Historic Connection

Its was 12 hours before the forge was to be fired up for a 3 day forging fest. I needed something more to build. I have lists of items but I wanted to make this one! Yet this one was still an unknown.

As I continued going through my books of ninja tools I found inspiration with in Ninjutsu History and Traditions pg 171 I was almost to the end when I saw what I had seen many times, yet today was the day (well tomorrow in this case) that I would make these Wide Shuriken that I see Hatsumi Soke hold in so many pictures. In this picture they are spread in his hand as a Peacock spreads his feathers.

The Shuriken that I’m talking of are wide Bo-Shuriken. They are about an inch in width, around 8`` to 9`` inches in length and 1é8 in width. These measurements are taken from the picture as best as I can measure.

I sent off an e-mail to my steel guy for the steel I needed. That was the second add on e-mail I had sent that night to him.

I work with mild steel. Katana of the day had a carbon content of 7% carbon. I am told that mild steel is very close to that. I prefer to use steel as close as to what would have been used at the time to have a better look into the past.

Once I had them at the forge I took of the extra steel and sent them to turn red in the fire. Forging them was relatively easy, yet time consuming. Once the shape had been found I fired them up again and sent them for a rapid cool to maintain that wonderful shape.

Once they all had been formed and treated, it was off to the target tree. (Target tree is a dead tree that has much of its density left and half its former height) 6 foot range no problem. I moved to the next distance…didn’t go so well. I will need to give this tool more time.

I have put together a short video of these shuriken so people may gain a little insight to the bo-Shuriken for themselves. The distance that I used in the video is 6 feet. Once I understand the tool further I will up date the my next understanding of the tool.

For now I will end with a statement of my happiness with this tool. On the Historic connection that I feel with this tool proves it was the one tool I was looking for. My understanding of the tool has started with the creation, next step is use.

Well I best quit sitting here and get back to training,

Matthew Wright

What is the fate of this bread

I have been working on food that can be taken into the woods, easy to store, long lasting nutritious and that tastes good.

I have many answers yet I have yet to try, so I best not comment at this time.

Will asking this question I came across this “Bread” I thought others may find this just as interesting as I do.

I found some army food and in side this heavily armoured plastic bag I found bread.

I broke it in half to see what it looked like. It looked like bread, like sculpted bread, as if it were poured into a cast and let set. Scratch that, it didn’t look like bread.

It smelt of molasses, it tasted of molasses. Like gum that just wouldn’t stay together.

With in the packaging I found a packet that said “fresh Saver” I believe mine was broken.

At the end of a film on “fast Food” the gentleman contains some “fast food” items, to watch there disintegration. The fries looked normal long after they should have been dirt.

With in a show of “water holding thoughts”, 2 containers of rice; one had Positive words and the other negative words marked on there containers. In the end the container that had a positive word seemed to be lighter in colour as the other with the negative had grown dark and … well gross looking.

I want to see what happens to this bread, after a month, will it be pleasant or will it be gross?

I found a glass jar, took a part of the bread placed it in the jar than sealed up the jar.

I had a story told to me of a young child that had mold as a pet. They would feed it and talk to it. I thought that very weird. Now that I have done this, I think back to this story and I’m reminded how strange I once thought that idea. Yet here I am now doing that very thing. Change is a constant.

I will up date this next month so we can all enjoy this.

Matthew Wright

A Ninja in the present world

It’s the year 2009, I find myself living down town Toronto. I have a great apartment and wonderful women in my life. My master bedroom, is my armoury, the den attached is a small dojo for my practice. My living room is my office and my balcony is my wood shop. I teach Ninjutsu, and I study it relentlessly. I am obsessed with creating tools from my linage of martial practice. I live the life of a modern Ninja living in peace.

Yet with in my dream life I have a problem. I must choose a path and the path I must choose is against the laws of ninjutsu. I wish to create with in my laws of creation. I wish to do this full time. To create brings me peace and a better understanding of the world around me. I wish to make a living on sharing my art with those that see what I see. Here is the problem for them to see what I do, I need to be seen and I need the world to now that I am here.

I question to myself, is this in the laws of Ninjutsu to be seen? To have people know what I do. When the teaching leads to the idea of not being seen, or does it? I do know for certain that the teaching leads to enlightenment.

I cannot answer the question of if or if not I am a hypocrite. What I will do is walk my path and find my answers on the way. I will persevere with in my practice. I will continue making my tools. I will practice the basics of the art and I will study the words I have of Hatsumi. I will also add more tools into my understanding. I will share my findings in my study of tools of the past and I will share my thoughts of Ninpo.

With in my new tool, Blogging, I will talk of my experiences. I hope to gain form this is new contacts. I wish for people to view my web site, for those that can visit my Armoury. I will shine light on a part of Ninjutsu that I was not able to find, but had to experience. I hope my experiences will move some to experience for them self’s the art that is Ninjutsu.

Matthew Wright
www.ninedirections.com