Are Shuriken, Throwing Stars and Kunai Legal in Australia?

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We are often asked whether people can buy or own shuriken, throwing stars, kunai or swords in Australia. Here is a plain English overview for Victoria. It is general information, not legal advice; always check the current rules with Victoria Police before buying or carrying anything.

How Victoria classifies weapons

In Victoria, weapons are covered by the Control of Weapons Act 1990 and the Control of Weapons Regulations 2021. Weapons fall into categories including prohibited weapons, which are not allowed for general possession, and controlled weapons, which you may only carry with a lawful excuse.

Throwing stars and shuriken

Victoria Police lists throwing stars as prohibited weapons, described as a sharpened star shaped article designed for throwing, including the martial arts weapons known as surikan, suriken or shaken. Throwing blades are also on the prohibited weapons list. To possess a prohibited weapon in Victoria you need a Chief Commissioner's Approval or a Governor in Council Exemption Order.

Swords and katana

Swords, including martial arts swords such as the katana, are prohibited weapons in Victoria. That includes alloy and ornamental display swords that some people keep at home. This is why all sword training at our dojo is done with a bokken (wooden sword).

Kunai and knives

Knives that are not prohibited weapons are controlled weapons, which means you need a lawful excuse to carry one. Some bladed tools may be classed as prohibited depending on their design. If you are unsure about a kunai or any other item, check the Victoria Police list of prohibited weapons or contact their Licensing and Regulation Division.

How we train safely and legally

• Sharp weapons (tanto, shoto and katana) are trained with wooden replicas.
• The kasarifundo (weighted chain) is illegal to own in Victoria, so we train with an 80 cm rope with a knot tied in each end.
• Bo-shuriken training takes place on our indoor range under the supervision of chief instructor Craig Guest, who holds a licence in bo-shuriken.

You don't need to own any weapons to learn traditional ninja weapons. Everything you need is at the dojo.

Official sources

• Victoria Police: list of prohibited weapons
• Victoria Police: weapons definitions

Learn traditional weapons the safe way

Train with wooden replicas and expert supervision. Book a $19.95 trial using the form below, or call 03 9495 1929. You are not under any obligation to join at the end of your trial.