Knife Fighting | Tantojutsu (The Samurai Art of Knife)

Japanese tea house at the Peace Gardens in Phoenix

Knife fighting is a combat and traditional martial art referred to as tantōjutsu (短刀術), one of  many Japanese arts taught to samurai warriors educated in many arts including iaido (samurai sword), kenjutsu, jujutsu (throwing art), kempojutsu (striking art), tessen-jutsu (hand fan art), sojutsu (spear), naginata-jutsu (halberd), hojojutsu (restraining), manrikigusari (weighted chain), and others. To survive early death, samurai trained in many of these arts daily, particularly those who worked for aggressive warlords. 

Tantojutsu is the art of tantō (短刀), known as a short sword, or shorter blade commonly known as a knife in the west. Along with training with tantō, a blade for  stabbing, slashing, and punching with the handle, many of our students also train with karambit, the Filipino curved knife designed for slashing and punching. But, keep in mind, a knife is never used in modern times, except as a last resort - it is much better to use hands and feet, otherwise, you will likely end up in jail, even if you use a knife in self-defense. Our training also teaches students to defend against a variety of knife attacks using empty hand (karate) techniques.

The the past, some Japanese women carried a variety of tantō (短刀術) known as kaiken for self-defense. And warrior women (onna-bugeisha), that were part of the samurai class, trained in tantojutsu and slept with a tanto under their pillow. Hopefully, they were not sleep walkers.

The traditional length of tanto is one shaku (11.93 inches), which included blade, handle, and tsuba (hand guard). Some tanto varied from traditional size and became known as o-tanto or sunobi tanto. The blade was single-edged, curved, and often had a blood groove. Many were elaborately decorated.

Tanto (samurai knives)

The tanto was a common tool of the samurai during the Heian Period (795-1192 AD) of Japan, and according to Wikipedia, it was developed as a weapon during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333 AD). While many were for civil use, others were used by samurai. These tanto were classified as: (1) Traditional tanto, which had a hand guard known as tsuba; (2) aikuchi tanto in which the tsuka and the saya (scabbard) met without a tsuba, and (3) hamadashi tanto which had a small tsuba that barely protruded beyond the saya and tsuka, and designed for comfort when carrying the weapon in the obi (belt).

Other styles of tanto differed by shape of blade. These include: (1) hira-zukuri - a flat, narrow and thick blade, used for slashing and piercing blows, (2) shobu-zukuri - a blade with a ridge line and blood groove, (3) moroha - a double edged tanto, (4) kissaki-moroha-zukuri - a long blade with sharp point (o-kissaki), and (5) kaikan - short tanto with small guards, usually carried by women.

When tanto was used on the battlefield they were designed to penetrate armor. The tanto was usually carried in a wide cloth belt (obi) with the edge up. In the home of the samurai, tanto was often placed with wakizashi (short sword).

Soke Hausel teaches both defensive and offensive tactics with tanto.

Some Okinawan's also trained with tanto, but this was much less common, especially after the Satsuma Samurai Clan invaded Okinawa and outlawed the use of blades by the Okinawan people. In Seiyo no Shorin-Ryu Karate Kobudo Kai, this is one of many kobudo/samurai arts taught. Since it is an extension of empty hand (kara-te) techniques, it can be applied to most bunkai of karate kata. In addition to the classical tanto, we also teach the use the Filipino karambit. 

Both types of knives have similar bunkai with the exception that the tanto includes bunkai for piercing armor requiring the blade to thrust into a target. This is one reason why most tanto have tsuba - to basically stop the hand from sliding forward over the blade. But the weapon is also used to slice an opponent like a karambit as well as to strike an opponent with the pommel end.

Ben Corley demonstrates how to cut an attacker with his own knife
at the University of Wyoming White Crane karate clinic

Two outstanding Women Samurai (both black belts) at the Arizona Hombu dojo train with tanto and nunchaku

  

 

Defending a knife thrust

Soke Hausel demonstrates self-defense technique with assistance of Kyoshi Stoneking at the
Shorin-Kai clinic in East Canyon, Utah