Line drawing of a metsubushi
Metsubushi (目潰し) (gantsubushi)[1]- "eye closers", the name for a variety of implements and techniques used by samurai police and other individuals to temporarily or permanently blind or disorient an opponent in feudal Japan.
Description[]
One type of metsubushi used by police for blowing powdered pepper or dust into the eyes of a suspect. It is described as being a lacquer or brass box with a wide mouthpiece for blowing on, and a hole or pipe on the other end for directing the powder into the eyes of the person being captured.[1] One type of metsubushi was a powder made up of ashes, ground-up pepper, mud, flour, and dirt. For severe damage, it could also include fine-ground glass. It was kept in hollowed-out eggs (happō), bamboo tubes or other small containers. When confronted by an attacker, a person would throw the metsubushi in the attacker's eyes, blinding him, while the victim ran off or hid himself.[2]
See also[]
- Pepper spray
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Secrets of the samurai: a survey of the martial arts of feudal Japan, Oscar Ratti, Adele Westbrook, Tuttle Publishing, 1991 P.323
- ↑ Caldwell, Darryl (June 1985). "The Shadow Warrior: The Ninja Web". St. Louis, MO: Rainbow Publications Inc.. pp. 15. ISSN 0277-3066.
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The original article can be found at Metsubushi and the edit history here.