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Index:

1. Introduction
2. Index
3. List of martial arts with their origins, founders, focus and philosophy.
4. List of Japanese Weapons used by the Samurai.
5. List of valuable links.
6. List of good books on martial arts sorted by martial art.
7+. Things found and said by members that contain valuable information or interesting opinions.
(posted here subjective to my personal views and opinions. If something is not posted and you believe it to be due to my personal views, create a new thread on this topic, we will discuss it and if I am proven wrong (However unlikely that is twisted ), I will put it in here anyways.

The different weapons known to Japanese fighters:

For obvious reasons, I think I can leave out hands and feet that could prove substitutes for weapons... I mean, everybody knows how those are made and where they come from. Don't make me put up any Darwin's theories and birds and bees s**t or I'll kick you.

First and foremost;
The Katana.

Well-known for it's great resilience, excellent edge and ability to outlast many generations, the Katana is by far the most famous Japanese sword.
Also called a Daito, it is the longer sword in what is usually a set called the Daisho, consisting of the Daito and the Shoto. One should note that the name Daito only means it is the longer sword of the Daisho. The name Daito does not define the Katana in any way.

The Katana has often been mistaken for the perfect sword. Understandably, since no other type sword can compare to it in most classes. Of course, the samurai wore the longer Katana with the shorter Wakizashi for good reason. Different situations require a different weapon. The forging techniques used for creating it, however were by far superior to anything seen worldwide for many centuries. Briefly, it was perfect in it's class, not necessarily as a weapon. Let us dispel that myth.

Today, the Katana has replaced the spear as the symbol of the samurai and the way of life called bushido. Much exploited and misrepresented in Hollywood-movies, it has gained the attention of both unrealistic nitwits and promising enthusiasts.
Just be careful around the Katana-subject. It's a good sword, that's all.


The Wakizashi.

The Wakizashi would be the shorter sword in the Daisho set, called the Shoto.
It was used most in the case of indoor fighting, when the use of a Katana would be clumsy due to the Katana's measurements.
The Wakizashi, unlike the katana, is always drawn in a single hand, sometimes paired with the Katana.
The pairing of the Katana and Wakizashi is commonly known as Nito, or two-blade.
The famous Japanese swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, was famous for using the two blades simultaneously, later calling his style Niten-ryu.


The Yari.

The Japanese Yari or spear was, for the longest time and more so than the sword, the icon of the bushi or samurai warriors.
The length of these Yari, with their straight heads, varied from a meter to sometimes even six meters. (3.3 feet to 20 feet respectively)
Usually, the longer Yari (Omi no Yari) were carried by the footsoldiers (the ashigaru), while the samurai generally wielded the shorter ones (Tae or Mochi Yari).

Different versions of the Yari's blade existed. Notably, there were the Su-Yari (or choku), which were simple, straightforward spears and the Kama-Yari, which consisted of the normal straight part of the blade with an additional cross-section.

Among the Su-Yari existed the following different types:
The Fukuro Yari, which had a double-edged blade at the head.
The Sankaku Yari, which had a simple, metal pike on the end.
The Kikuchi Yari, which only had a single edge, and differed from the naginata by length and the straight blade.
The Yajiri Nari Yari, which had a spade-shaped end, sometimes with two holes in it.
The Kuda Yari, a spear that does not show up in my book entitled "Classical weaponry of Japan", the shape and use of it aren't fully clear to me. If anyone knows, please keep me notified.

Among the Kama-Yari existed the following different types:
The Jumonji Yari, which had two forwards-curved side-extensions.
The Kama Yari, which had two backwards-curved side-extensions.
The Katakama Yari had only a single, forwards-curved edge.
The Magari Yari, which had two crescent moon-shaped blades to the side of the main blade.
The Tsuki Nari Yari, which consisted of a discentered main blade, and both a forward- and backwards-curved side-extension. The main blade and the forwards-curved side-extension were shaped like a crescent moon.
The Kagi Yari, which apparently consisted of a straight blade with a hook to the side (unverified!)


The Naginata.

The Naginata is considered to be the Japanese version of the halberd.
The shaft measuring from 1m50 to 2m75 (5 to 9 feet), it was tipped with a single-edged, curved blade that measured between 25cm and 65 cm (1 and 2 feet).

The Naginata is known to have been used intensively on the battlefields since the 10th century. It proved a very valuable weapon against mounted enemies, being able to cut a horse's legs from underneath it's rider and then being able to kill the dismounted rider.

The Naginata is also well-known as woman's weapon. The reason for this is the fact that women were trained for many centuries in the use of the Naginata to protect their homes and children while their men were away. The length and reach of the weapon made it an excellent weapon to keep enemies at a safe distance.
After the introduction of firearms, the Naginata was in fact mostly used for that very reason.

A weapon closely related to the Naginata is the Nagamaki. Differentiating the two can be difficult, usually the main difference is found in the fact that Nagamaki blades were more similar in shape to that of Katana's or Wakizashi's and were often longer than the blades on the Naginata. The difference is fade.


The Zanbato.

The Zanbato is a weapon that holds the middle between the Naginata and the Katana. Often confused with the Nagamaki, it is in fact not the same. The blade generally has the same shape, but the handle is shorter. Where the Nagamaki still consists mostly of shaft, half the length of the Zanbato is attributed to the blade.
Making it more a sword than a polearm, the Zanbato was nevertheless used for the same purpose as the Nagamaki and Naginata.


The Yumi.

The Yumi, or Japanese bow has been used since *will finsih later... sleepy...*