Saya as a weapon

[Tiger Ed]

Anyone know, learn, techniques for using the saya as a weapon itself?

Apart from crowd control and oushing them out the way?

[Charles Mahan]

I'd guess a saya does not make an especially good weapon. They're relatively lightweight and would break if hit against anything especially hard. Besides swords are better at crowd control and far better at pushing the crowd out of the way :D

[Krusse]

Too much Inuyasha? :D

[matt little]

This is probably not what you meant, but Kuroda Tetsuzan Sensei and his senior students demonstrate nito kata where the katana stays sheathed in the saya and is used to redirect, parry and atemi. The sheathed katana stays in the obi, but is manipulated with the left hand.

(So that I don't get myself in trouble here, let me be clear-I'm not speaking for Sensei or the Shimbukan Dojo, and I haven't learned these particular kata.)

[Tiger Ed]

Fair points I did not think it would be very useful for attacking, due to its construction, but for distraction at all? That could be a good use of it.

Heard some stories on a similar note Matt, for my Senseis teachers teacher doing similar things, name is Mr Fujimoto I htink but do not quote me, and all I know is he went back to Japan.

[Jeremy Hulley]

We have a kata where we strike into the chest with the saya and then use it to lock the opponent down before killing him...

[Tiger Ed]

Is that with the sword sheathed or seperate of the saya?

[Jeremy Hulley]

Sword in the saya...

[Tiger Ed]

How does it go then? (Just interested)

[chrismoses]

He grabs you from behind, you bash him in the chest, trap his hand and FINISH him. :) (That's about all the detail we can really post)

[Jeremy Hulley]

What he said....:)

[paul manogue]

in yagyu we use the saya as a weapon as far as a type of metsuke.
We have a series of kata where the sword is on the right next to the legh i/o in the obi from this position we block and then rotate to hit the opponent in the temple with the saya, and also as an atemi to the inside of the ankle, then to be used as a lever before a thrust.

[ivica]

Hatsumi is showing some saya hits in his version of Takagi ha Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu. I have a video - but it is not of much value. I tried to use saya as in Niten Ichi Ryu - and I am clumsy:(

My advize; do not try that. Saya is not for striking or blocking...

[Tiger Ed]

Obviously not for a straight block-unless you broke your katana and fancy making your saya for your tanto-seems quite useful though as the saya is not an expected weapon. I myself would be taking more notice of the big sharp bit of metal.

Some of the forms seem quite effective, although without actually seeing myself I will take your words for it as you know more than me, more manipulation of the body rather than actual striking? Any others people know for it?