Shobo
A small concealed Japanese weapon: a wooden peg, usually with sharp ends, hung on a ring worn on the middle finger and gripped in the fist to strike sensitive points.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
Shobo is a small Japanese weapon that English-language sources place among ninja equipment and compare to the Chinese emeici and the Japanese suntetsu. We did not find it under this name in Japanese sources; the information comes mainly from the American book Exotic Weapons of the Ninja (Paladin Press, 1994), so the weapon's origin and its link to ninja remain unconfirmed. When shobo appeared is unknown; it is placed only broadly in feudal Japan. Possible models cited include horse and cattle bits, rein rings, and metal gate or door hinges. Shobo consists of a piece of wood gripped in the fist and hung on a ring worn on the middle finger; some versions have a wooden peg fixed on top of the ring. The ends were usually sharp, though other descriptions allow for blunt ones too. It was aimed at an opponent's sensitive points, ideally the neck. It was light, easily hidden in a clenched fist, and usually carried in a pair. According to an English-language overview, some ninja received it from their masters, though many made their own.