Yari Jutsu
The basic way of fighting with a spear (yari) is known as so-jutsu. Normally the yari is measured between 2.1 m and 2.7 m, but in some cases the spears can be 1.8 m. Historically there were many different types of yari:
- Te-yari (Between 0.9 m and 1.2 m)
- Naga-yari (A long spear)
- Tetsu-yari (All steel spear)
- Kama-yari (A spear with an additional half-moon blade attached to it)
- Sanbon-yari (Three-bladed spear)
The traditional ninja did not only use these spears as a weapon; but for pole-vaulting over a wall, river, moat or pound.
Yari are Japanese spears (lances) which
were not generally intended to be thrown. Yari have been used since the earliest
times. Some were made by swordsmiths and have construction similar to swords while others
were made by less skilled craftsman and are of one-piece construction and may be
un-tempered; i.e., have no hamon. Yari were used by both
Samurai and by the common foot soldier (ashigaru).
There are numerous styles of yari. The two major types are su-yari (those with straight blades) and kama-yar i (those with horizontal crossbars on the blade). Exceptionally long su yari are termed omi no yari. If the crossbars of a kama-yari are of equal length it is called a jumonji-yari. A katakama yari has a single sided crossbar or crossbars of unequal length. It has been speculated that katakama yari are the result of a repair of a broken sidearm on a jumonji-yari. Some yari were made with sockets which fitted over the end of a pole rather than a long nakago which slid into the pole, such socketed yari are termed fukuro yari. jumonji-yari and katakama yari pose exceptional challanges for both the swordsmith and the sword polisher.
The Naginata
The naginata or halberd was
developed from the art of bisento (bisento-jutsu), which came from
China during the period 618 - 989. This weapon was used by the infantry to cut off the
legs of the enemy's horse, but became later a weapon for women.
The naginata was a common polearm used throughout Japanese history. The forging, construction and polishing is similar to that of the Japanese sword. Naginata have poles of approximately 6 feet (2 meters) in length. While naginata were used by samurai, the traditional use of the naginata was by samurai women in defending the castle during the absence of the men.
Early naginata were large with blade lengths from 1 foot to approximately 2.5 feet, highly curved with much "sori" and were quite wide. Later naginata tend to be both shorter, smaller and have less sori. Naginata may or may not be signed by the maker on nagako (tang). Not all naginata will have the pole wrapped (san-dan-maki), but all will have some type of pole reinforcement, commonly brass or copper collars and rings (semegane). The poles were normally lacquered and some may be inlayed with mother-of-pearl chips. naginata blades were occassionally cut down, reshaped and repolished to make shobu-zukuri or unokubi-zukuri style wakizashi. Tsuba on naginata are normally very small, being essentially the same diameter as the seppa. However, some naginata had tsuba of the same size and design as those found on swords. The nakago of a naginata is secured into the pole by a single mekugi (peg), although some nakago will have two nakago-ana.
Naginata with blades similar to katana which were mounted on short poles (circa 3 feet) are termed nagamaki-naoshi. Nagamaki will have a yokote, naginata do not. Nagamaki were used primarily during the Kamakura and early Muromachi eras.
The naginata of the ninja was light but strong. The naginata was used in the same way as the yari.
The Bisen-To
The bisento is a large naginata.
This weapon was mainly used to cut through a warrior's armor or cut his horse (like
the naginata). The basic techniques for the bisento came from China during the
Chinese To-period.
The half-moon blades of the kama-yari could be hooked onto a tree branch or wall for climbing.
