# What was the function of a samurai wakizashi (short sword)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257 "2005-11-29T20:17:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/1 "2005-11-29T20:17:38Z")
In _Kill Bill, Vol. 1,_ the Bride, wielding only a samurai-style _katana_ or longsword, defeats a small army of _yakuza_ similarly armed. (Why it never occurs to them simply to shoot her is not clear, but never mind that.) I noted that both the Bride and her opponents fought with the _katana_ only. Samurai were distinguished by wearing **two** swords, the long _katana_ and the short _wakizashi._ But I’m unclear on what the _wakizashi_ was for. I’ve heard it said the short sword was kept handy in case a samurai had to commit _seppuku,_ but it seems rather too long for the purpose. One can imagine wielding the _katana_ in one’s right hand and the _wakizashi_ in one’s left, as a sort of shield or parrying-weapon – but artistic representations of samurai in combat usually show them wielding the _katana_ with **two** hands; which makes the _wakizashi_ appear to be useless weight. The Wikipedia article on the _wakizashi_ – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakizashi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakizashi) – states it was a sort of ceremonial sidearm one could retain while visiting a host (the _katana_ being removed and placed on a special stand). Also, “For particularly strong samurai like Miyamoto Musashi, the blade was sometimes used as an off hand weapon while the favored hand wielded the katana in order to fight with two weapons for maximum combat advantage.” Is that the whole story? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/2 "2005-11-29T20:46:19Z")
Couldn’t they just hang on to it in case they lost their katana? Mostly I think it’s part of the samurai heritage, but if you’re going to make your swords lighter and thinner and easier to carry, you may as well carry two. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/3 "2005-11-29T20:53:39Z")
Well, there are a few other reasons a samurai would want to use a wakizashi. First of all, he could be disarmed, or the katana could break. Also, he could be fighting inside, or some other confined space, where he might not have room to use a katana. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/4 "2005-11-29T20:55:20Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Couldn’t they just hang on to it in case they lost their katana? Mostly I think it’s part of the samurai heritage, but if you’re going to make your swords lighter and thinner and easier to carry, you may as well carry two. My understanding is that Anaamika is right. It was a combination of tradition (and the Japanese were big on that) and the simple practicality of carrying a another side arm. Most samurai would not have used the two weapons at the same time, something also true of the longsword back in Europe. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/5 "2005-11-29T20:58:02Z")
Well, I know jack about real samurai swordsmanship, but I always pictured the ‘paired swords’ as being used one in each hand, katana in the main hand and wakizashi in the off hand… to parry two blows from different opponents (or someone else using two swords,) parry with one and strike with the other, or strike with both at once. Now, the ‘Katana’ would also be sword that could be quite deadly alone, wielded either one-handed or two-handed. That only confuses the issue. IIRC, one of the ‘ninja turtles’, probably Leonardo, had the twin samurai swords as his signature weapon, and he did use them like that, with one in each hand. (In fact, none of the turtles used traditional ninja weapons as their primary arms, I remember… samurai swords, nunchuks [Okinawan rice-threshers], Okinawan battle-forks, and an Okinawan quarterstaff. Of course, Okinawa has a rich history of unusual martial arts and combat techniques using improvised or unusual weapons, because it was a Japanese subject province and the Japanese didn’t allow Okinawans to own certain types of weapons, or something like that.) Okay, I’ve rambled long enough. Message ends. On preview: sounds like the cultural references I’ve been relying on don’t have much basis in reality. That’s okay. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/6 "2005-11-29T21:23:28Z")
On a related note, what’s with the Japanese disdain for shields? ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/7 "2005-11-29T21:32:16Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > On a related note, what’s with the Japanese disdain for shields? Samurai started out as horse archers and two handed spearmen, and shields are pretty useless if you have weapons that need to be wielded with two hands. (The Greek hoplite spears were specially designed to be wielded one handed). ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/8 "2005-11-29T21:51:28Z")
The Katana is also a two-handed weapon, yet another reason shields were not used by Samurai. Even in Europe, once armor began to really improve and the longsword became the prefered side arm of the elite the shield began to fall by the wayside. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/9 "2005-11-29T22:04:57Z")
IANA expert on this subject, but: The wakizashi is used to commit seppuku. The left hand grasps the blade using white paper, while the right hand provides most of the force of driving the sword into one’s guts. The left hand may also be used to guide the sword up and over once it is in. I’ve seen this represented in movies and NHK TV dramas, and I assume NHK has done their research. I believe it is true that the short sword could be retained by the samurai when in the lord’s dwelling, as a badge of status. The status of this sword is tied closely to the warrior philosophy in Japan, where a warrior’s honor was intimately connected with his right, ability and willingness to commit ritual suicide, either to preserve his or his lord’s honor, or in protest over something that his lord (or someone higher) has done that was not honorable. This is why only samurai or higher were allowed to carry a second sword. Peasants could fight with the long sword, but could not legitimately carry the short one. Also, Wikipedia is correct that some strong fighters could wield the long sword in one hand and the short sword in the other. Musashi did this _in extremis_, when he was facing a large number of foes single-handed. This technique was, I believe, taught in some fencing schools, but the warrior had to be very strong physically to take advantage of it. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/10 "2005-11-29T22:31:00Z")
Take what you’ve got in your OP and the replies and you’ve pretty much got the long and short of it, hardy har har. The wakizashi had several purposes. For one, it was poor ettiquette to wear the katana indoors. The wakizashi allowed the samurai to remain armed, and was likely an advantage in very close quarters. As already stated, it was useful as a secondary weapon in case the katana was broken. In addition to that, some fighting styles advocated the use of the katana and wakizashi together. In _The Book of Five Rings_, the Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi describes his two-sword method of fighting with both katana and wakizashi, Nitenichi ryu. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/11 "2005-11-29T22:32:36Z")
Leonardo was the one who used swords, but both of his were the same length (both rather longish). And how does one justify classifying a staff as specifically Okinawan? I can’t think of any weapon more universal than a big long stick. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/12 "2005-11-29T22:46:32Z")
Why the wakizashi? To make sushi! ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/13 "2005-11-29T22:51:29Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > (In fact, none of the turtles used traditional ninja weapons as their primary arms, I remember… samurai swords, nunchuks [Okinawan rice-threshers], Okinawan battle-forks, and an Okinawan quarterstaff. What exactly is a “traditional ninja weapon”. Ninja, insofar as they existed, were simply spies and saboteurs. There was no tradition associated with them beyond hanging them if they were caught and whatever customs they may have developed as an organised crime gang. The vast majority of Ninja were Samurai and used whatever weapons Samurai normally used in that context, be it sword, bow or polearm. I know movies show Ninja using shaken and kama, but that’s just the movies, not reality. By “Okinawan battle-forks” do you mean sai? There is nothing remotely Okinawan or even Oriental about those particular weapons. Nor are they improvised weapons, they are specifically designed metal weapons. The fact that they are made of iron in Japan should tell you that. Okinawan quarterstaff? Perhaps you are referring to the bo/shortstaff. Not a quarterstaff at all. And as Chronos points out a heavy length of hardwood is about as universal as a weapon gets. Okinawan rice-threshers? Nothing partiularly Okinawan or even oriental about wooden flails. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/14 "2005-11-29T23:05:03Z")
Its basically a ‘side arm’ as other posters said…for use as a backup weapon or in a confined space like a room. There are some kata’s that use it (and there are actually a few kata’s for using both, though as others noted the katana is a two handed weapon generally)…and the kata’s I learned using the thing emphasize almost knife fighting techniques and defensive tactics with a lot of other hand and foot techniques thrown in (of course my style is kempo-jitsu so that might have something to do with it…I never studied kenjitsu seriously). Its use for committing suicide is just incidental afaik. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/15 "2005-11-29T23:06:51Z")
Miyamoto aside, part of what made the katana so effective was the long grip that allowed it to be used two-handed, despite it’s [relatively] light weight. The relative paucity of metal in Japanese armour meant that a shield woundn’t have been particularly effective against yumi (samurai bows), anyway. James Clavell’s description of the European dismay at the speed with which samurai flashed their razor sharp katana around is probably pretty accurate. The wakizashi was actually the symbol of a samurai, which in turn gave him the right to wear a katana. Together, the wakizashi and katana were called _daisho_ (“great and small”). ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/16 "2005-11-29T23:16:05Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > What exactly is a “traditional ninja weapon”. Ninja, insofar as they existed, were simply spies and saboteurs. There was no tradition associated with them beyond hanging them if they were caught and whatever customs they may have developed as an organised crime gang. The vast majority of Ninja were Samurai and used whatever weapons Samurai normally used in that context, be it sword, bow or polearm. I know movies show Ninja using shaken and kama, but that’s just the movies, not reality. > > By “Okinawan battle-forks” do you mean sai? There is nothing remotely Okinawan or even Oriental about those particular weapons. Nor are they improvised weapons, they are specifically designed metal weapons. The fact that they are made of iron in Japan should tell you that. > > Okinawan quarterstaff? Perhaps you are referring to the bo/shortstaff. Not a quarterstaff at all. And as Chronos points out a heavy length of hardwood is about as universal as a weapon gets. > > Okinawan rice-threshers? Nothing partiularly Okinawan or even oriental about wooden flails. (slinks away, mortified.) ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/17 "2005-11-29T23:38:34Z")
I’ve read that the short sword was also used for beheading captured, or dead, enemies, which was done if the head was wanted for a trophy. (There’s a scene in the film The 47 Ronin where the ronin deliver the head of their dead master’s enemy, neatly wrapped, to the master’s tomb.) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/18 "2005-11-30T00:00:47Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > James Clavell’s description of the European dismay at the speed with which samurai flashed their razor sharp katana around is probably pretty accurate. Could you elaborate on this a bit. I’m not familiar with James Clavell. Was he writing about Europeans in the 16-17th centuries? Because if so, then I don’t see why they would be dismayed at something they are entirely fmailiar with (swords). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/19 "2005-11-30T00:01:01Z")
> [@Roderick Femm](#): > > The wakizashi is used to commit seppuku. The left hand grasps the blade using white paper, while the right hand provides most of the force of driving the sword into one’s guts. The left hand may also be used to guide the sword up and over once it is in. I’ve seen this represented in movies and NHK TV dramas, and I assume NHK has done their research. According to the Wikipedia article on _seppuku,_ – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seppuku) – it was sometimes done with a _wakizashi_ (12"-24" in length), sometimes with a shorter blade (6"-12") known as a _tanto_ ([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanto](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanto)). If I had to do it, I would choose a _tanto._ So, I think, should anyone who does not have exceptionally long arms. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257/20 "2005-11-30T00:18:02Z")
The Japanese Wikipedia article on _wakizashi_ says that the wearing of _wakizashi_ only became widespread during the Edo Period - by which time the the primary role of the samurai was no longer that of a warrior. I’m inclined to agree that it was worn for reasons of status rather than for any particular martial reason. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-was-the-function-of-a-samurai-wakizashi-short-sword/333257.md?page=2)