Weapons

Ninja-tō: shinobigatana

Ninja-tō is a concept more than a strictly defined weapon. It refers to a sword which is concealed in some way, or a hidden object disguised as a sword. An example is a cane with a blade inside it (shinobi-zue), or a sword-like saw used for breaking into buildings and dressed up as a sword. The Togakure ryu school makes use of shinobigatana in practicing forms. Its blade is shorter than usual and the sageo (scabbard cord) is usually longer. A fundo weight can usually be attached to the sageo if required. The saya (scabbard) of the shinobigatana is however usually the length of a sword, giving the illusion of a longer blade. Most important is that a shinobigatana not draw attention to itself when sheathed. Outwardly, a shinobigatana looks exactly like a katana. The straight-bladed ninja sword with a squared tsuba (crossguard) appearing in films and video games is most probably a figment of the imagination.

There are other traditional sword schools which prefer a shorter sword.

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