Jutte
The jutte or jitte (十手?), literally meaning "ten-hand" (i.e., the weapon with the power of ten hands),[1] is a specialized weapon.
In Edo period Japan the jutte was a substitute for a badge and represented someone on official business and was carried by all levels of police officers including high ranking samurai police officials and low-rank samurai law enforcement officers (called okappiki or doshin).[2][3] Other high ranking samurai officials carried a jutte as a badge of office,[4] including hotel, rice and grain inspectors (aratame).[5][6] It is the subject of the Japanese martial art of juttejutsu.[7]
Parts of the jutte
[8] [9]
- Boshin, the main shaft of the jutte which could be smooth or multi sided. The boshin of most jutte were usually iron but some were made from wood.[10]
- Sentan, the tip or point of the jutte.
- Kagi, the hook or guard protruding from the side of the jutte. Jutte may have more than one kagi with some jutte having two or three kagi.[8]
- Kikuza (chrysanthemum seat), if the kagi is attached to the boshin through a hole in the boshin, the protrusion on the opposite side is called a kikuza.
- Tsuka, the handle of the jutte which could be left plain, it could also be wrapped or covered with various materials.
- Tsukamaki, the wrapping on the handle (tsuka). Materials such as ray skin same' , leather, and cord were used for tsukamaki on juttes.
- Kan, the ring or loop at the hilt of the tsuka. A cord or tassel could be tied to the kan.
- Tsuba, a hand guard present on some types of jutte.
- Koshirae. Jutte can occasionally be found housed in a sword type case hiding the jutte from view entirely, this type of jutte can have the same parts and fittings as a sword including:seppa, tsuba, menuki, koiguchi, kojiri, nakago, mekugi-ana and mei.
Additional information and technique
Jutte may have a small spear tip or blade attached to the tsuka and hidden in the boshin. Jutte could be highly decorated with all manner of inlays and designs or very plain and basic depending on the status of the owner and the jutte's intended use. Jutte could range in length from around 12 inches to over 24 inches. [8] The modern jutte is about 45 cm (18 inches) long with no cutting edge and a one-pronged tine kagi, about 5 cm long starting just above the handle tsuka and pointing toward the tip sentan. A popular misconception is that the kagi is used to catch a sword. It could possibly be used for this purpose, but the kagi's proximity to the hand would make it rather dangerous. When faced with a swordsman, a more likely use for the kagi would be to capture and arrest the blade after blocking it with the boshin.[11] The kagi's more common use is to hook into clothing or parts of the body like the nose or mouth, or to push into joints or other weak points on the body. It also could be used to hook the thumb while holding the weapon backwards, to allow different techniques such as punches and blocks, very similarly to a sai. The jutte can also be used in much the same manner as other short sticks or batons, to strike large muscle groups and aid in joint manipulation.[11]
History
In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable by death to bring a sword into the shogun's palace. This law applied to everyone except the shogun's sons and hatamoto, including the palace guards. In effect several kinds of non-sword, defensive weapons were carried by these palace guards, but jutte was particularly effective and ultimately it evolved to become the symbol of a palace guard's exalted position.[12]
Other jutte types and similar weapons
In popular culture
Notable examples of jutte featured in fiction include: Classic Japanese cinema, trading card games, in manga and anime and in video games.[14]
Gallery
See also
- Juttejutsu—the martial art of using the jutte
- Sai—a similar weapon, which resembles a jutte with a second prong and is used in Okinawan kobudō
References
- ^ George Kirby, Mike Lee, Jutte: Japanese power-of-ten-hands weapon, Ohara Publications, 1987
- ^ Stephen Turnbull, The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War, p.113
- ^ Don Cunningham, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, Tuttle Publishing, 2004; p.65
- ^ Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, pp.77–78
- ^ Cunningham, p.72
- ^ William E. Deal, Handbook to life in medieval and early modern Japan, pp.166–167
- ^ a b Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003
- ^ a b c Cunningham, p.66
- ^ Daniel C. Pauley, Samantha Pauley, Pauley's Guide: A Dictionary of Japanese Martial Arts and Culture, 2009, p.65
- ^ Thomas Louis, Tommy Ito, Samurai: The Code of the Warrior, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2008; p.129
- ^ a b Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003; p.80
- ^ Jutte (Ju-Te): The "Power-of-Ten-Hands" Weapon
- ^ a b Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003; p.221
- ^ http://www.guildwiki.org/Jitte
External links