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Jitte





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Ajitte (十手, "ten hands") is a blunt melee weapon that was used by police in Edo-period Japan (1603–1868). In English-language sources, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled jutte, such as in Ikkaku-ryū juttejutsu.

Ajitte with a sword-type case (koshirae)

History

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In feudal Japan, it was a crime punishable by death to bring a sword into the shōgun's palace. This law applied to almost everyone, including the palace guards. Due to this prohibition, several kinds of non-bladed weapons were carried by palace guards. The jitte proved particularly effective and evolved to become the symbol of a palace guard's exalted position.[1]

In Edo-period Japan, the jitte was a substitute for a badge, and it represented someone on official business. It was carried by all levels of police officers, including high-ranking samurai police officials and low-rank samurai law enforcement officers (called okappiki[citation needed]ordoshin).[2][3] Other high-ranking samurai officials carried a jitte as a badge of office,[4] including hotel, rice and grain inspectors (aratame).[5][6] The jitte is the subject of the Japanese martial artofjittejutsu.[7]

Description and technique

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A tassled jitte with a hidden stiletto in the hilt

Jitte may have a small point or blade attached to the hilt (tsuka) and hidden in the main shaft (boshin). Jitte 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 jitte's intended use. Jitte could range in length from around 12 to over 24 in (30–61 cm).[8] The modern jitte has a main shaft of about 45 cm (18 in) long, which ends in a blunt point (sentan), and a one-hooked tine (kagi) of about 5 cm (2.0 in) long starting just above the hilt. A popular misconception is that the kagi is used to catch a sword. It could possibly be used for this purpose, but the hook's proximity to the hand would make it rather dangerous; a more likely use for the hook would be to capture and arrest the blade after blocking it with the boshin.[9] 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, similarly to a sai. The jitte 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.[9]

Parts of the jitte

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[8] [10]

Other jitte types and similar weapons

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References

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  1. ^ Jutte (Ju-Te): The "Power-of-Ten-Hands" Weapon
  • ^ 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
  • ^ a b Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003; p.80
  • ^ 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.221
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    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jitte&oldid=1234340887"
     



    Last edited on 13 July 2024, at 21:19  





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    This page was last edited on 13 July 2024, at 21:19 (UTC).

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