| Today we're going to be talking about lots of different | | | | weapon .. However, this is the wrong term. That's just |
| martial arts weapons. We're not going to go through all | | | | where they were commonly used. Sometimes the |
| of them…we're just going to try to go over the | | | | samurai would also carry two less traditional blades |
| most popular ones that you'll see and how they were | | | | called the wakazashi and the tanto. |
| used and what styles they're used in. Keep in mind | | | | Most fully armed Samurai would be equipped with all 3 |
| these are traditional weapons, and not improvised | | | | weapons, the katana, the wakazashi and the tanto. |
| weapons. | | | | These were the main martial arts tools and they would |
| China also pioneered a lot of great weapons such as | | | | use them for different ranges. For example, if they |
| waxwood staff, the spear, and the one handed broad | | | | were fighting at a longer range, they would probably |
| sword. These were Chinese martial arts arms that | | | | have a katana because it's the longest weapon. But, if |
| were used in kung fu. The straight sword was a very | | | | they got caught in close combat they would typically |
| long one-handed sword used mainly for stabbing, the | | | | rely on the shorter wakazashi or the even shorter |
| broad sword is generally more of a wide slashing type | | | | tanto. If you want to learn how to use improvised self |
| one-handed sword . The waxwood staff was a | | | | defense weapons, click the blue link. |
| flexible, almost whip-like staff that was used generally | | | | Some other Japanese tools -- these are more for |
| in kung-fu. A popular modification was to add a spear | | | | popular people, like the farmers and such. Back in |
| tip to the waxwood staff and then it becomes a kung | | | | feudal Japan, the Island of Okinawa was being |
| fu spear. So, those are some of the martial arts | | | | attacked by Samurai. The farmers had to defend their |
| weapons on the Asian side. If you want to learn more | | | | own lives, but all they had were traditional farming |
| self defense moves click the link in blue. | | | | tools.. A lot of tools originated from these Japanese |
| One of the most standard weapons, the katana. The | | | | farmers, including nun-chucks and kamas. At the time, |
| Katana is the sword you probably think of when you | | | | kamas and nun-chucks were only farm instruments. |
| think of a samurai wielding a sword . It's held with two | | | | However, they were eventually adapted as improvised |
| hands and it has a long curved blade. A lot of people | | | | weapons for the farmers. |
| give these a generic name such as a Samurai | | | | |