FROM: secrets-of-shuriken.com.au
The word shuriken, composed of the characters ” shu”, “ri” and “ken”, is literally translated as “hand hidden blade”. The character “ri” is composed of the morpheme (meaning component) “i” as in clothing, in the sense of covering, as well as the phoneme (sound component) “li”, together representing the idea of “reverse, back, or covered. Ri (the on yomi reading) is also read in kun yomi as ura, which to us martial artists would be familiar from expressions such as “ura waza” as opposed to “omote waza”. In combination with the first character, “shu-ri” suggests “hidden in the hand, or in the palm”. “ken” means blade, and is the same character as found in bokken, or shinken, hence “hand hidden blade”.
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handclaws
Handclaws, also called Shuko or Tekagi (”hand hooks”), are claw- or hook-shaped objects used by ninja as weapons. They were originally sharp spikes fixed to wooden clogs used for walking on snow or ice. Later they came to be worn on the hands as an aide for scaling walls, trees, and other upright objects. Eventually they entered the realm of combat, with the spikes used to scratch an opponent. The spikes were attached to a broad band to help hold them in place, and these were sometimes used to block blows and even ensnare swords. When handclaws were invoked by a skilled user, victims often appeared to have been mauled by a bear or other wild animal. It is commonly believed that the spikes were also used to scratch messages into stone or wooden surfaces to warn accomplices of what lay ahead; for example, one line could mean “safe passage”; two, “turn back”; and three, “enemy ahead.” Sometimes used for torture, the handclaws are victors of fierce punishment.
