Yari, Samurai Long Spears

When approaching the enemy in battle, spears were often not pointed at the enemy as would be expected, but raised, then dropped onto the opponents!

Samurai enter a battle with spears raised

Being clobbered before being stabbed and cut with a spear was one of the ways in which spear battles were fought. Unlike western spears which were thrown, or used simply to stab, Japanese spears of 3 to 5 meters in length were used to cut into vulnerable areas of the body. The spear was basically a very sharp knife at the end of a pole.

Spears provided ample distance between combatants

By maneuvering the pole slightly at the lower end, a larger movement could be effected at the sharp end. This could serve to block enemy spear advances, as well as create an effective cut. The highly sharpened spear blades could be used cut like a knife into the neck, armpit, or groin areas where major arteries are located as well as skewer an opponent.

Large scale spear fighting too place during the Sengoku period