Samurai War Clubs: History and Usage

[@hanchiman]

A glorified and deadly baseball bat "Giving Oni a Kanabo" basically mean "making the problem bigger"

[@assassincreed2087]

I'd use it in an actual baseball game

[@弓月鷹師-u9b]

No, no, you've got it wrong. "Giving Oni a Kanabo" means 'making a strong person even stronger' as Oni itself is already a fearsome, strong creature.

[@hanchiman]

@@弓月鷹師-u9b but isn't an Oni supposed to be "trouble" themselves as they are supposed to be evil?

[@reddragoon7981]

Another thing with studs and spikes- it increases the effective surface area of the weapon without drastically increasing the weight. Spikes also are able to more easily "grab" curved armor surface and deliver more force rather than glancing off if the angle isn't perfect.

[@JimTempleman]

Another term I've heard used to describe how they 'grab' armor - is that they 'bite' into the surface. This keeps them from slipping to the side and so that they deliver all of their kinetic energy & momentum into the target.

[@KappaKiller108]

I think you're thinking correctly but describing it incorrectly. Benefit of spikes and studs is that it reduces the effective surface area of a strike, not increases it. The contact point being the relatively tiny heads of the studds instead of the flat face of the club is more ideal for transferring force and breaking things. Lower surface area and same weight means a much higher sectional density

[@cynfaelalek-walker7003]

It's kinda interesting how such a simple weapon made it all the way to the sengoku era and perhaps even beyond it a little bit, a testament to it's effectiveness.

[@zXPeterz14]

Its an interesting bit of universal development. As weapons and materials improved cultures focused on edged weapons. Then they would develop armour to orotect against edged weapons so everyone went back to blunt weapons. Eventually guns took over and armour was dropped until recently

[@mekhane.broken9678]

@@zXPeterz14 are guns technically blunt weapons? The bullets are blunt

[@zXPeterz14]

@@mekhane.broken9678 guess it depends on the bullet shape 😅

[@mekhane.broken9678]

@@zXPeterz14 I suppose

[@thedwightguy]

a buddy decades ago was attacked while shooting pool. he used what was in his hand : the hardwood pool cue. It didn't end well for the attackers. the force of all that hardwood will crush anything, while keeping your opponents at arms' length.his San Diego jury found it self-defense.

[@rylanwalker442]

Maces are characterised more as a heavy weight attached to a long shaft. A club can be characterised as a long heavy shaft widening toward the end.

[@kailashblades]

the issue with this is the existence of bar maces etc- maces that fit that same definition of club. Labelling the japanese versions as clubs sort of retroactively reclassifies these and other european maces

[@nullifye7816]

@@kailashblades There are always weird exceptions typically from other cultures that mess with the definitions, they're exceptions that prove the rule. Is it a steel club or a mace? I think a better definition is that typically a mace derives a significant portion of it's momentum from a striking weight made of a different material to the grip or shaft. A club I would call a more or less monolithic construction of a single material shaped so as to increase striking weight. A Kanabo I think would've probably been classed a "cudgel" or similar in Europe, closer to a club, often indeed a mildly carved knobbly branch with sometimes a metal cap or rivets, not to increase weight but transfer force. Early baseball bat.

[@darthkek1953]

If a mace is "a club with extra bits on the end" then some of these are definitely maces. And plenty of European maces were low-tech at the end.

[@philswift795]

A thick shaft is always good

[@godzilla5599]

It's human nature: if you can't stab or cut someone screw it get a club and beat them to death...and let's be honest there's something to be said about being so pissed that you grab a large blunt object and beat seven shades of sh*t out of people and Samurai were noted for getting real cranky at times.

[@VeraVemaVena]

"I'm going to beat you to death" is a threat that transcends history.

[@towserfm]

It's basic primal nature, even! Orang Utans grab big ass branches and whack coconut-thieving relatives a few times in order to restore justice. Or they grab some log and wave it around menacingly to scare someone off.

[@Wastelandman7000]

Blunt force trauma works. Even against armor. Hitting the head, even with a helmet on can shatter the spine, cause brain bleeds, or crush skulls. They can also crush arm and leg bones.

[@amelialonelyfart8848]

As weird as Deadliest Warrior was, I'm glad its legacy is mostly in getting a lot of kids of that era into history. I too was first introduced to the _kanabo_ from the show and it too has been a obessesion of mine for close to two years now.

[@QuanNguyen-rr6pe]

"So you have mastered the way of the sword? Respectable, let me introduce you the the way of the BONK"

[@intergalacticimperialist9670]

Funnily enough there were actually very similar 2 handed clubs in Europe, usually referred to as Goedendags which essentially means "Good day sir!" Apparently people have always found large bonking sticks to be amusing.

[@secretagent4610]

"bonking stick" 😂

[@Scipionyxsam]

I wouldn't call it 'very similiar'. The Goedendag is much more like a bastard child between a heavy spear and a club, with a prominent spike that's completely lacking in a Tetsubo. But there are unnamed, riveted or spiked clubs like this in fencing manuals such as Talhoffer's. It's a universal, efficient design found all over the world.

[@AdamOwenBrowning]

@@Scipionyxsam Good morning Mr. Akshually. I hope you are well

[@Scipionyxsam]

@@AdamOwenBrowning Thank you, sweetiepie.

[@1207rorupar]

A blacksmith/weaponsmith friend of mine made a Kanabo for me. It's a little bit short compared to some I've seen, something between a one handed and two-handed weapon, but it's amazing to see how easy it was to use with certain proficiency. And this lighter version gave some friends that do HMB a good hit, even with their armor, so I can only imagine what a full weight one could do

[@justdoinmything]

What is HMB?

[@1207rorupar]

@@justdoinmything Historical Medieval Battles. It's a sport where you fight using historical replicas of medieval armor and weapons. The armor and weapons are steel (if you have s lot of money your armor may be titanium), and although the weapons are not sharpened they're still heavy-hitting. The fights are either individual (pro-fights and duels) or in teams (5, 21 and massive melees). You can search for videos here in KZbin, the biggest international tournament was called Battle of the Nations, and I think some of the fights are still in KZbin.

[@justdoinmything]

@@1207rorupar that's pretty cool

[@alexcarter8807]

Kanebo, AKA my favorite brand of chewing gum when I was a kid. I think the idea behind the club, favorite weapon of oni, was being made of iron, it was softer than steel so a sword would sort of "stick" in it so then you had control of the other guy's sword.

[@Wastelandman7000]

Studs and spikes primarily concentrate the force of the strike on a very small area. This increases the effectiveness of a strike on armor. It also keeps the weapon from sliding off the slope of a helmet for instance.They're also not likely to get caught unless they're very long.

[@danielquintana1353]

Can beat a late 14th century french knight !, don forget Tsuruhashi, a mining pike (japanese piercing warhammer)

[@hugom2418]

I absolutely love your weapon review videoes. Plenty of great history and information on subjects not often talked about. I am heavily anticipating one for samurai bows/archery. The Yumi is a fascinating weapon and one that may take lots of research so I will wait patiently. In the meantime thank you for your work!

[@TheShogunate]

It will come!

[@ShuajoX]

@@TheShogunate You should check out the books "War Bows" by Mike Loades and "Tools of the Archer" by Yoda Meiki. Very insightful for researching yumi & kyudo/kyujutsu.

[@The_Okami]

YEs!!!!!!! Finally somebody else wants to talk about samurai clubs!!!!

[@yousaidthusly461]

I get the feeling the general use for this was a breaking weapon, capable of breaking armor, calvary, weapons, bones, doors, houses, defenses, etc. while also having the defensive qualities of a staff weapon What was likely the use for it on a battlefield was crowd control, weapon-breaking, and knocking out foes rather than outright killing them, since generally incapacitating as many enemies as possible make it easier for allies to finish them off. It’s probably the reason why it’s associated with Oni, since it might be considered a sort of dirty and dishonorable weapon to let someone else take the kill, and knocking out an opponent allows you to do whatever depraved act of killing you so desire afterwards, thus denying a true death by combat. Also probably why it was such a rare sight; it must’ve had a specific purpose, like there is a particular someone on the battlefield I want taken alive…in feudal Japan…

[@normtrooper4392]

I quite love clubs. They are a weapon that have been created in pretty much every human society

[@The_Custos]

It just works

[@alfredhumn3303]

It's cheap to produce, good for an army's finances, and counters fully armored enemies making their expensive armors a waste of money and craftsmanship.

[@Hilversumborn]

I was missing this weapon in Nioh even though I ran with Dual Swords and Spear.

[@-RONNIE]

Thank you for the good information in this video. I know that traditional war clubs wasn't common in samurai culture but still used by certain individuals or job placement in towns I think.

[@comradezero]

Great exploration of the semantics of weapon names.

[@SampoPaalanen]

Well we pretty much know that European maces and warhammers were anti-armor weapons so it would be logical that the Japanese war clubs would be used for the same role.

[@alfredhumn3303]

there is the Tsuruhashi, a japanaese warhammer, like a heavy warpick or mining tool, could pierce european armor.

[@natemccroskey-izzett6833]

I'm not sure if this question merits an entire video, but when discussing Sengoku-era samurai, do you draw a distinction between the terms "clan" and "family?" If you do, I'd be curious to hear what it is.

[@TheShogunate]

That would be a great topic!

[@dravenocklost4253]

Sounds like you're getting a video or a short lol

[@jankramolis8658]

Next time I will look forward to video about Yumi and other bows:) Nice video as always btw

[@thedragonofechigo7878]

My favorite weapon has to be the Jumonji Yari.

[@sengokusanada2690]

same, bro!

[@powerist209]

I guess this is weapon most would first exposed from either L5R (Crab Clan especially) or For Honor (Shigoku’s main weapon).

[@moondude8644]

I believe Taira masakado is also a famous samurai leader that used the Kanabo, atleast thats what I've noticed in a lot of paintings that involve him he's usually welding a Kanabo while riding a horse. Pretty badass.

[@jeebusyaweirdo3733]

Wooden clubs and war clubs in general were used from the stone ages all the way to both world wars. Safe to say, it is one of the most effective and commonly used weapons in the grand scheme of human history. The variety is absolutely insane, cause not all clubs are blunt force weapons. The Amazonian tribes have used a variety of wooden war clubs they often had edges and were capable of cutting, the Maori had wooden examples of both the patu and wahaika which were capable of cutting, and so on.

[@russellnolan9212]

I immediately thought of the northern Chinese version, such as in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".

[@Youngblood457]

For me, I described mace is a blunt weapon that’s weight is focused at a round it like head on a straight or mostly straight shaft with no designated edge to inflict damage, but the whole headed itself.Can be in Dorn with spikes studs or just around head usually made out of stored metal or bone. Mostly one-handed, but can be to hand it like the Chinese wolf fang mace .

[@based_prophet]

Considering miyomoto fought his last duel with a boat oar this can give u a idea of why n how it could be used

[@sengokusanada2690]

AMAZING VIDEO! Why is Japan so amazing?!

[@johannesstephanusroos4969]

Great men are forged between mountain and sea

[@exudeku]

My favourite weapons: The KetsuBonk and the TatsuBonk

[@friendlyanomaly6109]

*KanaBonk.

[@Neochrono]

Clubs as in kanabo, or clubs as in afterschool activity?

[@TheShogunate]

Kanabo haha

[@sirgalahad1376]

@@TheShogunate How do I join the Samurai War Club?

[@TheShogunate]

@@sirgalahad1376 gotta show up for practice at your local rec center.

[@trublood6410]

Glad this channel is still kicking. I found you when ghost of tsushima came out. Did you play btw what did you think of it? Great vid.

[@VladMatejka]

I am familiar with European variants, but not so much Japanese, so thank you. I think defining a club and mace is quite useful at least for conversation. I see a club as a shaft widened toward the striking end and a mace as a shaft with an artificially weighted striking end. The length and thicknesses don't need to be part of the basic definitions. Everything else is a modifier, ie. a spiked club, spiked mace, 2-handed club, 2-handed mace, etc. War club works, but I wonder if "blunt weapon" is enough to describe part of the gamut of non-bladed weaponry. We could toss in flails, staves, etc. I would say depending on design spikes or nubs are always a benefit (barring cost to produce the weapon). In terms of physics they use the same principles as a sword...leverage via incline-planes and reduced surface area to multiply force. You want to be able to do 2 things...easily spread apart what you are striking and help it with force. A blunt sword will cut with enough force, but it's not very efficient. With a club or mace you just put weight behind it and maybe leverage from a longer shaft. A spike just applies all that momentum to a smaller area, but it can still be fatal. You don't need to cut your opponent with a spiked tool, just bash the armor in and crush what's underneath. Brutal, but effective. You don't need to crush a large part of the body, just obliterate a small part. Death will be all but certain. The war hammer was a very advanced weapon. Shaping the steel and constructing the weapon was much more difficult than simply making nubs or spikes and embedding them in a weapon. It took physics to the max (basically a better club). You concentrate the weight in the head on a single strike point and spread the weight along the vector of attack. All the mass is carried exactly where it needs to go. A club is easy to make, but much of the material is wasted in terms of what is available to cause damage. Of course we can get into all the pros and cons, but if you want to min-max attack power you can't beat the brutal and simple physics of blunt weapons.

[@StephenDeagle]

As for terminology, I am partial to something a bit more out there, like "great-cudgel", "long-cudgel", or "long-baton" for the longer variants at least, and maybe a "war-cudgel" or "war-baton" for the shorter variant.

[@ShuajoX]

Good kanabo/tetsubo replicas are so hard to find compared to swords and polearms.

[@jaredrevis4594]

Always glad to see mention of the Mogami clan, since I teach in their former domain

[@warujr]

I woke up just in time to see this video. >:)

[@rasmusdegn9690]

You mention the Shugoki but my introduction to the samurai war club was the killer Kazan Yamaoka from Dead by Daylight also referred to as (fiitingly) The Oni who wields a metal-studded Kanabo once the bloodshed truly begins.

[@jaydcs6298]

Interesting bit of cross cultural influence trivia; The depiction of Kanabo/club brandishing Nio guardians are in part, the Greek mythological figure, Hercules,.

[@ryanhegseth8720]

The main benefit of a mace is that it can damage just about anything and used effectively without needing to be sharpened. Every time you use a bladed weapon it looses some effectiveness.

[@yurisc4633]

The spikes/studs also make the hit not slide off from the armor.

[@sandroclemus]

To me is a matter of taking the most out of your natural attributes. Very tall and strong warriors, commonly referred as "brutes" have an immense advantage delivering blows. Just as a heavyweight boxer has over a lightweight. But when weapons come into play, things change. Since mostly ANY slash or stab wound can take you out of the game. So a strong devastating blow can be equally rivaled by a light one that gets to you first. So you should either be fast and agile or strong and unstoppable. But in sword against sword combat, these brutes are at a disadvantage. Because a faster opponent has a higher chance of cutting or stabbing him first. So the smartest thing to do is "be all you can be" and really put some advantage into the strength of your blows. With weapons so massive that your blows are unblockable. If a light medium sword tries to block a large and heavy object, the sword would either break, or give in, or stagger the one holding it... And that's all it takes, a good unblockable swing. So going toe to toe against a brute is suicide, the only chance is to counter but they also have the advantage of range. Counter aren't easy at all when you have to stand too far back. If the counter isn't lightning fast, the next heavy blow is on the way. So I think sword against blunt may be equally matched ( if the swordsman has room to dodge back repeatedly ) which may not be the common scenario on a medieval battlefield. Now, these brutes with blunt weapons can be easily defeated with spears. Since spears have the speed and the range needed to counter or even attack first... And probable this is why you don't see them too much on samurai. Because they wouldn't be effective against spears.

[@eliswanson4195]

ok I'm a jackass, I thought this was like a club of warriors who go and fight shit.

[@irideblind]

Bro I thought there were samurai clubs that would strategize war or discuss tactics or philosophy was not expecting it to be a weapon video lmao

[@theidahotraveler]

Yeah with a mace I think one handed and then like a shield in the other hand with a club I think two-handed so yeah I think that you're right on your analogy of that

[@elkingoh4543]

I'm already click the subscribe button Edit: FUN Facts: There is a Oni character in Genshin Impact call Arataki Ito using Tetsubo has his ultimate burst

[@joaomanoel3197]

Muito bom 👍🏻👍🏻😲

[@potatolord9715]

This sure is one of the videos of all time

[@TheShogunate]

Yes

[@potatolord9715]

@@TheShogunate don’t pin this

[@ciddax754]

Studs or spikes are nice to pary other weapons. As a sword can't glide down. The may often not long enough to really got deep into the flesh as the spike of a warhammer, halberd or poleaxe would do. But the "grip" the opponent, able to "handle" him better.

[@MrValentineful]

'Tetsu' is Japanese for iron and 'Kana' means cane. 'Bo' means stick. So Iron stick or wood stick. If it's primarily iron it's a tetsubo and if it's primarily wood then it's a kanabo.

[@AngryHistorian87]

Great video as always. p.s. please do a video on samurai horsemanship.

[@khal7702]

Samurai War Club...was going to ask how I get in...then 😳

[@TheShogunate]

Lol

[@jackwilliamson6018]

dont forget the wooden training sword, often favored by musashi. if you've wielded one in training, they seem to be quite lethal.

[@garynaccarato4606]

I think some of the reason why you more often seen things like the kanabo and you didn't really see things more akin to medieval European maces or war hammers was sort of because samurai didn't really have armor which was made out of solid plate and alot of time there armor was pretty flexible and was not really exceptionally effective at dealing with blunt concussive damage compared to the type of solid plate armor which was used by European knights even though if used against European knights in solid plate I personally think that the kanabo still would have been fairly effective even though not quite as effective as something which looked more like either a mace or a war hammer.Another part of the reason why I feel like the Japanese relied on blunt force weapons like kanabo more then maces and the reason why concussive weapons in general didn't seemed to be used all that much was mainly because or least according what I heard Japanese armor compared to European armor would have a bit more gaps and a bit more fairly vulnerable areas which could be targeted.

[@Sr_ECO]

Japanese war clubs are so nice, makes you wonder why they aren't as popular as weapons like the katana or the Naginata which are still well known today

[@TONEDEAFSOUND]

i feel like the war club / odachi weilders had to have been the scariest samurai

[@edi9892]

I've seen a medium sized Tetsubo and had to try holding it. It didn't look like much and I'm almost 7ft tall and had to give up! I could pick it up, but not hold it in a guard. It felt like my wrists were about to be yanked out! It wasn't anywhere near as thick or big as the stereotypical Oni club. Still, it was easily over 10kg (dunno what it actually was but it felt like 50kg) and unlike a sword of the same weight, it was impossible for me to hold.

[@semi-useful5178]

Y'all thinking about Videogames, let me interest you in the Hida Family from Legend of the Five Rings. Samurai specializing in Heavy Armor and Weapons Holding Their Great Wall to protect the Emerald Empire of Rokugan from the Forces of Turbo-Hell.

[@waderutherford9083]

You could also create a video on their malls

[@zekeyoder7323]

If my reading is correct, ronin would often be stripped of their swords, supposedly, they would use their flutes as weapons afterwards. Could not a war club make a better weapon?

[@lothsper]

The samurai war club is a nasty weapon there are other clubs that match it in size but not finesse there are other clubs that match in finesse but not size it truly is a unique efficient weapon. And then they refined it by turning it into a nodachi those of you that don't know what a nodachi is it's pretty much a blunt katana meant to break bones the samurai had two different types of smashing weapons and both are insane

[@JC-uz3ey]

At first i thought it was a social society, then i realised it was about a really big metal stick.

[@akumabakemono1447]

I think it would be awesome if some people start to create a kind of Ono/Kanobo/Tetsubo - Do martial art as HEMA or Kendo/Naginata Do.

[@TheShogunate]

That would be cool

[@alfredhumn3303]

kanabo is a lot easier to train, but almost useless at thrusting (just need horizontal or vertical blows), this can attack european knights.

[@andyst1903]

These weapons are far different from maces since a mace has single weighted focus point at the end where these clubs seem to distribute the weight gradually. I see these weapons being very effective at breaking an enemy’s katana if they were to attempt to block or deflect. Also the bone crushing factor from a two handed blow would have been devastating. The long two handed shaft must of gave a lot of options for technique.

[@Mr.Villainous2050]

I've always had it in my head (I genuinely think from deadliest warrior so a good chance it wasn't legit) that kanabo (particularly the studded ones) were used as sword breakers. Obviously, they also worked in every way a general club was, but the hope was to get the opponent's blade into a disadvantageous opinion, then smash it in half with the kanabo. I've always been under the impression this is why Oni are depicted with them as primary weapons. Oni are not honorable enough to wield a katana or other traditional samurai weapon, but they need some way to combat samurai, so they get samurai-sword-breakers. I figure it's the same reason that warrior monks are said to have used them. Basically anyone who can't/wouldn't use a katana or other samurai weapon, needs a katana breaker. Last point: I figure this is also why samurai weren't /as/ known to use them as widely as other weapons. One reason being that they were more associated with dishonorable, anti-samurai groups, and that actively aiming to destroy an opponent's honorable weapon may have been a dishonorable act.

[@demomanchaos]

Your first mistake is thinking DW was anything more than pure fantasy with literally no basis in history. Your second mistake was thinking that aiming for an opponent's weapon will do you any good (A simple move of the wrists and the attack misses, and even if it does it going with the energy can will allow you to counter-cut and kill the idiot swinging at your weapon rather than at you). Your third mistake was thinking that such a whack would actually do much to the weapon, remember it is held by a person at just one end not held rigidly in a vice so it cannot move. Your fourth mistake was believing this notion about "honorable" samurai, because if you look at real history you'll see those jerks were all too happy to backstab each other over petty nonsense.

[@bendover9813]

It was designed to break armor, not blades lol.

[@Scipionyxsam]

Nah. The general idea of a sword breaker is in itself quite implausible. Good luck breaking a solid steel sword with a piece of wood though. Also the katana was not a primary weapon on the battlefield. Polearms and ranged weapons were.

[@bendover9813]

@@Scipionyxsam at the end of the day, the shape of the studs, the length, any hooks at the end of them, etc., could be used to break swords. It probably wasn’t super common, as broken polearms would be more likely, but, to bring it full circle back to your argument, it’s *implausible*, not impossible.

[@Scipionyxsam]

@@bendover9813 We are on the same page then. The concept of breaking a sword isn't impossible just implausible. Thus, the idea of having an entire weapon type designed entirely arround that specific set of circumstances is exceedingly unlikely. If it was ever done, it was a short lived stupid idea and the weapons that survived long enough to be known today had to have some other benefits beyond that.

[@samwill7259]

From the mists of time From the beginning of our step out of the primordial ether A single desire has haunted us, held us, called to us. We can, we shall, we MUST... *bonk*

[@iga279]

when I read the title I assumed you're going to discuss some clubs where the samurai discuss war tactics. Then 'usage' threw me off that trail. But maybe 'cudgel' would be a little less confusing. Just an idea.

[@darthkek1953]

A cudgel has the connotation of being small, maces / war clubs could be large including 2-handed.

[@book3100]

Absolutely a mace is just a type of club. It's been specialized, but theres no doubt of it's lineage.

[@SengokuStudies]

Another excellent video. Although they were not widely used, they could be pretty nasty weapons.

[@TheShogunate]

Nasty indeed!

[@danielquintana1353]

Could beat a european knight, and the Tsuruhashi warhammer mining piercing pike

[@adriellightvale8140]

The kanabo, brutish and heavy, built to crush. Its users ought to be buillt large and tough in order to handle it. They must be monsters. And then there's Ogerpon.

[@eddierudolph8702]

Yet, late medieval knights common carries batons, maces, or clubs as a secondary weapons since swords couldn't cut armor.

[@OdysseyHome-Gaming]

I've been playing a samurai character in Elden Ring. Demon mask, wooden club. 👹

[@jshwck4210]

Maybe one day you can make something about Jitte (十手) and/or Edo period police.

[@TheSilentsama]

Did you get to talk about the war fan yet?

[@armintor2826]

I have a question: in For Honor the Shugoki is portrayed as both an oni but also a samurai sumo wrestler which raises the question, did sumo wrestlers ever become samurai or vise versa? And if so did any of them use war clubs?

[@SHAd0Eheart]

How was the ring or rings we sometimes see on the end of a war club or staff used in battle? I might guess that the could be used to capture and break or disarm a sword but that’s just a guess on my part.

[@kaiverse9568]

European journalist: samurai weapons are trash Kanabo:

[@dulio12385]

Not gonna lie. When I saw the title I was thinking of samurai gangs waging war as a hobby.

[@jonahmaddox1038]

How fast do u think 🤔 would it take to hit a person with this weapon?

[@A_Toastonawhiteplate]

Great Video and really informative. Stupid question: who was responsible for the depictions of the samurai using the club? Is it possible that it was used by an adversary to depict them in a negative light?

[@TheShogunate]

Are you referring to the older artwork? If so I'm not sure who was the artest for each

[@alitlweird]

*The first rule of **_Samurai War Clubs™️_** is:* __

[@platonicbuu7454]

LOL i was a little bit disappointed that this isn't about some sort of social club for samurai

[@genghiskhan6809]

The samurai version of big stick energy.

[@callumbignall1877]

Weren't the Ainu people of Japan known for using clubs in Battle?

[@TheShogunate]

That could be!

[@nicholasmatuza728]

PLEASE DO A VIDEO ON YUMI ^_^

[@josephbrewster1169]

Pretty easy. People had shields which are eminently good counters to Katanas and bronze tipped spears. Tetsubos or other clubs broke the shields.

[@Humster]

Just call them Bonk sticks. Short Bonk stick Long Bonk stick

[@thepoorhistorian2325]

Would you please be able to share any source on their use or existence from before the Edo period? Written or visual? I'm still not convinced it wasn't an Edo era invention and added into wartime mythos, but I'd love to be shown otherwise

[@TheShogunate]

As I mentioned in the video, the main source I used was an article from Gunsen History. I have a link to it in the description. I understand your skepticism though, it is an odd weapon and I would not be surprised to learn it has been heavily embellished.

[@lucanic4328]

It is mentioned multiple times in the Taiheiki and it is also depicted in some version of the twelve zodiac signs animals scroll (十二類巻物)

[@thepoorhistorian2325]

@@lucanic4328 I have not yet read the Heike, it's a while before my era of interest. Do you know if it actually describes a kanabo as we know it, or does it just refer to "clubs"? I've seen a few zodiac animal prints that depict a kanabo, but I have not found one that definitely is from the 16th century. Are you able to refer me to one from that era?

[@lucanic4328]

@@thepoorhistorian2325 mind you it is the Taiheiki (太平記) which is the tale of the wars of the 14th century, not the Heike monogatari. It is described as 金(metal in ancient form) 棒(rod, pole,) so pretty much as a long metal club/pole. They also list the dimension, about 2 meters. For the 16th century, they became rare. There is one assumed to have been used by Mogami Yoshiaki - I would link you a picture but you tube would likely hide the comment. If you type 最上義光の金棒 you should find it. Is a rather plain iron bar. Unfortunately most of the examples you see are not reliable because they lack signature and are rather cheap weapons that were not preserved at all. On a side note, on the 16th century Kiyomizudera engi emaki there are some kanabo like weapons depicted iirc but I might be wrong. If Japanese museum database and artwork were more public, such researches would be way more easier!!

[@thepoorhistorian2325]

@@lucanic4328 thank you. I'll look into those. I'm familiar with the Kiyomizudera Engi Emaki, but the clubs (and many other unusual weapons) depicted there are in the arms of monsters (derogatory depictions of Ainu people) and so I discredit those as fantasy, though some bear striking resemblance to Chinese weapons.

[@The_Custos]

It was too big to be called a sword. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough. Indeed, it was a heap of raw iron.

[@scox7748]

I used to belong to a war club but we couldnt even decide on a name.

[@stevenedmund5680]

Taira no Masakado carried one of these clubs

[@IR0ADBL0CK]

There is a cool YT channel called Diesineveryfilm (not affiliated) that has made a couple kanabos, and tetsubos. It's good stuff if you are interested and worth a look.

[@bewarethegreyghost]

So.... Neegan is a samurai?

[@JoseRamirez-rd9di]

I thought this guy meant War clubs you know like Motorcycle Club not a hammer

[@charliebowen5071]

No you cannot call them either.. a kanabo is a wooden club. A tetsubo is clad in metal

[@ryanhegseth8720]

RPGs always have 1 hand and 2 hand maces.

[@christopherkelly577]

War chib!

[@alfredhumn3303]

Also known as the anti-knight weapon.

[@aaronluisdelacruz4212]

now, the samurai war flail.

[@TheShogunate]

That is the topic of Sengoku Studies' video!

[@RoaringEgg]

I misread this as samurai war crimes lol