Yawara
柔 · yawara
Literally: pliancy
Also known as: tenouchi
A short wooden rod protruding from both sides of the fist, used in jūjutsu to strike or press sensitive points; in the 1930s it was adopted by the police in Berkeley.
Quick Facts
JapanAbout the weapon
Yawara is a short wooden rod protruding from both sides of the fist; a number of jūjutsu schools work with it. It is written with the same character (柔) as jū in jūjutsu and jūdō, the character for pliancy; another of its names is tenouchi, "inside the hand." Its origin most likely traces back to tokkosho, a brass Buddhist ritual object symbolising the Buddha's power to destroy evil but also serving for defence. Some historians believe that ways of fighting with it were created by samurai practising tantōjutsu, short-knife combat. Both remain conjecture. The rod measures about 15 to 25 cm, and its shaft is usually shaped to fit the fingers. Because metal was expensive, it was made of wood; in feudal Japan some had small claws at one end, which could catch an opponent's clothing and unbalance him. Today's versions are usually of hard nylon or aircraft aluminium, hollow or solid; the police mostly withdrew versions with ball bearings at the ends, because they easily penetrate flesh and bone. Both ends are used to strike or press the opponent's sensitive points. Held across the palm it can block a punch or even a knife or sword cut. A short cord around the wrist was sometimes added, and helpers of the Japanese police developed ways to bind a detainee with it. The Japanese immigrant Frank Matsuyama taught the police in Berkeley, California, with the yawara in the 1930s; in 1937 or earlier he created an improved version of Bakelite with metal spikes from golf shoes at both ends and described it in the book How to Use the Yawara Stick for Police. Kubotan is considered its modern counterpart.
Related weapons
- Variants: Kubotan