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Historically, there is no evidence for the existence of this "katana-like short sword legendarily used by ninja" before the 20th century. [12] Instead, the designs demonstrated by alleged replicas may be based on the design of wakizashi or chokutō swords or the swords associated with ashigaru—common infantrymen with no "ninja" aspects. [1]
The yoroi-dōshi is an extra thick tantō, a short sword, which appeared in the Sengoku period (late Muromachi) of the 14th and 15th centuries. [4] The yoroi-dōshi was made for piercing armour [5] and for stabbing while grappling in close quarters.
A man wearing Samurai armor and jinbaori (sleeveless jacket) turns around, 2019. Scholars agree that Japanese armour first appeared in the 4th century, with the discovery of the cuirass and basic helmets in graves. [1] During the Heian period (794–1185), the unique Japanese samurai armour ō-yoroi and dō-maru appeared. [2]
For the most part the ō-yoroi was a rich man's armor and not used by lower ranking samurai. The armor was mainly worn by the higher ranking samurai on horseback. The lower ranking soldiers had armor that was similar to the ō-yoroi, but had fewer components, was lighter, and lacked the decorative markings of the higher ranking samurai. [4]
A matched set (daisho) of antique Japanese (samurai) swords and their individual mountings (koshirae), katana on top and wakisashi below, Edo period Swordsmanship, the art of the sword , has an almost mythological ethos, and is believed by some to be the paramount martial art, surpassing all others.
[1] [2] Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei (warrior monks). [3] The naginata is the iconic weapon of the onna-musha, a type of female warrior belonging to the Japanese nobility. A common misconception is that the Naginata is a type of sword, rather than a polearm.
The kyoketsu-shoge (Japanese: 距跋渉毛, lit. "long-distance wandering hair" [1]) is a double-edged blade, with another curved blade attached near the hilt at a 45–60 degree angle. This is attached to approximately 10 to 18 feet (3–5 m) of rope , chain , or hair which then ends in a large metal ring .
The sankaku yari was therefore best suited for penetrating armor, even armor made of metal, which a standard yari was not as suited to. [4] There are two types of sankaku yari: sei sankaku yari, yari blades with a triangular, equilateral cross section, and hira sankaku yari, yari with a triangular, isosceles-shaped cross section.