
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY: Canes take a bit more planning compared to the other improvised weapons. Although you can run out and make something in a pinch, in the long run, you will need to do a fair amount of research to get the item you want, plus you would be proud of owning it. So please spend some time finding someone who makes these hardwood canes and pick up a conversation with them. I will include a picture of my Master’s cane design for you to contemplate.
2.6 Improvised Knife and Defender
In one of our “Go Make a Weapon” classes, one of my students came back with a very unusual mix of weapons.
He found, in the desert, an old bird cage for a large parrot. Inside the cage were still the wood perches, which are very dense wood as the parrot’s claws are strong plus sharp. He removed one that was shaped like a “Y,” but one of the legs of the “Y” was bent more horizontally. One side of the “Y” pointed more straight up the shaft, and the other was bent at a 45-degree angle. Perfect. With a little knife work, this would make a very good Defender Self Defense Weapon (https://pdws.biz).
The next thing he found was a very weathered stick that split open length-wise. Not much but some, and he thought he might be able to work something in that slit.
Back to the birdcage. The cage was broken up, and he worked on one of the bars that held the parrot. He pulled it out, and using a rock, he hammered that thin bar into the slit of the stick. He used the rock to sharpen the bar, and he had made an ice pick. That could be very handy in attacking the neck, body, or the eyes of an opponent.
When he came back into the Dojo, he showed how you could use both of these weapons at the same time. The Defender was very useful in stopping an opponent’s attack, and the Ice pic, well, you can imagine how that went. We have wooden, man-size, knife-throwing targets, and the ice pic stuck very well at three different attack points. The Defender also left “Dents,” which he used to attack pressure points. The combination was impressive.
PRACTICAL TAKEAWAY: Learn to use a defender, as the lessons there will serve you very well should you need to improvise a defender. Also, next time you are at the beach, lake, or in the woods, look at pieces of wood to see what you might be able to do with them to make them formidable weapons. Learn pressure points so you will know where to attack with your beach wood should you need to make an improvised Defender Self-Defense Weapon.
3 Conclusion
The early history of the Ninja is a fascinating blend of fact and legend. While their exact origins remain unclear, it’s evident that they emerged from a convergence of indigenous knowledge, Chinese influences, and the need for unconventional warfare tactics in feudal Japan.
The Ninja’s resourcefulness and adaptability extended beyond their specialized tools to encompass the art of improvisation. By understanding the fundamental principles of weapon design and combat, they could transform everyday objects into practical means of defense and offense.
Today’s Ninjas can show from the sharpened edge of a broken CD to the piercing power of a plastic straw. They demonstrate the ingenuity and a deep understanding of combat principles, which can turn even the most mundane items into formidable weapons.
These skills you read about can be what we call “Cherry Picked” to give you more options for your own Self-Defense needs. Many of these ideas can be used for anti-home invasion or when you are out shopping. Other concepts might support you when you are out and about for a meal or in a parking lot. Another thought might be to prepare some of these tools for your car in case you have a flat tire and find yourself in a bad area.
Some of these improvised weapons are good not only to remember but also to have a day, once a year, to make them and train with them. It could be a fun family event, or get your friends over to a BBQ to explore the various improvised weapons. Knowledge isn’t powerful as many say it is. But, rather, knowledge put into action is powerful.
Remember: The knowledge of improvised weapons should be used responsibly and ethically, prioritizing self-defense and avoiding unnecessary harm.
