It's called a ninja sword. The deadliest weapon in the ninja's arsenal (10 photos)
One person has the right to look down on another only when he helps him up.
Japanese blades
Although many people associate only the samurai sword with Japan, they are wrong. Some of the most diverse and famous are the Japanese swords katana, wakizashi, tachi, tanto dagger, rare ken, various types of yari spears and naginata halberd.
Tati - long sword(blade length from 61 cm) with a relatively large bend (sori), intended mainly for equestrian combat. There is a type of tachi called odachi, that is, a “large” tachi with a blade length of 1 m (from 75 cm from the 16th century). Visually, it is difficult to distinguish a katana from a tachi based on the blade; they differ, first of all, in the manner of wearing. Tachi is usually longer and more curved (most have a blade length of over 2.5 shaku, that is, more than 75 cm; the tsuka (hilt) was also often longer and somewhat curved). The tachi, unlike the katana, was not tucked into the obi (fabric belt) with the blade up, but hung on the hip in a sling designed for this purpose, with the blade down. To protect against damage from armor, the scabbard was often wrapped.
Wakizashi- short sword (blade length 30.3-60.6 cm). Since the end of the 16th century, paired with a longer katana, it forms the standard set of samurai weapons “daisho” (“long and short”). It was used both for fighting in close quarters and in conjunction with a katana in some fencing techniques. Unlike the katana, non-samurai were allowed to wear it.
Kodachi (Kodachi)- small tachi, a Japanese sword that was in use from the 10th to the 17th centuries. The blade is single-edged, slightly curvature, up to 600 mm long. It was made by repeated forging, which contributed to the appearance of a pattern comparable to the texture of wood. Tsuba is round. The kodachi was usually carried with the blade facing down in tandem with a koshigatana.
Koshigatana- a small sword that does not have a guard. The length of the blade is up to 45 cm. Sometimes a tanto dagger is worn instead or in addition.
Tsurugi- straight double-edged sword, common in Japan until the 10th century. Many samples do not belong to real Japanese swords (nihonto), as they are made using Chinese or Korean technology. IN in a broad sense the term was used in ancient times to refer to all swords. At a later time it was replaced by the term "ken" to designate a straight sword.
Mes o-dati– two-handed sword with a blade of more than one (often up to one and a half) meters. In one of the shrines in Echigo province, a sword 2.25 meters long with a shank of 50 cm is kept. The shape of these monstrous weapons follows the shape of a tachi, despite their size they look very proportionate. With such a weapon it was possible to cut an enemy with one blow, without worrying about his armor. This type of sword was worn on the back, the scabbard was discarded before the battle, so in most cases the o-dachi scabbard was not decorated.
Tanto- dagger or knife (blade length< 30,3 см). Меч тати, как правило, сопровождался коротким танто.
Naginata- an intermediate weapon between a sword and a spear: a strongly curved blade up to 60 cm long, mounted on a handle as long as a person’s height. Since the naginata was adopted by the samurai, it was usually and most often used by women to protect themselves from attack during the absence of men. Most widespread received during the reign of the emperors of the Kamakura and Muromachi eras.
Yari- a Japanese spear that was not intended for throwing. Yari has been used by warriors since ancient times. The design of the yari is somewhat reminiscent ordinary sword. The production of yari was carried out by simple artisans (not masters), since the design of this weapon did not require great skill and was made “from a single piece.” The length of the blade is about 20 cm. Yari was used by both samurai and ordinary soldiers.
Katana(uchigatana) - Japanese edged weapon, long samurai sword.
The total length of the sword is 90-120 cm, the length of the handle is about 30 cm, the weight is 1-1.5 kg, the thickness ranges from 5 cm on the side of the butt to the thickness of a hair and thinner on the side of the blade. The handle of a katana is usually made of wood, covered with shark skin or stingray skin, or with fabric wrapped in silk braid.
The katana guard most often has a round, as well as petal, multifaceted, complex openwork shape; decorated with carvings, chasing, inlays made of silver, gold, and ivory.
The katana sheath is made of magnolia wood, coated with black or colored varnish and decorated with bronze plates. At the mouth of the sheath, small knives are often located in small special sockets. The handles of the knives are decorated in the same style as the sword itself.
Almost all more or less valuable blades are marked with the signature of the master, some even have a number on them. The inscription is always hot stamped on the rod.
Exceptional examples of blades are decorated with engravings made with a chisel. The art with which the Japanese make their blades from such a material as steel is amazing; they not only embossed, but also through patterns, so thin and delicate, as if they were cast. Most often these designs depict dragons entwining or gnawing on a spear, mottos, coats of arms, and sometimes simple grooves; less often these are figures of deities. On some very luxurious blades, the patterns were not only minted, but also incised with gold and silver.
The ancient combat saber had a straight, spear-shaped blade with two blades. During feudal wars, two-handed sabers were in great use, but as morals softened, white weapons became lighter and smaller.
The saber used to perform the ritual of hara-kiri (steaming the abdomen) was of medium size, representing the middle between a large saber and a dagger. This ritual is a custom of suicide, common among the upper class. It is resorted to by people who have decided to voluntarily end their lives or who have been sentenced to death for an offense that does not disgrace their honor and does not entail loss or demotion in military rank.
ETIQUETTE
Saber etiquette was as complex as it was solemn. Hitting the scabbard of your saber against the scabbard of another is considered an important mistake against the rules of etiquette; turning the scabbard as if intending to draw the saber already amounts to a challenge.
If, while talking with someone, you put a weapon on the floor and push the handle towards the interlocutor with your foot, then this is considered a mortal insult (it was regarded as an offer to commit hara-kiri). It is impolite to unsheath a katana in the presence of others without first asking everyone's permission. Entering a friend's house with a saber meant breaking the friendship. Those who, by their position, could appear accompanied by a servant, had to leave their weapons in the latter’s care; if they were alone, they took off their weapons at the entrance, where the master’s servants must immediately accept it, but not with their bare hands, but with a silk scarf, which alone served for this ceremony; then the saber is placed on a special stand, which should be in a place of honor near the guest, and in general, the guest’s weapon is ordered to be given the same respect and attention as himself.
A large saber, or if two of them were worn, was unfastened from the belt without being removed from the sheath, and was placed on the right hand of its owner, so that he could not draw it. In general, the saber is never laid down left side, except in cases presenting an immediate danger of attack.
To show a naked saber is considered a great insult, unless it is done for the purpose of allowing friends to admire the beautiful blade; in the same way, it is not polite to ask to see a saber if it is not a valuable specimen, so the request could flatter the owner’s pride.
In such cases, the weapon is shown from the side of the butt, turning the handle to the left and the blade towards you. The interlocutor cannot touch the handle except with a piece of silk, which everyone usually has in their pocket, or with a piece of clean paper. The blade is supposed to be pulled out of its sheath gradually in order to admire it piece by piece. The entire blade is pulled out only at the urgent request of the guest, and the host must show great confusion and hold the blade long distance from those present.
Having admired it enough, the blade should be thoroughly wiped with a towel specially used for this purpose, sheathed and returned to the owner in the same form. The small saber remains on the belt and is removed by the host and guest only in case of a long visit. A woman is allowed to carry a saber only when she is alone on the road; in addition, the ladies of the court also wear a saber in the event of a fire in the palace (in case of protection from marauders or invaders, which was often the same thing).
Thanks to the care with which they were surrounded, the blades retain a pure mirror shine for centuries. There are ancient blades in which the entire shaft is damaged by rust, riddled with holes, traces of repeated changes in the handle, and yet the blade from hilt to tip looks as if it had just come out of the workshop.
Swords strictly differ in the design of scabbard frames, hilts, etc., which makes it possible to accurately determine the rank of the owner. In addition to combat swords (bu no tachi), there are richly decorated ceremonial kazari-tachi swords, sometimes with a combat blade (maki-e no tachi), and sometimes completely unsuitable for combat, with a blade made of a flattened iron rod.
NINJA SWORD (sinobi-gatana; ninja-to)
Ninja sword- one of the most curious items in the arsenal of the Japanese “warriors of the night.” And it’s not even a matter of the special ingenuity of its device - from this side everything is simple, but that a huge number absurdities and lies that are currently being reported about him in numerous popular publications. What exactly was this mysterious ninja sword?
Based on extant examples of this weapon, Nawa Yumio describes the shinobi-gatana as follows.
The handle of the ninja sword (tsuka) was all metal. It was braided with black cord. Unlike standard swords, the menuka decoration was not woven into the braid of the hilt of the shinobi-gatana. The ninja's guard was square and quite massive. The wooden scabbard was either simply covered with black varnish, or first covered with leather and only then varnished. They usually did not have any decorations. A sharpened iron kojiri head was put on the end of the scabbard. For strength, the sheath was covered with one metal ring. A longer than usual sageo cord was attached to a special protrusion with a hole on the kurigata scabbard - about 3.6 meters. The blade itself was usually relatively short.
Main feature The spy sword was its functionality. In order for the sheath of the ninja-to (sai) not to attract the attention of immodest eyes, they were made very simple, devoid of any beauty, but durable, so that they could be used as a club or as a hanging perch for long-term observation of the enemy. Often the sheath was ten centimeters longer than the blade. Various small objects were placed into the resulting void: bo-shurikens, secret documents, blinding powder, etc. In some samples, the tip of the scabbard (kojiri) was removed, so that the scabbard could be used as a blowgun for shooting poisoned needles or as a snorkel for breathing underwater. The longer than usual sageo cord also gave the scout many advantages. It was used for tying, making traps, etc. etc.
Nawa Yumio points out that the shark skin used to decorate the hilts of Japanese swords swells greatly when water gets on it, and the sword becomes uncomfortable to use. Therefore, to protect against water, ninjas covered shark skin with varnish (such examples of swords are actually found in collections), and covered the top with deerskin, which, on the contrary, shrinks from water, and wrapped it with thread.
Ninja swords were usually relatively short, as a long sword is a burden during intelligence operations when you have to wade through gullies and windbreaks, climb trees and walls. The length of the shinobi-gatana blade, judging by the surviving samples, ranged from 42.5 cm to 54.5 cm. Moreover, the blade was relatively thick and wide and had excellent chopping qualities.
Unlike the standard swords used by ordinary samurai, the shinobi-gatana blade, as a rule, did not have a groove for blood drainage or engraving, since an engraved sword is more easily susceptible to rust when water gets on it (and ninjas, as you know, do it was necessary to cross rivers, ditches, act in pouring rain), and a sword with a drain when chopping makes a characteristic whistle, which can give a shinobi away to the enemy.
STORY
Before 900 AD (during the era ancient sword, chokuto or ken) Japan did not have its own blades, and those that they tried to forge were of such poor quality that warriors more often trusted their lives to Chinese or Korean swords.
Only in the “koto” era did curved swords with a blade length of about 120 cm and a double-edged tip begin to appear. But gradually, they were replaced by shorter blades. Fighting on a horse with a long sword is not entirely convenient and sometimes simply not possible. A typical sword of that time can be considered the preserved blade of the Tairo clan "kogarasu-maru". It is quite possible that this blade belongs to the work of the blacksmith Yasuzun, who is considered the father of “typically Japanese swords.”
Tsuba
During this era (koto) 900-1530. began to develop famous schools blacksmithing weapons - Bizen, Yamoshiro, Yamoto, Soshu and Mino. It is the Soshu swords that are considered unsurpassed to this day. The creation of a curved blade is easily explained - the main battles took place on horseback, so it was curved blades that replaced straight ones chinese swords. But even on early Japanese sabers you can see a double-edged blade like on a kogarisu-zikuri.
The era of the new sword (shinto) 1530-1867. Japan is relatively calm, peacetime. This period coincided with the era of the Shogunate, Japan again became a centralized state, which immediately affected the appearance and properties of the Japanese sword. The sword began to turn more and more into a status symbol rather than a fighting blade. Appearance became more important than blacksmithing; now gunsmiths paid excessive attention to decoration, which contributed to the decline in the quality of the blades themselves. The city of Edo (modern Tokyo) became the center for the production of blades. In the 18th century, weapons were only a luxury item, as evidenced by the beautiful Naotane blades. The most precious sabers are preserved in temples, and the Itsuku-Shima Temple has a magnificent collection; Ibritomo's sabers are kept in the Gatshimana temple in Kamakura, and Ieya's sabers are kept in the main temple of Nikko.
The era of modern sword (Shinto) since 1868. It was in 1868 that Emperor Meiji stripped the shogun of executive power and began to rule independently. One of the most drastic steps was the deprivation of the privileges of the samurai caste. In 1876, the wearing of swords was prohibited. Many gunsmiths lost their jobs.
STRUCTURE
Kissaki- tip.
Yakiba- sharpened area.
Jamon- hardening strip.
Yi- blade surface (flat side).
Shinogi- stiffening rib.
Shinogi Yi- the upper part of the blade.
Mune- the back side of the blade (corresponds to a short blade in a European sword).
Hee- down.
Horimono- engraving.
Nakato- blade shank.
Habaki- wedge clamp.
Seppa- backing disc.
Tsuba- cup, in a European sword guard.
Fuchi- handle fastening ring.
Mekugi- fastening bamboo pin
Menuki- decoration of the handle, a decorative element under the braid of the handle.
Kohiri- tip of the scabbard.
Sageo- cord or tape for attaching the scabbard.
Kurikata- loop on the scabbard.
Koiguchi- the mouth of the sheath (carp mouth)
The Japanese sword in its structure is very similar to a saber, but in Japan itself, any blade whose length exceeds 0.5 shaku is called a sword. The length of the sword is measured like a saber, and the unit of measurement is shaku (30.3 cm). Tan-to or short sword (by European standards a dagger) from 0.5 to 1 shaku. Soh something or medium sword(short sword in Europe) from 1 to 2 shaku. Dai-to or long sword more than 2, but not more than 3 shaku (in Europe just a sword or long sword, but not a bastard).
Controversy over whether Japanese katana with a two-handed saber or even a sword, have been going on for a very long time. There are no less supporters of the idea that the katana is a sword than those who claim that it is a two-handed saber. But all these disputes are pointless, because the Japanese themselves call a katana a sword, and Europeans often call a sword a sword, who is worse off from this? Some might say that the sword has a double-edged blade, while the katana has only one blade. And he will be very mistaken, among the swords there are many blades with one blade! Broadsword, scimitar or the so-called sword of the Huns (by the way, the prototype of all existing sabers). So it's stupid to insist on correct name"Japanese saber" (this is the classification found in French), when the name “Japanese sword” took root in the minds of mankind.
Cruel killers, gliding in the night as silent shadows and clutching their lethal weapon– . This is roughly what a collective portrait of medieval Japanese professional spies looks like.
Shrouded in a veil of mystery, their extensive network entered the historical arena in the 9th-10th centuries. It was at this time specific features ninjas found themselves in demand by feudal rulers in their endless wars with each other.
Offering their services as mercenaries and spies, these warriors of the night did not hesitate to use any means to achieve their goals. An ambush attack, a sudden appearance and a swift blow, a silent choke throw, and an equally sudden and rapid disappearance - all this is a ninja. For the “demons of the night,” as these fighters were sometimes called, it was required special weapon.
Ninja sword
An unusual sword became such a weapon in their arsenal. Ninja-to (another name is shinobigatana) - this is used in short, close combat. Due to the fact that the battle conditions of a secret operation sometimes did not allow for a wide scope, the ninjas without much hesitation shortened the standard one. The blade length of ninja swords varied from 50 to 60 cm. This gave the fighters of the “invisible front” undeniable advantages. Short sword it was easier to take it out of its sheath at lightning speed and deliver a fatal blow.
Another distinctive feature The ninja sword was the absence of any decorations on the handle. No stones or anything else that could reveal with its brilliance a warrior sneaking in the night.
To prevent the hand from slipping, the handle was wrapped in leather, according to some sources, others - black cord. The width of the handle was sufficient for both hands to grasp. To protect the hand holding the sword, the guard was massive, square or in the form of four petals. Perhaps it was also used as a step to overcome various kinds of obstacles.
For camouflage purposes, ninjas had to pretend to be representatives of different classes. So, dressing up as a wandering monk, the ninja used a modified version of their sword - shikomizue, which did not have a guard.
Ninja sword scabbard
The scabbard in which it was located deserves special attention. Most legends associated with the sword refer specifically to this item. In order not to give themselves away in the crowd and to blend in with it as much as possible, ninjas used outwardly no different from samurai sword sheath. But since the ninja blade was shorter, there was a free cavity left in the sheath in which various auxiliary devices could be stored.
And here the imagination of fans of this fighting culture knows no bounds. According to them, they just couldn’t fit here. These include poisoned arrows for wind weapons, a throwing knife, shakens (metal stars with sharp spikes lubricated with poison), a coil of rope, powder for blinding the enemy, and even a arquebus ( small arms those times). All this could well be used for combat, but not all of the listed arsenal could fit into this kind of pencil case at the same time. Most likely, for each specific operation its own “inventory” was selected. Sometimes such a pencil-tip was made removable, and then the sheath turned into a tube for breathing under water.
Ninja Sword Blade
The shinobigatan blade itself causes a lot of controversy among historians. First of all, its shape. Modern blades often have a straight blade. Whereas in the original copies of swords that have come down to us, it was slightly curved. This form is more effective for delivering a cutting blow.
In general, when manufacturing the blade, the main emphasis was on functionality and reliability. Therefore, the claim that it was inferior in quality to samurai is doubtful. If it is sometimes necessary to deliver one single, but sure blow, it should have been at least as sharp. In addition, it was often the captured samurai sword that was remade for ninja tasks.
It is characteristic that no engravings were ever kept on the new blade, and there was no groove for blood drainage. The explanation for this is simple. The metal under the engraving is thinner and, when overcoming water obstacles, is subject to greater corrosion, and when swung, a blade with a drain emits a characteristic whistle, which is unnecessary for a shadow warrior.
For all fans Japanese culture ninjas with their aura of mystery continue to arouse great interest today. The adventures of these representatives of one of the ancient professions have long migrated to the screens, and any fan of the ancient forms of Japanese wrestling dreams of his own real ninja sword.
Ninja is a sword used by ninja spies in Japan. Ninja is a universal weapon that has long blade, which was made of good steel. The surface of the blade was polished and its tip was beveled. The thickness of the ninja at its thickest point was 0.5 cm, and the width was 2.5 cm.
There was a hardening line along the blade, which had a straight or wavy shape. The ninja had a square black guard. The length of the side of this part of the weapon was 8 cm, and the thickness was 0.5 cm. The guard served to protect the warrior’s hand, but together with the sheath it could form a step. The long handle was intended for use with both one and two hands. The handle is covered in leather and has a knurled or screw-wound wire for a firmer grip.
Ninja spies lived secretly, so they had to have special weapons - invisible, effective and simple. The armament of such a spy was thought out to the smallest detail and performed several functions.
The sword has many internal hidden devices that enhance its fighting qualities. The sheath of a ninja sword has a metal removable tip that represents the internal dagger and can be used for digging holes, drilling holes, throwing. In addition, in the groove where the knife is inserted, there is space for storing secret documents.
Some other types of ninja scabbards, after removing the metal tip, are a hollow tube that can be used as a blowgun, as well as a snorkel for concealed movement underwater. In general, the length of the sword is 90 cm, and the length of the blade is 50-60 cm. The ninja has many fighting qualities that manifest themselves due to the improvement of hidden devices inside the sword.
The ninja's hand was often filled with gunpowder or dust for blinding, and a poisoned needle was hidden in the handle. If you attach the head of a ninja hilt to a sheath, you get a weapon similar to a naginata (see). Ninjas carried their swords on their backs, leaving their hands free to overcome obstacles or fight. Ninjas used wooden swords for training. The blade of the wooden sword was up to 60 cm long with a total length of 85 cm and was made of hard wood.
History of weapons:
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The ninja sword is one of the most curious items in the Japanese arsenal. And the point is not even in the special ingenuity of its device - from this side everything is simple, but in the huge amount of absurdities and lies that are currently being reported about it in numerous popular publications. What exactly was this mysterious ninja sword?
Based on extant examples of this weapon, Nawa Yumio describes the shinobi-gatana as follows.
Orange hilt of shinobi-gatan
Sword hilt (tsuka) ninja was all metal. It was braided with black cord. Unlike standard swords, the menuka decoration was not woven into the braid of the hilt of the shinobi-gatana. The ninja's guard was square and quite massive. The wooden scabbard was either simply covered with black varnish, or first covered with leather and only then varnished.
They usually did not have any decorations. A sharpened iron kojiri head was put on the end of the scabbard. For strength, the sheath was covered with one metal ring. A longer than usual sageo cord was attached to a special protrusion with a hole on the kurigata scabbard - about 3.6 meters. The blade itself was usually relatively short.
Straight ninjas are a fiction
That's all. Didn't you notice anything? There is not a word here that the sword was straight! Indeed, I have never seen such swords either in the ninjutsu museum in Iga Ueno or in the ninja-yashiki in Konan. In addition, straight ninja swords are not described either in the works of Japanese ninjutsu historians, or in Japanese encyclopedias on traditional weapons, or in sword reference books. Apparently, straight ninjas are an invention of action movie directors.
And if someone tries to demonstrate to you with a straight sword in their hands, you can be sure that this is a swindler.
And no statements like:— they don’t pass here. Just as there are explanations that the ninja did not have the opportunity to make or buy a high-quality sword and therefore made their swords straight and rather crude. No. Ninja valued high-quality weapons no less than samurai, and they had enough money to purchase them. In addition, a straight sword has many disadvantages in combat compared to a regular katana.
Ninja Sword Feature
The main feature of the spy sword was its functionality. To prevent the sheath of the ninja (sai) from attracting the attention of indiscreet eyes, they were made very simple, devoid of any beauty, but durable so that they can be used as a club or as a hanging perch when observing the enemy for a long time. Often the sheath was ten centimeters longer than the blade.
Various small objects were placed into the resulting void: bo-shuriken, secret documents, blinding powder, etc. In some samples, the tip of the scabbard (kojiri) was removed, so that the scabbard could be used as a blowgun for shooting poisoned needles or as a snorkel for breathing underwater.
sageo cord
The longer than usual sageo cord also gave the scout many advantages. It was used for tying, making traps, etc. etc. Shinobi even codified the so-called sageo city-jutsu, which will be discussed in more detail later.
Garda
The guard (tsuba) of the shinobi-gatana, as already mentioned, was square with a side of about 8-10 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm. Such a simple form better suited the specifics of the work of ninjas, who used the guard as a step when climbing. In addition, a large square guard with sharpened edges and corners could slash an enemy’s face in close combat, and the steel knob of a kojiri scabbard could pierce his chest or knock out an eye. True, such unusual guards and kojiri could not help but catch the eye and had to constantly attract attention.
Ninja sword guard
Protection from water and differences from a samurai sword
Nawa Yumio points out that the shark skin used to decorate the hilts of Japanese swords swells greatly when water gets on it, and the sword becomes uncomfortable to use. Therefore, to protect against water, ninjas covered shark skin with varnish (such examples of swords are actually found in collections), and covered the top with deerskin, which, on the contrary, shrinks from water, and wrapped it with thread.
Ninja swords, as a rule, were relatively short, since a long sword is a burden during reconnaissance operations, when it is necessary to wade through gullies and windbreaks, climb trees and walls. The length of the shinobi-gatana blade, judging by the surviving samples, ranged from 42.5 cm to 54.5 cm. Moreover, the blade was relatively thick and wide and had excellent chopping qualities.
Unlike the standard swords used by ordinary samurai, the shinobi-gatana blade, as a rule, did not have a groove for blood drainage or engraving, since an engraved sword is more easily susceptible to rust when water gets on it (and ninjas, as you know, do it was necessary to cross rivers, ditches, act in pouring rain), and a sword with a drain when chopping makes a characteristic whistle, which can give a shinobi away to the enemy.
Description of swords based on Spanish manuscripts, imitations and forgeries
I would like to note one interesting fact. For some reason, in Western and domestic literature it is fashionable to describe ninjas not according to surviving originals, but according to Spanish imitations.
This is how Valery Momot, already mentioned in this chapter, describes the shinobi-gatana:
- In addition, shinobi-saya (more correctly saya - author's note) often ends with an additional plug-case with a cone-shaped tip, in which there is a slot for a universal throwing knife(stored in it), which can not only be thrown, but also, by inserting it into the slot and fixing it there, turn the scabbard into a short spear:
- In modern modifications of the ninja, under the guard there is often a clamp for securing two thin shaken (throwing stars):
- Behind the gasira (more correctly, the cashier - author's note) in the hilt of a ninja sword there was most often another hiding place, in which a shadow warrior could carry a blinding mixture or gunpowder, poisons, medicines, etc. The gasira in a ninja does not serve to strengthen cord, but is a cover for the cavity in the tsuka, held in the handle by two elastic plates expanding from the inside.
Shinobi-saya sword
This description, of course, looks colorful, but it does not reflect the real historical tradition of Japanese medieval spies and saboteurs (according to at least, nothing like this is described by any of the Japanese specialists), and technical discoveries Spanish designers, embodied in, which are now littered with stores in Moscow and other major cities CIS countries.
Invisible claws [Genuine ninja weapons and equipment] Gorbylev Alexey Mikhailovich
Ninja sword
Ninja sword
The ninja sword (sinobi-gatana, ninja-to) is one of the most curious items in the arsenal of the Japanese “warriors of the night” (Fig. 43).
The point is not in the special ingenuity of its device - from this side everything is simple, but in the huge amount of absurdities and lies that are currently being reported about it in numerous popular publications.
What exactly was this “mysterious” ninja sword?
Based on samples of this weapon that have survived to this day, Nava Yumio describes the shinobi-gatana as follows (for the names of the parts of the Japanese sword and knife, see Fig. 44).
The handle of the ninja sword (tsuka) was all metal. It was braided with black cord. Unlike standard swords, the menuka decoration was not woven into the braid of the hilt of the shinobi-gatana. The ninja's guard was square and quite massive. The wooden scabbard was either simply covered with black varnish, or first covered with leather and only then covered with varnish. They usually did not have any decorations. A sharpened iron kojiri head was placed on the end of the scabbard. For strength, the sheath was covered with one metal ring. A longer than usual sageo cord was attached to a special protrusion with a hole on the kurigata scabbard - about 3.6 meters. The blade itself was usually relatively short.
That's all. Did you notice anything? There is not a word here that the “spy” sword was straight! Indeed, I have never seen such swords either in the ninjutsu museum in Iga Ueno or in the ninja-yashiki in Konan. In addition, straight ninja swords are not described either in the works of Japanese ninjutsu historians, or in Japanese encyclopedias on traditional weapons, or in sword reference books. In other words, straight ninja swords are an invention of action movie directors. So if someone tries to demonstrate to you “ninja fencing techniques” with a straight sword in their hands, you can be sure that this is a scammer. No statements like: “at our school it was exactly like this...” will not work here. Just as there are explanations that the ninja did not have the opportunity to make or buy a high-quality sword, and therefore made their swords straight and rather crude. Ninjas valued high-quality weapons no less than samurai, and they had enough money to purchase them. In addition, a straight sword has many disadvantages in combat compared to a regular katana.
The main feature of the spy sword was its functionality. In order for the sheath of the ninja-to (sai) not to attract the eyes of the curious, they were made very simple, devoid of any beauty, but durable, so that they could be used as a club or as a hanging perch for long-term observation of the enemy. Often the sheath was ten centimeters longer than the blade. Various small objects were placed in the resulting void: bo-shuriken, secret documents, blinding powder, etc. For some samples, the tip of the sheath (kojiri) was removed, making it possible to use the sheath as a blowgun for shooting poisoned needles, or as a tube for breathing underwater.
The longer than usual sageo cord also gave the scout many advantages. It was used for binding, making traps, etc. Shinobi even codified the notorious “seven ways to use sageo” - sageo city-jutsu, which will be discussed in more detail later.
The guard (tsuba) of the shinobi-gatana, as already mentioned, was square, with a side of about 8-10 cm and a thickness of about 5 mm. This simple form better suited the specifics of the work of ninjas, who used the guard as a step when climbing. In addition, a large square guard with sharpened edges and corners can slash an enemy’s face in close combat, and the steel knob of a kojiri scabbard can pierce his chest or knock out an eye.
Nava Yumio points out that the shark skin used to trim the hilts of Japanese swords swells greatly when water gets on it, and the sword becomes more inconvenient to use. Therefore, to protect against water, ninjas covered shark skin with varnish (such examples of swords are actually found in collections), and covered the top with deerskin, which, on the contrary, shrinks from water, and wrapped it with thread.
Ninja swords, as a rule, were relatively short, since a long sword is a burden during reconnaissance operations, when it is necessary to wade through gullies and windbreaks, climb trees and walls. The length of the shinobi-gatana blade, judging by the surviving samples, ranged from 42.5 cm to 54.5 cm. At the same time, the blade was relatively thick and wide, but had excellent chopping qualities.
Unlike the standard swords used by ordinary samurai, the shinobi-gatana blade, as a rule, did not have a groove for blood drainage or engraving, since an engraved sword is more susceptible to rust when water gets on it (ninjas, as you know, and it was necessary to cross rivers, ditches, act in pouring rain), and a sword with a drain when chopping makes a characteristic whistle, which can give a shinobi away to the enemy.
I would like to note one interesting fact. For some reason, in Western and domestic literature it is customary to describe ninja swords not according to surviving originals, but according to Spanish imitations. This is how V. Momot, already mentioned in this chapter, describes the shinobi-gatana: “In addition, the shinobi-saya (more correctly saya - author’s note) often ends with an additional plug-case with a cone-shaped tip, in which there is a slot for a universal throwing knife (stored in it), which can not only be thrown, but also, by inserting it into the slot and fixing it there, turn the scabbard into a short spear...
...In modern modifications of the ninja, under the guard there is very often a clamp for securing two thin shaken (throwing stars) ... Behind the gasir (more correctly, the cashier - author's note) in the hilt of the ninja sword there was most often another hiding place in which the shadow warrior could carry a blinding mixture or gunpowder, poisons, medicines, etc. Gashira in ninja does not serve to strengthen the cord, but is a cover for the cavity in the tsuka, held in the handle by two elastic plates expanding from the inside.”
This description, of course, looks colorful, but it does not reflect the real historical tradition of Japanese medieval spies and saboteurs (at least, none of the Japanese specialists describe anything like this), but the technical discoveries of Spanish designers, embodied in those fantastic “ninjas” ", which are now littered with stores in Moscow and other major cities Europe.
WEARING A NINJA-TO SWORD
In the movies, we every now and then see a ninja with a sword thrown behind his back, with the hilt sticking out over his right shoulder and a kojiri knob protruding from his left side. However, Nava Yumio believes that ninjas did not actually use this method of carrying a sword. The arguments of the Japanese specialist are as follows:
Firstly, the protruding handle and kojiri constantly touch branches and bushes, producing completely unnecessary noise. Secondly, this position of the sword does not allow rolling and somersaults, since the sheath causes pain, and the large guard threatens to rip open the face or pierce the temple. Thirdly, once you grab a sword, it is almost impossible to put it back into its sheath. And fourthly, a relatively long sword in this position is simply impossible to grab from its sheath.
In general, the method of carrying a sword behind the back has been known to the Japanese since ancient times. True, they wore it differently than shown in films about ninjas: the handle was above the left shoulder, and the kojiri was on the right side. This option is good because a right-handed person can easily grab even a fairly long sword and just as easily put it back. According to Nava, it is precisely this traditional Japanese warriors the method was used when necessary by “shadow warriors”, who were by no means innovators in this matter.
Be that as it may, most often the ninja sword was worn in the same way as ordinary warriors - behind the belt on the left side. It is this position that is most rational, for the sword is in literally at hand. It can be instantly grabbed, pulled out along with the sheath, or put back in. This freedom of maneuver is very useful during secret penetration into an enemy house. Moving in pitch darkness, the ninja almost completely pulled out the sword along with the scabbard from his belt and wielded its handle like a probe. If it was necessary to do a somersault, the scout would move the sword to the middle of his stomach with one movement of his left hand; if it was necessary to sit down, he would move the sword to his back. Climbing through the gap under the fence, the “invisible man” took it out from his belt completely, laid it on the ground, clamped the sageo in his teeth, climbed into the hole, and then pulled the sword behind him with a cord.
NINJA-TO COLORING
One of the Japanese sword researchers put forward an interesting hypothesis, according to which ninjas were specially made black so that they would reflect moonlight at night did not reveal the location of the spy. According to him, the so-called “black swords” (kurogatana), which were considered one of the best, have been known since ancient times. This name, in his opinion, is explained by the fact that the blades of the kurogatan were entirely covered with black varnish.
Indeed, some examples are currently known Japanese weapons, painted black. It is known, for example, that in the 20th century the Japanese specially inked their bayonets so that they would not shine during night attacks. And the shurikens that ninjas used were also black. However, the hypothesis about “black swords” turns out to be completely groundless.
Firstly, the name "kurogatana" does not appear in ancient texts. Secondly, none of the famous battle swords have a varnish coating. The fact is that grinding and sharpening such a sword requires enormous effort, since it is necessary to remove all the varnish each time. In fact, varnished swords were called o-kashi-gatana, which literally means “loan sword.” During periods of peace, daimyo princes ordered dozens of cheap swords in reserve in case of war, so that after the outbreak of hostilities they could equip newly recruited warriors with them. Since these swords were subject to long-term storage in arsenals without use, they were varnished to prevent rusting (the samurai kept good swords in barrels of oil). O-kashi-gatana swords usually had a length of 60 to 70 cm, that is, they were too long for a ninja.
V.N. Popenko in his book “ Ancient weapons East" lists dozens of ways to paint swords in different colors rainbow spectrum, supposedly corresponding to the traditions of different schools of ninjutsu. He writes: “Each school, in order to emphasize its difference and individuality, used, in addition to the traditional ones, blades of “its” color... Each school kept the coloring recipes secret, but the secrets of many colors were unraveled.” According to Popenko, the swords of Togakure-ryu were blue, Shinshu-ryu - blue-black, Haturo-ryu (probably meaning Haguro-ryu - author's note) - dark cherry, Yoshitsune-ryu - bronze-brown, etc. etc. etc.
Having become acquainted with these “solved” secrets, the author experienced a real feeling of envy: what happy man, this Viktor Nikolaevich Popenko! He apparently has extensive connections in the ninja clans! Even in Japanese ninjutsu museums there is not a single painted sword, but somewhere he has already obtained recipes for painting blades from eleven schools at once!
But alas! No swords painted “Popenkov style” have yet been found in Japan. And no matter how much the blue swords of the Togakure-ryu school strike the imagination of some overly gullible “comrades”, all this pure water an invention of a “would-be ninja scientist” who has read a lot of works on modern metallurgy. Consider just one phrase in the description of chrome plating technology (according to Popenko, “all schools” used it): “In modern conditions apply various ways chrome plating (metallization): electrolytic, chemical, gas plasma (spraying), cladding, deposition of chemical compounds from the gas phase, electrophoresis, vacuum explosion, laser, plasma, immersion in the melt and others.” Yes, the thought of medieval spies has gone far...
No! The ninja swords were neither black nor grey-brown-crimson. And by appearance their blades were no different from ordinary ones.
Another “cool” domestic specialist, V. Momot, in his work “ Traditional weapons ninja" (vol. 1, p. 176) writes that ninjas, with rare exceptions, never polished their swords so that they would not “shine.” However, this statement is far from the truth, since in reality swords are polished not at all for beauty, but to protect them from rust.
SAGEO CITY-JUTSU - “SEVEN WAYS TO USE SAGEO”
Sageo - a cord for attaching a sheath to a belt - is a long flat cord threaded through a hole on a special protrusion of the sheath, called kuri-gagata and located 7–8 cm from its mouth. After the sheathed sword is tucked into the belt, the scabbard is tied to the belt with a sageo to prevent it from falling out and to securely lock it in place.
Usually sageo has a length of about 180 cm. However, for shinobi-gatana it is much longer - from 240 to 360 cm. The fact is that ninjas used sageo not only for attaching a sheath to the belt, but also in other ways that are known under common name"seven ways to use sageo."
1. In absolute darkness, a ninja is like everyone else ordinary people, could not see. Therefore, when penetrating into an enemy’s house, it was necessary to use some precautions so as not to suddenly run into the owner, who sat in ambush with a sword raised above his head.
If a ninja suspected an ambush, he would use a trick called "zasagashi no jutsu" ", or "za-sagurino ho ", - "place search technique" (Fig. 46).
The essence of this technique is to move in pitch darkness around the room in a semicircle, using the sword as a probe. To do this, you need to pull the sword together with the sheath from behind the sash, remove the blade from the sheath so that only 5-6 cm remains at the mouth and, holding the hilt, put the sword forward (the blade is facing up, the back of the sword, of course, is facing down) with a sheath hanging on it like a probe. To prevent the sheath from falling to the floor, you need to hold it by pulling the sageo, which is first held with your left hand and then clamped between your teeth. Having assumed such a position, you can move, moving your back along the wall and falling as low as possible to the floor. The sword with the scabbard hanging on it acts like a probe, moving from side to side, as if fanning itself. If the scabbard suddenly encounters some kind of obstacle, it means that an enemy is lurking in the darkness - after all, there is no furniture in the middle of a Japanese room, and the spy moves with his back along the wall and can navigate the space well. In such a situation, the ninja spits out the cord, the sheath falls to the floor, and the “invisible”, instantly withdrawing his hand with the blade to swing, inflicts two or three injections into the darkness, where the object was discovered.
There are two additional tricks to note here. First, the ninja must move as low as possible so that he is not overtaken by a sudden horizontal slash. Secondly, injections must be performed with the blade turned horizontally, since there is a high probability that they will hit the ribs. If the blade is upright, it will hit the ribs and the wound will not be dangerous.
2. Sageo can be used as a replacement for a belt if it was cut in hand-to-hand combat, or simply is not at hand. In case of injury, the cord can replace the tourniquet to stop bleeding by tightly tying the limb on a section located closer to the heart than the wound.
Another use is for tying up a prisoner. The length of the “spy” cord is quite enough for this.
True, in such a situation, the ninja could use a much shorter rope, some 6 sun (about 18 cm) long, which is where its name comes from: "rokusun-nawa" - “a rope 6 suns long.” Another name for the same rope reveals the essence of this method of tying - "yubi-gatame-nawa" - “rope for tying (holding) fingers.” The prisoner had both hands behind his back, crossed thumbs his hands and tied them crosswise with a cord below the joint (Fig. 47).
It is almost impossible to free yourself from such a “fixing bandage”. A small sizes laces allow you to easily “bandage” seven or eight people with one sageo, cut into pieces.
3. Sageo can be used as Yojin-nawa - “safety ropes” when using a trick nava-bari - “pulling the ropes.” This method of using the cord is also one of the so-called “tricks on the road” ( tsuro-shikake ). To protect himself from the “visit” of an unexpected guest, the ninja stretched a rope across the entrance to his bedroom at shin height. In the darkness of the night in the absence of lighting, such a rope barrier turned out to be a very unpleasant surprise for the enemy: having tripped over it, he fell head over heels to the floor of the room. Awakened by the noise of the fall, the ninja, located, as a rule, in the very center of the room, instantly snatched the sword from its sheath and in one fell swoop struck in the direction where the unlucky enemy fell.
4. Climbing over a high fence, the ninja placed a shinobi-gatana against it, plunging it into the ground with the bound metal tip of the sheath-kojiri. Holding the tip of the sageo in his teeth, he pushed off with his foot from the wide guard and jumped up, trying to grab the ridge with his hands. Having climbed to the top of the wall, the “invisible man” pulled the sword behind him with a cord. This trick was called "tsuri-gatana-no ho" - “a method of fishing a sword” (Fig. 48–49).
5. Sageo was used to set up a “camping tent” when spending the night in “ field conditions» (« nonaka jin-bari no ho" - “camping in a field”). To do this, the ninja wrapped a cord around three or four trees standing close to each other and pulled a sheet of oiled paper on top, under which one could hide from rain and snow.
6. Another option for using sageo for arranging a “staying place” was called tabimakura no ho - “hiking pillow method.” In this case, a pair of swords was used - long and short. Tying the cords of both swords to each other, the ninja pulled them tightly under his body. The swords were placed along the body, and the ninja lay with his back on top of the tied sageo. The large sword (daito) was on the left of the spy, and the small sword (shoto) was on the right. The spy was sleeping with his left forearm wrapped around Daito (Fig. 50).
If a sneaking enemy tried to take the sword from a sleeping ninja, then a combination with another sword did not allow this to be done unnoticed. And the ninja, waking up from sleep, but still remaining in a supine position, threw off the scabbard towards his legs and at the same time drew his sword with a movement of his hand towards his head and stabbed the enemy. This type of drawing of the sword (batto) is very characteristic of a ninja. Due to the fact that the drawing occurs simultaneously with the throwing of the sheath in the opposite direction, the speed of this movement is almost twice as high as with other methods of drawing the sword.
In addition, in the event of an unexpected enemy attack, when you urgently need to run away, but there is no time to tuck your swords into your belt, thanks to the tied sageo, you can simply hang them around your neck and run in this form, putting yourself in order as you go.
7.Yari-dome no jutsu - “a method of stopping a spear”, or nagatsuka-dori - “grabbing a long shaft” - this is the name of the technique of entangling an enemy’s long polearm like a spear or halberd with a cord in order to fetter his actions and, taking advantage of temporary helplessness, to stab him with a sword (Fig. 51 ).
To do this, you need to pull the sword from your belt along with the sheath and instantly tie the end of the sageo to the hilt. After this, the blade is removed from the sheath with the right hand. The sheath is taken like a club left hand near the mouth (koiguchi) and pulled towards the enemy in the seigan position: the hand is opposite the tanden point, localized at a place three fingers below the navel, and the tip of the weapon is directed towards the enemy’s throat. Right hand with the sword drawn, they are raised above the head into the jodan position, so that the sageo is pulled tightly in a vertical position on the left side of the spy's body. In this position you need to wait for the enemy's actions.
If the enemy thrusts a spear into the stomach, the blow is reflected with the crossed sword and sheath in a top-down motion, trying to press the spear to the ground. If this is successful, you should immediately step on the shaft with your foot, press it to the ground and at the same time hit the enemy with a thrust of the sword. If the enemy inflicts a thrust in the face, the blow is deflected with a “cross” from the bottom up, after which it is necessary to inject with the sword, sliding it along the shaft of the spear.
If the enemy stabs in the chest to the left of the sageo, you need to take a small step forward and to the right diagonally, deflecting the thrust to the left, bend your left arm at the elbow and hold the spear shaft in the crook of your arm. Then, crossing the sword and scabbard, weave a cord around the shaft of the enemy’s spear. Following the return movement of the spear, get close to the enemy and pierce his chest with a blade in a horizontal position.
If the enemy performs a thrust to the right of the sageo, you need to take a step diagonally forward and to the left, tilt the spear to the left, hold its shaft under the right armpit and braid it with a cord, constraining the movements. When the enemy tries to pull out the weapon, immediately get close to him and stab him.
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