... spending valuable time training with weapons in a society were law abiding citizens do not carry them?
This question was asked to me by someone with a black belt in taekwondo. When I asked him how he would response to someone attacking him with a knife, his reply was very confident "I would kick it out of his hand". So, I thought we should practise that. After several minutes of not having the knife kicked from my hand, things took a comic turn as he spent a minute hopping around the room after the wooden training knife had accidentally struck his shin.
Taekwondo is a great martial art and this was a bright guy but his attitude that an armed attacker is the same as an unarmed one upon whom you can use exactly the same techniques to defeat them is fundamentally flawed.
Weapons training develops a familiarity with dealing with weapons that unarmed techniques alone cannot compete with. Circumstances might also dictate that you have to use an everyday item as a makeshift weapon to defend yourself. Chain weapons can be substituted for belts; shurikens by coins and keys; Hanbo by a walking stick or a golf club etc, etc.
Bujinkan training incorporates bikenjutsu, bōjutsu, sojutsu, naginatajutsu, tantojutsu, tessenjutsu, juttejutsu, kusarigama, the use of modern firearms and more. Much of the basic taijutsu taught to beginners comes from six primary lineages in the Bujinkan compendium, namely Kotō-ryū, Gyokko-ryū, Shinden Fudō-ryū, Takagi Yōshin-ryū, Kuki Shinden-ryū, and Togakure-ryū. A large variety of weapons are taught, including swords such as daitō, wakizashi and tantō, bamboo shinai, wooden bokken, mogito (a flexible aluminum replica sword that holds no edge), or swords made by soft modern materials are employed for safety such as fukuro shinai, staves of varying lengths (bō, jō), short staves called (hanbō, hanjō), nawa (rope), kusari-fundo (weighted chain), kusarigama (scythe with chain), yari (spear), kamayari (spear with curved scythe-like blades crossing the principal head), kagiyari (spear with 2 rearward hooks), bisento (known in Mandarin as 'kwandao'), kyoketsu shoge (similar to a kama except it has a dagger point and a rope of several feet attached to an iron ring), jutte (sword trapping truncheon), tessen (iron fan), naginata (Japanese glaive), kunai (a blunt digging tool), as well various form of shuriken including bo-shuriken and senban shuriken. In training, students are encouraged to always use any available weapons, including the environment. In some dojos, students will practise hiding training weapons in their uwagi or somewhere on the mat, and surprise their uke (training partner) during technique. While in many other oriental martial arts this is seen as dishonorable, the emphasis Bujinkan places on stealth and deception makes it a valuable exercise when practicing awareness.
All sword work consists of evasion, slashing, stabbing, blocking and countering. Ninjutsu Ken has 9 princple cuts and one thrust. Various kata exist as well a variety of sword drawing cuts (Iaijutsu). The Katana, the traditional samurai sword, is used as is the ninja-to. The ninja-to has a shorter, straighter blade and the style it uses is fundamentally different for the classic samurai styles seen in modern kendo. Tengu ryu also teaches the washazachi (Japanese short sword) and a variety of two weapon styles e.g. Katana & washazachi, 2 washazachi, ninja-to and tanto. Sparring with bamboo weapons is encouraged.
The naginata is a long pole with a double edged blade that is 21 cm long and is attached to the shaft by wires. It is used to slash, parry, strike, stab and deflect; the blade is also used to hook and arrest. This was a battlefield weapon and was often used by the women of samurai clans to defend their property
The 6ft long staff. The Bo staff is one of the primary weapons of Bujinkan Ninjutsu and several stances (or kamae)strikes and kata are practised with this weapon
The hanbo, a 3ft foot staff or walking cane,is used to parry, strike, crush and stab. It integrates with taijutsu as well (e.g. Oni kudaki). In modern life, hanbo techiques can be applied with e.g. walking stick, golf club, pool cue, umbrella or even a rolled up newspaper.
The 4ft long staff
Japanese knife, this training consists of knife disarms and cuts. Sparring (the Japanese term is randori) with wooden blades is encouraged to develop timing and tactics.
Tengu ryu has an archery target for the safe practice of Bo shuriken techniques.