From Paper to Steel.

I fired up the forge and started to heat up and shape my steel. At the end of the day I had this my new San Kagi.

This is the first of the proto type. In many ways it is a brother to the Tekko kage, as it is large and very heavy. The fingers are 17” long ½” wide and ¾” high. I believe they weight 6 pounds each.

I fingers are not sharp. This style is meant for ripping. Well more accurately this style is meant to train the body to hold proper posture and to amplify when one goes past the point of balance.

Next before I can even train or test them is building the support for the wrist.

My idea as of this moment is to build a brace that can be worn on the arm that the San kagi can strap into easily. So one can wear and remove them quickly. The brace will be made of latigo leather for its strength and look.

The inspiration of this project is Wolverine. In the past I have made many claws in his style but all have been for show with no function what so ever…well other than look. I want to take it further. This model is for training to understand the movement and the force needed to make it functional cutter. One this model is finished the testing will begin. The testing will to understand the movement.

With that said a sharp cutting version of this style will be created in the near future.

New claws

San Kagi

Ahh, the fun of creating tools.

I like claws. Yep it’s really that simple. Granted I like a lot of thing most of which you can find on this site. Yet at this moment, Friday at 11:18pm I wanted a new set of claws.

I have drawn out the plan for my new set of claws which I have boringly named San Kagi.

Despite the name, which may change depending on the wind, these claws are nothing to light at. The weight “I believe” be around 5 lbs each. The fingers of the claws will extend 9 inches past my knuckles. That is twice the reach of the Tekko kage. Also the brace on the arm will only be 3 inches. This balance will move the weight ahead from my forearm to my hand. They will be even harder to wield than the Tekko kage.

New toy means new weight. New weight means new balance. New Balance means more training. More training means…well really it only means more training, but trainings good. In the end It will lead to happiness. Life is good.

If you are interested in finding out more let me know. The goal is to start heating the metal the weekend of August 7th and 8th.

Check back for more details

The Day has arrived.

I have been waiting for a week and the day has come at last. My butterfly swords are here!

This would be my second set. The first set are Butterfly knifes in my books as they are short for my arm length. This set is the right length.

So what do I think of my new swords. I love them…almost. I love the idea of them. Having blades the length of your fore arm is very handy. I love the idea that I can spin them on my hands for close combat and back out again for short range.

So why don’t I like these…well I believe that they should spin easily in the hand. Sai spin easily in the hand I want these to do the same. Since they are the same idea, in a way, I think its little to ask.

How to check if they will spin easily, hold the item if you can give thumbs up and nothing obstructs your view past your thumb golden, if not you will have to change your grip to have them rotate.

What will be done next is bring them to the drawing board. There I will set up the look and feel of this great little short range tool. Once I have finalized that I will head to the forge.

Yet I need to answer one more question before I even go there…should each handle be hand made on the forge or hand made in the foundry?

Oh the questions.

Soon I new set of swords will be built.

Yet first, another kunai. I have been able to get my hands on and old picture of a forged kunai. This has been the best quality picture so far.

We will see what happens.

M

The story of a Bronze Kunai

Well I love kunai…ok, ok I love them all but today my thoughts are of Kunai.

I have been forging them for some time now. I have tried long handles short handles, thick blades thin blades long blade short blades wide blades thin blades hammer handles large ring handles rope rings and I have mixed them all together.

Out of all the kunai I have made my Tobu kunai is my favourite.

It throws well, it digs well, it cuts well…but it takes a lot of time to forge…sad

I want more yet I need time to train I can’t always be at the forge as the more time I spend at the forge the less time I spend in the dojo life is tuff!

So I have decided to cast the Kunai. Long ago that was the production of tools of war. They were cast and they were cast of Bronze.

Now bronze is a very cool metal. It can hold a crazy sharp edge, it is strong and it has the same weight as steel.

That is just what I have done!

I know can have lots of kunai at a more affordable price. At $45.00 each it’s quit a deal if I do say so my self…which I do.

Why did I need to have more? Easy…throw a kunai walk up take the kunai out of the target walk back, throw the kunai and repeat really slows down training. I want more… at least 3 in hand. This way I can feel the movement and start to hide my unnecessary movement.

So that’s my story of a bronze kunai.

Mangetsu


more info check out

You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7Doi9pVe_A

Web site
http://www.ninedirections.com/Shinobi-Tools/Throwing-Kunai-p81.html

Its been how long?

It has been almost 6 months since my last post. What happened…a lot!

In that time I have had a new toys come off the forge,
My leather work is back in action,
I have had two great shows,
I am now teaching Ninjutsu each week from my own Shibu
And currently I am studying for my Personal Trainer Certificate.

First the Toy

Tsumayoji Kunai, the toothpick.
This is a small type kunai inspired from the Chinese ring dagger. A few months back I had an order come in for a ring dagger that was built to function as a kunai. The customer new what they wanted and that is what I built. Yet I have to say I was never happy with the tool. It was just too heavy for the spinning. It through well, it dug great but spinning…way too much force generated and it was tuff to keep it on my finger.

Well I was upset so I started to dig in my mind with a figurative kunai.
In time I created what I now call Tsumayoji Kunai. It’s a mixture of Chinese ring dagger, Japanese Kunai and 10% Naruto.

Check out the You-Tube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnSG_nV70_s


Next leather

Before my last show I wanted to have a new toy for display. I had been playing with the idea of a back plate that can hold tools while I run around. I had put it off as it was more of a toy than or practical use. Well Anime North is all about toys so it was time.

I used only Latigo leather (the best leather for outdoor use) as it hold up to all sorts of weather. I riveted the entire brace to hold strong.

In the end I was very happy its built to fit me, and hold 2 sai and one katana or 2 katana.

Next my Shows

First show was Ad Astra a Sci-fi convention. Small turn out, but lots of fun. Those that attended stayed the whole weekend and we had a great time.

Granted we had a small space yet once we set up no one else came…most booths were packed together. We had more than 40 feet around us. I guess that’s how it goes when you are the only one selling the sharp pointy items.

Next was Anime North. My favourite show of the year! AN has the best people every year. I always have a good time. This year keeping to the hand made items I added the Moku Tsume or Wooden claws. We were sold out by Sunday morning.
Saturday after noon one of the weapon check personal came over to check out the booth commenting that “we always k now when it is your stuff coming through”

Check out the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFhNM2fy6jM

Moving on from that

Ninjutsu action
I am now teaching under Mangetsu (my Shibu) every Wednesday night here in Toronto.
I have been waiting some time to get this going…why I have been waiting…not sure…the important thing is it is up and running.

If you are in the area let me know and join in for a class!

And lastly for today, Can-fit-pro. I am working to be certified in the area of personal training. I feel adding a bit of science into my training would be fun and helpful. With this new knowledge I plane to tweak my training programme. I will add in science to a traditional approach to training. I goal is to build health strong bodies that are able to deal with complicated movement easier because of a more thought-out training programme.

Well it’s nice to be back in the world of communication.

All the best

Sai

I was given a pair of Sai by a good friend many years ago. I liked them yet that was about it, I liked them. At that time I didn’t understand the tool one bit. It wasn’t until I had to learn Jutte techniques in school that I started my understanding. We had a few wooden Jutte but nothing of weight and the fact there was four of us that needed to train with Jutte. I felt it would be best to use my sai as they could be used in the same way as Jutte, that and they were big enough to catch our large bokuto.



Well it had started, the first technique the sword comes in I step off I am to attack the hands than leverage the sword out of the attackers hand. Well not only did the technique work well, I noticed that I could catch the wrist of my attacker and that’s when a whole new world opened up to me! The world of Sai.

On top of that I had two Sai, one for each hand. Now I could deflect weapons, block, hook, trap weapons, arms and legs!!! I love this. At this point I started to understand the energy of Jumonji no kamae. With these two 18” Sai I could strike with 3 different ranges, I could keep them concealed and I could throw them. Have I said how much I love working with Sai yet? Cause I do!

Well as all good things come to an end, my teacher had ordered in a Jutte for each of us to use. It was time to put the sai away and start to understand the tool I was to truly understand at the time.

My passion for this tool continued, yet I wanted a different feeling to my Sai. For one my 18” sai were too short for my liking. I was told that they need to extend past the elbow by an inch. So I bought my self a set of sai that extended past my elbow 1 inch. I found them boring! They were two long they just didn’t have the right feeling!

I sold that pair and went without Sai for about a year. I was working on my own set. A set that would be heavy so I could feel them and they could teach me to move, I wanted them to be able to capture limbs. I wanted them to be sharp, a live tool commands respect so if one doesn’t respect said tool it will bi! I wanted the teeth of these Sai to be straight so they could even capture limbs that are two big to be caught. (not that I wish to do so, honestly I am a very non-violent person) did I say sharp already?...oh yes I did, moving on.

Earlier this year I made a set of sai on the forge. Upon putting them together I was so existed! Once they were forged I held them and moved with them…it wasn’t good. They didn’t move it was as if they were asleep or just not interested in working. Again I had no sai. How could such a simple tool be so complicated to create? Kunai aren’t this hard to create, what was I missing?

A few more months past by before I started looking at them again. Not sure what I was going to do with them. I had to head up north for work and my good friend (the same that gave me my first set) lent me his personal Sai to work with. Once I got home first thing first the Sai need to breath, let’s see how they move. This is where it all started to make sense.

Upon spinning them in my hand form open to close I noticed it’s as if, it’s rolling over my hand. HA! It’s the center lump on the Sai! You know that lump that seems to be the connecting point of the teeth and center bar. I went and grabbed my Sai and about 24’ feet of cloth. I started wrapping the center as tight as I could, making sure it was balanced. It took me 15 minutes to complete. Then I spun it in my hand !!!YES!!! That was it the whole time. I wanted the center pivot point I needed that extra surface area to have the feel I wanted.

Since that day I have yet to be without that sai. It weights 2 lbs, 8oz Soon its sister will be brought to life. I will be back having a pair of Sai that are truly my own.



I must thank my friend for introducing me to Sai, and reintroducing them again 10 years later. Thank you Chris!

The Kunai; used for digging, prying, climbing and throwing. An all around all purpose tool. Not all kunai were created equally though. Some were meant for very specific purposes. To build in the balance of use one may find themselves owning a few kunai to fill all the jobs.

The 3 major are; One prying and removing stone, Two working the soil for harvest and 3 fighting.

A prying kunai had a thick handle and blade with a blunt end so to give extra surface to hammer it into place. This ``Thick`` end made the Kunai balance move more towards the center of the tool, great for throwing. This tool would have been used to take apart walls and dig traps.

Working the soil kunai would have a wooden handle around its steel tang. This style makes it easy to feel for root structures and for digging since the handle was wider and thicker than both of its brothers. The balance of this kunai was not great for throwing.

Fighting Kunai looked like its brothers yet its handle formed into a ring allowing it to carry a rope if need be. This kunai would be able to hide as a farming tool, yet when needed could spring to life as weapon. Adding rope allowed one to gain distance with the tool, the distance depended only on the rope that was carried. The Kunai had a forward balance making throwing interesting yet keeping rope work fun.

Kunai have had a long history. There ability to function is still around today. As the Top and bottom Kunai are both built by Nine Directions.com and the center Kunai is being mass produced today in Japan as a gardening tool.