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WABUKAN Arsenal · Knives and blades · Japan

Tanto

A Japanese dagger with a blade under 30 cm. Wooden tanto are used to practise knife defence in aikido, jujutsu and judo.

Tanto
Tanto WABUKAN illustration

Also known as

短刀 · aikuchi; hamidashi

Origin and history

Daggers of the tantō type are known from the Heian period (794–1185) and were carried by samurai as a last-resort and grappling weapon on the battlefield. Today wooden tantō are the standard tool for knife-defence drills in aikido, jujutsu and judo kata.

Martial arts that use it

Jujutsu Aikido Aikijujutsu Goshin Jutsu

Construction

Single- or double-edged blade under 1 shaku (about 30 cm), usually without a ridge line in the hira-zukuri style. The aikuchi mounting has no guard at all.

Basic techniques

Training

Short-blade training starts with trainers made of wood, aluminium or rubber. Students drill angles of attack, grips (forward and reverse), checking the opponent’s arm and footwork, then flow drills with a partner. Live blades are kept for solo forms by experienced practitioners, if at all.

Safety

Use training knives for all partner work and eye protection for fast drills. Never mix live and training blades in the same session, store blades sheathed and out of reach of children.

Legality (general information)

Swords, knives and other edged weapons are regulated very differently from country to country (and sometimes from region to region): owning one at home is often allowed, while carrying it in public, buying it under a certain age or importing it may be restricted or banned. Practitioners usually transport them cased, out of reach and straight between home and dojo. This is general information, not legal advice: check the law where you live.

Did you know?

Several of the most famous Japanese blades are tantō, made by masters such as Awataguchi Yoshimitsu, whose works were prized as gifts among warlords.

More weapons

Sai Kama Butterfly swords Deer horn knives Kris Karambit

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Tantō