Jutte literally means ‛ten hands’. The number 10 is written in a cross and refers to the small hook characteristic of jutte. Alternatively, it could refer to the jutte giving the bearer the power of ten thousand hands. The jutte is a rod roughly 40 centimetres long, typically steel, and whose shaft is equipped with a hook for catching an opponent’s blade, clothing, or body part.

The jutte became popular during the Edo Period (1603-1868), at which time bearing a sword in the Shōgun’s palace and many holy places was forbidden. Therefore, palace guards bore a jutte instead. From there, it spread during the Edo Period, especially among samurai police and high-ranking officials as a sign of office.

The jutte can be used as a truncheon as it is helps in disarming an opponent as a support for mutodori techniques. It is also useful in locks, binds, and strangleholds. Typically, the blade is used to strike an opponent’s fingers in order to break them, causing the opponent to drop the weapon.

The Bujinkan kata or forms for the jutte come from Kukishinden Ryu, but the weapon is also suitable for other techniques.