What is Japanese Naginata?

What is Japanese Naginata?

Japanese Budo includes a variety of martial arts, including judo, karate, kendo, sumo, aikido, kyudo, jodo, etc. Among them, there is also a weapon martial art with a considerable position in Japanese history - Naginata. When it comes to Naginata, you need to understand the weapon of Naginata first. In the past, many people thought that it was a special weapon for Japanese samurai women, monk soldiers, and samurai, but in fact it was not the case.

 

Naginata, which was called "long sword" before the Edo period, was not a special weapon for monk soldiers (the name only appeared in the Edo period). This impression comes from the imagination of the Edo period to the Meiji period. Women of the Edo samurai family actually practiced swordsmanship more than naginata, and women practiced naginata in practice at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

 

1. According to legend, Naginata originated in the Tang Dynasty, and there are still different opinions.

 

Japan swords Naginata is a long-handled weapon used by ancient Japanese military commanders. Since then, all female warriors have to learn Naginata, and Naginata has been transformed into a lighter weapon, which enables women to fully control, and also enhances the speed and mobility of Naginata. And there are many Naginata for sale online now.

 

2. Naginata's Knife Technique

 

The current Naginata technique has gradually evolved into a modern martial arts movement. The All Japan Naginata Alliance established the current Naginata style, and Naginata technique has become one of the important items of Japanese martial arts fighting sports. In 1953, with the revival of martial arts, "Shuwukan" became the headquarters of Naginata all over Japan. According to legend, Naginata was introduced in the Nara period (710-794). Due to the close communication between Japan and China at that time, monks from the Tang Dynasty brought the swords used by Chinese monasteries to Japan, and gradually developed independently for the use of Japanese people. The lightweight broadsword, the Japanese Naginata and the long scroll, became one of the commonly used weapons of monks and soldiers in the Nara period. Although it is said that the so-called "Crescent Sword" existed in the Western Han Dynasty, according to the development of ancient forging technology, the "eyebrow sword", which is very similar to Naginata in Chinese history, did not become a standing weapon in the army until at least the Song Dynasty. In Song Dynasty's "Wu Jing Zong Yao", seven kinds of long-handled knives were introduced, such as drop knives, phoenix knives, pen knives, crook knives, halberd knives, moon knives, and eyebrow knives. Want to buy different types of Naginata online? COOLKATANA, one of the Japanese sword shops, would be a great choice.

 

3. Knife type of Naginata

 

The blade with a thinner body and a smaller curvature at the end is the "jing" type, named after the concubine "Jing Yuqian" of Yoshitsune. The blade with a wider body and a larger curvature at the end is the "Ba" type, named after the concubine "Ba Yuqian" of Yoshizhong Kiso. Existing Naginatas are mostly of the "ba" type, because the curved blade enhances the cutting performance, making it easier for smaller people to swing on a horse. It is worth mentioning that after Naginata gradually withdrawn from the battlefield, in addition to becoming a folk martial arts weapon, some Naginata were transformed into samurai swords and passed down in another form. This way of repairing and reshaping is called "Naginata straight". The practice of "Naginata straight" mainly has two parts, one is to grind the blade to fit the shape of the knife, and the other is to cut the stem to a suitable length.

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