Kunai

Has anyone ever heard of a Kunai? I was wondering where I could buy a real kunai, none of the Naruto stuff. Thanks for you help.

Hi. I don't know much about the subject, but found this on the 'net:

Kunai

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A Kunai is an ancient kind of trowel, originated during the Tensho Era in Japan. The kunai was normally wrought of iron, not steel, cheaply forged and unpolished. The size of most kunai 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 wrecking bar. 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.

Contrary to popular belief, they were not designed as throwing weapons. Of course, they can be thrown, but any weapon can be thrown."

A kunai is an 'earth digger', replacing a lot of conventional camping tools. It's modern parallel could be the smatchett.
It was heavy and could be used as an axe, it had a point and a handle, so could be used to defend or stab, and some had hollow handles, so it could be used as a spear on the end of a branch. It's other purpose was for gardening, like a little shovel.

Many military units have an 'entrenching device' which is really just a smaller shovel that's sharp. It can be fought with, used as a paddle, or a saw.

Smart, practical, common sense idea, the kunai.

If you check the "Systema" video that RazorFoot put up on the MA talk forum, they demonstrate some shovel techniques.

http://www.fightingarts.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/15848809/Main/15839205#Post15848809

That's Vladimir's class, where I was referencing the particular techniques from. I have one of those shovels around here somewhere (any shovel will do). That school is quite nearby and some of my students are in it.

Interesting approach using 'water' based application of technique