Pole-arms and staff weapons
Bo: A bo is a six foot staff usually constructed of wood.
Cane: A cane is basically a walking stick, preferably one with a hook at the end.
Hanbo: A hanbo is a three foot staff made of wood and is sometimes wielded in pairs. A variation of the hanbo are called escrima or kali sticks, which are sometimes used in pairs.
Jo: A jo is a four foot staff usually made of wood.
Konsaibo: The konsaibo is a hardwood staff reinforced with metal strips and often had heavy iron nubs along its upper portion, it was a lighter version of the tetsubo.
Magari-Yari: Similar in appearance to the trident, the side blades are set at right angles to the central blade, points turning slightly inward.
Nagemaki: Type of naginata with a heavy very long blade mounted on a shorter, sturdy staff.
Naginata: A naginata is usually six to eight foot staff with a curved sword-like blade at one end.
Shinobi-Zue: A ninja staff weapon with a chain hidden in one end with a lead weight attached to it.
Sode-garami: This was used to catch the sleeves of a swordsman. Click on the picture for a close up of the barbs.
Tetsubo: One of the early weapons transferred from the Asian continent to Japan. The tetsubo, or iron staff, came in various shapes and lengths, with circular or hexagonal, or octagonal cross-sections. Only the strongest warriors could be proficient in its use as it was very heavy.
Yari: A yari is a Japanese spear, their lengths vary greatly, they can be as short as six foot to as long as thirteen feet. There are also many different types of spear heads that were used by the Japanese warriors. Click here to view a few different spear heads.
Last updated: 6/04/02
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