Ninja smoke. How to make a blinding mixture, aka metsubushi (ninja powder), aka black egg
Sand and other fine materials have been successfully used to blind opponents in group battles and duels around the world (smoke screens and choking gas were typically used for large battles) and throughout history, from ancient times to modern society. But they became especially famous for the use of “eye destroyers” - metsubushi and gantsubushi- Japanese ninja spies who skillfully used this auxiliary weapon to defeat the most powerful fighters of their time. We will talk below about how to make metsubushi (metsubushi) with your own hands at home.
When mentioning metsubushi, they usually mean several similar concepts - a physical technique that forces a person to close his eyes (for example, hitting the eyeball with his fingers), a specially prepared weapon, or the reflection of light using a mirror or polished surface. The second option has become widely known in the world under the name “eye destroyer”.
As a rule, metsubushi consists of two components - this is the actual “base” of the weapon, which, if it gets into the enemy’s eyes or respiratory tract, forces him to involuntarily be distracted from the attack, and a container that allows the base to be transported and used in the shortest possible time.
The basis
First of all, you need to decide on the purpose of making metsubushi: if you want to get a full-fledged self-defense weapon, then the first advice is to contact professional manufacturers of gas cans and aerosols for protection. Otherwise, you will take on an overly responsible burden of creating something on which the life and health of you and your loved ones may depend in the future. For all other cases, we recommend the following:
- For training techniques with a live opponent, it is best suited as a basis. flour(any) - it is quite finely dispersed and “in flight” creates a white cloud of a size depending on the spraying technique. An even easier option is small ash, left over after cheerful barbecues or lighting night bonfires. Ash stays in the air longer and is not so noticeable on clothes. For weighting in the mixture you can use semolina- in this case, metsubushi must be thrown directly at the opponent’s face.
- To make more authentic and dangerous types of base you can use: fine salt(be careful - if it hits the eye well, it can completely deprive you of your vision!), ground black or red pepper(a classic even for modern types of weapons), crushed glass, iron sawdust, pureed dried nettles, sand, simple earthen dust. All this can be used both in pure form and in the form of mixtures. As a practice, you can look at the “volatility” of each of the proposed options and create your own combat composition, blinding, suffocating and crippling the adversary. And then you still go and buy a spray can so that you don’t hurt yourself.
Container
The most basic way to transport metsubushi is in your own pockets. As necessary, the damaging composition is simply scooped up from there and catches the attacker’s eye (this, for example, can be done with a handful of change). But for most more or less effective basics, this option is not suitable, so from the alternative options you can always choose the one that is most convenient for you personally.
In books devoted to the art of ninjutsu, you can see descriptions of a huge number of types of cold combat ninja weapons - all kinds of swords, sickles, halberds, pipes, shuriken, etc.
But from a historical point of view, the specific melee weapons of the ninja, which were used only by the “warriors of the night,” were only a couple of dozen types of military items that were invisible and used secretly. The rest was used to the same extent by samurai and bandits.
Types of shinobi bladed weapons
Ninja sword (ninja - to, gatana) is a short curved sword with a metal handle, entangled in black strips of leather. Under the influence of militants, a large number of misconceptions have arisen about the ninja sword. The ninja-to was not straight, but slightly curved and was not carried on his back, as shown in the films. To avoid drawing attention to the assassin, there were no patterns, ornaments or jewels on the blade, scabbard and hilt. Often, the scabbard of the sword (sai) was made longer than the blade and small things were placed in the empty space that could help the shinobi in a difficult situation - shurikens, poisonous powders, documents.
Ashiko - sharp metal claws that were worn on the feet and helped to climb trees and walls at high speed. They were also used as weapons - they could cause serious damage.
Shuko - like ashiko, was used for climbing trees and overcoming high fortifications.
Kakute is the weapon of a female ninja. It was a ring with pointed protrusions onto which poison was applied.
Kama is a combat weapon in the shape of a sickle, with a handle 45 cm long and a curved blade attached perpendicular to it. Often used as a dual weapon.
Kusari-gama is a kama to which a chain with a load at the other end was attached. With the help of a chain, the enemy's weapon was intercepted and the blade was thrown out at a distance of the length of the chain, followed by the return of the kama to the ninja's hands.
Kaginawa is a cat on a long rope or chain. Used to overcome walls.
Kiyoketsu-shoge is a rope with a knife tied at one end and a hoop-shaped handle at the other.
Naginata is a Japanese halberd with a fifteen-centimeter blade. The naginata was often worn by sohei warrior monks, and ninjas used it if they wanted to disguise themselves as them.
Neko-te - metal, sometimes poisoned, claws that were worn on the fingers. They were mainly used by female shinobi kunoichi to damage an opponent's eyes.
Sai is a Japanese trident, which is a sharp round or multifaceted sixty-centimeter rod with sharpened guards.
Shobo is a sharp metal rod that is attached to the middle finger using a special ring.
Shuriken is a thin, sharpened metal plate that was used primarily to stop an enemy. Sometimes poison was applied to the ends of the shuriken, but a ninja with a poisoned shuriken could inadvertently injure himself and die from his own poison.
Throwing arrows - pointed rods 10-15 cm long, were worn secretly in a special quiver on the hand.
Tessen is a fan with metal sharpened knitting needles. Often used as a small shield.
Fukiya, fukibari - a blowpipe 5-30 centimeters long. With its help, the ninja could shoot poisoned needles.
Ninja weapons video
The video lists the most interesting items from the shinobi arsenal.
There are many myths and legends about Japanese ninjas. Today they are considered a clan of killers who were raised in special secret ways and fought against their eternal rivals, the samurai. But the modern image of ancient ninjas is based on 20th century comics and fantasy literature. In our review of little-known facts about the real history of the ninja.
1. Shinobi no mono
According to surviving documents, the correct name is "sinobi no mono". The word "ninja" is a Chinese interpretation of a Japanese ideogram that became popular in the 20th century.
2. First mention of ninja
For the first time, the ninja became known from the military chronicle "Taiheiki", written in 1375. It said that ninjas entered an enemy city at night and set buildings on fire.
3. The Golden Age of the Ninja
Ninjas flourished during the 15th and 16th centuries, when Japan was torn apart by internecine wars. After 1600, peace reigned in Japan, after which the decline of the ninja began.
4. "Bansenshukai"
There are very few records of ninjas during the era of wars, but after the onset of peace, they began to keep records of their skills. The most famous manual on ninjutsu is the so-called "Ninja Bible" or "Bansenshukai", which was written in 1676. There are about 400 - 500 manuals on ninjutsu, many of which are still kept secret.
5. Special forces of the samurai army
Today, popular media often portrays samurai and ninja as sworn enemies. In fact, ninjas were something like modern-day special forces in the samurai army. Many samurai trained in ninjutsu.
6. Ninja "quinine"
Popular media also portrays ninjas as being from the peasant class. In truth, ninjas could come from any class, samurai or otherwise. Moreover, they were “quinine,” that is, they were outside the structure of society. Over time (after peace) ninjas were considered lower in status, however they still held a higher social position than most peasants.
7. Ninjutsu is a specialized form of hand-to-hand combat
It is generally accepted that ninjutsu is a form of hand-to-hand combat, a system of martial arts that is still taught throughout the world. However, the idea of the specialized form of hand-to-hand combat practiced by today's ninja was invented by a Japanese man in the 1950s and 1960s. This new fighting system was brought to America during the boom in ninja popularity in the 1980s and became one of the most popular misconceptions about ninjas.
8. Shurikens or shakens
Throwing stars (shuriken or shaken) do not have the slightest historical connection with ninjas. Throwing stars were a secret weapon used in many samurai schools. They only began to be associated with ninjas in the 20th century thanks to comic books and animated films.
9. Illustration of a fallacy
Ninjas are never shown without masks, but there is no mention of ninjas wearing masks. In fact, they were required to cover their faces with long sleeves when the enemy was nearby. When working in groups, they wore white headbands so they could see each other in the moonlight.
10. Ninjas blended into the crowd
A popular ninja look always includes a black bodysuit. In fact, in such a suit they would look just as appropriate as, for example, on the streets of modern Moscow. They wore traditional Japanese clothes.
11. Clothing for camouflage
Today, people believe that ninjas wore black clothes to help them hide in the dark. The Shoninki (The True Way of the Ninja), written in 1681, stated that ninjas should wear blue robes to blend in with the crowd, as this color was popular at the time. During night operations, they wore black clothes (on a moonless night) or white clothes (on a full moon).
12. Ninjas didn't use straight swords
The now famous "ninja-to" or straight-bladed, square-hilted ninja swords did exist in medieval Japan, as square handguards were made back then, but they only began to be attributed to ninjas in the 20th century. "Medieval special forces" used ordinary swords.
13. "Kudzi"
Ninjas are known for their spells, which they supposedly performed using hand gestures. This art was called "kuji" and it has nothing to do with ninja. Kuji originated in India and was later adopted by China and Japan. It is a series of gestures designed to ward off evil in certain situations or to ward off the evil eye.
14. Land mines, hand grenades, explosives, poisonous gas...
The image of a ninja using a smoke bomb is quite universal and common in the modern world. Although medieval warriors did not have smoke bombs, they had hundreds of fire-related recipes: land mines, hand grenades, waterproof torches, varieties of Greek fire, fire arrows, explosives and poisonous gas.
15. Yin Ninja and Yang Ninja
This is half true. There were two groups of ninja: those who could be seen (yang ninja) and those whose identity always remained a secret (yin ninja).
16. Ninja - black magicians
In addition to the image of the ninja assassin, in old Japanese films one could often find the image of the ninja master, a warrior-mage who defeated enemies with cunning. Interestingly, ninja skills did contain a certain amount of ritual magic, from magical hairpins that supposedly provided invisibility to sacrificing dogs to gain the help of the gods. However, standard samurai skills also contained an element of magic. This was common for that time.
17. The art of covert operations
To be more precise, they were indeed often hired to kill a victim, but most ninja were trained in the arts of covert operations, propaganda, espionage, making and using explosives, etc.
18. "Kill Bill"
Hattori Hanzo became famous thanks to the film Kill Bill. In fact, it was a famous historical figure - Hattori Hanzo was a real samurai and trained ninjas. He became a famous general who received the nickname "Devil Hanzo". It was he who, at the head of a group of ninjas, contributed to Tokugawa becoming the shogun of Japan.
19. Hobbyists and enthusiasts
The first major boom in modern ninja popularity came in Japan in the early 1900s, when very little was known about these medieval spy-assassins. In the 1910s - 1970s, many books were written by amateurs and enthusiasts, which were simply replete with errors and falsifications. These errors were then translated into English during the ninja boom in popularity in the 1980s.
20. Ninja is a reason to laugh
The study of ninjas was a laughing matter in Japanese academic circles, and for many decades the study of their history was considered a whimsical fantasy. Serious research in Japan has only begun within the last 2-3 years.
21. Encrypted Ninja Scrolls
It is alleged that the ninja manuscripts were encrypted so that no outsider could read them. This misunderstanding arose due to the Japanese way of writing scrolls. Many Japanese scrolls simply listed lists of skill names without properly deciphering them. Although their true meanings have been lost, the texts have never been deciphered.
22. Hollywood myths
This is a Hollywood myth. There is no evidence that mission abandonment resulted in suicide. In fact, some manuals teach that it is better to abandon a mission than to rush things and cause problems.
23. Sleeper agents
It is believed that ninjas were much more powerful than ordinary warriors, but only certain ninjas who were trained in a special style of warfare were so. Many ninja simply lived the lives of ordinary people in secret in enemy provinces, carrying out normal daily activities or traveling to spread rumors. Recommended abilities for ninjas were: disease resistance, high intelligence, fast speech, and stupid appearance (because people tend to ignore those who look stupid).
24. There is no clan, no clan...
There are a number of people in Japan who claim to be masters of ninja schools that trace their lineage back to the times of the samurai. This issue is very controversial, since there is not a single proven fact that ninja families or clans have survived to this day.
25. Spy-saboteurs
While fictional ninjas have haunted people for the last 100 years, the historical truth is often much more impressive and interesting. Ninjas were engaged in real espionage activities, carried out covert operations, worked behind enemy lines, were hidden surveillance agents, etc.
Japan is a country with a special culture that is quite difficult for Europeans to understand. One of the incredible pages of Japanese history - who not only defended their home and family, but mutilated their enemies beyond recognition.
The prevailing qualities of ninjas (those heroes whom we so often see in anime http://alive-portal.ru/anime/) were considered to be cunning, ingenuity and perseverance. Their main subjects were horse riding, stick fighting, military strategy, the art of stealth and camouflage, escape and disappearance, pyrotechnics and explosives, the use of a combat sword, kusarigama (a chain weapon consisting of a 2.5 m chain with a weight at one end and with a sickle on the other), spiritual purification, the art of infiltration, the spear, water training, unarmed combat, meteorology, espionage and geography.
MYTH #1: REAL NINJAS ARE A MYTH
This type of wrestling and its fighters began to appear in Japan 800 years ago. This means of defense was necessary for peasants to protect themselves from samurai and other armed warriors. Ninjutsu is considered a unique and purely defensive form of martial arts. His main principle is to avoid battle if you can, and if you can’t, kill the enemy. The ninja first tries to avoid any conflict: he throws sand into the enemy’s eyes to blind him, and hides. But if the battle starts, then the ninjas are merciless. No wonder the Japanese emperors used them as bodyguards, spies and assassins.
MYTH #2: NINJAS CAN PREVENT A SHARP SWORD WITH THEIR BARE HANDS
Ninjutsu master Hatsumi is the patriarch and founder of the Bujinkan school. He belonged to the Takamatsu school and served as the personal bodyguard of the last Chinese emperor. He shows his students techniques and says: “Try to avoid all contacts and fights.” He shows them how to deflect blows with a sword, although he essentially just avoids them. And he does it very cleverly, sometimes using special means (metal claws).
Dexterity and intelligence help ninjas repel attacks from bladed weapons. Everything happens at lightning speed, and therefore it seems that the ninjas are fighting off a sharp sword with their bare hands.
MYTH #3: NINJAs WEAR MASKS AND BLACK CLOTHES
Modern ninjas who serve as bodyguards wear ordinary clothes and casual costumes. And 800 years ago, ninjas wore simple peasant dresses without black masks on their faces.
MYTH #4: NINJAS CAN VAPORATE INTO AIR
This is a consequence of the main rule of the ninja: hide, run, disappear. At the slightest opportunity to avoid a fight, a real ninja will not miss it. He will do everything possible to avoid war (struggle, fight), using dodges, retreat, threatening (scaring) throwing of shuriken (throwing weapons in the form stars with sharp ends). To hide from the enemy, they used smoke bombs or threw sand into the opponent's eyes, confusing the enemy in order to disappear from sight.
MYTH #5: NINJAs KILL WITH ONE TOUCH OF THE HAND
In the highest school of ninja there are techniques that allow fighters to block the arteries of an attacker by touching their fingers. There are blows to the temple in the ninja's arsenal that cause death, but such techniques are taught only to those students who will never use them.
Such techniques are studied more for theory than for practice. Although ninjas learn the main pain points for touching at the very beginning of their studies (this is the basis). These points are located on the neck in the area of the eyeballs. Ninjas use this knowledge only in extreme cases, when there is no other way out to neutralize the enemy.
MYTH No. 6: SHURIKEN IS A SPECIAL KILLING WEAPON
In fact, shurikens were used as a secondary weapon to inflict wounds on enemies, distracting them from the fight. There were two types of shurikens. Hira shuriken - a household item for peasants - its tips were sharpened and sharpened to inflict wounds. Bo-shuriken is an improved military weapon with sharp spikes up to 20 cm, but it was not created for killing, but to intimidate opponents.
MYTH #7: NINJAs ONLY USE ANCIENT JAPANESE WEAPONS
The new ninjas have adopted modern types of weapons, but previously they only used their own and not necessarily ancient ones. Instead of shuriken, for example, coins sharpened at the edges were used for throwing. They often resorted to gunpowder and various homemade bombs.
Ninja students had a special subject - kayakujutsu, where they studied various powder mixtures, taught how to make and install smoke and explosive bombs and bombs on the ground. Ninjas were among the first to use smoke screens and bomb explosions to distract enemies.
MYTH #8: NINJAS MUST BE STRONG
Ninjutsu masters point out that this is not the main thing. Ninjutsu teaches a person to skillfully and effectively use his body, and it doesn’t matter whether you are fat or thin, tall or short. What is needed is the ability to anticipate your opponent’s actions and the ability to outwit him. Thanks to smooth and precise movements, the fighter gains control over the actions of the opponent and over the course of the fight itself.
Ninjutsu teaches natural positions and fluidity in all movements. The movement and position of the legs (supporting the whole body) are of primary importance here. What is important is the balance of your movements and the intelligent use of techniques familiar to the fighter. A true master is always relaxed and focused. It takes a fraction of a second to perform a striking move.
MYTH No. 9: A PIRATE (BANDIT) WILL OVERCOME A NINJA
If we talk about a fair fight, then the ninja will win without a shadow of a doubt. But pirates and bandits are not accustomed to obeying a code of honor. Using all available means and methods, they can outwit a ninjutsu master by using a pistol at the most unexpected moment. In this case, the ninja will be defeated. Thanks to the pirate's cunning and lack of any noble canons, the rogue will outplay the naive and noble ninja.
Shuriken (literal translation: “blade hidden in the hand”) is a hidden Japanese weapon designed to be thrown; although sometimes used for blows
Unlike a pirate, a ninja will seek a peaceful solution to the problem until the last moment and calmly take advantage of every mistake of his opponent. The pirate, of course, looks more menacing, but the ninja acts more intelligently.