The ''torimono sandōgu'' (also ''torimono hogu'' or ''mitsu dogu'') were known as the ''three tools of arresting''.
[''Taiho-jutsu: law and order in the age of the samurai''](_blank)
Don Cunningham, Tuttle Martial Arts, Tuttle Publishing, 2004 , P.93-100 The torimono sandōgu were three types of
polearm
A polearm or pole weapon is a close combat weapon in which the main fighting part of the weapon is fitted to the end of a long shaft, typically of wood, extending the user's effective range and striking power. Polearms are predominantly melee we ...
s used by the
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 ...
class and their
retainers in feudal Japan during the
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
.
History
In
Edo period
The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...
Japan the samurai were in charge of police operations; various levels of samurai police with help from non-samurai commoners used many types of non lethal weapons in order to capture suspected criminals for trial. The torimono sandōgu was part of the six tools of the police station (''bansho rokugin'' or ''keigo roku-go''),
these were the ''kanamuchi'', ''kiriko no bo, tetto, sodegarami, tsukubo'', and the ''sasumata''. Samurai police were required to have these six tools or weapons on hand to effectively deal with disturbances. The torimono sandōgu were symbols of office and were often displayed in front of police checkpoints or used in processions, especially while convicted prisoners were being led to their execution.
Description and use
The torimono sandōgu consisted of the ''
sodegarami'' (sleeve entangler), ''
sasumata'' (spear fork) and ''
tsukubo'' (push pole). All three implements were mounted on long hardwood poles usually around in length, sharp metal barbs or spines attached to metal strips covered one end of these implements to keep the person being captured from grabbing the pole. The opposite end of the pole would have a metal cap, or ''ishizuki'' like those found on
naginata
The ''naginata'' (, , ) is a polearm and one of several varieties of traditionally made Japanese blades ('' nihontō''). ''Naginata'' were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by ashigaru (foot soldiers) and sōhei ( ...
and other pole weapons. Torimono sandōgu implements were designed to entangle, restrain and obstruct criminals rather than injure them.
/ref>
See also
* Sasumata
* Sodegarami
* Tsukubō
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torimono sandogu
Samurai police weapons
Samurai polearms
Polearms of Japan