Kakute: The Poison Ring Used by Ninjas

The Kakute It is, without a doubt, one of the most different ninja weapons of all time. In fact, many people are simply in love with Japanese culture, which is no wonder, as Japan is one of the countries with the strongest and richest culture in the world.

Among the characters in its history that draw the most attention are the ninjas. They were also known as shinobi, a Japanese term that can be translated as “thief”.

That is, they were Japanese citizens prepared since childhood to be spy warriors. They were also masters of camouflage, martial arts, and sabotage. They lived in villages in the mountains, where they trained tirelessly.

These people were hired by owners of large properties to spy, however, if necessary, they could eliminate enemies.

At the time they existed, there were many internal wars in Japan, which went into decline between the 17th and 19th centuries, when the ninja disappeared.

However, even today these warriors attract the attention of people who like Japanese culture, especially with regard to the weapons they used.

With that in mind, in this article, we're going to talk a little about kakute. We'll show you its usefulness and how it was used by ninjas in battles. You will also get to know their characteristics and their types.

Japanese proverbs - list of ninja phrases - kotowaza
Japanese Proverbs - Ninja Phrase List - Kotowaza

What was kakute?

Japan is a curious country by nature, as it has one of the most interesting and beautiful cultures in the world. In fact, it is important to emphasize that one of the stories that draw the most attention is that of the ninjas.

In addition, these warriors, in addition to being famous, used peculiar weapons that aroused everyone's interest. One of them is known as kakute, which despite looking harmless, brings many disadvantages to the opponent.

At the time of the ninjas, although the Japanese did not have cutting-edge technologies, as in the case of ventilation ducts, these people were always very intelligent, and they included their wisdom in the weapons they used.

Just like samurai, ninjas had a series of weapons that went beyond swords, because the truth is that they carried a large arsenal.

Well, this ring has thorns on one of its sides, which were used inside the hands of its bearers. So, with these claws hidden, the warriors were able to surprise the opponent and weaken him.

Furthermore, the kakute used to be worn on the middle finger, and another ring was placed on the thumb. The goal was to have complete control of the opponent, sinking the ring's teeth into points that caused the most pain.

As it was a surprise weapon, the opponent would totally lose his concentration, making the battle easier for whoever held the ring. With that, the bearer warrior could freely apply other blows and techniques, since his opponent was unfocused.

The kakute could be dipped in poison to further increase its effectiveness. The ninjas could still use it to climb walls, as the ring's hooks pierced even buildings, giving momentum to the climb.

Bearing in mind the ability of the Japanese since ancient times, it is not surprising that they are able to innovate in everything, as in the case of a pressure reducing station.

Now that you know what kakute is, in the next topic we will show you a little more about its features. Continue reading.

Ninja - myths about the shinobi of feudal japan

What were the characteristics of kakute?

Typically, the ring was made of iron and had one to three points. So the more effective a Ninja wanted to be, the more rings he wore. It was possible to wear the rings on the middle or index finger, and one more on the thumb. Generally, they were favored by female ninjas, known as kunoichi.

This happened because they were the ones who used to wear rings at that time in Japan, so if they were using this adornment, the opponent would hardly know it was a kakute.

As we said, the artifact was used with the tip facing inside the palm of the hand. To make the ring even more deadly, these spikes could contain poison, which potentiated attacks.

It is important to remember that if today we can count on resources, such as alarm installation, at that time, property owners had no other ways to protect themselves, other than relying on the help of warriors.

These people were trained in ninja schools and they encouraged the use of the ring as a weapon. Among the main schools they used were:

  • Seigo Ryum;
  • Nanban Ippon Ryu;
  • Saihoin;
  • Among others.

In fact, many of them taught how to capture warriors using only the ring. Imagine how opponents felt when they felt a sting that, despite causing little pain, was extremely deadly.

Well, that was due to the poison on the ends of the kakute. Therefore, it was an apparently innocent action, but it helped to defeat many enemies.

Not to mention that the death of opponents was so silent and brief that it was not heard or noticed by others who were close by. The ring caused a silent death, as if the victim were in a place with acoustic barrier.

Now that you already know what the main characteristics of the kakute were, in the next topic we will show you the most known types of this weapon. Continue reading to find out more.

Ninja - myths about the shinobi of feudal japan

Know the main types of kakute

The kakute was also known as the horned finger, because it consisted of a small ring that encircled the finger and had soldered ends. Well, the fact is that this ring could cause deep and very dangerous injuries in some regions of the body, such as wrists and neck.

Even if you look for more information about it, you will find that this weapon was also known as the “hidden hand”.

In addition, the Japanese population that used this weapon was not civilized with the current population, which uses manual override and other contemporary resources.

Even so, they were people who had an admirable skill, considering that the same weapon, consisting only of a ring with points, had several different types, among them the Senriki - toothed ring.

There was also another Senninriki, a ring that had 2 teeth, and the Temanriki, a ring that could be worn by people who had bigger hands. However, those with thinner fingers had more difficulty using the weapon.

But after Temanriki, more people were able to use the weapon during Japanese battles to protect territories. Now that you already know everything about this ring, in the next topic we will briefly tell you the history of ninjas.

Trip to the past - Edo Wonderland

The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

What is the origin of ninjas?

It is difficult to determine the origin of these warriors. While we can largely know the history of other people, like the creator of heat sink, as far as ninjas are concerned, what is known is that they emerged around the 14th century.

It is also known that the antecedents of the ninjas may have appeared even before the 14th century. This uncertainty is due to the fact that there are few records that detail the activities of these peoples.

Either way, the mysterious nature of these warriors is still highly cult in Japan's popular imagination. But it's not just the ninja's country of origin that has this curiosity.

Around the world many other peoples are interested in the history of these people. This eventually led to the creation of legends and myths about ninjas. An example of this is the legends that say they had the power of invisibility, to walk on water and to control the natural elements.

Nowadays, as is well known, the Japanese are more concerned with developing technologies for the most diverse purposes, such as creating inductive sensor.

But despite all this evolution, Ninja culture still prevails in the popular imagination of the Japanese.

As for the reality of these warriors, some of their techniques were taught to spies in a secret training center in Japan during World War II.

That is, even though Japan has the incredible ability to innovate in its technology, many things that were created in the distant past are still being considered.

Conclusion

The Japanese are an intelligent and evolved people, capable of innovating in many aspects, even when it comes to manufacturing a pressure valve.

In addition, Japan is a country with a culture that arouses people's curiosity in many of its aspects. Ninjas are undoubtedly characters that dominate the popular imagination in many parts of the planet.

One of the reasons for this is the weapons used by ninjas and samurai in other centuries. In this article, you learned a little more about Kakute and the potential of this deadly weapon created by the Japanese many centuries ago.

Read more articles from our website

Thanks for reading! But we would be happy if you take a look at other articles below:

Read our most popular articles:

Do you know this anime?