A weapon that created an unbalanced stance was to be avoided. Also, part of the samurai cultural mindset was control and balance. There is supposed to be some measure of control even though the momentum is in the ax head. This weapon was rare because it tended toward overbalancing. Like its European counterpart, it could be effective against an armored enemy through blunt trauma alone. This is a war ax with a heavy blade on each side. Ono Head Hunter at Echi River, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1852, via Īlthough comparatively rare, some Japanese soldiers would use ono, also called a masakari. Today, most o-dachi rest in Shinto shrines as offerings. It is difficult to wield effectively due to its size, but those few that mastered this weapon were formidable fighters. The o-dachi can be up to 1 meter in blade length - a third longer than the katana. Just like the zweihander or claymore, it was used by elite soldiers in battle to break pike formations, or could be used as a cavalry weapon. This imposing Japanese weapon is a scaled-up version of a katana. 1888, via Īlthough the sword was usually not a primary weapon on a medieval battlefield, the o-dachi/nodachi is an exception. O-dachi Saito Kuranosuke #65, by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, c. When coupled with the fearsome helmet designs used by samurai, the effect could be devastating, especially to a rank of ashigaru. Japanese myths and legends often depict oni, or demons, wielding especially large variants of the kanabo. Blunt force trauma inflicted by this Japanese weapon can break armor, shatter bones, and rupture internal organs. It is a large, thick wooden club that sometimes has metal studs, spikes, or nails attached to it. Both one and two-handed variants existed. The kanabo is a weapon developed specifically to defeat this armor the Japanese answer to the warhammer or mace. Samurai armor isn’t as durable as European plate, but it still offered at least some protection against blades and arrows. At the apex of the cut, the wielder could allow the weapon to slide forward in the right hand as if swinging an ax or sledgehammer.Ĭutting Through Samurai Armor: The Kanabo Negoro-no-Komizucha Dressed as Warrior Monk with Kanabo, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 1850, via Therefore, most of the cuts were horizontal or diagonal blows that capitalized on hip rotation rather than arm movement. With a nagamaki, the right hand is always forward.īecause of the extra length to the hilt, the point of balance is farther back. In naginata combat, the user has to switch which hand is forward on each side. It is shorter, and therefore easier to wield at close quarters. The main difference between this Japanese weapon and a naginata is the length. The word literally means “long wrap” because the hilt of the nagamaki was wrapped in the same fashion as a sword. It consists of a sword blade with an elongated hilt so that the ratio is 1:1. The nagamaki is half-sword, half-polearm. Nagamaki Taira no Harutake, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 19th century, via The weapon was relegated to the wives of samurai to defend their homes while their husbands were away and they were often part of a woman’s dowry. Formations were tighter and the broad sweeping motions of the naginata were impractical. Starting in the Sengoku period, the yari replaced the naginata as the main Japanese weapon for infantry. Spinning - especially because it’s done at a distance - lets the fighter check their surroundings. Normally this is a poor choice, but the length of the weapon keeps enemies at bay. If you have the opportunity to see naginata kata (forms), you might notice some spinning of the body following intercepted strikes. Techniques for using this weapon involved wide-sweeping cuts, thrusts, and strikes with the weighted pommel end. A skilled user could pull a rider from his horse with this Japanese weapon, cutting the horse’s legs, or simply using blunt force blows. The naginata was used as a counter to cavalry because of its length and the weight of the blade. The blade could be forged specifically for a naginata, or a resourceful smith could recycle a sword blade. It consists of a wooden shaft with a curved blade on the end. The naginata is the most recognizable Japanese polearm. Naginata Seisuiki Jinpin Sen/Kato Kagekado wielding a naginata, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, c. In single engagements like duels, it could also be used like a staff with piercing and cutting blows, blunt strikes with the shaft, and grappling actions. In infantry formations, the spear was simply a thrusting weapon. The famous daimyo Oda Nobunaga often equipped peasant ashigaru with spears, with longer shafts to help counter cavalry charges. Its length varied from one to six meters. The shaft of the spear was made out of hardwood and reinforced with horn and lacquer.
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