Secret Weapons of Jujutsu

by Don Cunningham

Secret Weapons of Jujutsu is the first book in English that deals with the full array of small hand weapons used by the Japanese samurai and constabulary. This volume includes a history of the weapons and discussions of hibuki (concealed weapons), improvised weapons, and traditional battlefield weapons such as: kansashi (a long, pointed metal hairpin worn by men and women) kokai and kudzuka (small utility knives) shoku (fire ax) shakuhachi (a bamboo flute -- a particular favorite of monks) yawara (short wooden rod) manriki-gusari (weighted chain) suntetsu (short iron bar) lessen (iron war fan). Cunningham discusses the weapons and demonstrates their use, in a series of clear, easy to follow photographs. Also included are historical photographs, as well as reproductions of paintings and line drawings, of these weapons and their bearers.

Genres: Martial Arts

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1900