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A jitte (十手, literally "ten hands") is a specialized weapon that was used by police in Edo period Japan. In English-language sources, it is sometimes incorrectly spelled jutte.

In Edo period Japan the jutte was a substitute for a badge and represented someone on official business and was carried by all levels of police officers including high-ranking samurai police officials and low-rank samurai law enforcement officers (called okappiki or doshin). Other high-ranking samurai officials carried a jutte as a badge of office, including hotel, rice and grain inspectors (aratame). The jutte is the subject of the Japanese martial art of juttejutsu.

Parts of the jutte

• Boshin, the main shaft of the jutte which could be smooth or multi sided. The boshin of most jutte were usually iron but some were made from wood.
• Sentan, the tip or point of the jutte.
• Kagi, the hook or guard protruding from the side of the jutte. Jutte may have more than one kagi with some jutte having two or three kagi.
• Kikuza (chrysanthemum seat), if the kagi is attached to the boshin through a hole in the boshin, the protrusion on the opposite side is called a kikuza.
• Tsuka, the handle of the jutte which could be left plain, it could also be wrapped or covered with various materials.
• Tsukamaki, the wrapping on the handle (tsuka). Materials such as ray skin same', leather, and cord were used for tsukamaki on juttes.
• Kan, the ring or loop at the hilt of the tsuka. A cord or tassel could be tied to the kan.
• Tsuba, a hand guard present on some types of jutte.
• Koshirae. Jutte can occasionally be found housed in a sword type case hiding the jutte from view entirely, this type of jutte can have the same parts and fittings as a sword including:seppa, tsuba, menuki, koiguchi, kojiri, nakago, mekugi-ana and mei.

Additional information and technique

Jutte may have a small pointed tip or blade attached to the tsuka and hidden in the boshin. Jutte 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 jutte's intended use. Jutte could range in length from around 12 inches to over 24 inches. The modern jutte is about 45 cm (18 inches) long with no cutting edge and a one-pronged tine kagi, about 5 cm long starting just above the handle tsuka and pointing toward the tip sentan. A popular misconception is that the kagi is used to catch a sword. It could possibly be used for this purpose, but the kagi's proximity to the hand would make it rather dangerous. When faced with a swordsman, a more likely use for the kagi would be to capture and arrest the blade after blocking it with the boshin. 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, very similarly to a sai. The jutte 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.

History

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

Other jutte types and similar weapons

• Karakuri jutte
• Marohoshi
• Naeshi or nayashi jutte have no hook or kagi.
• Tekkan
• Hachiwara

In popular culture

Notable examples of jutte featured in fiction include: Classic Japanese cinema, trading card games, in manga and anime and in video games. In the card game Magic: The Gathering, a Jitte is referenced in Betrayers of Kamigawa (see Umezawa's Jitte). In the 1992 anime Gundam 0083, the first Gundam piloted by the main character was equipped with a short beam blade, designed with the express purpose of blocking enemy blades. Though it is mounted to its rifle like a bayonet, it is expressly referred to in the story and supplemental materials a "jitte".

The One Piece character Smoker, uses a giant (almost man-sized) jutte, tipped with Seastone, one of the few things that can harm certain Devil Fruit eater.

In Gintama Terada Tatsugorou the late husband of Terada Ayano also known as Otose, uses a jutte along with his katana were his weapons of choice during his time, and later temporarily use by the protagonist Gintoki Sakata.

Gallery

• The sentan' (tip or point) of a jutte with a hexagon boshin (shaft).
• The tsuka (handle) showing the ray skin (same') tsukamaki (handle wrap).
• The kan (end loop).
• The kagi (hook).
• Naesshi or nayashi jutte, a type of jutte without a kagi (hook).
• An antique jutte with a wooden boshin (shaft).
• An antique jutte with a hexagon boshin (shaft).
• A matched pair of antique Japanese (samurai) jutte with an iron boshin (shaft) and two hooks kagi (hooks), similar to a sai, copper covered tuska (handle) and iron kan (end loop) with tassel.
• Marohoshi

See also

• Juttejutsu—the martial art of using the jutte
• Sai—a similar weapon, which resembles a jutte with a second prong and is used in Okinawan kobudō

References

1. Stephen Turnbull, The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War, p.113
2. Don Cunningham, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, Tuttle Publishing, 2004; p.65
3. Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, pp.77–78
4. Cunningham, p.72
5. William E. Deal, Handbook to life in medieval and early modern Japan, pp.166–167
6. ^ Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003
7. ^ Cunningham, p.66
8. Daniel C. Pauley, Samantha Pauley, Pauley's Guide: A Dictionary of Japanese Martial Arts and Culture, 2009, p.65
9. Thomas Louis, Tommy Ito, Samurai: The Code of the Warrior, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2008; p.129
10. ^ Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003; p.80
11. Jutte (Ju-Te): The "Power-of-Ten-Hands" Weapon
12. ^ Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003; p.221
13. http://www.guildwiki.org/Jitte

External links

• Samurai Weapons, Samurai Armors and the Samurai way of life.
• Don Cunningham's web site, Edo period police weapons and tactics
• ROLES AND TECHNIQUES OF THE POLICE DURING THE EDO PERIOD (1603-1867)’ by Dr. Kacem Zoughari

• Clubs and truncheons of Japan
• Samurai clubs and truncheons
• Samurai police weapons