Ninjatō
Ninjatō / Shinobigatana (忍者刀 / 忍刀) | |
---|---|
Type | Short sword (single-edge) |
Place of origin | Japan |
Service history | |
Used by | Shinobi, Ninjutsu practitioners |
Specifications | |
Mass | ~0.42 kilograms (0.93 lb)[1] |
Length | ~48 centimetres (19 in)[1] |
Blade length | Blade length 46 centimetres (18 in) 46 cm 61 centimetres (24 in) |
Hilt type | Wood, metal, fish skin, silk |
The ninjatō (忍者刀), ninjaken (忍者剣), or shinobigatana (忍刀),
Historically, there is no physical evidence for the existence of this "
History
Because of the lack of any physical evidence or antique swords from the Sengoku to the Edo matching the description of the ninjatō,[1] the history of the weapon can only be reliably chronicled from the 20th century onwards.
- 1956: The first known photograph of a straight-blade ninjatō was featured in a 26-page Japanese booklet entitled Ninjutsu by Heishichirō Okuse.[13][14]
- 1964: The Ninja Museum of Igaryu in Japan, which houses replicas of the sword, is established.[7] That same year, the swords appeared in Shinobi no Mono Kirigakure Saizō (忍びの者 霧隠才蔵) and Shinobi no Mono Zoku Kirigakure Saizō (忍びの者 続・霧隠才蔵), the 4th and 5th entries in the Japanese jidaigeki movie series Shinobi no Mono, released in theaters in Japan.
- 1973: Ads selling newly manufactured and imported ninja swords appear in the American magazine Black Belt.[15]
- 1981: Books containing references to the sword written by Masaaki Hatsumi, the founder of the Bujinkan,[4] and Stephen K. Hayes,[5] an American who studied under Hatsumi in 1975,[16] are published.
- 1981: The first Hollywood film to feature the ninjatō, Enter the Ninja, was released in theaters.
- 1983: The next Hollywood film to feature the ninjatō, Revenge of the Ninja, was released in theaters in September 1983.
- 1984: The first American television production to feature these swords, The Master, was broadcast on NBCfrom January to August 1984.
Appearance
The ninjatō is typically depicted as being a short sword, often portrayed as having a straight blade (similar to that of a
Usage
Due to the lack of historical evidence regarding the existence of the ninjatō, techniques for usage in a martial context are largely speculative. When used in film and stage, ninjatō are depicted as being shorter than a katana with a straight blade but they are utilized in a "nearly identical" manner as the katana.[19] Books and other written materials have described a number of possible ways to use the sword including "fast draw techniques centered around drawing the sword and cutting as a simultaneous defensive or attacking action",[20] with "a thrust fencing technique",[21] and with a "reverse grip".[22]
The scabbards were often said to have been used for various purposes such as a respiration pipe (snorkel) in underwater activities or for secretly overhearing conversations.
Literature
- Jürgen Bieber: Ninja-to: The sword of the ninja, Verlag Autorenschmie.de, Wangen 2009, ISBN 978-3-940404-12-1
- A Glossary of Arms and Armor, ed. George C. Stone, Southworth Press, 1961, p. 469
- Secret Guide to Making Ninja Weapons, by Yamashiro Toshitora, Butokukai Press, 1986, ISBN 978-99942-913-1-1
References
- ^ ISBN 9780756663308. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ISBN 9780831704773. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
- ^ "Ninja Truth Episode 2". NHK World-Japan On Demand. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
- ^ ISBN 9780865680272. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
- ^ ISBN 9780804813747. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
editions:lzi6xoPi0SAC.
- ^ "Japan National Tourism Organization". Retrieved May 21, 2017.
- ^ a b Black Belt Magazine December 1966, p. 20 (1966-12-01). Photo of ninja sword display in the Iga-Ueno Ninja Museum. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Ueno City Tourist Association". Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ "Tour of Iga". Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ "Tour of Koka". Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ "Gifu Castle, Gifu, Japan". Retrieved May 20, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9781581158250. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ Okuse, Heishichirō (1956). Ninjutsu. Osaka, Kinki Nippon Tetsudō.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ISBN 978-1473850422.
- ^ Black Belt Magazine November 1973, p. 61 (November 1973). Ninja Sword ad. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "Stephen K. Hayes Biography". Archived from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
- ^ Seishinkai Bujutsu. "Concealed and Trick Weapons". Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ Lore of the Shinobi Warrior, Stephen Hayes. Black Belt Communications, Nov 1, 1989P.22.
- ISBN 9781581158250. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ISBN 9780865680272. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
- ^ a b Virtual Museum of Traditional Japanese Arts. "Shinobi Gatana ("Ninja" swords)". Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
- ISBN 9780897500906. Retrieved January 11, 2012.
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