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The , or 'metal club') is a spiked or studded two-handed war club used in
feudal Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to the Paleolithic, around 38–39,000 years ago. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC whe ...
by
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
. Other related weapons of this type are the ''nyoibō'', ''konsaibō'', , and ''ararebō''.Mol, Serge (2003). ''Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts''. Kodansha International. p. 91. Related solid iron weapons with no spikes or studs are the ''kanemuchi'' (or ''kanamuchi'') and the ''aribo'' (also known as a ''gojo'' or ''kirikobo'').


Description

''Kanabō'' and other related club-like weapons were constructed out of heavy
wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...
or made entirely from
iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
, with iron spikes or studs on one end. For wooden ''kanabō'', one or both ends could be covered with iron caps. ''Kanabō''-type weapons came in a wide variety of shapes and sizes; though the largest ones were as tall as a man, on average they measured roughly 55" in length. The ''kanabō'' was typically intended for two-handed use, though one-handed versions exist which are more usually referred to as tetsubō and ararebō. Their shape could be similar to that of a medieval club or bludgeon, with a thicker outer end tapering towards a slender handle with a pommel, or, after the manner of a , they could be straight all the way from the handle to the end. The shaft cross-section could be round (as in a baseball bat) or
polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
al; that is, multi-faceted with flat surfaces arrayed around the central axis.


Mythology

The ''kanabō'' was also a mythical weapon, often used in tales by ''
oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...
'', who reputedly possessed
superhuman strength Superhuman strength is a superpower commonly invoked in fiction and other literary works, such as mythology. A fictionalized representation of the phenomenon of hysterical strength, it is the power to exert force and lift weights beyond what is ...
. This is alluded to by the Japanese
saying A saying is any concise expression that is especially memorable because of its meaning or style. A saying often shows a wisdom or cultural standard, having different meanings than just the words themselves. Sayings are categorized as follows: * ...
"like giving a ''kanabō'' to an ''oni''—meaning to give an extra advantage to someone who already has the advantage (i.e. the strong made stronger).''The netsuke handbook''. Reikichi Ueda. p. 175.


Gallery

File:Oni no kanabo.JPG, A ''kanabō'' File:Oni.jpg, A
statue A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or Casting (metalworking), cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to ...
of an
oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...
armed with a ''kanabō'' File:Kanabo-tetsubo 2.JPG, A close-up of the iron spikes of a ''tetsubō'' File:Kanabo with handle.jpg, A Japanese ''kanabō'' File:Kanabo tetsubo.jpg, A small antique Japanese wooden club with iron-covered ends and iron studs (''ararebō'') File:Kanabo tetsubo 2.JPG, An old Japanese wood club with iron spikes (a ''kanabō'' or ''tetsubō''), 4′ 9″ long and in weight File:Small tetsubo.JPG, A small ''tetsubō'' File:Kanabo-tetsubo 3.JPG, A close-up of the iron studs on an antique Japanese ''ararebō'', a small version of the ''kanabō''


See also

* *
Hanbō The ''hanbō'' (半棒, "half-staff") is a Stick fighting, staff used in martial arts. Traditionally, the ''hanbō'' was approximately three ''Shaku (unit), shaku'' or about long, half the length of the usual staff, the ''rokushakubō'' ("six ' ...
* * Tanbō *
List of martial arts weapons Weapons used in the world's martial arts can be classified either by type of weapon or by the martial arts school using them. By weapon type Handheld weapons * Bladed weapons **Swords: see Types of swords ** Knives **Daggers: see List of dagger ...
*
Mace (bludgeon) A mace is a blunt weapon, a type of Club (weapon), club or virge that uses a heavy head on the end of a handle to deliver powerful Strike (attack), strikes. A mace typically consists of a strong, heavy, wooden or metal shaft, often reinforced wi ...
* Macuahuitl *
Morning star (weapon) A morning star () is any of several medieval club-like weapons consisting of a shaft with an attached ball adorned with one or more spikes. Such weapons provided their wielders with a combination of blunt-force and puncture attack to kill or wo ...
*
War hammer A war hammer (French: ''martel-de-fer'', "iron hammer") is a weapon that was used by both infantry, foot soldiers and cavalry. It is a very old weapon and gave its name, owing to its constant use, to Judas Maccabeus, Judah Maccabee, a 2nd-century ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kanabo Clubs and truncheons of Japan Samurai clubs and truncheons