Samurai sword. Japanese medieval swords: history, classification and manufacturing features

Literature often uses Japanese names to refer to varieties of the Japanese sword and its details. A short glossary of the most commonly used terms:

Comparative table of Japanese swords

Type	Length (nagasa), cm	Width (motohuba), cm	Deflection (sorry), cm	Thickness (kasane), mm	Notes
Tati	61-71	2,4-3,5	1,2-2,1	5-6,6	Appeared in the XI century. Worn on the belt with the blade down, paired with a tanto dagger. A variation of odachi could be worn on the back.
katana	61-73	2,8-3,1	0,4-1,9	6-8	Appeared in the XIV century. Worn behind the belt with the blade up, paired with a wakizashi.
Wakizashi	32-60	2,1-3,2	0,2-1,7	4-7	Appeared in the XIV century. Worn with the blade up, paired with a katana or alone as a dagger.
Tanto	17-30	1.7-2.9	0-0.5	5-7	Worn in tandem with a tati sword or separately as a dagger.
All dimensions are given for the blade, excluding the shank. Width and thickness are indicated for the base of the blade, where it passes into the tang. The data are taken for the swords of the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (- years) according to the catalogs. The length of tachi in the initial period of Kamakura and modern tachi (gendaito) reaches 83 cm.

History of the Japanese sword

Ancient swords. Until the 9th century.

The first iron swords were brought to the Japanese islands in the 2nd half of the 3rd century by Chinese merchants from the mainland. This period of Japanese history is called Kofun (lit. "mounds", III - centuries). In the mound-type graves, swords of that period, albeit heavily damaged by rust, were preserved, divided by archaeologists into Japanese, Korean, and the most frequent Chinese samples. Chinese swords had a straight narrow single-edged blade with a large annular pommel on the shank. Japanese examples were shorter, with a wider straight double-edged blade and a massive pommel. In the Asuka period (- years), with the help of Korean and Chinese blacksmiths, Japan began to produce its own iron, and by the 7th century they mastered the technology of forging multilayer steel. Unlike previous examples, forged from a single iron strip, swords began to be made by forging from iron and steel plates.

In total, after the end of the Second World War, about 650 licenses for the manufacture of swords were issued to blacksmiths. About 300 licensed blacksmiths continue to work today. Many of them are trying to restore the traditions of making swords of the Kamakura and Koto periods. The swords produced by them are considered primarily as works of traditional Japanese art.

sword manufacturing technology

Blacksmiths-gunsmiths

Blacksmiths had a high social status in Japanese society, many of them are known by name thanks to the lists. The lists of ancient blacksmiths begin with the name Amakuni from the Yamato province, who, according to legend, lived at the beginning of the 8th century during the reign of Emperor Taiho (-).

In the old days (the period of koto swords, about - BC), there were about 120 blacksmith schools that over the centuries produced swords with characteristic stable features developed by the founding master of the school. In modern times (the period of Shinto swords, - gg.), 80 schools are known. There are about 1,000 outstanding blacksmith craftsmen, and in total over a thousand years of the history of the Japanese sword, more than 23 thousand gunsmiths were recorded, of which most (4 thousand) during the period of koto (old swords) lived in the province of Bizen (modern Okayama Prefecture ).

Ingots of iron were flattened into thin plates, cooled rapidly in water and then broken into pieces the size of a coin. After that, the selection of pieces was carried out, pieces with large inclusions of slag were discarded, the rest were sorted according to the color and granular structure of the fault. This method allowed the blacksmith to select steel with a predictable carbon content ranging from 0.6 to 1.5%.

Further separation of slag residues in steel and a decrease in carbon content was carried out in the process of forging - joining individual small pieces into a blank for a sword.

Blade forging

Section of a Japanese sword. Shown are two common structures with excellent combination in the direction of the steel layers. Left: Blade metal will show texture itame, on right - masame.

Pieces of steel with approximately the same carbon content were poured onto a plate of the same metal, everything in a single block is heated to 1300 ° C and welded together with hammer blows. The forging process begins. The workpiece is flattened and doubled, then flattened again and doubled in the other direction. As a result of repeated forging, a multi-layer steel is obtained, finally cleaned of slags. It is easy to calculate that with a 15-fold folding of the workpiece, almost 33 thousand layers of steel are formed - a typical Damascus density for Japanese swords.

The slag still remains a microscopic layer on the surface of the steel layer, forming a peculiar texture ( hada), resembling a pattern on the surface of wood.

To make a sword blank, a blacksmith forges at least two bars: from hard high-carbon steel ( kawagane) and softer low-carbon ( shingane). From the first, a U-shaped profile about 30 cm long is formed, inside which a bar is inserted shingane, not reaching the part that will become the top and which is made of the best and hardest steel kawagane. Then the blacksmith heats the block in the furnace and welds the component parts by forging, after which he increases the length of the workpiece at 700-1100 ° C to the size of a sword by forging.

With a more complex technology, up to 4 bars are welded: from the hardest steel ( hagane) form the cutting edge and tip, 2 bars of less hard steel go to the sides, and a bar of relatively soft steel forms the core. The multi-layer structure of the blade can be even more complex with separate butt welding.

Forging forms the blade of the blade to a thickness of about 2.5 mm (near the cutting edge) and its edge. The upper tip is also straightened by forging, for which the end of the workpiece is cut diagonally. Then the long end (from the side of the blade) of the diagonal cut is forged to the short (butt), as a result of which the metal structure at the top provides increased strength in the strike zone of the sword, while maintaining hardness and thus the possibility of very sharp sharpening.

Blade hardening and polishing

The next important step in the manufacture of the sword is the heat treatment of the blade to harden the cutting edge, as a result of which the jamon pattern appears on the surface of the sword, which is specific to Japanese swords. Up to half of the blanks in the hands of the average blacksmith never become real swords as a result of failed tempering.

For heat treatment, the blade is covered with an uneven layer of heat-resistant paste - a mixture of clay, ash and stone powder. The exact composition of the paste was kept secret by the master. The blade was covered with a thin layer, the thickest layer of paste was applied to the middle part of the blade, where hardening was undesirable. The liquid mixture was leveled and, after drying, scratched in a certain order in the area closer to the blade, due to which a pattern was prepared jamon. The blade with dried paste is heated evenly along its length to approx. 770 ° C (controlled by the color of the hot metal), then immersed in a container of water with the blade down. Rapid cooling changes the structure of the metal near the blade, where the thickness of the metal and thermal protective paste is the smallest. The blade is then reheated to 160°C and cooled down again. This procedure helps to reduce the stresses in the metal that have arisen during hardening.

The hardened area of ​​the blade has an almost white tint compared to the rest of the blade's darker grey-bluish surface. The boundary between them is clearly visible in the form of a patterned line. jamon, which is interspersed with shiny crystals of martensite in iron. In ancient times, the jamon looked like a straight line along the blade; during the Kamakura period, the line became wavy, with bizarre curls and transverse lines. It is believed that in addition to the aesthetic appearance, the wavy heterogeneous line of the jamon allows the blade to better withstand shock loads, damping sharp stresses in the metal.

If the procedure is followed, as an indicator of the quality of hardening, the butt of the blade acquires a whitish tint, utsuri(lit. reflection). Utsuri recalls jamon, but its appearance is not a consequence of the formation of martensite, but an optical effect as a result of a slight change in the structure of the metal in this zone compared to the nearby body of the blade. Utsuri is not a mandatory attribute of a quality sword, but indicates a successful heat treatment for some technologies.

When the blade is heated during the hardening process to a temperature of more than 770 °, its surface becomes rich in shades and rich in pattern details. However, the strength of the sword may suffer. Only the blacksmiths of the Sagami province during the Kamakura period managed to combine the fighting qualities of the sword with the luxurious design of the metal surface; high-quality swords of other schools are distinguished by a rather strict style of blade design.

The final finishing of the sword is no longer carried out by a blacksmith, but by an artisan polisher, whose skill was also highly valued. Using a series of polishing stones of varying grits and water, the polisher would polish the blade to perfection, after which the smith would engrave his name and other details on the unpolished tang. The sword was considered ready, the remaining operations for attaching the hilt ( tsuki), guards ( tsuba), the application of jewelry belonged to the category of auxiliary procedures that did not require magical skill.

fighting qualities

The fighting qualities of the best Japanese swords cannot be assessed. Due to their uniqueness and high price, testers do not have the opportunity to test and compare them with the best work of gunsmiths from other regions of the world. It is necessary to distinguish between the possibilities of the sword for different situations. For example, sharpening a sword for the greatest sharpness (for tricks with cutting handkerchiefs in the air) will be unsuitable for cutting through armor. In antiquity and the Middle Ages, legends were circulated about the capabilities of weapons that could not be demonstrated in modern times. Below are collected individual legends and facts on the capabilities of the Japanese sword.

Modern evaluation of Japanese swords

After the surrender of Japan in World War II, the countries of the anti-Hitler coalition issued an order to destroy all Japanese swords, but after the intervention of experts, in order to preserve historical relics of significant artistic value, the order was changed. The "Society for the Preservation of Artistic Japanese Swords" was created (jap. 日本美術刀剣保存協会 Nippon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai, NBTHK, nippon bujutsu to: ken hozon kyo: kai), one of his tasks was an expert assessment of the historical value of the sword. In 1950, Japan passed the law "On Cultural Property", which, in particular, determined the procedure for preserving Japanese swords as part of the cultural heritage of the nation.

The sword evaluation system is multi-stage, starting with the assignment of the lowest category and ending with the award of the highest titles (the top two titles are within the competence of the Ministry of Culture of Japan):

• National Treasure ( kokuho). About 122 swords have the title, mainly tachi of the Kamakura period, katanas and wakizashi in this list less than 2 dozen.
• Important cultural asset. The title has about 880 swords.
• A very important sword.
• Important sword.
• A highly guarded sword.
• Protected sword.

In modern Japan, it is possible to keep a registered sword with only one of the above titles, otherwise the sword is subject to confiscation as a type of weapon (if not related to souvenirs). The actual quality of the sword is certified by the Society for the Preservation of Artistic Japanese Swords (NBTHK), which issues an expert opinion according to the established pattern.

At present, in Japan, it is customary to evaluate the Japanese sword not so much by its combat parameters (strength, cutting ability), but by the criteria applicable to a work of art. A high-quality sword, while retaining the properties of an effective weapon, must bring aesthetic pleasure to the observer, have the perfection of form and harmony of artistic taste.

see also

• Uchigatana

Sources

The article is based on the materials of the following publications:

• Sword. Kodansha encyclopedia of Japan. 1st ed. 1983. ISBN 0-87011-620-7 (U.S.)
• A. G. Bazhenov, "History of the Japanese sword", - St. Petersburg, 2001, 264 p. ISBN 5-901555-01-5
• A. G. Bazhenov, "Examination of the Japanese sword", - S.-Pb., 2003, 440 p. ISBN 5-901555-14-7.
• Leon and Hiroko Kapp, Yoshindo Yoshihara, "The Craft of the Japanese Sword". Translation into Russian on the site www.katori.ru.

Notes

1. There are discussions in the literature about whether to call Japanese samurai-shaped swords produced using non-traditional Japanese technologies. The article uses the established term "sword", but some believe the term "saber" is more correct for a curved single-edged weapon. According to the current Russian GOST R 51215-98 (Cold weapons, terminology), the "Japanese sword" refers to sabers - "4.4 saber: Contact blade cutting and cutting and piercing and cutting weapons with a long curved single-edged blade." Definition of a sword: "4.9 sword: A contact blade stabbing and slashing weapon with a straight medium or long massive double-edged blade"
2. The term "tati" was established in Russian-language literature. Russian phonetics does not allow to accurately convey the sound, English phonetics reproduces the name as tachi.
3. There is no exact standard for deflection for tati. At the beginning, the tati sword had an almost saber curvature; by the 14th century, the blade straightens. The deflection of the "sori" is standardly measured as the maximum distance from the butt to a straight line between the tip of the sword and the base of the blade. The handle is not taken into account in the calculation of curvature.
4. The definitions of the types of Japanese swords are given in the book by A. Bazhenov "Expertise of the Japanese sword" according to the explanation of the Japanese association NBTHK ("Society for the Preservation of Artistic Japanese Swords"), which is responsible for the certification of Japanese blades.
5. Although the tachi is on average longer than the katana, it is not uncommon for the katana to be longer than the tachi.
6. These lengths are obtained by converting the traditional Japanese measure of length shaku (30.3 cm, approx. cubit length) into cm.
7. That is, until the end of the Momoyama period. Traditionally, Japanese history is divided into unequal periods, defined by the names of the settlements that became the residence of the emperor.
8. Kokan Nagayama. The Connoisseur's Book of Japanese Swords. - First edition. - Japan: Kodansha International Ltd., 1997. - S. 3. - 355 p. - ISBN 4-7700-2071-6
9. Leon and Hiroko Kapp, Yoshindo Yoshihara. Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths. - First edition. - Japan: Kodansha International Ltd., 2002. - S. 13. - 224 p. - ISBN 978-4-7700-1962-2
10. Aoi Art Tokyo: Japanese auction house specializing in Japanese swords.
    Japanese Sword Ginza Choshuya Magazine: Japanese sword shop, releases a catalog every month.
11. The Kogarasu-Maru sword is in the unusual kissaki-moroha style popular during the Nara period. Half of the blade is double-edged to the tip, the other half with a blunt butt. A central hollow runs along the blade, the blade itself is very slightly curved, but there is a rather strong bending of the shank in relation to the blade. There is no signature on the sword. Stored in the collection of the imperial family. See photo in Bazhenov's book "The History of the Japanese Sword".
12. "Lumbar bend" ( koshi-zori) is so named because the maximum deflection of the blade when wearing a sword comfortably fit the body just in the lumbar region.
13. The butt can be flat or semicircular, but such examples are extremely rare among real Japanese swords.
14. A. G. Bazhenov, "History of the Japanese sword", p. 41
15. A. G. Bazhenov, "History of the Japanese sword", p. 147
16. Tamio Tsuchiko. The New Generation of Japanese Swordsmiths. - First edition. - Japan: Kodansha International Ltd., 2002. - S. 8. - 256 p. - ISBN 4-7700-2854-7
17. Sword. Kodansha encyclopedia of Japan.
18. A. Bazhenov, "Examination of the Japanese sword", pp. 307-308
19. A shiny, clean fracture color indicates a carbon content above 1% (high carbon steel).
20. The sword forging process is described according to the booklet of the All Japan Swordsmiths Association and the book "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" (see sources), which describes the ancient technology restored by a modern master.
21. There are up to 30 varieties hada(metal textures), the main ones are 3: itame(knotted wood), masame(straight-grained wood), mokume(tree bark). Unlike the hardening pattern (hamon), the hada may not be visible to the naked eye. Its absence as a result of special polishing is typical only for Shinto blades.
22. According to the authors of The Craft of the Japanese Sword (see sources).
23. Jamon in the form of a straight line is called sugu-ha(lit. straight).
24. The pattern of the jamon is a stable feature for identifying one or another blacksmithing school or the time when the sword was made. Conventionally, more than 60 types of jamon are distinguished for sword certification.
25. A. Bazhenov, "Examination of the Japanese sword", p. 76

Miniature "Equestrian samurai of the 16th - 17th centuries."

The whole history of ancient and medieval Japan is constant wars. At the same time, the wars were not diplomatic and, so to speak, “quiet”, but real ones, in which serious armies participated. Unlike European countries and mainland Asia, the main part of the wars of the Land of the Rising Sun was between the Japanese, that is, within the boundaries of a single nation and a common culture. The opposing sides used similar weapons and similar military tactics and strategies. Under such conditions, such, usually not very significant factors, as the personal skill of warriors in the possession of weapons (mastery of martial arts) and the personal talents of army commanders, acquired importance.

From all this, we can conclude that the history of the military periods of Japan lends itself to a targeted classification based on the types of weapons used in a given period. The unity of Japanese military culture provides an opportunity to form a reasonable idea of ​​the period precisely on the basis of this factor of military history. If for the history of Europe, changes in weapons and methods of their use had political consequences (and therefore they cannot be considered in isolation from politics), then for Japanese history these changes had only cultural significance, and therefore can be studied independently and separately.

There are three fundamental periods in classical Japanese military history: the bow, the spear, and the sword.

Age of Bow

Onion ( yumi) is the most ancient Japanese weapon. It has been actively used since prehistoric times. has traditionally been presented in two forms - as an important part of Shinto rituals ( kyudo- "The Way of the Bow") and directly as a military art ( kyujitsu"The Art of Archery" Kyudo was usually practiced by aristocrats, and kyujitsu was included in the list of samurai disciplines.

Japanese bow is asymmetrical. Its upper half is approximately twice as long as the lower half. The length of the bow is 2 m, and often more. The limbs of the bow are traditionally made in composite, that is, the outer part is wooden, and the inner part is bamboo. Because of this, the arrow almost never flies straight. And this makes accurate aiming a matter of serious preparation. The usual distance of an aimed shot is about 60 meters, for a master - up to 120 meters.

Often the arrowheads were hollow, so that a whistle was heard during the flight. According to legend, this whistle scared away evil spirits.

In ancient times, there were bows, for the tension of which not one person was needed, but several. Bows designed for seven people are known in history! Such heavy bows were used not only against people, but also in naval battles to destroy enemy boats.

In addition to classical archery, the art of shooting from a horse was also practiced ( bakyujitsu).

Age of the Spear

Yari Spearheads

In the 16th century, European muskets brought from Portugal began to gain ground in Japan. The value has dropped drastically. At the same time, the value of the spear rose ( yari). Therefore, the period of the Civil War is called the Age of the Spear.

The main tactic when using a spear was to knock out mounted samurai from the saddle. Falling to the ground from a height, a warrior in armor became almost helpless. Accordingly, spears were usually used by foot soldiers. The spear length was approximately 5 meters, and possession of it implied the presence of considerable physical strength. Various samurai clans used spears of different lengths and tip shapes.

Age of the Sword

Components of a katana

With the establishment of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603, the art of war as the art of "victory at any cost" is a thing of the past. Budo has become a self-sufficient way of cultivation and martial competition. Therefore, the physical strength of the spear masters changed ( kenjutsu).

It was during this period that the samurai sword began to be called the "soul of the samurai." It is sharpened on one side (convex), and the concave side serves as a kind of "shield" during the fight. Special multi-layer forging technologies turn the sword into an incredibly strong and sharp weapon. Its manufacture is a very long and laborious occupation, so any sword has always cost a lot of money. And the ancient sword, also created by a famous master, is a fortune. The distribution of swords among the heirs has always been separately stipulated in the wills of the samurai.

The main varieties of the sword were:

• Chokuto- An ancient straight sword.
• Ken- An ancient straight double-edged sword that had religious uses and was rarely used in combat.
• Tanto- a dagger or knife up to 30 cm long.
• wakizashi, Shoto or Kodachi- small sword (from 30 to 60 cm).
• Tati- a large sword (from 60 cm), worn with the tip down.
• katana or Daito- a large sword carried with the point up.
• Nodachi or Oh-date- an extra-large sword (from 1 m to 1.5-1.8 m), worn behind the back.

Shinai swords were used for training

Swords were used for training shinai from bamboo (introduced Ono Takada) and wooden swords- bokken(introduced Miyamoto Musashi). The latter were also raised in real fights as a weapon to fight with an "unworthy" opponent, for example, with a robber.

Men of the lower classes could only carry small swords or daggers - for self-defense from robbers. Samurai owned the right to carry a pair of swords - large and small. Fenced at the same time, however, only with a large sword, although there were schools where they taught to fight with both swords at the same time. It was believed that the skill of a warrior is determined by the number of movements that he needed to defeat the enemy. The fewer of them, the higher the skill. The highest achievement was considered the ability to kill, only by drawing a sword from its scabbard - in one imperceptibly quick movement (). Such contractions lasted literally a fraction of a second.

Less significant types of samurai weapons

Auxiliary and secondary weapons include, in particular:

Bo- war pole. Now used as . There are a large number of options of various lengths (from 30 cm to 3 m) and sections (from round to hexagonal).

girl with naginata

Jitte- a weapon in the form of a two-toothed iron "fork". It was in service with the police of the Tokugawa era to intercept the sword of a violent samurai, and also as a combat baton.

Yoroi doshi- "dagger of mercy." A kind of stylet, which was used to finish off the wounded.

Kaiken- female combat dagger. It was used by girls from aristocratic families as a weapon for suicide in an attempt on their honor.

Kozuka- combat knife. That did not prevent it from being used as a household.

Kotsuka- a combat knife, fastened in the sheath of a combat sword.

Naginata- . A pole on which a flat blade is fixed. First used by foot soldiers to attack the legs of the enemy's horses. In the 17th century, it began to be considered a weapon of girls from samurai families, intended for self-defense. The approximate length of the naginata is about 2 m.

Tessen (Dansen uchiwa)- battle fan. Fan with steel spokes. Weapons of the military leaders. It was used as a specific attack weapon, as well as a small shield. The needles were sharpened, and then such a fan turned into a kind of battle hatchet.

Firearms- especially often used during the Civil War. These were single-shot arquebus guns, which were usually owned by light infantrymen ( ashigaru). After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, guns quickly fell into disuse as weapons "unworthy of a true warrior."

The main part of the Japanese wars was fought between the Japanese, that is, within the framework of one people and one culture. Both sides used similar weapons and similar military tactics and strategies. Under these conditions, such, usually not very significant factors, as the personal skills of soldiers in the use of weapons (mastery of martial arts) and the military leadership talents of army commanders, acquired particular importance.
Military periods of history Japan are amenable to self-classification based on the types of weapons used in a given period. If for European history changes in weapons and methods of their use had consequences of political significance (and therefore they cannot be studied in isolation from politics), then for history Japan these changes were of exclusively cultural significance, and therefore can be studied independently and separately.

There are three main periods in the military history of classical Japan: Luke, spears and a sword.

Age of Bow

The bow (yumi) is an ancient Japanese weapon. It has been actively used since prehistoric times. Archery has traditionally been known in two forms - as an important part of Shinto rites (Kyudo - "The Way of the Bow") and as a military art itself (Kyujitsu - "The Art of Archery"). The first, as a rule, was practiced by aristocrats, the second - by samurai.

The Japanese bow is asymmetrical, with the top half about twice as long as the bottom. Bow length - 2 m or more. Traditionally, the limbs of the bow are made in composite, that is, the outer part is wooden, and the inner part is bamboo. As a result, the arrow almost never flies straight, making precise aiming a matter of great practice. The usual distance of an aimed flight of an arrow is about 60 meters, for a master - up to 120 meters.

Arrowheads were often hollowed out so that they would make whistling sounds as they flew. It was believed that it scares away evil spirits.

In ancient times, there were bows that were pulled not by one person, but by several (bows that were pulled by seven people are known!). These heavy bows were used not only against people, but also in naval battles to destroy enemy boats.

Besides just archery, shooting from a horse (bakujitsu) was an important art.

Age of the Spear

In the 16th century in Japan European muskets imported from Portugal became widespread. They reduced the value of kyujitsu to almost zero. At the same time, the importance of the spear (yari) rose. Therefore, the period of the Civil War is called the Age of the Spear.

The main tactic when using a spear was to knock mounted samurai off their horses. Falling to the ground, such a warrior became practically defenseless. Usually spears were used by foot soldiers. The length of such a spear was approximately 5 meters, and its possession required considerable physical strength. Various samurai clans used spears of various lengths and tip configurations.

Age of the Sword

With the establishment in 1603 Tokugawa Shogunate military art as the art of "victory at any cost" is a thing of the past. It has become a self-sufficient art of self-improvement and sports competition. Therefore, the physical strength of the spear masters was replaced by the mastery of the sword (kenjutsu).

It was during this period that the samurai sword began to be considered the "soul of the samurai." It is sharpened from one convex side, and the concave side serves as a kind of "shield" during fencing. Special multi-layer forging technologies make the sword amazingly strong and sharp. Its production is very long and laborious, so even a brand new sword has always cost a lot of money. The ancient sword, created by the great master, is a fortune. The distribution of swords between sons has always been specified in a special line in the wills of the samurai.

The main varieties of the sword were:

Ancient straight sword.

Ken- an ancient straight double-edged sword that had religious uses and was rarely used in combat.

- a dagger or knife up to 30 cm long.

Wakizashi, Shoto or Kodati- small sword (from 30 to 60 cm).

- a large sword (from 60 cm), worn with the tip down.

or Daito- a large sword, worn with the tip up.

or Oh-date- an extra-large sword (from 1 m to 1.5-1.8 m), worn behind the back. More common in manga, anime, and video games than in real life.

Bamboo was also used for training. shinai swords(introduced by Ono Takada) and wooden bokken swords(introduced by Miyamoto Musashi). The latter were also used on their own as a weapon to fight an "unworthy" opponent, such as a robber.

Men of the lower classes had the right to carry only small swords or daggers - for self-defense from bandits. Samurai had the right to carry two swords - large and small. At the same time, however, they fenced only with a large sword, although there were also schools of fencing with both swords at the same time. It was believed that the master is determined by the ability to deal with the enemy with the least number of swings of the sword. "Aerobatics" was considered the ability to kill, only taking out the sword from the scabbard - in one movement (the art of iaijutsu). Such fights lasted literally a fraction of a second.

Less significant types of samurai weapons

Auxiliary and secondary weapons included, in particular:

Bo- fighting pole. Currently used as a sporting weapon. It exists in many variants of different lengths (from 30 cm to 3 m) and sections (from round to hexagonal).

- a weapon in the form of a two-toothed iron "fork". It was used by Tokugawa-era police to capture the sword of an enraged (usually drunk) samurai, and also as a fighting club.

- "dagger of mercy", a kind of stiletto, which was used to finish off the wounded.

- women's combat knife. It was used by girls from noble families as a suicide weapon in an attempt on their honor.

- combat knife. Often used as a household item.

- Japanese halberd. A pole with a flat blade attached to it. It was originally used by foot soldiers to damage the legs of enemy horses. In the 17th century, it began to be considered a defensive weapon for girls from samurai families. The usual length of a naginata is about 2 m.

tessen) - battle fan. Fan with steel spokes. Weapons of the military leaders. It was used for its intended purpose, as well as a small shield. Sometimes the needles were sharpened, and then such a fan could be used as a battle ax.

Firearms - it was most widely used during the Civil War. We are talking about single-shot arquebus guns, which were usually used by light infantrymen (ashigaru).

After the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate, firearms quickly fell into disuse as "unworthy of a true warrior."

Imagine a samurai. No doubt you have a picture in your head of a warrior with a helmet and armor, ready to attack with his trusty katana. Because, of course, he wields a katana. After all, the samurai went into battle with her, right? If pop culture teaches us anything, it's that the samurai was armed with his courage and trusty katana. Well, not so fast. Samurai weapons were much more varied and versatile than shown in the films. We will show you 10 types of samurai weapons.

Shurikens were used to distract the enemy

The problem with throwing stars is that they have very little to do with ninjas. More commonly known as shuriken, they come in two basic forms: star-shaped and straight. While they are flying at the enemy, the samurai has time to draw his sword and kill the enemy. They are a form of distraction weapon.

Shuriken were used by samurai of each samurai school, who gave them different names depending on their form. Their association with the ninja was not traceable until the 20th century, so calling them "ninja death stars" is incorrect.

Brass knuckles with spikes

Such "brass knuckles" were used during close combat

Samurai used spikes to attack to injure the enemy. The example in the picture shows that the spike can move from a hidden position against the wrist, thereby inflicting fatal wounds on the enemy.

In addition to this, there are spiked rings used for striking and grappling when trying to grab an opponent. The so-called "brass knuckles", which are a piece of iron held in the hands, were used to hit the body or protect against other types of weapons.

Chains in skillful hands were a formidable weapon

Samurai had chains and weights of various lengths and styles. They could mainly be divided into two main types: chains with smaller weights at both ends and chains with a heavy load at one end.

The first is mainly used to capture and hold people. The second type can easily kill a person if the goal has been achieved. A version of this weapon can be seen in Kill Bill, where the Black Mamba (Uma Thurman's character) fights a Japanese schoolgirl. This weapon is used to strike, contain and strangle the opponent.

Metal club

The club is one of the oldest weapons in Japan.

In ancient Japan, weapons were everything from simple wooden clubs to metal swords. Samurai often had to leave their swords with an attendant or in a special room at a party. The master might even ask them to put away their short swords.

In this situation, the samurai could take a club for protection, and having a heavy metal “fan” on it, he could boldly repel any sudden attack. In addition, the so-called "police" (some samurai and military) used clubs to catch criminals.

Cane with iron hook

These canes were not only used by firefighters.

Since houses and large buildings in Japan were made of wood, fire constantly threatened cities and towns. Fire teams were formed to counter this. Part of their job was to destroy the building around the fire so that it would not spread. Absolutely everyone did such work - from samurai to commoners. One of the main tools was a heavy iron shoe in the shape of a beak. People broke walls and obstacles with them, demolishing sections of buildings so that the fire would not spread.

However, some of these gangs developed a bad reputation and the tool became associated as a destructive weapon.

sickle with chain

A sickle with a chain was used as a multifunctional weapon.

The sickle is a curved blade used for cutting plants and grass; it was common throughout the medieval world. The warriors of Japan attached the chain to the shaft of the sickle, turning it into a formidable weapon. The chain could keep the enemy at a distance or entangle him, while the sickle could cut the enemy.

Ninja also used sickles, but not for combat. With their help, they broke through fences and barriers, and in some clans there were folding versions that could be worn in kimono sleeves.

"Fast" rope

This rope was used to catch criminals.

If the intended opponent of the samurai or policeman was supposed to be alive, a "fast" rope is what you need. It consists of a sharp iron hook at the end of a long and thin rope that unfolds at high speed. The hook could be stuck into the opponent's ear, cheek or arm. After the enemy was caught, a more reliable rope was used to bind the target.

In Japan, there was a complex system of traditions about how to tie up a prisoner based on their social status. It was believed that the samurai were immediately tied with a rope. This is wrong. In fact, at the beginning of the arrest, a "quick" rope was used, and only after the opponent was no longer a threat, he was tied up according to his status.

Combat grip

With such a weapon, it was possible to keep the enemy at a distance

If it was too dangerous to approach the target or it was too far away, then the detention was carried out with the help of a combat grip. This is a set of three long poles with various attachments. With the tip, they tried to catch the opponent by the leg, neck or joint, or hook on a piece of clothing in order to delay him until the others caught and tied him up. Spikes were made on the shaft so that the enemy could not grab onto it.

Such effective tools were used to catch especially dangerous samurai, thieves or criminals.

Personal knife with a spike

The spiked knife was used not only in combat

Have you ever seen that some samurai swords have a thin spike on one side of the scabbard and a small knife on the other, sliding gently into position with the hilt? There are various theories for their use, but a school of samurai called Natori-ryu tells us that the spike was used to pierce the ear of a decapitated opponent so that a note with the victim's name could be attached. The spike is also used to push the tongue back into the mouth as it is considered indecent.

The samurai knife was a personalized weapon and was often used as evidence. If a samurai had penetrated deep into enemy territory, he might leave it hidden to prove he was there when the allies took enemy ground, or if a samurai needed to send an important message, he might send a personal knife as proof of justice. This set was something like a Swiss army knife from the time of the samurai.

Only real warriors were allowed to wear them.

Many people know that carrying two swords (the shorter sword is called a wakizashi and the longer sword is called a katana) is a symbol of the samurai and only warriors were allowed to carry these swords. However, until the end of the 16th century, swords could be wielded by almost anyone. Victory in battle could mean promotion to the samurai.

However, with the unification of Japan in the 16th century, the peasants were oppressed and the class system hardened. The samurai government issued a "Sword Hunting" decree, depriving the common people of their weapons. By issuing this decree, the government tried to prevent possible uprisings. Only during the Edo period - the last century of the samurai - did the sword really become their symbol. Before that, they were primarily a spear and a bow.

So, we told you about the types of samurai weapons. Now you know that the samurai wielded not only their katanas. They possessed each of the weapons listed in the list to perfection, which made them extremely dangerous opponents.

The name "samurai" can be considered conditional. It is familiar to a European who understands this type of sword primarily as a katana, but this form of the sword came to Japan itself from Korea, and in Japanese chronicles of the 7th-13th centuries. such a sword was called "Korean". The ancient Japanese sword - tsurugi - had a long handle and a straight double-edged blade. They carried it obliquely behind their backs and exposed it, grabbing the handle with both hands at once. Starting from the 3rd century AD. tsurugi becomes sharpened only on one side, and some of its types have a massive counterweight on the handle. The curved blade in Japan began to be made in the Heian era (the first serious mention of them dates back to 710), that is, almost simultaneously with the appearance of the classic saber in the Middle East. By the 12th century, with the growth of power and the strengthening of the samurai class, the curved blade, which is the service weapon of the samurai, completely replaces the straight one in Japan.

Both in European and in our literature there is sufficient confusion in the names of samurai swords. It is known that the samurai wore two swords - long and short. Such a pair was called daisho (lit. "larger and smaller") and consisted of daito ("larger sword"), which was the main weapon of the samurai, and seto ("smaller sword"), which served as a spare or additional weapon used in close combat, for chopping off heads or hara-kiri, if the samurai did not have a kusungobu dagger specially designed for this. True, the custom of carrying two swords finally took shape only by the 16th century. A long sword has a blade length of more than two shaku (shaku = 33 cm), a short sword - from one to two shaku (that is, 33-66 cm). The long sword is the most famous in Europe, commonly referred to as the "katana". But this is not entirely correct. A katana is such a long sword, which is worn in a scabbard, with the blade up in the belt, and is pulled out of the sheath, uncovered, in a downward motion. This method of carrying a sword appeared in the XIV-XV centuries. and became the main, most convenient (by the way: wearing a katana behind the belt with the blade up makes it convenient to pull it out not only with the right, but also with the left hand) Until that time, the word "katana" denoted a long dagger or short sword stuck in the belt, and the long one was called " tati". Tati was worn on his side in a sling tied to a scabbard, in which he was placed with the blade down, exposed from the bottom up. This way of carrying a long sword was suitable when the samurai fought mainly on horseback, but for foot it was much less convenient. In addition, etiquette required that a long sword be removed at the entrance to the house, and removing the sword in the sheath from the belt is much easier and more convenient than unhooking them from the sling each time and then tying them back. From the 14th-15th centuries, when such swords began to be worn mainly behind the belt, wearing a sword in a sling began to be considered more ceremonial, and therefore the tachi itself and its scabbard got off much richer, because they were ceremonial. The short sword, always carried in a scabbard at the waist, was called a katana or tanto when paired with a tachi. And when worn in tandem with a long katana, it was called wakizashi. So the name of the samurai swords reflects mainly the way they are worn, and the larger and smaller swords removed from the scabbard, whatever they were called, had the same length and shape, except perhaps very early forms of the smaller sword (at the time when it was still called katana) had a barely noticeable curvature and seemed almost straight.

The length of the daito is 95-120 cm, the seto is 50-70 cm. The handle of a long sword is usually designed for 3.5 fists, a short one for 1.5. The width of the blade of both swords is about 3 cm, the thickness of the back is 5 mm, while the blade has a razor sharpness. The hilt is usually covered with sharkskin or wrapped in such a way that the hilt does not slip in the hands. The weight of the long sword is about 4 kg. The guard of both swords was small, only slightly covering the hand, had a round, petal or multifaceted shape. It was called "tsuba". The tsuba of a small sword could have additional slots for putting additional knives into its scabbard - throwing kozuki and household kogai. The production of tsuba has literally turned into an art craft. They could have a complex openwork shape, be decorated with carvings or relief images.

In addition to daise, the samurai could also wear a nodachi - a "field sword" with a blade more than a meter long and a total length of about 1.5 m. They usually wore it behind their backs like a tsurugi or on their shoulders, holding it with their hands. With the exception of length, the nodachi was structurally no different from the daito, which we will refer to as the katana from now on.

The rider could hold a katana with one hand, but in battle on the ground this sword was preferred to be held with two hands because of its weight. Early katana techniques included wide, circular cutting and cutting movements, but later they became much more developed. A katana could be equally easily stabbed and cut. The long handle allows you to actively maneuver the sword. In this case, the main grip is the position when the end of the handle rests in the middle of the palm, and the right hand holds it near the guard. The simultaneous movement of both hands allows the sword to describe a wide amplitude without much effort.

Both the katana and the straight European sword of a knight weigh a lot, but the principles for performing chopping blows are completely different. The European method, aimed at penetrating armor, involves the maximum use of the inertia of the movement of the sword and striking "with a carry". In Japanese swordsmanship, a person wields a sword, not a person's sword. There, the blow is also applied with the force of the whole body, but not from the usual step, but from the side step, in which the body receives a powerful push forward (greater than when the body is turned). In this case, the blow is applied "fixed" to a given level, and the blade stops exactly where the master wants it, and the force of the blow is not extinguished. And when the master of the sword cuts into small slices a head of cabbage or a watermelon lying on his student’s stomach, or cuts off a half of a lemon clamped in his teeth (often also blindly, blindfolded), then at the same time, first of all, it is demonstrated his ability to block a blow. And if such a blow did not hit the target, then it no longer pulls the owner along, as is the case with the European sword, but gives him the opportunity to change direction or strike the next one, especially since a short side step allows you to deliver powerful blows at every step - today's A kendoka with a black belt can execute three vertical sword strikes per second. Most of the blows are applied in a vertical plane. There is almost no division into "block strike" accepted in Europe. There are knockback blows to the hands or weapons of the enemy, throwing his weapon out of the line of attack and making it possible to deliver a striking blow to the enemy in the next step. Retreat when fighting on katanas forward. Leaving the line of attack while striking is one of the most commonly used combinations. After all, it must be borne in mind that a direct blow with a katana can cut through almost everything, and Japanese armor is simply not designed to "hold" direct blows. The duel of true masters of the samurai sword can hardly be called a duel in the European sense of the word, because it is built on the principle of "one hit on the spot." In kenjutsu, there is a "duel of hearts", when two masters simply stand or sit motionless and look at each other, and the one who first jerked to the weapon lost ...

Schools of kenjutsu, as the art of sword fighting is called in Japan, existed and there are many. Some pay special attention to the instantaneous departure from the line of attack, accompanied by a vertical strike ("Shinkage-ryu"), others pay great attention to placing the left hand under the blade of the sword and fighting techniques carried out using this technique ("Shinto-ryu"), others they practice working with two swords at the same time - a large one in the right hand, a small one in the left ("Nito-ryu") - such fighters are called "reto zukai". Someone prefers undercutting blows in a horizontal plane with a detour around the opponent - there are many similarities between kenjutsu and aikido techniques. You can hit with a handle, you can intercept the sword on a reverse grip, you can use steps and sweeps in close combat. Features of the samurai sword allow you to use almost all techniques for working with long bladed weapons.

In the 17th century, after the unification of the country under the rule of the Tokugawa house, a trend began to turn kenjutsu into kendo - a way of sword fighting into the Way of the sword. Kendo paid much attention to the moral self-improvement of the individual, and is now one of the most popular sports in Japan, which no longer uses real combat weapons, but its sports equivalents made of wood or bamboo. For the first time, a wooden sword, repeating the outlines of the present (bokken, or bokuto), was introduced by the legendary master of the 17th century. Miyamoto Musashi. True, such a wooden sword was still a formidable weapon, which could easily split the skull. Samurai often kept bokken at home, at the head. In the event of a sudden attack, it was possible to disarm and take the enemy without shedding blood, simply, for example, by breaking his arms or breaking his collarbone ...

Compared to the Japanese long sword fighting technique, the short sword fighting technique is less well known. Here there are whipping blows with a brush, built on the same principle of a fixed blow, and the suspended position of the sword, which fans of the Slavic-Goritsa wrestling love to flaunt, and frequent blows with the handle to the solar plexus. Naturally, compared to a long sword, there are more poke blows, since this weapon is still intended for combat at close range.

A lot has been written about the place of the sword in Japanese society and Japanese culture. The sword was and remains one of the symbols of the imperial dynasty, the object of the Shinto cult, one of the symbols of the upbringing of the national spirit. Before starting to make a real traditional Japanese sword, the Japanese blacksmith performed a long preparatory ritual, reminiscent of the preparation of a Russian icon painter for painting a church or creating an icon important to him: fasting, cleansing ablutions, long prayers, putting on clean, ceremonial clothes, celibacy .

Perhaps, in no country in the world was the etiquette of the sword so developed. As in other regions, a blade stuck in the belt on the right side or placed to the right of oneself meant trust in the interlocutor, because from this position the sword was more difficult to bring to combat readiness. At the entrance to the house, a long sword was left at the entrance on a special stand, and entering inside with this sword meant a demonstration of extreme disrespect. It was possible to pass the sword to someone, both for display and for storage, only with the hilt towards you - turning the sword with the hilt towards the enemy meant disrespect for his abilities as a swordsman, since a real master could instantly take advantage of this. When demonstrating weapons, the sword was never fully drawn, and it could only be touched with a silk scarf or a sheet of rice paper. Drawing a sword, hitting the scabbard against the scabbard, and, even more so, rattling the weapon was tantamount to a challenge, which could be followed by a blow without any warning. As in Europe, swords could have names and were passed down from generation to generation. And the best Japanese gunsmiths often didn’t brand their swords on purpose, believing that the weapon itself tells about who created it, and for a person who is not able to understand this, there is no need to know who created the sword. The word "sword" was often taboo, and, for example, "wakizashi" literally means "stuck on the side"...

Speaking about the features of the manufacturing technology of the samurai sword, it is worth noting the weaknesses of this process, namely, gaining greater hardness and power along the axis of the blade, this type of sword is more vulnerable if hit on its flat side. With such a blow, you can even break a katana with a short mace (or Okinawan nunchucks, which were specially used to break samurai swords). And if the European sword usually breaks at a distance of the palm or two fingers from the guard, then the Japanese - at a distance of 1/3 or 1/2 of the length of the blade from the guard.

The Japanese sword is a bladed single-edged slashing and cutting weapon made according to traditional Japanese technology from multi-layer steel with a controlled carbon content. The name is also used to refer to a single-edged sword with the characteristic shape of a slightly curved blade, which was the main weapon of the samurai warrior.

* Tati - a long sword (blade length from 61 cm) with a relatively large bend (sori), intended mainly for equestrian combat. There is a kind of tachi called odachi, that is, a “large” tachi with a blade length of 1 m (from 75 cm from the 16th century). In museums, they are shown in the blade down position.
* Katana - a long sword (blade length 61-73 cm), with a slightly wider and thicker blade and less bend compared to tachi. Visually, it is difficult to distinguish a katana from a tachi by the blade, they differ primarily in the manner of wearing. Gradually, from the 15th century, the katana replaced the tati as a weapon for foot combat. In museums, they are shown in the blade-up position, according to the manner of wearing. In ancient times, daggers were called katanas, but from the 16th century this name was transferred to uchigatana swords.
* Wakizashi - a short sword (blade length 30.3-60.6 cm). Since the end of the 16th century, paired with a longer katana, it forms the standard set of samurai weapons, daisho (“long and short”). It was used both for fighting in a cramped room, and paired with a katana in some fencing techniques. Unlike the katana, it was allowed to be worn by non-samurai.
* Tanto (kosigatana) - dagger or knife (blade length< 30,3 см). В древности кинжалы называли не «танто», а «катана». Меч тати, как правило, сопровождался коротким танто.
* Tsurugi - a straight double-edged sword common in Japan until the 10th century. Many samples do not belong to real Japanese swords (nihonto), as they are made according to Chinese or Korean technologies. In a broad sense, the term was used in antiquity to refer to all swords. At a later time, it was supplanted by the term ken to denote a straight sword.
* Naginata - an intermediate weapon between a sword and a spear: a strongly curved blade up to 60 cm long, mounted on a hilt the length of a person's height.
* Koto - lit. "old sword" Swords produced before 1596. It is believed that after this time, many of the techniques of traditional technology were lost.
* Shinto - lit. "new sword" Swords produced from 1596 to 1868, that is, before the beginning of the industrial revolution of the Meiji period. With rare exceptions, Shinto swords are not considered highly artistic creations of blacksmiths, although they can be distinguished by luxurious finishes. According to external signs, koto swords are reproduced, but they are inferior to them in terms of metal quality.
* Gendaito - lit. "modern sword". Swords produced after 1868 to the present. Among them, there are both mass-produced for the army according to a simplified factory technology, shōwato (lit. “sword of the Showa period”), including shin-gunto (jap. shin gunto: ?, lit. “new army sword”), and swords , forged after the resumption in 1954 of production by modern blacksmiths using traditional technologies, for which it is proposed to use the name shin-sakuto (Japanese shin sakuto: ?, "recently made sword") or shin-gendaito (lit. "new modern sword").
* Tsuba - a guard of a characteristic rounded shape, in addition to its functional purpose (to protect the hand), it served as a decoration for the sword.
* Jamon - a line of pattern on the blade, which appears after its hardening between the blade and the butt as a result of the formation of fine-grained crystalline structures in the metal.