Samurai knife name. Edged weapon - Japanese sword. (19 photos). There are three types of stances for katana fencing

To Sansey

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05.04.2018

Today we will touch on the most interesting topic about traditional weapons of Japan. We have known about some literally since childhood, thanks to literature and films, but much less is known about others. Some types of weapons are literally modified agricultural implements, and it is no coincidence, because agriculture occupied a leading role in the production of Japan at that time. So, let's begin.

1.KATANA

Many people know about the katana; it is some kind of saber, but with a long and straight handle, so the katana can be held with a two-handed grip. The length of the katana could be different (there are varieties of katana: tachi, tanto, kozuka, ta-chi), but in general it is a fairly long sword measuring about 70 cm-120 cm. The width of the katana blade is about 3 cm, the thickness of the butt is about 5 mm. There are many legends about the properties of this sword, but one thing is certain: the technology for making a katana is extremely complex. For the production of katana, multilayer forging is used, specially selected materials and conditions. This combination made it possible to make a sword capable of cutting a person in half with one swing.

2.WAKIZASHI

Wakizashi is a short sword. The length of its blade did not exceed 60 cm. The shape of the wakizashi resembles a katana. Usually samurai wore it paired with a katana in their belt with the blade facing up. Wakizashi was used as an auxiliary weapon in cases where it was impossible to use a katana, or together with a katana at the same time. Unlike the katana, wakizashi could also be worn by merchants and artisans.

3.NUNCHAK

Nunchucks are bladed weapons with shock-crushing and suffocating effects. By design, nunchucks are two short sticks connected by a chain or cord. Nunchaku sticks can be either the same or different in length. They say that the prototype of this weapon was a flail for threshing rice. There are many varieties of nunchaku, including three-link:

There is also a weapon similar to three-link nunchaku - a three-link pole:

However, the techniques for wielding these types of weapons differ.

Nunchaku gained popularity primarily thanks to films with Bruce Lee:

4.BO (BATTLE STAFF)

Bo (Korean name "bong", Chinese - "kon") is a long staff made of wood, bamboo or metal. Usually it was a wooden pole about 180 cm long and 2.5 cm - 3 cm in diameter. Bo is used as a weapon. It is believed that previously the BO was part of a spear. Bo were used for self-defense by monks and common people.

5.SAI (TRIDENT)

Sai is a piercing bladed weapon resembling a stiletto. Outwardly it looks like a trident with an elongated middle tooth. Sai is one of the main types of Kobudo weapons. The side teeth play the role of a guard, but can also serve to grab a weapon or hit a target by sharpening it.

6.JUTTE (WAR CLUB)

The jutte is a Japanese bladed weapon about 45 cm long, which was used by ninjas and Japanese police. The jutte has a one-sided guard about 5 cm in length. Currently used in the martial art of jutte-jutsu. Jutte is a small metal club.

7.KAMA (BATTLE SICKLE)

Kama is also a melee weapon. Very similar to a small braid. It consists of a handle and a short curved blade, which is mounted on the handle perpendicular to it. The prototype of Kama was a sickle for harvesting rice.

8.TONFA

Tonfa is a bladed weapon with impact and crushing action. The prototype of the tonfa was the handle of a rice mill. The tonfa is the ancestor of the modern cross-handled police baton. There are many versions regarding the history of the origin of tonfa - according to some sources, it came to Japan from China.

9. YAVARA

Yawara is a Japanese brass knuckle designed for jabbing. Intensifying the blow of a hand with an object clamped into it led to the appearance of a simple but very effective weapon - a short stick. The length of the javara ranges from 12 cm to 15 cm, and the diameter is about 1-3 cm. It is made from various hardwoods. Can be sharpened on one or both sides. Many other available means can also be used as javara.

10.SHURIKEN

Shuriken literally translates to “blade hidden in the hand.” Shuriken was an additional weapon, along with the katana. The art of using shuriken, known as shuriken-jutsu, was taught along with other martial arts. There are 2 known types of shuriken: bo-shuriken (a rectangular, round or octagonal wedge in cross-section) and shaken (made from thin sheets, coins, carpentry tools).

11.KUBOTAN

The Kubotan is a keychain, but is used as a non-aggression weapon that gives its owner the ability to resist an attacker. The prototype of the kubotan was the yawara. The Kubotan is a rigid plastic rod, about 14 cm long and 1.5 cm in diameter, weighing about 60 grams. Kubotan does not contain any sharp parts or edges. The body of the rod has 6 round notches for better grip, and there is also a key ring attached to one end. The kubotan's father is master Soke Kubota Takayuki 10th dan Gosoku Ryu. Today, the Kubotan is included in the equipment of the police in the United States and other countries.

12. TIMBAY

Timbay, also known as a shield, was oval in shape, usually about 45 cm long and 38 cm wide. Shields were made from turtle shells, metal or woven from wicker. Modern schools use plastic shields. Timbay was held in the left hand and used for protection. Timbey was often used in conjunction with a weapon called Rotin.

13. ROTIN

Rotin was a pike about half a meter long. Most of this length was the shaft. The tip usually had an extension in the middle part for more serious damage to the enemy. If such a weapon was turned inside a wound, the damage was often incompatible with life. Usually the rotin was held in the right hand and stabbed from the bottom up, trying to hit the ribs or throat. A common technique was to hide the pike behind a shield, which made it possible to take advantage of the effect of surprise. A short sword could also be used as a rotin.

14.ECU (BATTLE OAR)

The eku is a wooden boat oar made from Japanese red oak. The length of the eku is about 160 cm. The length of the round handle is about 1 m, the diameter of the handle is about 3 cm. The outer edges of the flat blade were tapered and sharpened, the end of the oar was also sharpened at an angle of 45 degrees. Kobudo masters applied cutting and piercing blows with the blade of an oar, and working with the handle was reminiscent of working with a pole.

15.KUVA

Kuva is also a melee weapon, although it is much less known. It is also included in the Kobudo arsenal. Kuva was a fairly effective and popular weapon, due to the fact that its wearing did not arouse any suspicion.

Let's look at the structure of a Japanese sword using an example katanas.

Katana- long samurai sword, sword length 90-120 cm, handle length 25-30 cm or 3 arm wraps, blade width 27-35 mm, deflection equal to or slightly greater than the width of the blade. The handle is covered with stingray skin or shark skin. Garda katanas called tsuboi and is most often round in shape.

The length of the sword blade is calculated as follows: to get the maximum length, you need to subtract 90 cm from your height. To also take into account issues of ease of handling the sword, you usually subtract another 8 cm from the resulting value. For example, 175 - 90 = 85 cm, 85 - 8 = 77 cm. (my personal opinion is that this is not scientific, below is information from another source).

If your height is not in the table, then for every additional centimeter of height you need to add 3 mm to the length of the blade, i.e. you can more accurately calculate the length of the blade (but this is only a recommendation since throughout the existence of the sword its length and technique of wielding it have changed, here the fighter has the right to choose the length of the sword depending on the combat situation).

Frame buke-zukuri, or uchi-gata-na koshirae . Swords mounted in this style were worn tucked into the belt. There was a protrusion on the scabbard kurikata, through which the cord was passed sageo.

Frame details buke-zukuri

Kasira - the head of the hilt of swords mounted in the style buke-zukuri.

Kojiri - the tip of the scabbard of swords in the style buke-zukuri; may be missing, then the tip of the scabbard is simply rounded and varnished in the same way as all the scabbards.

Koiguchi - "carp mouth"; entrance to the scabbard (or kutigane, if the mouth of the sheath is covered with a metal ring).

Kurikata - a protrusion with a slot located one-sixth the length of the sword below koiguchi on the front side of the scabbard omote, through which the cord passes sageo.

Mekugi- a fastening pin passing through the handle and tang of the sword.

Manuki - ornament on the hilt of the sword.

Sageo - cord on the scabbard of the sword.

Same- stingray skin used to cover fart.

Saya - sheath.

Seppa - a pair of oval metal washers covering the shank on both sides of the guard.

Footy - clutch on the handle.

Tsuba - garda.

Tsuka - handle.

Tsuka-ito - handle winding

The most famous type of sword style buke-zukuri- This katana (daito) And wakizashi (shoto). Wakizashi was just a smaller copy katana. Together they formed daisho(“big and small”). If all the details of the frame daisho were designed in the same style, then this pair was called daisho-soroimono.

Scabbard (saya) swords are usually made from ho-no-ki(magnolia) and consist of two halves. In cross-section, they almost always have the shape of an elongated oval of the same shape and size as seppa(washers) located next to them and remain the same throughout their entire length. Sword scabbards were usually coated with a very durable varnish. U daisho - pairs of swords worn by samurai - this varnish is usually of calm tones, usually black, and all other decorations are designed in the same calm style. Bright, eye-catching colors were preferred by dandies, and bright red varnish, imported from China, was on the swords worn by samurai from the provinces of Satsuma and Hyuga, who were famous for their courage and great ardor.

The surface on which the varnish is applied is either simple smooth, or it may have wide or narrow grooves running diagonally or transversely. The varnished base itself can be either grainy or well sanded, plain or decorated nashiji(gold dust) guri-bori or in other styles, or even striped two-color. Quite often there is also a varnish like stingray fish ( same-nuri). These bases can then receive any form of decoration, but for daisho sophisticated maki-e(loose pattern) does not suit Japanese taste. However, with regard to daggers, the master could allow free flight of fantasy, and inlaid metal ornaments are often found here (kanamono).

The following six pieces of sword scabbard, framed in the style buke-zukuri, could have special decoration details:

Ring covering the entrance to the scabbard - koi-guchi(“carp mouth”) or kutigane, if it is metal;

Uragawara - reinforcing bar running across the base of the slot for ko-gatana;

Lining of slots for ko-gatana And kogai. Typically available in polished black lacquer, polished natural horn, or soft buff leather;

kurikata(“chestnut shape”) - a protrusion with a slot located one-sixth of the length of the sword below koi-guchi on the side omote, through which the cord passes sageo;

sori-tsuno("returning horn"), or origane, - a small hook-shaped protrusion even lower on the same side, directed towards the hilt. It serves to prevent the sheath from slipping forward from the belt. It is quite rare and usually wakizashi, but his presence often speaks of good things
blade;

Kojiri - scabbard tip. It often doesn’t happen, especially in wakizashi, and the tip of the scabbard is simply rounded and varnished in the same way as all the scabbards. In shape, material and decoration it very often corresponds cashier.

All these parts (except for the lining of the slots for ko-gatana And kogai) usually metal, more or less equally decorated. But in discreet frames they can be made of polished black horn of the simplest form and the smallest size necessary for their purpose.

Sageo - it is a flat silk cord passed through curicata, with which the sword was tied to the belt. Length sageo was from 60 to 150 cm depending on the size of the weapon, and it could be removed before battle and used as tasuki for tying the long sleeves of a civilian suit to give freedom of arm movements. Sageo They were also used to bind a captured enemy. Color sageo matches the color of the scabbard. If the latter are in good Japanese taste, discreet and strict, the same will be true sageo. Bright and dog have three frames sageo corresponding.

Handle (tsuka) always made from two halves of wood glued together, preferably ho-no-ki(magnolia). There was a hole between them for the shank (nakago), called tsuka-guchi. The tree was usually covered with a single piece of white same- knotty stingray skin. The seam ran down the center of the side hooray, and usually the piece was selected so that the central row of three or four larger knots was on top of the side omote.

A winding was placed on top tsuka-ito(“hilt thread”), consisting of a strip of strong flat silk (less often leather or cotton) ribbon uchi-him o up to 0.6 cm wide. Quite rarely, instead of a flat ribbon, you find a cord wrapped in rows. Usually, tsuka-ito was black, occasionally soft brown, dark blue or green. Sometimes daimyo used katanas with white winding; it was also a trait of a certain type tati. Occasionally, leather cord and whalebone are found. The center of the tape was placed close to the handle coupling footy on the side omote, and the two ends were wrapped around the handle on the right and left, respectively, and twisted twice at equal distances. As a result same turned out to be completely closed, except for a number of diamond-shaped spaces on both sides of the handle. After the tape was passed through the sides of the handle head cashier, it was secured on both sides of the handle with a flat compact unit. Slightly below the center of the handle on the side omote and a little higher on the side hooray the wrapping partially covered and secured the two decorations in place Menuki.

Handle wrap options tsuka and the winding technique resulting in the pattern shown top center

Securing the cord tsuka-ito on cashier

There were many exceptions to this usual tsuka-maki(handle wrapping method). For example, on swords worn daimyo in formal wear, called kamishimo, in the shogun's court during the Edo period, a black silk wrap was crossed over the cashier, instead of going inside; cashier in this case it was made of simple black horn. This style is known as maki-kake-no-kashira, and a sword with such a winding was called kamishimo-zashi.

Certain court swords, as well as most short swords and daggers, had stingray skin hilts left unwrapped. In such cases cashier and both Menuki had to be secured with glue, hidden pins, decorative buttons, or some other suitable method. This style is called hanashi-menuki(free Menuki). There are also many forms of unwound hilt, mostly in daggers whose handles are covered with polished or carved wood, varnish, rattan or metal. Usually, if there was no stingray skin on the handle, the side joints between the halves of the handle were covered with strips of metal called kenuki-kanamono.

The shape of the handle consists of a narrow elliptical section and usually becomes very slightly thinner at both ends towards the middle. Daggers with an unwound hilt have a side omote may have an oblique cut at a distance of 2.5 cm from cashier. In the case when the dagger is worn on the chest in clothing ( kwaiken), This feature allows a person to immediately feel which side the blade is on.

Garda (tsuba) usually has the shape of a disk. The only exceptions are the guards of ancient swords, which have the shape of a small cross and are called sieve-gi(shaped like a Shinto sacrificial rice cake, hence the name). Such guards are also found on some ceremonial types. tati. Cup-shaped guards are found, but quite rarely.

Guards come in a variety of shapes and sizes, although the most common are round or oval with a diameter of 6 to 9 cm.

Guards are almost always made of metal, although on ceremonial swords they may be patent leather, leather stretched over wood, or papier-mâché. Until the 16th century. Tsuba guards were usually made of iron. Simple in design, they served a purely utilitarian purpose - to protect the hand. Later, as metallurgy developed, the tsuba also became a work of art. Guard decorations reach their peak during the peaceful Edo period. Metals such as gold, silver, copper with various reddish patinas, as well as copper alloys began to be used to decorate them: shakudo, shibuichi, sambo gin, rogin, karakane, nigurome, sentoku and pure brass sintu. The use of various chemical compounds made it possible to give them a variety of colors. To them you need to add interesting contrasting combinations of two or more alloys of different colors.

Guard details (tsuba)

Hira(“flat body”) - part of the guard between Mimi And seppadai.

Mimi - headband

Seppadai(“position for washers”) - place for washers seppa. The oval part of the guard around the hole for the tang. Two washers are adjacent to this place ( seppa) between the guard and the blade and the guard and the handle. When the guard is on the sword, seppadai completely hidden from view. Usually completely unremarkable except for the signature, it is often a slightly convex regular oval.

Nakago-ana - hole for shank. A hole in the center of the guard through which the tang of the sword passes.

Udenuki-ana - holes for lanyard. Some guards have two holes of different sizes. A lanyard was attached to them.

Sekigane - aggregate. A metal filler used to size the tang hole to the specific strip of the sword and provide a secure fit. These holes are found on iron guards and indicate that this is an early guard. The filler is also used in ryo-hitsu.

Kogai hitsu-ana - hole for kogai. This hole is often shaped like half of a four-petaled flower.

Kozuka hitsu-ana - hole for Kozu-ki. This is the hole opposite Kogai hitsu-ana, designed for handle ko-gatana. The hole is often shaped like half a moon. Together Kogai hitsu-ana And Kozuka Hitsu-ana are called ryo-hitsu.

Handle coupling (futi) and handle head (kasira). These two frame pieces are usually considered together since they are usually designed similarly and made by the same craftsman.

Function footy(handle couplings) and cashier(handle head) consists of strengthening the handle at both ends. Term "cashira"(lit. "head") is an abbreviation of the original name "tsuka-gashira"(handle head), and footy- a general term for a boundary. Both things together are usually called futi-kasira.

Footy, as a rule, consists of a flat metal ring band up to 1.3 cm wide, which covers the handle next to the guard and is easy to remove. At the base footy there is an oval plate called tenjo-gane(“ceiling metal”), usually copper, with a hole for the tang of a sword.

Kasira is a small cup usually with a flattened bottom, although it is also common cashier with a completely round bottom. On footy the main part of the pattern is located on the side omote. On cashier the pattern is located on the end of the handle so that it is visible when wearing the sword.

From each side cashier there is an oval slot - shitodome-ana, equipped with a retractable eyelet - shitodome("oat eye") of gilded copper, just large enough to accommodate the cord of the handle. On the hilt with a wrapped handle cashier no longer attaches. However, on a handle without a wrap, it is usually secured not only with glue, but also with two leaf-headed pins large enough to hide shitodome-ana(the loop from which has been removed).

Footy signs on the side omote outer surface tenjo-gane and sometimes on the visible part. On cashier the signature, in the rare cases where it is present, is on a small metal plate soldered on the inside or outside. It is also located at Menuki.

Manuki- this is a pair of small ornaments made of decorated metal located on both sides of the handle. They serve not only as decoration, but also for a tighter grip around the handle. They probably originate from the decorated caps of fastening pins on ancient swords. Together with kogai And ko-gatana (Kozuka) they can form a single set called mitokoro-mono(“three places of a thing”). A single style can extend to a complete set of metal parts for a sword - soroimono(“uniform thing”) or pairs of swords - daisho-soroimono. Mitokoro-mono or soroimono the work of a famous metalworker - preferably one of the Gotos - was a favorite gift among daimyo and other dignitaries on special occasions.

Mekugi- This is a fastening pin that goes through the hilt and tang of the sword and prevents the sword strip from falling out of the hilt. It is usually made from bamboo, but often from dark horn (very rarely from ivory). When the handle is wrapped, it tapers slightly mekugi enters on the side hooray in the center of one of the open diamonds same so that's on the side omote its narrower end is hidden by the winding. But there are exceptions to this rule. In the unwrapped hilts of daggers mekugi can pass through a metal or ivory eyelet or through a metal band - do-gane(“body metal”), covering the handle.

Metal mekugi- This is a striking feature of most non-wrap handles. It consists of a thick copper tube with a decorative cap, often silver, into which a copper pin with the same cap is threaded or screwed on the other side. The threads on the screws are often left-handed, and extreme care must be taken when dismantling such weapons.

Washers (seppa)- this is a pair of oval metal washers covering the shank on both sides of the guard. They are almost always made of copper, plain, gold-plated, silver-plated, or covered with gold or silver foil. Visible surfaces may be polished or lightly streaked. Their edges are usually milled or decorated with holes. Some swords have two or three pairs, and some tati in addition to these usual seppa often there is a much larger pair called o-seppa(large washers). They cover most of the guard and are decorated with engraving, the basis of the design often being an elegant Maltese cross. They say that seppa began to be used in the 12th century. Their purpose is to protect footy and guard from damage and give everything a finished look.

Coupling (habaki). Despite the fact that from the artistic side habaki The least significant, it is absolutely necessary, and is found on all Japanese swords, daggers and spears. This is a thick metal sleeve, the inner side of which fits tightly to the last two to three centimeters of the blade and the first two to three centimeters of the shank ( nakago) (approximate figures for a medium-sized weapon), has several functions. Firstly, it holds the sword tightly in the sheath, eliminating friction of the blade and especially the hardened part of the blade on the inner surface of the sheath. Secondly, it to some extent protects the blade from the appearance of rust in this dangerous place, therefore part of the strip of the sword under habaki should be lightly oiled. But its most important function is that it transfers the impact of a blow through the guard to the entire handle, and not to the relatively weak restraining peg mekugi made of bamboo or horn.

Habaki usually made of copper, silver-plated or gold-plated, or covered with gold, silver or alloy foil shakudo. The surface is either polished or covered with oblique strokes, which are called neko-gaki(“cat scratches”) If a thin foil covering is present, it can be embedded into these neko-gaki or decorated with a stamped pattern. Occasionally also found habaki made of iron, precious metals, or even ivory or wood, but only on swords not mounted for serious use. If the sword strip is thinner than average and thus requires habaki extra thickness, then can be used nid-zyu-habaki- double habaki. It is simply a regular sized habaki, reinforced with a separate but neatly fitted piece that adds two “cheeks” to reinforce the lower part (adjacent to the guard). By habaki you can often evaluate the quality of the blade. Niju-haba-ki and especially habaki, decorated with the family coat of arms mon, usually belong to good swords.

Sword strip terminology

The strip of a sword, dagger or any other bladed weapon consists of a blade and a tang.

Point (kisaki)- This is the most difficult part of the sword to forge and polish. The value of a sword is largely determined by its condition. kitsaki. Hardening line on the tip ( barefoot) may not be the same on different sides of the blade.

There are a great many types of hardening lines on the tip (as well as on the blade itself).

Types of sword point ( kitsaki) and hardening lines (barefoot) are classified:

1. according to the shape of the blade:

- fukura-kareru- direct;
- fukura-tsuku- curved;

2. by size:

-ko-kisaki- small point. Characteristic of the tachi of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period;
- tyu-kisaki- average. A widespread type for all swords from about 1232;
- o-kisaki- long;
- ikari-o-kisaki- long and curved;

3. along the hardening line (bosi):

- ko-maru- weak rounding;
- o-maru- strong rounding. The width of the hardened part is narrower than in ko-maru;
- jizo- in the shape of the head of the deity Jizo;
- yaki-zume- non-returning. Typically, the hardening line extends to the point and turns back toward the shank. In this case, return ( Kaeri) absent;
- midare-komi- wavy;
- kaen- fiery;
- iti-mai- full. The entire tip is hardened;
- Kaeri-tsuyoshi- straight return line;
- kaeri-fukashi- long return;
- kaeri-asashi- short return.

Sword strip

Komi, or mi,- blade.
Nakago- shank.
Tosin- sword strip.

Sword strip terminology

Bosi - hardening line on the tip.

Yokote - the line separating the tip and the blade.

Dzi (ilihira-ji) - the plane between the blade and Shinogi(its width is called Nick).

Jihad - surface pattern hada.

Ji-tsuya - darker (compared to ha-tsuya) part of the blade (the rest of the blade, except the hardened part).

Kasane - blade thickness, measured along the spine; It happens moto-kasaie And saki-kasane.

Kisaki - tip (sometimes this term refers to the entire area from yokote to the very tip of the blade).

Ko-shinogi - the edge of the blade at the tip.

Mizukage - fuzzy line on a plane dzi, usually occurring when re-hardening the blade.

Mihab - blade width; It happens moto hub And saki-haba.

Mitsu-kado - the point where they meet yokote, Shinogi And ko-sinogi.

Monouchi - the part of the blade that delivers most of the blows is the part of the blade about 15 cm long, located about 10 cm below yokote(data for a long sword; for short swords and daggers it is proportionally reduced).

Moto-kasane - blade thickness mune-machi.

Moto hub - blade width between ha-mati And mune-machi.

Mune - butt of the blade.

Mune-machi - a small cut separating the shank from the blade on the butt side, edge mune.

Mune-saki - the name of the butt near the tip;

Mai - inscriptions (on nakago and etc.).

Mekugi-ana - holes in nakago For Menuki.

Nagasa - blade length (measured between mune-machi and tip).

Nakago-jiri - extremity nakago.

Sabigiwa - border between habaki-moto And Yasuri-me.

Saki-kasane - blade thickness yokote.

Saki-haba - blade width yokote.

Shinogi - edge of the blade.

Shinogi-ji - blade plane between Shinogi And mune.

Sorry - blade curvature.

Sugata - blade shape.

Fukura - blade shape kitsaki.

Ha(or ha-saki) - blade.

Habaki-moto - part of the sword strip that is under the muff habaki.

Hada - steel lamination; the result of the folding of steel during the forging process.

Ha-mati - small cut separating the tang from the blade on the side of the blade, edge Ha.

Jamon - line Yakiba.

Hataraki - “activity”, development on the metal surface ( nioi, nie and etc.).

Ha-tsuya - lighter part of the blade compared to ji-tsuya; almost the same as Yakiba.

Hee - dollars

Horimono - engraving on the blade.

Yakiba - hardened part of the blade.

Yakihaba - width Yakiba.

Yasuri-me - notches on the shank.

Edge of the blade (shinog) missing from blades hira-zukuri. There are two types:

protruding (Shinogi-takashi). The thickness of the blade between the stiffening ribs is much greater than that of the butt;

• smooth (shinogi-hikushi).

The plane between the edge and the butt of the blade (Shinogi-ji) can be wide or narrow.

Dol (hee) originally made to increase the strength of the blade and reduce its weight. Later it began to be seen as decoration. Sometimes a fuller was made in order to restore the balance of a shortened sword or to hide flaws in the blade (such fullers added later are called ato-bi). There are 8 types of dols, of which Koshi-hi, Tomabashi, Shobu-hi, Kuichigai-hi and Naginata-hi- on short swords.

In addition, there are 4 forms of fuller at the shank, of which kaki-toshi and kaki-nagashi usually found on strips of swords made by smiths of the Old Sword Period ( koto).

The valley may cross yokote(type hi-saki-agari) and stop a little before reaching yokote(type hisaki-sagari).

Plane shinogi-ji, not cut down, is called tiri. Dol may have tiri on both sides (type ryo-chiri) or only on one side (type kata-chiri).

Types of fullers on a sword strip

Bo-hee- wide dol.
Bo-hi-ni-tsure-hi- wide and narrow valley.
Gomabasi- two short beats.
Kaki-nagashi- extending to half of the shank.
Kaki-toshi- passing along the entire shank.
Kaku-dome- rectangular end.
Koshi-hi- short dollar
Kuitigai-hi- double irregular fuller joining at the end.
Naginata-hi- short wide fuller; typical for naginata, but is also found on swords.
Shobu-hi- double dale joining at the end.
Futasuji-hi- two narrow valleys.
Maru-dome- rounded end.

Engraving (horimono). There are various types of engravings on the blades of Japanese swords. Most common subjects: chopsticks ( Goma-Hasi), ritual sword ken, the Dragon ( kurikara) and inscriptions in Chinese or Japanese characters ( bondzi).

Hataraki
Ji-nie- spots nee V dzi.
Kinsuji, inazuma And Sunagashi- stripes below and above the line jamon.
Ko-nie- small dots nee above jamon.
Uchinoke- “activity” in the shape of a crescent.

Many martial arts were invented in Japan. Many of them require handling edged weapons. Samurai immediately come to mind - warriors who fought primarily in this way. And today, fencing with a Japanese sword is quite popular, especially in the country where this art originated.

But to the question: “What is the name of the Japanese sword?” — there can be no definite answer. However, if you ask it to an ignorant person, in most cases the answer will be: “Katana.” This is not entirely true - a Japanese sword cannot be limited to one name. It is necessary to understand that there are a large number of representatives of this type of bladed weapon. The types of Japanese swords can be listed for a long time, there are dozens of them, the most famous of them will be given below.

Manufacturing

The tradition of fencing goes back to the distant past, to the times of the samurai. A dangerous weapon is a Japanese sword. Making it is a whole science that is passed on from master to master. Of course, it is almost impossible to fully describe how a real work is created in the hands of blacksmiths; each one uses different techniques and special additions and tricks. However, in general, everyone adheres to the following.

The use of laminated steel with controlled carbon content is mandatory. This gives the sword special ductility and strength at the same time. Refined steel is refined at high temperatures, and iron becomes pure.

Sorry

Absolutely all Japanese swords have a characteristic curve called sori. It can be made in various versions. The centuries-old evolution of this type of bladed weapon, and at the same time the samurai equipment, made it possible to find an almost ideal option.

The sword is an extension of the arm, and a fencer’s arm is almost always slightly bent, so the weapon also has a bend. Everything is simple, but at the same time wise. Sori appears in part due to special processing that uses extreme temperatures. Hardening is not uniform, but zonal; some parts of the sword are exposed to much greater impact. By the way, in Europe craftsmen used exactly this method. After all the procedures, the Japanese sword has different hardness, the blade is 60 Rockwell units, and the back is only 40 units. So what is the name of the Japanese sword?

Bokken

To begin with, it is worth identifying the simplest of all Japanese swords. Bokken are wooden weapons, they are used in training, since it is difficult to inflict serious injuries on them; only masters of the art are able to kill with them. An example would be Aikido. The sword is created from various types of wood: oak, beech and hornbeam. They grow in Japan and are quite durable, so the choice is clear. For safety and appearance, resin or varnish is often used. The length of the bokken is about 1 m, the handle is 25 cm, the blade is 75 cm.

The weapon must be strong enough, so manufacturing also requires skill. The bokken can withstand strong blows with the same sword and with a jo, a wooden pole. The most dangerous is the tip, which can cause serious harm.

As already mentioned, a professional is capable of delivering a killing blow using a Japanese wooden sword. For example, just take the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, who often used a wooden sword in fights, most often the fight ended in the death of the enemy. Therefore, in Japan, not only real blades, but also bokken are treated with great respect. For example, when entering a plane, it must be checked in as luggage. And if you do not use a case, then this is equivalent to carrying a bladed weapon. This Japanese sword is dangerous. The name can be applied to all swords made of wood.

Interestingly, there are three types of wooden sword: male, female and training. However, you should not think that only the fair sex uses the second one. Women's is the most popular, as it has a special curve and lightness. Male - thick blade and directness. The training blade imitates a steel blade; the blade has a particularly large thickening, implying the weight of an iron blade. What other types of Japanese swords are there?

Daisho

The name literally translates as “big-small”. This is the main weapon of the samurai. The long sword is called daito. Its length is about 66 cm. A short Japanese sword (dagger) is a shoto (33-66 cm), which serves as a secondary weapon for a samurai. But it is a mistake to believe that these are the names of certain swords. Throughout history, the bundle has changed, different types have been used. For example, before the early Muromachi period, the tachi was used as a long sword. Then it was replaced by the katana, which was worn in a sheath secured with a ribbon. If a dagger (short sword) tanto was used with tachi, then wakizashi - Japanese swords, photos of which can be seen below, were usually taken with it.

In Europe and Russia it is believed that the katana is a long sword, but this is not entirely true. It really has been like this for a long time, but its use is a matter of taste. Interestingly, in Japan, the use of daisho was strictly enforced only by samurai. Military leaders and shoguns sacredly revered this rule and issued corresponding decrees. The samurai themselves treated weapons with special reverence; they kept them close to them even while sleeping. The long sword was removed at the entrance to the house, and the short sword was always with you.

Other classes of society did not have the right to use daisho, but could take them individually. A bunch of swords was the main part of a samurai's costume. It was she who confirmed the class affiliation. From an early age, warriors were taught to take care of their master's weapons.

Katana

And finally, perhaps the most popular of the best Japanese swords. Katana in modern language means absolutely any representative of this type of weapon. As mentioned above, it was used by samurai as a long sword, most often it is paired with a wakaji. Weapons are always carried in a sheath to avoid accidental injury to others and yourself. Interestingly, the angle at which the katana is usually placed on the belt allows its true length to be hidden from others. A cunning and simple method appeared back in the Sengoku period. In those days, weapons were no longer a necessity; they were used more for the sake of tradition.

Manufacturing

Like any Japanese sword, the katana has a complex design. The manufacturing process may take several months, but the result is a real work of art. First, pieces of steel placed together are filled with a solution of clay and water, and also sprinkled with ash. This is necessary so that the slag that is formed during the smelting process is absorbed. After the steel is hot, the pieces are joined.

Then the most difficult process begins - forging. The pieces are repeatedly flattened and folded, thereby allowing the carbon to be evenly distributed throughout the workpiece. If you fold it 10 times, you get 1024 layers. And this is not the limit. Why is this necessary? In order for the hardness of the blade to be the same. If there are significant differences, then under conditions of heavy loads there is a high probability of breaking. Forging lasts several days, during which time the layers reach a truly large number. The structure of the blade is created by the composition of the metal strips. This is its original appearance; later it will become part of the sword.

To avoid oxidation, the same layer of clay is applied. Then hardening begins. The sword is heated to a certain temperature, which depends on the type of metal. After this, instant cooling occurs. The cutting edge becomes hard. Then the final work is carried out: sharpening, polishing. The master carefully works on the blade for a long time. Finally, when the edges are flat, he works with small stones held with one or two fingers, some use planks. Today, engraving has become popular, which usually depicts scenes with Buddhist themes. Work is done on the handle, which takes a few more days, and the katana is ready. This Japanese sword is dangerous. The name can be attributed to a large number of representatives that differ from each other.

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Real Japanese swords must have not only a sharp blade and strength, but also durability. They should not break under strong impacts, and can also last for a long time without sharpening. Carbon gives hardness, but at the same time the sword loses its elasticity, which means it becomes brittle. Blacksmiths in Japan invented various forms that could provide both elasticity and durability.

Ultimately it was decided that layering would solve the problem. The traditional technique involves making the core of the blade from low-carbon steel. The remaining layers are elastic. Various combinations and methods help to create such a Japanese sword. A combat blade should be convenient for a certain warrior. The blacksmith can also change the type of steel, which greatly affects the entire sword. In general, katanas can differ greatly from each other due to the reasons described above.

Due to the complexity of manufacturing, blade designs cost differently. For example, the cheapest one involves the use of one type of steel. Typically used to create tanto. But the soshu kitae is the most complex structure; it has seven layers of steel. An exemplary work created using it is a work of art. One of the first to use soshu kitae was the blacksmith Masamune.

In the house and on the street

As you know, in Japan there are a huge number of traditions, many of which directly relate to edged weapons. For example, when entering a house, a warrior never took off a short Japanese samurai sword. The Wakaji remained in its sheath as a reminder of the guest's combat readiness. With the katana (long sword) it was different. The samurai held it in his left hand if he feared for his own life. As a sign of trust, he could shift it to the right. When the warrior sat down, he also did not part with his swords.

On the street, the samurai carried a katana in a sheath called a saya. The mounting for the sword was called koshirae. If there was a need, the warrior never parted with his katana. However, in times of peace, the long sword was left at home. There it was stored in a special shirasaya assembly, which was created from untreated magnolia wood. It was able to protect the blade from corrosion.

If we compare the katana with its Russian counterparts, it most closely resembles a saber. However, thanks to the long handle, the first one can be used with two hands, which is a distinctive feature. A useful property of the katana is that it is also easy to deliver stabbing blows, since the bend of the blade is small and the blade is sharp.

Wearing

The katana was always worn to the left of the body in a sheath. The obi belt securely fastens the sword and prevents it from falling out. In society, the blade should always be higher than the hilt. This is a tradition, not a military necessity. But in armed conflicts, the samurai held a katana in his left hand, that is, in a state of combat readiness. As a sign of trust, as already mentioned, the weapon passed into the right hand. The Japanese katana sword replaced the tachi by the end of the 14th century.

Usually everyone chose a handle decorated with decorative elements, but no one chose an ugly and untreated one. However, at the end of the 19th century, the wearing of swords, all except wooden ones, was prohibited in Japan. And the untreated hilt began to gain popularity, since the blade was not visible in the scabbard, and the sword could be mistaken for a bokken. In Russia, a katana is characterized as a two-handed saber with a blade over 60 cm.

However, not only the katana was used by samurai. There are lesser known and popular types of Japanese swords. They are described below.

Vikazashi

This is a short Japanese sword. The traditional type of bladed weapon was quite popular among samurai. It was often worn in tandem with a katana. The length of the blade actually made it not a sword, but rather a dagger; it is about 30-60 cm. The entire wakizashi was about 50-80 cm, depending on the previous indicator. The slight curvature made it look like a katana. The sharpening was one-sided, like most Japanese swords. The convex section is much larger than that of a katana, so soft objects were cut more sharply. A distinctive feature is the square-section handle.

Wakizashi was very popular; many fencing schools taught their students to use it and a katana at the same time. The sword was called the guardian of one's honor and was treated with special respect.

However, the main advantage of the katana was the free wearing of wakizashi by absolutely everyone. If only samurai had the right to use a long sword, then artisans, workers, merchants and others often took a short sword with them. Due to the considerable length of the wakizashi, it was often used as a full-fledged weapon.

Tati

The long Japanese sword, which was replaced by the katana, was quite popular at one time. The fundamental differences between them could be identified even at the stage of creating the blade - a different design was used. Katana has much better performance, but tachi also deserves attention. It was customary to carry a long sword with the blade down; it was secured to the belt with a special bandage. The scabbard was most often wrapped to prevent damage. If the katana was part of civilian clothing, then the tati was exclusively military. Paired with it was the tanto sword. Also, tachi was often used as a ceremonial weapon at various events and in the courts of shoguns and emperors (the former can also be called princes).

When compared with the same katana, the blade of the tachi is more curved and also longer, about 75 cm. The katana is straight and relatively short. The handle of the tachi, like the sword itself, is quite strongly curved, which is the main distinguishing aspect.

Tati also had a second name - daito. In Europe it is usually pronounced "daikatana". Error due to incorrect reading of hieroglyphs.

Tanto

Paired with the tati was a short sword, which could also be classified as a dagger. Tanto is a phrase, so in Japan it is not considered a knife. There is also another reason. Tanto was used as a weapon. However, the kozuka knife was worn in the same sheath. The length of the blade ranged from 15-30 cm. Most often the blade was single-edged, but sometimes double-edged ones were created, but as an exception.

Interestingly, wakizashi, katana and tanto are the same swords, only differing in length. There was a type of yoroi-doshi, which had a triangular blade. It was needed to pierce armor. Tanto was not prohibited for use by ordinary people, so not only samurai wore it, but also doctors, merchants and others. In theory, a tanto, like any short sword, is a dagger. Another variety was the kaiken, which was shorter in length. It was most often worn by ladies of high society in an obi belt and used for self-defense. Tanto did not disappear, it remained in traditional royal wedding ceremonies. And some samurai wore it instead of a wakizashi in conjunction with a katana.

Odachi

In addition to the above types of long sword, there were less known and widespread ones. One of these is odachi. The term is often confused with nodachi, which is described below, but these are two different swords.

Literally, odachi translates as “big sword.” Indeed, the length of its blade exceeds 90.9 cm. However, there is no exact definition, which is also observed with other species. In fact, every sword exceeding the above value can be called an odachi. The length is about 1.6 m, although it often exceeds it; the hilt of the Japanese sword was considerable.

Swords have not been used since the Osaka-Natsuno-Jin War of 1615. After it, a special law was issued prohibiting the use of bladed weapons of a certain length. Unfortunately, only a tiny amount of odachi survives today. The reason for this is that the owners cut their own bladed weapons in order to meet the standards. After the ban, swords were used as gifts, as they were quite valuable. This became their purpose. The high cost was explained by the fact that manufacturing was extremely complex.

Nodachi

The name literally means field sword. Nodachi, like odachi, had enormous length. Because of her, creation was difficult. The sword was worn on the back, since this was the only way possible. Nodachi did not become widespread precisely due to the complexity of its manufacture. In addition, it also required skill when fighting. The complex handling technique was due to its large size and enormous weight. It was almost impossible to snatch a sword from behind your back in the heat of battle. But where then was it used?

Perhaps the best use was fighting horsemen. The large length and sharp end made it possible to use the nodachi as a spear, which could hit both humans and horses. The sword was also quite effective when dealing damage to several targets at once. But nodachi is completely unsuitable for close combat. Samurai, if necessary, threw away the sword and picked up a more convenient katana or tachi.

Kodati

The name translates as “little tati”. Kodachi is a Japanese edged weapon that cannot be classified as either a long or short sword. It's rather something in between. Thanks to its size, it can be easily and quickly grabbed and perfectly fencing. The versatility of the sword, due to its size, made it possible to use it in close combat, where movements are constrained and at a distance.

It is best to compare kodachi to wakizashi. Although their blades are very different (the first one is wider), the technique of wielding is similar. The length of one and the other are also similar. Kodachi was allowed to be worn by everyone, since he could not relate to long swords. It is often confused with wakizashi for the reasons described above. Kodachi was worn like a tachi, that is, with a downward curve. The samurai who used it did not take a second bladed weapon into the daisho due to its versatility. The Japanese combat sword was not required in a bundle.

A large number of swords were created in Japan, for which there was no exact definition. Some, related to small ones, could be worn by all people. The samurai usually himself chose the types of swords that he used in a bunch of daisho. Swords supplanted each other, as new ones had better characteristics; tachi and katana are prime examples. Made with high quality by great craftsmen, these swords were true works of art.

The Japanese samurai had a sword. But did they fight only with swords? It will probably be interesting to get acquainted with their arsenal in detail in order to better understand the traditions of ancient Japanese military art.

Let's start by comparing the arsenal of a Japanese samurai with the arsenal of a medieval knight from Western Europe. The difference in both the quantity and quality of their samples will immediately catch your eye. First of all, the samurai's arsenal will be much richer. In addition, many weapons will be practically incomparable with European ones. In addition, what we consider to be the truth is, in fact, very often just another myth. For example, everyone has heard that a sword is the “soul of a samurai”, since they have written about it more than once. However, was it their main weapon, and if “yes,” was it always like this? Here is a knight’s sword - yes, indeed, it has always been a symbol of chivalry, but with the samurai’s sword everything is far from so simple.

Firstly, this is not a sword, but a saber. We just traditionally call a samurai blade a sword. And secondly, it was not always his main weapon! And here it would be best to remember... the legendary musketeers of Alexandre Dumas! They were called that because their main weapon was a heavy matchlock musket. However, the heroes of the novel only use it during the defense of the Saint-Gervais bastion. In the remaining chapters of the novel they make do with swords. This is understandable. After all, it was the sword, and then its lighter version - the sword, that in Europe were symbols of chivalry and belonging to the nobility. Moreover, even a peasant could wear a sword in Europe. Bought it and wear it! But to master it, you had to study for a long time! And only nobles could afford this, but not peasants. But the musketeers did not fight with swords, and the same was the case with the Japanese samurai. The sword among them became especially popular during the years of... peace, that is, in the Edo era, after 1600, when it turned from a military weapon into a symbol of the samurai class. The samurai had no one to fight with, it was beneath their dignity to work, so they began to hone their fencing art, open fencing schools - in a word, cultivate the art of antiquity and promote it in every possible way. In real battle, samurai, of course, also used swords, but at first they did this only as a last resort, and before that they used a bow!

Like the French nobles, the samurai, both in days of peace and in days of war, did not part with their swords and even considered a sideways glance as an insult! Woodcut by Utagawa Kunisada (1786 - 1865).

Ancient Japanese poems said: “Bow and arrows! They alone are the stronghold of happiness for the whole country!” And these lines clearly show how important kyudo, the art of archery, was for the Japanese. Only a noble warrior in ancient Japan could become an archer. His name was yumi-tori - “bow holder”. The bow - yumi and arrow - were sacred weapons among the Japanese, and the expression “yumiya no michi” (“the way of the bow and arrow”) was synonymous with the word “bushido” and meant the same thing - “the way of the samurai.” Even the purely peaceful expression “family of a samurai”, and even then in a literal sense when translated from Japanese means “family of bow and arrows,” and the Chinese in their chronicles called the Japanese “Big Bow.”

A fragment of the Heiji no Ran scroll depicts a horseman in a white o-yoroi, armed with a bow and sword. The scroll was created at the beginning of the 14th century.

In the Heike Monogatari (The Tale of Heike), the famous Japanese military chronicles of the 14th century, for example, it is reported that in 1185, during the Battle of Yashima, the commander Minamoto no Kuro Yoshitsune (1159 - 1189) fought desperately to return the bow that he accidentally dropped into the water. The enemy warriors tried to knock him out of the saddle, his own warriors begged him to forget about such a trifle, but he fearlessly fought with the first, and did not pay attention to the second. He took out the bow, but his veterans began to openly resent such recklessness: “It was terrible, sir. Your bow may cost a thousand, ten thousand gold, but is it worth risking your life?”

To which Yoshitsune replied: “It’s not that I didn’t want to part with my bow. If I had a bow like that of my uncle Tametomo, which could only be drawn by two or even three people, I might even deliberately leave it to the enemy. But my bow is bad. If the enemies found out that I owned it, they would laugh at me: “Look, this is the bow of the Minamoto commander Kuro Yoshitsune!” I wouldn't want that. So I risked my life to get him back."

In the "Hogan Monogatari" ("Tale of the Hogan Era"), which tells about the military actions of 1156, Tametomo (1149 - 1170), Yoshitsune's uncle, is described as an archer so strong that his enemies, having captured him, beat him out with a chisel from the joints of the hand to make it impossible to shoot a bow in the future. The title of “archer” was an honorary title for any distinguished samurai, even when the sword and spear replaced the bow. For example, the military leader Imagawa Yoshimoto (1519 - 1560) was given the nickname “First Archer of the Eastern Sea.”

The Japanese made their bows from bamboo, and unlike the bows of other peoples who also used bamboo for this, they were very large in size and also asymmetrical, since it was believed that with this it would be more convenient for a warrior to aim and shoot. Moreover, such a bow was especially convenient for shooting from a horse. The length of the yumi usually exceeds the English “longbows”, as it often reaches 2.5 meters in length. There are cases where there were even longer bows. Thus, the legendary archer Minamoto (1139 - 1170) had a bow 280 cm long. Sometimes the bows were made so strong that one person could not pull them. For example, yumi intended for sea battles had to be pulled by seven people at once. Modern Japanese bows, as in ancient times, are made from bamboo, various types of wood and rattan palm fibers. The usual distance of an aimed shot is 60 meters, but in the hands of a master, such a weapon is capable of sending an arrow 120 meters. On some bows (at one end), the Japanese strengthened the tips, like spears, which allowed this type of weapon, which was called yumi-yari (“bow-spear”), to combine the functions of a bow and a spear.

Ancestral arrow and case for it.

The shafts of the arrows were made of polished bamboo or willow, and the fletching was made of feathers. The yajiri tip was often a real work of art. They were made by special blacksmiths, and they often signed their tips. Their shapes could be different; for example, forked moon-shaped tips were very popular. Each samurai had a special “ancestral arrow” in his quiver, on which his name was written. It was used to recognize someone killed on the battlefield, just as in Europe they did it by the coat of arms on a shield, and the winner took it as a trophy. Tsuru - bow string - was made from plant fibers and rubbed with wax. Each archer also had with him a spare bowstring - gen, which was placed in a quiver or wound on a special tsurumaki ring-spool hanging on his belt.

Katakura Kadetune is a samurai in black o-yoroi armor and with the same black bow with a characteristic braid. On the belt there is a spool for a spare bowstring. The back of the sashimono flag depicts a Buddhist bell. Sendai City Museum.

Much kyudo, according to European concepts, lies beyond a reasonable understanding of reality and is inaccessible to a person with a Western mentality. For example, it is still believed that the shooter in this half-mystical art only plays the role of an intermediary, and the shot itself is carried out as if without his direct participation. In this case, the shot itself was divided into four stages: greeting, preparation for aiming, aiming and launching the arrow (and the latter could be made standing, sitting, or kneeling). A samurai could shoot even while sitting on a horse, and not from a stationary position, but at full gallop, like the ancient Scythians, Mongols and North American Indians!

Ancestral arrow (left) and two tsuba guards on the right.

According to the rules, the bushi warrior received an arrow and bow from his squire, stood up and took an appropriate pose, demonstrating his dignity and complete self-control. In this case, breathing was required in a certain way, which achieved “calmness of mind and body” (dojikuri) and readiness to shoot (yugumae). Then the shooter stood towards the target with his left shoulder, with a bow in his left hand. The legs were supposed to be spread the length of the arrow, after which the arrow was placed on the bowstring and held with the fingers. Meanwhile, relaxing the muscles in his arms and chest, the samurai raised the bow above his head and pulled the string. At this moment it was necessary to breathe with the stomach, which allowed the muscles to relax. Then the shot itself was fired - hanare. The samurai had to concentrate all his physical and mental strength on the “great goal,” the desire for one goal - to unite with the deity, but not at all on the desire to hit the target and not on the target itself. Having fired the shot, the shooter then lowered the bow and calmly walked to his place.

Archery gloves.

Over time, Yumi turned from the weapon of a noble horseman into the weapon of a simple footsoldier, but even then he did not lose respect for himself. Even the advent of firearms did not detract from its importance, since the bow was faster and more reliable than the primitive arquebus, loaded from the muzzle. The Japanese knew crossbows, including Chinese ones, and multi-shot dokyus, but they were not widely used in their country.

By the way, horses and riders were specially trained in the ability to swim across rivers with turbulent currents, and at the same time they had to shoot from a bow! Therefore, the onions were varnished (usually black) and also painted. Short bows similar to the Mongolian ones were also well known to the Japanese, and they used them, but this was made difficult by the fact that Buddhists in Japan had an aversion to such things as hooves, sinews and horns of killed animals and could not touch them, and without this they could not make A short but powerful enough bow is simply impossible.

But in Western Europe, feudal lords did not recognize the bow as a military weapon. Already the ancient Greeks considered the bow to be the weapon of a coward, and the Romans called it “insidious and childish.” Charlemagne demanded that his soldiers wear a bow and issued corresponding capitularies (decrees), but he had little success in this! Sports equipment for training muscles - yes, a hunting weapon - to get food for yourself in the forest, combining a pleasant pastime with useful work - yes, but to fight with a bow in your hands against other knights like yourself - God forbid! Moreover, bows and crossbows were used in European armies, but... they recruited commoners for this: in England - yeoman peasants, in France - Genoese crossbowmen, and in Byzantium and the crusader states in Palestine - Muslim Turkopuls. That is, in Europe, the main weapon of a knight was initially a double-edged sword, and the bow was considered a weapon unworthy of a noble warrior. Moreover, mounted archers in European armies were forbidden to shoot from horseback. From the noble animal that the horse was considered to be, one had to first get off, and only after that take up the bow! In Japan, it was the other way around - from the very beginning, the bow was the weapon of noble warriors, and the sword served for self-defense in close combat. And only when the wars in Japan stopped, and archery, by and large, lost all meaning, the sword came to the first place in the samurai’s arsenal, which, in fact, had by that time become an analogue of the European sword. Of course, not by his combat characteristics, but by the role he played in the then Japanese society.

And with spears the situation was much the same! Well, why does a warrior need a spear when he has a powerful and long-range bow at his service?! But when spears became popular weapons in Japan, there were so many types of them that it was simply amazing. Although, unlike Western European knights, who used spears from the very beginning, Japan received them only in the middle of the 14th century, when infantrymen began to use them against samurai horsemen.

Senzaki Yagoro Noriyasu is one of the 47 loyal ronin, running with a spear in his hand. Woodcut by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798 - 1861)

The length of the Japanese Yari infantryman's spear could be from 1.5 to 6.5 m. Usually it was a spear with a double-edged ho tip, but spears with several points at once, with hooks and moon-shaped blades attached to the tip and moved away from it to the sides are known .

The rarest spear of the kuradasi yari of the blacksmith Mumei. Edo era, circa 1670. Next to it is a correspondingly shaped case.

Using a yari spear, the samurai struck with his right hand, trying to pierce the enemy’s armor, and with his left he simply held the shaft. Therefore, it was always varnished, and the smooth surface made it easy to rotate in the palms. Then, when long yari appeared, which became a weapon against cavalry, they began to be used rather as a shock weapon. Such spears were usually armed with ashigaru foot warriors, reminiscent of the ancient Macedonian phalanx with long lances placed one to the other.

Yari spearhead and case for it.

Well, if the tip of the spear broke, then it was not thrown away, but turned into such an elegant tanto-yari dagger.

The shapes of the tips varied, as did their length, of which the longest reached 1 m. In the middle of the Sengoku period, the yari shaft lengthened to 4 m, but riders found it more convenient to control spears with short shafts, and the longest yari remained the weapon of ashigaru infantrymen. Another interesting type of pole weapon such as a fighting pitchfork was the sasumata sojo garama or futomata-yari with a metal tip like a slingshot, sharpened from the inside. It was often used by samurai policemen to apprehend intruders armed with a sword.

Sasumata sojo garama

They also came up with something in Japan that resembled a garden trident ripper and was called kumade (“bear paw”). In his depictions one can often see a chain wrapped around the shaft, which must have been attached to the wrist or armor to prevent it from getting lost in battle. This weapon wonder was used when storming castles, during boarding, but in field battles it could be used to hook an enemy warrior by the kuwagata horns on his helmet or by the cords on his armor and pull him off his horse or from the wall. Another version of the “bear paw” was actually a club with outstretched fingers, and made entirely of metal!

The kumade mace is a striking fusion of two styles of Chinese and Japanese island weapons.

The police also used sode-garami (“tangled sleeve”), weapons with hooks extending to the sides of the shaft, with which they hooked onto the sleeves of the criminal so that he could not use his weapon. The way to work with it is simple to the point of genius. It is enough to approach the enemy and forcefully poke him with the tip of the sode-garami (whether he is injured or not does not matter!) so that his hooks with ends curved like fish hooks dig into his body.

Sode-garami tip.

It was in this way that murderers, robbers and violent revelers were captured during the Edo period. Well, in battle, sode-garami tried to hook the enemy by the lacing on the armor and pull him off the horse to the ground. So the presence of a large number of cords on Japanese armor was a “double-edged sword.” In certain cases, it was simply deadly for their owner! The navy also used something similar to it - the uchi-kagi grappling hook.

Although many people associate only the samurai sword with Japan, they are wrong. Some of the most diverse and famous are the Japanese swords katana, wakizashi, tachi, tanto dagger, rare ken, various types of yari spears and naginata halberd. Tachi is a long sword (blade length from 61 cm) with a relatively large bend (sori), intended mainly for mounted combat. There is a type of tachi called odachi, that is, a “large” tachi with a blade length of 1 m (from 75 cm from the 16th century). Visually, it is difficult to distinguish a katana from a tachi based on the blade; they differ, first of all, in the manner of wearing. Tachi is usually longer and more curved (most have a blade length of over 2.5 shaku, that is, more than 75 cm; the tsuka (hilt) was also often longer and somewhat curved). The tachi, unlike the katana, was not tucked into the obi (fabric belt) with the blade up, but hung on the hip in a sling designed for this purpose, with the blade down. To protect against damage from armor, the scabbard was often wrapped.


Koshigatana is a small sword that does not have a guard. The length of the blade is up to 45 cm. Sometimes, instead or in addition, a tanto dagger is worn. Naginata is an intermediate weapon between a sword and a spear: a strongly curved blade up to 60 cm long, mounted on a handle as long as a person’s height. Since the naginata was adopted by the samurai, it was usually and most often used by women to protect themselves from attack during the absence of men. It became most widespread during the reign of the emperors of the Kamakura and Muromachi eras.
Yari is a Japanese spear that was not designed to be thrown. Yari has been used by warriors since ancient times. The design of the yari is somewhat reminiscent of a regular sword. The production of yari was carried out by simple artisans (not masters), since structurally this weapon did not require much skill and was made “from a single piece.” The length of the blade is about 20 cm. Yari was used by both samurai and ordinary soldiers.
When the word “sword” is pronounced, the imagination pictures a long straight blade. But long swords were primarily cavalry weapons and became noticeably widespread only in the Middle Ages. And even then they were found much less often than short swords, which served as infantry weapons. Even knights girded themselves with long swords only before battle, and at other times they constantly carried daggers.
Stylet

In the 16th century, the cords lengthened somewhat and acquired a closed guard. The direct successor of the legionary sword - the short sword - “landsknecht” - remained the most popular weapon of the European infantry until the advent of bayonets at the end of the 17th century.
"Landsknecht"
The greatest drawback of the daggers was not their modest length, but their lack of penetrating power. In fact: a Roman sword reached 45 cm from the palm, but the long sword of European knights of the 12th century - also only 40-50 cm. After all, it is advisable to cut with the middle of the blade. Even shorter were katanas, scimitars and checkers. The cutting blow is applied with a section of the blade as close as possible to the handle. Blades of this type were not even equipped with a guard, since it could get caught on the enemy’s clothing.
So, from a practical point of view, the dagger was not short. But he didn’t pierce the armor either. The small weight of the dagger did not allow it to reflect blows from heavy weapons.
But the blow of a short piercing blade could be delivered very accurately and suddenly. Great strength was not required to fight with short swords, but only a very experienced and dexterous warrior could use this weapon effectively.
Pugio
In the middle of the century, the legionary sword not only did not disappear, but also did not change at all. Under the name of stiletto or cord, it continued to be the most popular type of bladed weapon in Europe. Cheap, light and compact cords were used by both nobles and residents of medieval cities as “civilian” weapons. Medieval infantry also wore short swords for self-defense: pikemen and crossbowmen.
Cleaver

On the other hand, conversion steel was very soft. A saber forged from Asian Damascus simply cut through a saber made from English steel. Elastic but soft blades of the 16th century dulled literally “on air.” The soldiers were forced to spend all their leisure time with a grindstone in their hand. DAGA
Since the daga served primarily to repel blows, its main part was the guard. This was especially noticeable in European dagas of the 16th century, the guard of which was a large bronze plate. Such a guard could be used as a shield. Sai - Okinawa, trident stiletto with a faceted or round central blade and two side blades that curve outward.
Misericordia
Another question is that daggers were usually not specially adapted for throwing. They did not have the advantage towards the tip necessary for throwing weapons. There were special knives to defeat the enemy at a distance.
Shurikens
The variety of shapes of small projectiles is so great that they practically defy classification. All “throwing iron” has, perhaps, only one thing in common: warriors never used it. Knife throwers never walked ahead of the phalanx along with archers and slingers. And the knight preferred to practice throwing a dagger that was completely unsuitable for this purpose, rather than carry a special knife with him.
The knife could not withstand competition from other projectiles. Its penetration power was insufficient against the lightest armor. And he flew not far, inaccurately and too slowly.
Kansashi is a Japanese women's combat stiletto in the form of a hair clip with a blade 200 mm long. Served as a secret weapon. Guan Dao is a Chinese edged weapon - a glaive, often mistakenly called a halberd, consisting of a long shaft with a warhead in the form of a wide curved blade; weight within 2-5 kg. for combat samples and from 48 to 72 kg. - for weapons used during the Qing period to conduct examinations for military positions (the so-called ukedao). total length