The Iconic Weapon of "Female Warriors" - Naginata
By Dremdsword
July 9th, 2024
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The naginata (薙刀) is a Japanese sword that takes the form of a blade mounted on a pole. Naginata were originally used by the samurai class of feudal Japan, as well as by foot soldiers and warrior monks, and were the iconic weapon of female warriors.
A naginata consists of a wooden or metal pole with a curved single-edged blade on the end; it is similar to the Chinese guan dao or the European glaive. The 30 cm to 60 cm (11.8 inches to 23.6 inches) naginata blade is forged in the same manner as traditional Japanese swords. The blade has a long tang (nakago) which is inserted in the shaft. The average pole is around 6 feet long. This proportion made the naginata suitable for spinning attacks and gave its users a large radius of reach. These changes reflect the different uses and needs over the past 1000 years.
The naginata was used by warrior-monks for temple defense against invaders. Fromthe 1400's A.D. this weapon was no more used by monks because the temples were no longer a target. The samurai used the naginata only when fighting against many enemies or on horseback.
Naginata was most commonly used when the samurai was too young to handle a full-length katana and when he was mostly an archer. By the Edo period (1603-1867), the naginata was no more used in combat. It became the symbolic weapon of samurai women, who trained for self-defense, defense of their children, and for building virtue. The fashion developed further and there were samurai families who hung naginata in important places of their houses. Later the naginata was even given as a present to the bride.
In Japan today, naginata is taught as a means of physical fitness and spiritual enhancement for girls in Junior High School and up. They have various levels of contests from the "Empress Cup" for the individual All Japan Champion down to local club and school contests. Because of this background, the vast majority of naginata participants in Japan are women. In the USA, the United States Naginata Federation has roughly 40% men.
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