Samurai Weapons: Tools of the Warrior

Editorial Review

Weapons, particularly bladed ones such as swords, are enjoying a renaissance of interest from every source, from collectors to laypeople. The samurai, a glorified figure in Japan and the West, employed a variety of weapons, not least of which was the sword. Samurai Weapons details how and why their arsenal included not only the sword of popular lore, but also a variety of other tools, including concealed weapons, improvised fighting tools, fans, truncheons and pole arms.

The author succinctly describes the society of Japan, how and why the samurai class arose, and the place that samurai held in that society through the centuries, focusing in particular on the various weaponry, how these weapons were used and why. In addition, Samurai Weapons highlights the influence these weapons and fighting styles had on many different schools of Japanese martial arts.

About the author

Don Cunningham, Ph.D., holds ranks in judo, jujutsu, and kendo, including a second dan license from the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo. He has studied and written on Japanese modern and traditional martial arts for more than thirty years and is a frequent contributor to martial arts publications. A former award-winning journalist, he is currently assistant professor at Radford University in Radford, Virginia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages

• Publisher: Charles E Tuttle Co (May 15, 2008)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 480530958X

• ISBN-13: 978-4805309582