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Ninjatō

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Ninjatō / Shinobigatana(Ninja đao / nhẫn đao)
A computer image sample depiction of the ninjatō
TypeShortsword(single-edge)
Place of originJapan
Service history
Used byNinjutsupractitioners (allegedly)
Specifications
Mass~0.42 kilograms (0.93 lb)[1]
Length~48 centimetres (19 in)[1]
Blade lengthBlade length 46 centimetres (18 in) 46 cm 61 centimetres (24 in)
HilttypeWood, metal, fish skin, silk

Theninjatō(Ninja đao),ninjaken(Ninja kiếm),orshinobigatana(Nhẫn đao),[2]is alleged to be the preferred weapon of theshinobioffeudal Japan,described in one 21st-century portrayal as carried on the person's back, specifically horizontally at a height of around that of the person's waist.[3][better source needed]It is portrayed by modernninjutsupractitioners (includingMasaaki Hatsumi[4]andStephen K. Hayes) as the weapon of the ninja, and features prominently inpopular culture.[5]Replicas of this sword are displayed at the Koka Ninja Village Museum inKōka, Shiga,[6]at the Gifu Castle Archives Museum inGifu,Gifu Prefecture,Japan[7]and at theNinja Museum of Igaryu,[8]established in the mid-1960s.[9][10][11]

Historically, there is no evidence for the existence of this "katana-likeshort swordlegendarily used by ninja "before the 20th century.[12]Instead, the designs demonstrated by alleged replicas may be based on the design ofwakizashiorchokutōswords or the swords associated withashigaru—common infantrymen with no "ninja" aspects.[1]

History

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Because of the lack of any physical evidence or antique swords from theSengokuto theEdomatching 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 entitledNinjutsuby Heishichirō Okuse.[13][14]
  • 1964: TheNinja Museum of Igaryuin Japan, which houses replicas of the sword, is established.[9]That same year, the swords appeared inShinobi no Mono Kirigakure Saizō(Nhẫn び の giả sương mù ẩn mới tàng)andShinobi no Mono Zoku Kirigakure Saizō(Nhẫn び の giả 続・ sương mù ẩn mới tàng),the 4th and 5th entries in the Japanesejidaigekimovie seriesShinobi no Mono,released in theaters in Japan.
  • 1973: Ads selling newly manufactured and imported ninja swords appear in the American magazineBlack Belt.[15]
  • 1981: Books containing references to the sword written byMasaaki Hatsumi,the founder of theBujinkan,[4]andStephen 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 onNBCfrom January to August 1984.

Appearance

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Ninjatō-wieldingEdo Wonderland Nikko Edomuraentertainers, October 2010

The ninjatō is typically depicted as being a short sword, often portrayed as having a straight blade (similar to that of ashikomizue)[17]with a square guard.[1]Usually of a length "less than 60 cm", the rest of the sword is comparatively "thick, heavy and straight". Despite the disputed historical existence of the ninjato,[12]Hayes claims to describe it in detail, and suggests that the typical description of the ninjatō could be due to ninja having to forge their own blades from slabs of steel or iron with the cutting edge being ground on a stone, with straight blades being easier to form than the much more refined curved traditionalJapanese sword.His second possible reason for ninjatō being described as a straight-bladed, rather short sword could be that the ninja were emulating one of the patron Buddhist deities of ninja families,Fudo Myo-oh,who is depicted brandishing a straight-bladed short sword similar to achokutō.[18]

Usage

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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]

Contemporary sources allege the scabbard was used for various purposes, such as a respiration pipe (snorkel) in underwater activities or for secretly overhearing conversations.[21][23]The scabbard is also said to have been longer than the blade of the ninjatō in order to hide various objects such as chemicals used to blind pursuers.[24][25]Thetsuba(hand guard) of the ninjato is described in one contemporary source as being larger than average and square instead of the much more common round tsuba. One source's belief about the ninjatō tsuba size and shape is that the user would lean the sword against a wall and would use the tsuba as a step to extend his normal reach, and the sword would then be retrieved by pulling it up by the sageo (saya cord).[26][24]

Literature

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  • 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

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  1. ^abcdeDorling Kindersley(2010-03-15).Knives and Swords.Penguin Books.p. 281.ISBN9780756663308.RetrievedDecember 22,2011.
  2. ^Lewis, Peter (1988).Art of the Ninja.Gallery Books. p. 53,122.ISBN9780831704773.RetrievedDecember 26,2011.
  3. ^"Ninja Truth Episode 2".NHK World-Japan On Demand.Retrieved2021-08-19.
  4. ^abHatsumi, Masaaki(1981).Ninjutsu: History and Tradition.Unique Publications. p. 13,93,102–103.ISBN9780865680272.RetrievedDecember 27,2011.
  5. ^abHayes, Stephen K.(1981).The Ninja and their Secret Fighting Art.C.E. Tuttle Co. p.89.ISBN9780804813747.RetrievedJanuary 5,2012.editions:lzi6xoPi0SAC.
  6. ^"Tour of Koka".RetrievedMay 20,2017.
  7. ^"Gifu Castle, Gifu, Japan".RetrievedMay 20,2017.
  8. ^"Japan National Tourism Organization".RetrievedMay 21,2017.
  9. ^abBlack Belt Magazine December 1966, p. 20 (1966-12-01).Photo of ninja sword display in the Iga-Ueno Ninja Museum.RetrievedJanuary 6,2012.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^"Ueno City Tourist Association".Archived fromthe originalon December 9, 2018.RetrievedMay 20,2017.
  11. ^"Tour of Iga".RetrievedMay 20,2017.
  12. ^abBoughn, Jenn Zuko (2006).Stage combat: fisticuffs, stunts, and swordplay for theater and film.Skyhorse Publishing.p. 192.ISBN9781581158250.RetrievedJanuary 5,2012.
  13. ^Okuse, Heishichirō (1956).Ninjutsu.Osaka, Kinki Nippon Tetsudō.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  14. ^Turnbull, Stephen(2018).Ninja: Unmasking the Myth.Frontline Books.ISBN978-1473850422.
  15. ^Black Belt Magazine November 1973, p. 61 (November 1973).Ninja Sword ad.RetrievedJanuary 6,2012.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^"Stephen K. Hayes Biography".Archived fromthe originalon December 26, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 6,2012.
  17. ^Seishinkai Bujutsu."Concealed and Trick Weapons".RetrievedJanuary 5,2012.
  18. ^Lore of the Shinobi Warrior,Stephen Hayes. Black Belt Communications, Nov 1, 1989P.22.
  19. ^Boughn, Jenn Zuko (2006).Stage combat: fisticuffs, stunts, and swordplay for theater and film.Skyhorse Publishing.p. 156.ISBN9781581158250.RetrievedDecember 22,2011.
  20. ^Hatsumi, Masaaki(1981).Ninjutsu: History and Tradition.Unique Publications. p. 13.ISBN9780865680272.RetrievedJanuary 11,2012.
  21. ^abVirtual Museum of Traditional Japanese Arts."Shinobi Gatana (" Ninja "swords)".Archived fromthe originalon December 9, 2018.RetrievedDecember 29,2011.
  22. ^Hayes, Stephen K.(1983).Ninja: Warrior Path of Togakure.Ohara Publications, Inc. pp. 96–97.ISBN9780897500906.RetrievedJanuary 11,2012.
  23. ^Scandiffio, Laura (2003).The Martial Arts Book,Laura Scandiffio, Nicolas Debon, Annick Press, Feb 1, 2003 P.40.ISBN9781550377767.Retrieved2014-07-24– viaGoogle Books.
  24. ^abDraeger, Donn F(1989).Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility.Tuttle Publishing.p. 60.ISBN9780804815970.Retrieved2014-07-24– viaGoogle Books.
  25. ^Levy, Joel (2008).Ninja: The Shadow Warrior,Joel Levy, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., Aug 5, 2008 P.59.ISBN9781402763137.Retrieved2014-07-24– viaGoogle Books.
  26. ^Kim, Ashida (1998).Secrets of the Ninja,Ashida Kim, Citadel Press, 1981, P.60.ISBN9780806508665.Retrieved2014-07-24– viaGoogle Books.
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