Train Without Breaking the Law

PUBLISHED 8 AUGUST 2025

Legal, Historical, and Safe Alternatives to the Ninja Sword

With the UK’s new restrictions on straight-bladed “ninja swords,” practitioners of ninjutsu and related arts will need to adapt their training tools. Fortunately, there are several safe and fully legal options that still allow kata, demonstrations, and study to be carried out with integrity.

Wooden Bokken (Straight-Cut Design)

While most bokken are curved to replicate katana, a custom straight-edged bokken can accurately represent the shikomizue or chokutō-style blade. Lightweight and safe for partnered drills, these wooden swords can be tailored to match the proportions of the banned steel versions.

Polypropylene Training Blades

Modern synthetic swords offer durability and a realistic weight balance without a sharpened edge. Many suppliers already produce tanto- and chokutō-style polypropylene blades that withstand impact training while remaining non-lethal and legal to own.

Blunted Steel Replicas Under Display Exemption

Collectors and demonstration teams can sometimes obtain blunted replicas for use under theatrical or educational exemptions. These should be permanently disabled from taking an edge, ensuring they are considered display items rather than functional weapons.

Foam and Padded Variants for High-Intensity Drills

For sparring or dynamic partner work, foam-covered training swords with rigid cores offer the safest option. They allow for full-speed practice without significant risk of injury.

While the ban changes what can be kept in the dojo, it does not erase the techniques, principles, or history of the Japanese sword. By choosing safe, legal training tools, practitioners can honour the art and its heritage—without putting themselves on the wrong side of the law.