In Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, author and judo second-dan Don Cunningham provides a fascinating introduction to the civil society of Edo-period (1603-1867) Japan—particularly the role played by the well-known warrior class, the samurai.Cunningham shows that the samurai were not, as commonly portrayed, always all-powerful mediators ruling the chonin through the power of their swords. During this period the samurai became a part of the complex syste...

Secret Weapons of Jujutsu is the first jujutsu book in English that deals with the full array of small hand weapons used by the Japanese samurai and constabulary.This martial arts manual includes a history of the weapons and discussions of hibuki (concealed weapons), improvised weapons, and traditional battlefield weapons such as: kansashi (a long, pointed metal hairpin worn by men and women) kokai and kudzuka (small utility knives) shoku (fire ax) shakuha...

Unlock the secrets of the legendary weapons of the samuraiWhile the samurai is well known as the military nobility of medieval Japan, their range of weapons, which went far beyond the katana, bow, and spear, is lesser known. For instance, some weapons, like the tesson, or iron fan, were used in secret where samurai swords were not allowed. Others were improvised, with warriors using whatever fighting tool was at hand. In Samurai Weapons, readers will follo...