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'{{Refimprove|date=July 2007}} :''For "kunai grass", see ''[[Imperata cylindrica]]''.'' A {{nihongo|'''kunai'''|苦無|''kunai''}} is an ancient Japanese kind of gardening tool or [[trowel]]. Two variations are the {{nihongo|short kunai|少苦無|''shō-kunai''}} and the {{nihongo|big kunai|大苦無|''dai-kunai''}} It is a good example of a very basic tool which, in the hands of a martial arts expert, could be used as a multi-functional weapon.<ref name="m123">Mol, Serge. (2003). [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZzIXkFec0e8C&pg=PA123&dq=kunai&sig=K7gtAkLB_5QEItE1QALJwMfZKzE ''Classical Weaponry of Japan: Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Arts,'' p. 123.]</ref> The kunai was conventionally [[metalworking|wrought]] of ranged from 20 cm to 60 cm, with the average at 40 cm. The kunai was used by common folk as multi-purpose [[gardening]] tools and by workers of stone and [[masonry]]. The kunai is not a [[knife]], but something more akin to a [[crowbar (tool)|crowbar]]. The blade was soft iron and unsharpened because the edges were used to smash plaster and wood, to dig holes and to pry. Normally only the tip would have been sharpened. The uses to which a kunai was put would have destroyed any heat-treated and sharpened tool like a knife. Kunai normally had a leaf-shaped blade and a handle with a ring on the [[pommel]] for attaching a rope. This would allow the kunai's handle to be wrapped to act as a grip, or when used as a weapon; to be strapped to a stick as an expedient spear, to be tied to the body for concealment, or to use as an anchor or [[piton]]. Contrary to popular belief, they were not designed to be used primarily as throwing [[weapon]]s, though they can be thrown and cause damage. Instead, they are a thrusting and stabbing implement. ==As a weapon== [[Image:kunai05.jpg|thumb|A highly stylized kunai, as often portrayed in fiction.]] Many [[ninja]] developed weapons that were merely adapted farming tools, not unlike those used by [[Shaolin Monastery|Shaolin]] monks in China. Since kunai were cheaply produced farming tools of a decent size and weight, and could be easily sharpened, they were readily available to be converted into simple weapons. As with the ''[[shuriken]]'' and ''[[ninjutsu]]'', the exaggeration persistent in ninja myths played a large role in creating the current pop culture image of ''kunai''. In the mythology of ninja, the ''kunai'' is commonly portrayed to be a Japanese knife that is used for throwing as well as stabbing. As a weapon it 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. In addition, it could be used for climbing, as either a kind of grappling hook, or a [[piton]].<ref name="m123">[see also]</ref> There are several varieties of kunai, including of short kunai, long kunai, narrow bladed types, saw-toothed types, and wide bladed types. In some cases, the kunai and the ''shikoro'', a wide bladed saw with a dagger-type handle, are hard if not impossible to distinguish. ==In popular culture== The kunai is portrayed in [[anime]] (and resulting [[video game]]s based on them) such as ''[[Naruto]]'' as a common weapon that is often used – sometimes thrown with a tag "火" or "爆発", symbolizing fire or explosion. The kunai explodes some time after impact with the tag attached to the ring of the kunai via thread, or wrapped around the handle. The character [[Tenten]] usually uses summoning scrolls which deployed multiple weapons most of which were elongated kunai. In the ''[[Naruto]]'' series, kunai are often used as close and long range weapons by most ninja but mostly the weapons mistress [[Tenten]] of Team Gai. In the ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' series, [[Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)|Scorpion]]'s signature attack is throwing the "bloody spear," a kunai attached to a rope, at his opponents to draw them to him and gain a free hit. He always yells something along the lines of "Get over here!" when reeling them in. [[List_of_characters_in_the_Street_Fighter_series#Ibuki|Ibuki]] from ''[[Street Fighter III]]'' wields kunai in several of her special attacks. In ''[[Tekken 5]]'', [[Raven_(Tekken)#Raven|Raven]] can be customized to carry kunais (five on each of his thighs & ten on his back), although he cannot wield or use them. In the ''[[Ninja Gaiden]]'' series, Ryu carries three Kunai on his left leg, but never uses them. However, he is able to find and use explosive kunai. In both ''[[Mega Man Zero]]'' and ''[[MegaMan ZX]]'' Phantom and Model P/Px use Kunai as a basic weapon. In the latter, they are the weakest of the normal "buster shots", however they do fire faster and are thrown three at a time. In ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'', Larxene uses eight kunai, four in each hand, as her weapons. In ''[[Samurai Warriors]]'', [[List of Samurai Warriors characters#Kunoichi .28.E3.81.8F.E3.81.AE.E3.81.84.E3.81.A1.29|Kunoichi]] uses cutlass-like kunai as slicing daggers for weapons. Sayoko Shinozaki, a [[ninja]] from the ''[[Code Geass]]'' series, wields kunai as her weapon of choice. Characters like Tatsumaru, Ayame and Rikimaru, ninjas from the ''[[Tenchu]]'' series, uses kunai attached to a rope ([[grappling hook]]) to climb. The character Misao Makimachi from ''[[Rurouni Kenshin]]'' uses kunai as her main weapon of choice, throwing five at a time. In the [[Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game]] there's a card called the "Kunai With Chain" - however the card doesn't actually depict a kunai. In [[Sengoku Basara 2]], Kasuga, a female ninja, fights with 8 Kunai, four in each hand. ==References== {{reflist}} * [[Masaaki Hatsumi|Hatsumi]], Masaaki. (1988). [http://books.google.com/books?id=8AwlJCWU1GMC&q=Grandmaster+of+the+Togakure+Ry%C5%AB+school+of+Ninjutsu&dq=Grandmaster+of+the+Togakure+Ry%C5%AB+school+of+Ninjutsu&pgis=1 ''Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryū school of Ninjutsu.''] New York: [[McGraw-Hill]]. 10-ISBN 0-809-24629-5 * Mol, Serge. (2003). [http://books.google.com/books?id=ZzIXkFec0e8C&dq=kunai&source=gbs_summary_s&cad=0 ''Classical Weaponry of Japan: Special Weapons and Tactics of the Martial Arts.''] Tokyo: [[Kodansha]]. 10-ISBN 4-770-02941-1 ==See also== * Virtual Museum of Traditional Japanese Arts: [http://web-japan.org/museum/others/ninja/ninja02/tools06_2.html images of ''kunai''] * Kunai page at videovideos.wikispaces.com: [http://videovideos.wikispaces.com/Kunai?f=print videovideos &raquo; Kunai] [[Category:Weapons of Japan]] [[Category:Japanese tools]] [[Category:Ninjutsu]] [[Category:Mechanical hand tools]] [[Category:Gardening tools]] [[ca:Kunai]] [[de:Kunai]] [[es:Kunai]] [[eo:Kunajo]] [[eu:Kunai]] [[fr:Kunaï]] [[id:Kunai]] [[it:Kunai]] [[ja:くない]] [[pl:Kunai]] [[pt:Kunai]] [[fi:Kunai]] [[sv:Kunai]] [[th:คุนะอิ]] [[zh:苦無]]'