if your children asked you to give them this toys I think you should read this first

The world of the Ninja Warrior is a fascinating one, as shown in films and comic books of today. They were a highly trained and disciplined force, serving the feudal leaders of 14th century Japan. They were called upon to undertake top-secret missions in sabotage, espionage and even assassination. No one ever heard a Ninja approaching and very few lived to tell the tale. Because of the nature of their missions, they had to have specialized Ninja equipment.

The warriors needed weapons that could be hidden or disguised as everyday items such as workmen's tools. In fact, the Kunai could be used for gardening or as a weapon and was a multi purpose knife. The Makibishi is a very fierce looking weapon and is made from iron spikes. It has various uses and can be thrown at the enemy's feet or in their path to prevent escape. Some Ninja used to smear the weapon with poison.

Swords were an important part of the warrior's arsenal. This Ninja equipment was made to the highest standard and the blades had to be sharp enough to dispatch someone quickly and quietly. The Ninja-Ken is a short sword, very useful in close duels. Other swords include the Katana, a curved longsword that required a two handed grip. This sword is still used today as a martial arts weapon. The originals were often decorated with gods or dragons and are considered works of art, along with their scabbards or sayas. The Wakizashi was often worn with the Katana and was shorter and thinner. The Shikoro Ken is a type of sword that can cut and saw through the enemy.

The Ninja were also fond of things that go bang. They used gunpowder in the form of smoke bombs and firecrackers as a diversion tactic and as cover to help them escape. They even used a form of cannon and a sort of land mine as Ninja equipment. The need for silent communication between the ranks inspired an ingenious signaling method. They used irogome, a type of uncooked rice grain that they then dyed in different colors. The seeds were used to indicate certain coded messages, such as leaving a message to say that the enemy lay ahead All this Ninja equipment shows that the warriors were not mere brutal killers or spies. They were highly intelligent in their use of technology and strategy and their legend still inspires stories today.unless this equipment use as toys,I believe the story must be different.other story

When I was in the store the other day I noticed my daughter was looking at a Darth Vader mask that was sitting on the shelf near the cart. Though she had never seen the movie Star Wars, she was quite intrigued with the mask. My husband had good chuckle when he saw her looking at the mask, and he went over to push the button at the bottom. When he did this my daughter jumped in the air as the voice started talking. Though she thought it was cool to look at, she did want anything more to do with it after that.

When I was young, my cousin also had a Darth Vader mask. Though that was over 20 years ago, I remember it very clearly. My cousin was very into the Star Wars trilogy, and we would often have fake sword fights in the backyard. We would use tree branches as swords, though we were always careful not to really hurt each other. He would often wear a Darth Vader mask when we were playing, even though it was far from his favorite character. Even know Darth Vader was deemed a bad guy he was still immensely popular with the kids.

Today, the Darth Vader mask is something that many kids play with, and the sound effects are very real. When I was a kid I had to make my own sound effects, and I have to wonder if that wasn’t more fun. Though the sound effects of the new Darth Vader mask sounds much like James Earl Jones, I think we had more fun using our own voice instead. I wish there were more toys today that allowed a child to use their own imagination instead of supplying the noises themselves.  I almost feel strange around toys that can do so much for themselves as it is.

However, unless I can find an old Darth Vader mask I guess I will have to get her the talking one if she decided she is no longer afraid of it. My husband momentarily considered buying it for himself, but when he thought about how scared she was he put it back on the shelf for another day. Perhaps in a few years she will enjoy these toys more than she does now, but until that time, I am happy to make the sound effects for her. The Darth Vader mask may not even be out by then, but I am sure they will be another talking toy on the shelf that she will wish to have.