Jitte
十手 · jitte
Literally: ten hands
A blunt weapon with a side hook (kagi), carried by the police in the Edo period, which also served as a badge of official authority.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
The jitte (十手, literally "ten hands") is a blunt weapon used by the police in the Edo period (1603–1868). The rise of unsharpened weapons was linked to the ban on bringing a sword into the shogun's palace, punishable by death; the jitte proved itself and became a status symbol of the palace guard. It consists of a rod of wrought iron, brass or silver, or of oak or chestnut wood, and a side hook (kagi). A third of the length is the grip, the rest the shaft, with the hook fixed at their junction. Commonly issued pieces measured about 35–48 cm, custom pieces were made from 9 to 54 cm, and for large raids extended versions of 60–115 cm. The hook could be single or multiple, up to four-directional. The jitte served as a short club for strikes to major muscle groups and for joint locks. The hook could catch clothing or body parts, such as the nose or mouth, or press into joints. The widespread notion that the hook served to catch a sword is, according to English-language sources, mistaken: the hook is too close to the hand for that. The weapon has its own dedicated art, jittejutsu. In Edo, jitte were issued to city magistrate officials, yoriki and dōshin, as an arresting tool. They were carried by police officers of every rank, from high samurai officials down to lower constables, and the jitte took the place of a badge: it proved they were acting in an official capacity.
Parts of the weapon
- Hook — kagi