[DarthBrett]

Man, some of these weapons from the Ninja Force era of figures are pretty cool. And really deadly looking! Had no idea some of them were based off of real-world weapons. Cool stuff!

[Fred Broca]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthBrett

Man, some of these weapons from the Ninja Force era of figures are pretty cool. And really deadly looking! Had no idea some of them were based off of real-world weapons. Cool stuff!

That's even not the part that I'm trippin' off of. My mind is blown away by the fact that the nunchuks and weapons that have come to be associated with the ninja, (i.e. the kama and tekko-kagi,) were originally farming tools. Then there's the fact that the Night Creeper swords have a real world equivalent. I would have lost money on a bet because I would have swore up and down that those were made up swords.

[DarthBrett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred Broca

That's even not the part that I'm trippin' off of. My mind is blown away by the fact that the nunchuks and weapons that have come to be associated with the ninja, (i.e. the kama and tekko-kagi,) were originally farming tools. Then there's the fact that Night Creeper swords have a real world equivalent. I would have lost money on a bet because I would have swore up and down that those were made up swords.

Hahahaah Right?! I would have lost money on that bet too!

[Snake Pants]

Bazooka's bazooka is based on a Carl-Gustav M4

[DarthBrett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snake Pants

Bazooka's bazooka is based on a Carl-Gustav M4

Awesome!!

[Fred Broca]

Kunai

Place of Origin: Japan

Used by: Night Creeper Leader, (v3) the Red Viper, (Sideshow,) Scarlett, (v2*) Snake Eyes, (v65) Storm Shadow, (v41, v45, v49)

A kunai (苦無, kunai) is a Japanese tool thought to be originally derived from the masonry trowel. The two widely recognized variations of the kunai are short kunai (小苦無 shō-kunai) and the big kunai (大苦無 dai-kunai). Although a basic tool, in the hands of a martial arts expert, the kunai could be used as a multi-functional weapon. The kunai is commonly associated with the ninja, who used it to gouge holes in walls.


A highly stylized kunai, as often portrayed in popular culture

Design

Kunai normally had a leaf-shaped wrought blade in lengths ranging from 20 cm to 30 cm and a handle with a ring on the pommel for attaching a rope. The attached rope allowed the kunai's handle to be wrapped to function as a grip, or to be strapped to a stick as a makeshift spear; to be tied to the body for concealment; to be used as an anchor or piton, and sometimes to be used as the Chinese rope dart. Contrary to popular belief, kunai were not designed to be used primarily as throwing weapons. Instead, kunai were primarily tools and, when used as weapons, were stabbing and thrusting implements.

Varieties of kunai include short, long, narrow-bladed, saw-toothed, and wide-bladed. In some cases, the kunai and the Nishikori, a wide-bladed saw with a dagger-type handle, are difficult to distinguish.

Uses

The kunai was originally used by peasants as a multi-purpose gardening tool and by workers of stone and masonry. The blade is made of soft iron and is left unsharpened because the edges are used to smash relatively soft materials such as plaster and wood, for digging holes, and for prying. Normally, only the tip is sharpened.

Weapon

Many ninja weapons were adapted from farming tools, not unlike those used by Shaolin monks in China. Since kunai were cheaply produced farming tools of proper size and weight and could be easily sharpened, they were readily available to be converted into simple weapons. As a weapon, the kunai is larger and heavier than a shuriken and with the grip could also be used in hand-to-hand combat more readily than a shuriken.

As with ninjutsu, the exaggeration persistent in ninja myths played a large role in creating the popular culture image of kunai. In fictional depictions of ninjas, the kunai is commonly portrayed as a steel knife that is used for stabbing or particularly throwing, sometimes confusing it with the shuriken.

Masonry

The kunai was used in masonry to shape stonework. - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunai

* Two kunai sculpted on to Scarlett's back.

[Fred Broca]

Bō

Length: 5'9" (1.8 m)

Place of Origin: Japan

Used by: Snake Eyes, (v38, v49) Storm Shadow, (v17 [collapsible] v37)

A bō (棒: ぼう), bong (Korean), pang (Cantonese), bang (Mandarin), or kun (Okinawan) is a staff weapon used in Okinawa. Bō are typically around 71 in (1.8 m) and used in Okinawan martial arts, while being adopted into Japanese arts such particular bōjutsu. Other staff-related weapons are the jō, which is 47 in(1.2 m) long, and the hanbō (half bō), which is 35 in (90 cm) long.

Types

The bō is usually made with unfinished (no varnish, stain, etc) hard wood or a flexible wood, such as red or white oak, although bamboo and pine wood have been used; more common still is rattan wood for its flexibility. The modern bō may be tapered in that it can be thicker in the center (chukon-bu) than at the ends (kontei)l and is usually round or circular (maru-bo). Some bō are very light, with metallic sides, stripes and a grip which are used for XMA and competitions/demonstrations. Older bō were round (maru-bo), square (kaku-bo) (rokkaku-bo) or octagonal (hakkaku-bo). The average size of a bō is 6 shaku (around 6 ft [1.8 m]) but they can be as long as 9 ft (2.7 m [kyu-shaku-bō]).

A 6 ft (1.8 m) bō is sometimes called a rokushakubō (六尺棒: ろくしゃくぼう). This name derives from the Japanese words roku (六: ろく), meaning "six"; shaku (尺: しゃく); and bō. The shaku is a Japanese measurement equivalent to 11.8" (30.3 centimeters) Thus, rokushakubō refers to a staff about 6-shaku (5.96 in [1.82m] long.)The bō is typically 1.25 in, (3 cm) thick,) sometimes gradually tapering from the middle (chukon-bu) to 0.75 in (2 cm) at the end (kontei). This thickness allows the user to make a tight fist around it in order to block and counter an attack.

In some cases for training purposes or for a different style, rattan was used. Some were inlaid or banded with strips of iron or other metals for extra strength. Bō range from heavy to light, from rigid to highly flexible, and from simple pieces of wood picked up from the side of the road to ornately decorated works of art.


Japanese wooden staff "bō" weapon made in the shape of a walking cane, 4 ft 7 in (1.4 m ) tall and 5.9 in (15 cm) circumference.


Two Japanese bō, one is 4 ft 5 in, (140 cm) tall and 5.9" (15 cm) in circumference in the form of a walking stick, the other is 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and 1 in (25 mm) in diameter in the form of a staff.

The Japanese martial art of wielding the bō is bōjutsu. The basis of bō technique is te, or hand, techniques derived from quanfa and other martial arts that reached Okinawa via trade and Chinese monks. Thrusting, swinging, and striking techniques often resemble empty-hand movements, following the philosophy that the bō is merely an "extension of one's limbs". Consequently, bōjutsu is often incorporated into other styles of empty hand fighting, such as karate. The "bō" is also used as a spear and long sword in some of its motions, such as upward swing and slashing motion across the body as well as extensions by gripping one end and thus increasing its length as thus making it similar to a spear.

The bō is typically gripped in thirds, and when held horizontally in front, the right palm is facing away from the body and the left hand is facing the body, enabling the staff to rotate. The power is generated by the back hand pulling the staff, while the front hand is used for guidance. Bō technique includes a wide variety of blocks, strikes, sweeps, and entrapments.

History

The earliest form of the bō, a staff, has been used throughout Asia since the beginning of recorded history. These were hard to make and were often unreliable. These were also extremely heavy. The konsaibo was a very distant variant of the kanabo. They were made from wood studded with iron. These were still too cumbersome for actual combat, so they were later replaced by unmodified hardwood staffs. Used for self-defense by monks or commoners, the staff was an integral part of the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, one of the martial arts oldest surviving styles. The staff evolved into the bō with the foundation of kobudō, a martial art using weapons, which emerged in Okinawa in the early 17th century.

In 1477, Emperor Sho Shin came into power. Determined to enforce his philosophical and ethical ideas, while banning feudalism, the emperor instituted a ban on weapons. It became a crime to carry or own weapons such as swords, in an attempt to prevent further turmoil and prevent an uprising.

In 1609, the temporary peace established by Sho Shin was violently overthrown when the powerful Shimazu clan of Satsuma invaded and conquered Okinawa. The Shimazu lords placed a new weapons ban, leaving the Okinawans defenseless against samurai weaponry. In an attempt to protect themselves, the people of Okinawa looked to simple farming implements, which the samurai would not be able to confiscate, as new methods of defense. This use of weapons developed into kobudo, or "ancient martial way" as known today.

Although the bō is now used as a weapon, its use is believed by some to have evolved from the long stick (tenbin) which was used to balance buckets or baskets. Typically, one would carry baskets of harvested crops or buckets of water or fish, etc., one at each end of the tenbin, which is balanced across the middle of the back at the shoulder blades. In poorer agrarian economies, the tenbin remains a traditional farm work implement. In styles such as Yamanni-ryū or Kenshin-ryū, many of the strikes are the same as those used for yari ("spear")[11] or naginata ("glaive"). - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C5%8D


Shinai

Place of Origin: Japan

Used by: Snake Eyes, (v38, v49)

A shinai (竹刀) is a Japanese sword typically made of bamboo used for practice and competition in kendo. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters. The light, soft wood used in a shinai distinguishes it from other wooden swords such as a bokken, which is generally made of heavier, sturdier wood.

History

The earliest use of a bamboo weapon to train with instead of a sword is credited to Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (1508-1572) of the Shinkage-ryū. The modern shinai, with four slats of bamboo, is generally credited to Nakanishi Chuzo Tsugutate (died 1801) of Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū. The shinai was developed in an effort to reduce the number of practitioners being seriously injured during practice, making a practice weapon that was less dangerous than bokutō (木刀), the hard wooden swords they were previously using. This is also the motivation behind the development of bōgu (防具), the armour that protects the kendoka.

Due to its lighter weight compared to a bokken or a metal katana, a shinai can be wielded in a fashion that allows quicker strikes than would be practicable with a heavier sword. This also makes shinai popular in producing movies and television shows; a prop shinai with a thin metal covering can look similar to a metal sword, while allowing cinematic, showy strikes that are nevertheless fairly safe to perform.

Safety

The shinai is useful as a practice sword to simulate the weight and feel of a katana or bokken without injuring the user or the target. Upon impact the bundled slats dissipate the force of the strike by flexing/bending along the length of the blade, and expanding slightly, along its cross-sectional area (stress = force/unit area). As a result of this lack of rigidity, along with the relative innocuous nature of bamboo vs razor-sharp steel, the impacted area is less damaged and may experience only bruising, rather than life-threatening deep cuts or puncture wounds, even with strong and forceful strikes.

Proper Care

A shinai must be properly taken care of or it can pose a danger to both the user and the people around it. Shinai should be inspected for splinters and breaks before and after use, and maintained in a manner considered most appropriate by one's style, dōjō, or sensei.

Many people believe that oiling and sanding a shinai prior to its first use, and then periodically during use, can greatly extend its life. However, some disagreement exists on what is considered proper shinai care.

To properly inspect a shinai, one first examines the area around the datotsu-bu, inspecting all sides of the shinai for splinters. This is very important, as bamboo splinters can easily cause injury. The saki-gawa should be intact and the tsuru should be tight so that the saki-gawa does not slip off the end of the shinai during use. In addition, the nakayui should be tight enough as not to rotate easily.

When not in use, shinai used in kendo practice should be either laid on the floor or leaned vertically against a wall. Some instructors require the base (kashira) of the handle (tsuka) on the floor and the tip (kissaki) leaning against the wall. In kendo, the shinai is treated in the same way as a edged or bladed weapon, like an actual metal sword, and competitors are trained to think of it as a dangerous instrument if mis-used.

When a shinai is placed on the floor, it is considered poor etiquette to step over it.


Johnny Devine (left) uses a kendo stick on Buck Gunderson during a match

Shinai are commonly used as a prop in professional wrestling, where they are often referred to as kendo sticks or Singapore canes. Wrestlers are typically struck across the back, stomach, legs and arms, though some are struck in the head or face, sometimes depending upon the wrestling promotion where the match is taking place. - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinai

[the Scream Man]

Galactic man Larry (Who does solid reviews BTW) also has Recondo. His rifle is interesting to me; my understanding of wrapping a gun was to cut down on glare or reflections, but wouldn't you have to do the majority of it for that to be effective? The little wraps on it seems a tad pointless in that regard.

Oh also, the end of the barrel looks like it has some sort of suppressor maybe? Are those ever integrated into guns?

[Once A Man]

Beach Head's gun, the XF-7.

[Dusty Ayers]

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Scream Man

Galactic man Larry (Who does solid reviews BTW) also has Recondo. His rifle is interesting to me; my understanding of wrapping a gun was to cut down on glare or reflections, but wouldn't you have to do the majority of it for that to be effective? The little wraps on it seems a tad pointless in that regard.

Oh also, the end of the barrel looks like it has some sort of suppressor maybe? Are those ever integrated into guns?

The only weapons I have seen that are wrapped with any type of material are rifles belonging to qualified sniper units. Most of the various black rifle users painted theirs, mostly in browns for Iraq and Afghanistan.

That?s just my perspective but there can be a bit of variety in services.

I think the wrap is more due to the fact that the original had it.