According to most historians' accounts, there are as many as 400 ninja weapons used by the ninja throughout there run as warrior group in the long history of medieval Japan.

Although the ninja lost the civil war against a mightier class of warrior (samurai) and had to take refuge in the mountains, they continued to infiltrate the Japanese society by becoming spies and paid assassins, forging countless ninja weapons through the limited resources they had at their disposal.

The following three ninja weapons are some of the deadliest ninja weapons that we know of. They involve a blade, a chain and combination of a sickle and chain- showing the mix and match of ninja weapons that was the product of innovation in the face of constraints.

Kama (Curved Blade)

The ninja used many curved blade weapons but this ninja weapon was the stuff of nightmares for all who feared to face a ninja. The kama was used by farmers to cut grass and reap harvest.

Then came the 1600s- the era of Tokugawa Shogunate ( military dictatorship) that oversaw the ban of all weapons such as swords and knives on all commoners in Japan. The ninja were always resourceful, and forged this ninja weapon.

The curved blade of kama made it ideal for offensive attacks such as strikes and slashes. The ninja weapon was designed to kill. Ninja assassins were trained and hired to kill people so they couldn't afford to fail. They had a reputation to maintain and these ninja weapons made sure that the leftover body of a ninja target told the sorry tale and cement fear of the ninja in all.

Kusari-fundo ( Weighted Chain)

A simple chain made of low quality cast metal with a weight attached to the end- this is the ninja weapon representing the true soul of ninja warfare that relied on skill and speed rather than craftsmanship of the weapon.

A kusari-fundo was used as a defensive ninja weapon. Many ninja used it to disarm their opponent's weapon or to somehow entangle them within the chain. You might be thinking how it was possible to win over an opponent with a sword with this simple ninja weapon.

We are talking about the ninja here. These espionage kings would jump from one place to another in the blink of an eye. With the help of this ninja weapon, they could encircle the enemy and use the weight to hit him hard where it hurt the most.

This ninja weapon was also used for deadlier purposes. More trained ninja could actually strangle their enemy with a kusari-fundo. They would beat the hell of them first though.

This ninja weapon was an easily concealed weapon which suited the stealthy combat style of a ninja. A ninja liked to take their opponent by surprise and a hidden weapon was the key to such maneuver.

Kusarigama (Kama + Kusari-fundo)

The ninja made use of whatever material they could get their hands on to forge a ninja weapon out of them. Ao why would they not combine two ninja weapons to build a third one.

This led to the creation of a kusarigama. If you thought a kusari-fundo was lethal enough on its own, imagine the weighted chain with a kama attached to the other end. It takes some serious viciousness to even deploy this ninja weapon.

Only those ninja who had proven their skills with a kama and kusari-fundo could wield this ninja weapon as effectively as it deserved to be wielded. With two separate weapons acting as one, a ninja had a variety of ways to use this ninja weapon.

Most commonly, a ninja would use kusari fundo to trap his enemy and then follow up with a kama ( sickle). If the ninja wanted to remain at a distance from their opponent, they would swing the kusarigama with a sickle making its way onto the enemy's body with a force and plunged itself onto him without the enemy even seeing where the blade came from.

The kusarigama is the most cinematic ninja weapon in history. It has been used by many onscreen ninja and warriors for its swagger quality. Now you know why the ninja are called the ruthless warriors. Our never ending fascination with the ninja weapons is thanks to those ruthless tactics which became an artform ninjutsu that continues to have many students to this day.

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