The , also known as ''hachiwari'', was a type of knife-shaped weapon, resembling a ''

jitte A is a specialized weapon that was used by police in Edo period Japan (1603 – 1868). History In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable by death to bring a sword into the ''shōgun''s palace. This law applied to almost everyone, including the ...

'' in many respects. This weapon was carried as a side-arm by the ''

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

'' class of

feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to Japanese Paleolithic, prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millenni ...

Types

''Kabutowari'' were usually around 35cm long; some larger versions are around 45cm long. There were two types of ''kabutowari'': a

dirk A dirk is a long bladed thrusting dagger.Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), ''Dagger'', The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. VII, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press (1910), p. 729 Historically, it gained its name from the Highland Dirk (Scot ...

-type and a truncheon-type. The dirk-type was

forged Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a hammer (often a power hammer) or a die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it ...

with a sharp dirk-like point,Cunningham, Don. ''Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai''. p. 75. which could be used to parry an opponent's sword, to hook the cords of armor or a helmet, or like a

can opener A can opener (in North American English and Australian English) or tin opener (used in British English) is a mechanical device used to open tin cans (metal cans). Although canning, preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since ...

to separate armor plates. The sharp point could pierce unprotected or weak areas of an opponent's armor like the armpit area. The blade of this type of ''kabutowari'' was a curved tapered square iron or steel bar with a hook on its back edge. In combat, one could parry and catch a blade with that hook, as with a

. Some ''kabutowari'' of this type were mounted in the style of a ''

tantō A is one of the traditionally made Japanese swords ( ''nihonto'') that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The tantō dates to the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon but evolved in design over the years to become more ...

'' with a ''

koshirae Japanese sword mountings are the various housings and associated fittings ('' tosogu'') that hold the blade of a Japanese sword when it is being worn or stored. refers to the ornate mountings of a Japanese sword (e.g. ''katana'') used when the ...

''. The truncheon-type was

blunt Blunt may refer to: * Blunt (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Blunt (cigar), a term used in the cigar industry to designate blunt-tipped, usually factory-rolled cigars * Blunt (cannabis), a slang term used in cannabis cult ...

cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron–carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impuriti ...

or forged truncheon-like weapon resembling a ''

tekkan The , also known as ''tetsu-ken'' or , is a Japanese weapon that was used during the Edo period until the beginning of the 20th century. It was an iron truncheon; it could closely resemble a wakizashi-sized sword with a blunt iron blade, or it co ...

'' or a ''jitte''. This type of ''kabutowari'' had the same basic shape as the dirk-type, including the hook, but it was usually blunt and not meant for stabbing.

Use

It would appear, according to Serge Mol, that tales of ''

'' breaking open a ''

kabuto ' (兜, 冑) is a type of helmet first used by ancient Japanese warriors which, in later periods, became an important part of the traditional Japanese armour worn by the samurai class and their retainers in feudal Japan. Note that in the Jap ...

'' (helmet) are more

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

than anything else.Mol, Serge. ''Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts''. Kodansha International. 2003. pp. 71. The ''hachi'' (helmet bowl) is the central component of a ''kabuto''; it is made of triangular plates of steel or iron riveted together at the sides and at the top to a large, thick

grommet Curtain grommets, used among others in shower curtains. A grommet is a ring or edge strip inserted into a hole through thin material, typically a sheet of textile fabric, sheet metal or composite of carbon fiber, wood or honeycomb. Grommets ar ...

of sorts (called a ''tehen-no-kanamono''), and at the bottom to a metal strip that encircles the ''hachi''. This would require enormous pressure to split open. This idea that the ''kabutowari'' was somehow able to smash or damage a helmet ''kabuto'' is most probably a misinterpretation of the name which could have several meanings, as ''hachi'' could mean skull or helmet bowl and ''wari'' could mean, split, rip, crack or smash. In modern times there is no ''ryū'' (school or style) known to train with ''kabutowari'', although certain ''

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

s'' within '' Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu'' still train with them, as an extension of ''

jittejutsu is the Japanese martial art of using the Japanese weapon ''jitte'' (also known as ''jutte'' in English-language sources). Jittejutsu was evolved mainly for the law enforcement officers of the Edo period to enable non-lethal disarmament and appr ...

''.Stone, George Cameron
''A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: In All Countries and in All Times''
Courier Dover Publications. 1999. pp. 273. Mentioned as meant for breaking swords, as other kinds of jitte A number of weapons retailers in Japan still sell usable ''kabutowari''.

Gallery

File:Hachi wari.JPG, Antique Japanese ''kabutowari''. File:Hachi wari 1.JPG, Antique Japanese ''hachi wari (kabutowari)'' mounted in a ''shirasaya.'' File:Antique Japanese hachiwari (hachiwara or kabutowari) 1.jpg, Antique Japanese ''kabutowari''. File:Hachi wari 3.JPG, Antique Japanese ''kabutowari''. Close up of the hand guard and the wrapped handle

References

External links

(

Wayback Machine The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web founded by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, California. Created in 1996 and launched to the public in 2001, it allows the user to go "back in time" and see ...

copy) {{Knives Samurai clubs and truncheons Japanese martial arts terminology Samurai weapons and equipment Clubs and truncheons of Japan Weapons of Japan