Kodachi versus Shoto?

[Ken-Hawaii]

Is there a difference between a kodachi & a shoto? I was using my kodachi in MJER practice, but when I brought it to another dojo for practice, that sensei said it was a shoto, & that I needed to bring a kodachi.

I can't find any difference between them! Is this just a case of how you read the Kanji, or are there really two separate weapons? If they are different, what is the difference??

[Douglas Wylie]

小太刀= kodachi= short sword; small sword
小= little; small
太= plump; thick; big around
刀= sword; saber; knife

小刀= shoto= small knife; short sword
小= little; small
刀= sword; saber; knife

太刀= tachi= long sword

I'd ask the sensei for clarification. Maybe ask where one might obtain an acceptable kodachi.

I thought they were the same thing, myself.

Just to throw in some more to muddy up the water.

Tanto= 短刀= short sword; dagger; dirk
短= short
刀= sword; saber; knife

Wakizashi=脇差 = short sword
脇= armpit; the other way; another place; flank; supporting role
差= distinction; difference; variation; discrepancy; margin; balance

Then there are-
Kowakizashi
Chuwakizashi
Owakizashi
Maezashi
Hamidashi
Kaikan
Aikuchi
Koshigatana
Yoroidoshi

[Aozora]

I'm not really sure myself, Ken. Doug spells out the kanji up there, and I suspect it really has to do with what each school calls them.

For instance, wakizashi and maezashi--from my common understanding, the wakizashi is truly a short sword--the "side companion" as it were. A maezashi is more akin to a tanto. I saw a bunch of guys at a ZNIR embu wearing what looked like wakizashi without tsuba. When I asked my sensei in Japan if it was a wakizashi, he said no, it was a maezashi--wakizashi is for the enemy, maezashi is for myself. Length and appearance wise, they seemed to be the same except for the presence of a tsuba.

I'm really just starting to get into nihonto as a study in and of itself, and it seems like the length and appearance opens a whole can of worms based on school of manufacture, time period, etc. As to a martial weapon, kodachi and shoto seem to be referring to roughly the same thing.

[Fred27]

My own impression, though I dont train with a kodachi in iaijutsu we do use em in SMR, is that the kodachi is shorter than the shoto. Not by alot, but still shorter.

[gendzwil]

Shoto usually refers to the shorter of the two swords in a daisho, the long one being the daito. But I think it's more or less the same thing as kodachi or wakizashi.

In kendo, we call our short bokken the kodachi, but the short shinai used in nito is the shoto. Why? No clue.

[Cassius]

It is my understanding that "wakizashi" refers to the way of wearing the short sword, to the side.

"Maezashi", by that logic, might mean to the front.

My two inferred cents!

[Enfield]

In kendo, we call our short bokken the kodachi, but the short shinai used in nito is the shoto. Why? No clue.

And to add to the fun, sometimes, particularly in older stuff, you'll see descriptions of the kendo kata like:

"Kodachi kata (uchidachi wa chouken, shidachi wa tanken)."

"Chouken" and "tanken" mean "long sword" and "short sword", respectively.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Okay........... I just ordered one kodachi from Sukotto.com & one shoto from e-Bogu to see if they might show some slight but perceptible difference. Other than the color of the plastic they wrapped them in, they are exactly the same, even the same color wood, & identical tsuba & tsuba-dome. Oh, & the receipts showed different items, too, which I need to keep with each one so I don't bring the wrong weapon to Phoenix again.

Ya' know, I might just send both of them to that Phoenix sensei.....

[Brian Owens]

...Ya' know, I might just send both of them to that Phoenix sensei.....

If you do, send our site address along, too. I'd love to have him join this discussion to "enlighten" us on the difference between them.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Nah. He might have some trouble sitting down after I send him our directions on how to size them.

[carl mcclafferty]

Ken:

I have asked a few high ranking Japanese about the term "Wakizashi". They all agreed that that it originally refered to the position of any sword. They all had differing opinions on how it eventually ended up refering to a short sword. If they can't agree on that, I'm out of ideas.

Drop me an PM with AZ Sensei's name. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see you when you're in AZ.

Carl McClafferty

[hyaku]

I think we are dealing with two standards here. That of the smith and that of the way a weapon is mounted and its use. The smith tells me that any blade under one shaku is a shoto. Then again he made me a 1.2 mounted it as a shoto but had to register it as a wakizashi. It's worn to the front and we call them "maezashi"

Shown here below with the same saya with amber laquer

http://www.hyoho.com/Nkage1.html

[Nemuri Neko]

This is quite an ancient thread necro, but it was one of the first results when searching 'Kodachi vs Shoto', so I will just put the information up here for future searchers of this question.

Shoutou 小刀 is the short blade that goes with the ceremonial/authoritive Daishou 大小. Shoutou has a short handle, long enough to grip with one hand. Shoutou was the everyday short sword a Samurai/Merchant would carry with them in peace time.

Kodachi 小太刀 is a short blade that goes with the battle Daishou 大小. Kodachi has a long handle, long enough to grip with two hands (literally a Daitou 太刀 handle on a short blade). Kodachi was the short sword Samurai would carry into battle.

Wakizashi 脇差 are side-arms. Daishou, Katana, Tachi, Kodachi, Tantou, Shoutou etc. are all wakizashi. Arguably jutte and kabuto wari are also wakizashi.

Daitou is not a wakizashi, as it was considered a main weapon (that's not to say you couldn't designate it as a wakizashi... if you wanted to)

Tantou 短刀 is dagger or knife. Though a shorter shoutou may fall into this category if the Samurai in question is carrying say a Kodachi and Tachi.

Tachi 太刀 is a cavalry sword.

I hope that clears some things up.

[hyaku]

I am sorry but it clears nothing up. You have added total confusion and mixed up swordsmiths terms with the mountings.

When a blade is forged and registered and licenced under the juto ho it falls into three categories:

A tantō (knife or dagger) is less than 1 shaku.

A Shōtō (小刀:しょうとう) (wakizashi or kodachi) is 1 to 2 shaku.

A Daitō (大刀) (katana or tachi) is longer than 2 shaku.

So then we get on to mounts. This is totally a personal preference. My shoto is in a tanto mount to pair with a 3.6 tachi. It's over 1 shaku but looks like a tanto.

Tachi usually refers to a slung sword for cavalry but can be mounted Buke Zukuri style.

So in actual fact there are only three classifications as per your licence. The rest are just styles/mounts.

[Nemuri Neko]

I am sorry but it clears nothing up. You have added total confusion and mixed up swordsmiths terms with the mountings.

When a blade is forged and registered and licenced under the juto ho it falls into three categories:

A tantō (knife or dagger) is less than 1 shaku.

A Shōtō (小刀:しょうとう) (wakizashi or kodachi) is 1 to 2 shaku.

A Daitō (大刀) (katana or tachi) is longer than 2 shaku.

So then we get on to mounts. This is totally a personal preference. My shoto is in a tanto mount to pair with a 3.6 tachi. It's over 1 shaku but looks like a tanto.

Tachi usually refers to a slung sword for cavalry but can be mounted Buke Zukuri style.

So in actual fact there are only three classifications as per your licence. The rest are just styles/mounts.

I was referring to the Sengoku period. During the Edo period swords were standardised into categories and lengths. Today, as you said, there are relatively strict rules to sword classifications, in the Sengoku period there was a far greater variety in flexibility in classifications. As I practice Sengoku era styles, I classify swords based on use rather any modern classification system.

I challenge you to provide an authoritative source that confirms this statement.

Wakizashi 脇差 began initially to describe the companion sword of the katana 刀, and during various time periods described a range of swords and sword styles that accompanied the main weapon. As the use of the word became more popular, Samurai started to apply it to a range of weapons used as 'side-arms' carried along with spears, glaives and bows into battle.

Eventually, during the Sengoku period, any bladed weapon carried as a side-arm was designated as a 'wakizashi' and were sometimes referred to as ko-wakizashi or o-wakizashi.

Wakizashi is a relative term and refers to any side-arm.

Mol, Serge (2003). Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts. Kodansha International. pp. 18–24. ISBN 4-7700-2941-1.