Makibishi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term Makibishi (撒き菱 or tetsubishi 撒菱, Makibishi^?) refers to small, spiked caltrops used by ninja to deter pursuit. When pursued by enemy soldiers, ninja would scatter makibishi on the ground. In ancient Japan, common footwear consisted of sandals made of straw, called zori, which offered relatively little protection against such hazards. Makibishi spines were often hooked, and occasionally grooved to allow for a light coat of poison, to increase the damage they dealt to those unfortunate enough to step on them and possibly result in death.^{[citation needed]}

Stories exist of other destructive versions of maki-bishi which would explode when stepped on. These are referred to as bakuraibishi. However, the general purpose of these was merely that of distraction. They could be used to block an escape route, to make the target vulnerable to attack by means of arrows or direct confrontation while he/she searches another possible path.^{[citation needed]}

Among the fictional users of makibishi is Usopp from the manga and anime One Piece.