Naginata
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Naginata (なぎなた, 長刀 or 薙刀) is a pole weapon traditionally used by Japanese samurai. It has become associated with women, and in modern Japan, it is studied by women more than men. It consists of a wood shaft with a curved blade fashioned onto the end, and is similar to the European glaive. Usually, it also had a sword-like guard (tsuba) between the blade and shaft.
The martial art of wielding the naginata is called naginata-jutsu. Most naginata practise today is in a modernised form, a gendai budo called "Naginata", in which competitions also are held. Naginata is also practised within the Bujinkan and in some koryu schools. Naginata practicioners wear a modified form of the protective armour worn by kendo practitioners, known as bogu.
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History
The term "naginata" first appeared in the Kojiki in 712 CE and was used by Sohei warrior priests during the Nara Period, around 750 CE. In the paintings of battlefield scenes made during the Tengyo no Ran in 936 CE, the naginata can be seen in use. It was in 1086, in the book Oshu Gosannenki (A Diary of Three Years in Oshu,) that the use of the naginata in combat is first recorded. In this period the naginata was regarded as an extremely effective weapon by warriors.
During the Gempei War (1180-1185), in which the Taira clan was pitted against Minamoto no Yoritomo of the Minamoto clan, the naginata rose to a position of particularly high esteem. Cavalry battles had become more important by this time, and the naginata proved excellent at dismounting cavalry and disabling riders. The widespread adoption of the naginata as a battlefield weapon forced the introduction of sune-ate (shin guards) as a part of Japanese armour. An excellent example of the role of women in Japanese society and martial culture at this time is Itagaki, who, famous for her naginata skills, led the garrison of 3,000 warriors stationed at Toeizakayama castle. Ten thousand Hojo clan warriors were dispatched to take the castle, and Itagaki led her troops out of the castle, killing a significant number of the attackers before being overpowered.
During the Edo Period, as the naginata became less useful for men on the battlefield, it became a symbol of the social status of women of the samurai class. A functional naginata was often a traditional part of a samurai daughter's dowry. Although they did not typically fight as normal soldiers, women of the samurai class were expected to be capable of defending their homes while their husbands were away at war. The naginata was considered one of the weapons most suitable for women, as it allows a woman to keep a male opponent at a distance, where his greater height, weight, and upper body strength offers less of an advantage.
By the 17th century the rise in popularity of firearms caused a great decrease in the appearance of the naginata on the battlefield.
Due to the influence of westernization after the Meiji Restoration the perceived value of martial arts, naginata included, dropped severely. It was from this time that the focus of training became the strengthening of the will and the forging of the mind and body. During the Showa period, naginata training became a part of the public school system.
Martial arts training in Japan was banned for five years by the Allied Forces after Japan's surrender at the end of World War II. After the lifting of the ban in 1950, a modern form of naginata training, known as Atarashii Naginata (New Naginata), was developed. Since World War II naginata has primarily been practiced as a sport, rather than as military training, with a particular emphasis on etiquette and discipline.
Construction
The naginata, like many weapons, can be customized to fit the build of the bearer. Generally, the naginata shaft is the height of the bearer's body, with the blade mounted atop usually measuring two or three shaku (one shaku is equivalent to 11.93 inches, or 303 mm) long. Unlike most polearms the shaft is oval in cross section, and ranges from 5 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.4 m) long. The blade is usually curved, sometimes strongly, towards the tip, and historically is believed to be related to Chinese Guan Daos. As with Japanese swords, naginata blades were forged blades, made with differing degrees of hardness on the spine and edge to retain a sharp edge but also be able to absorb the stress of impact.
Note also at the opposite end of a Naginata, the ishizuki, (a metal end-cap, often spiked, which functioned as a counterweight to the blade) was attached, rendering the naginata an effective weapon whichever end was put forward.
Usage
Naginata can be used to stab, but due to their relatively balanced center of mass, are often spun and turned to proscribe a large radius of reach. The curved blade makes for a more effective tool for cutting due to the increased length of cutting surface. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, one 5-foot (1.5 m) tall wielder could conceivably cover and attack in 380 square feet (35 m²) of open, level ground with a 5 foot (1.5 m) shaft, 3 foot (1 m) blade, 3 foot (1 m) reach. Naginatakas were often used to create space at the battlefield.
It is believed that the addition of "sune-ate" (leg greaves or shin guards) to the armour of samurai and foot soldiers was motivated directly by the injuries sustained from naginata.
Naginata methods are said to be derived from a combination of bojutsu staff fighting methods and sword fighting techniques.