katana
Katana (Japanese: 刀) is a Japanese sword traditionally used by samurai. It has a typical long and curved shape, a single blade, and usually a long handle so that it can be held with both hands. The katana became famous during the Edo period (1603-1867), when it was widely used by samurai as a combat weapon. It was developed in response to the need for an easy-to-use and effective fighting tool that could both swiftly cut and powerfully penetrate an opponent's armor.
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The blade length of the katana starts at about 30 cm. The samurai carried the katana tucked behind his Kaku-obi belt, blade up, along with his Wakizashi short sword , so that he could react to a sudden enemy attack directly from the scabbard. The pair of katana and wakizashi swords was called the daiō and was the symbol of the samurai class. The set of two daiō swords became the standard armament for samurai. The long katana was used for fighting in open spaces, while the short wakizashi or tantō was used for fighting in confined spaces. In addition to its combat use, the katana was also a symbol of status and honor for samurai and was sometimes used in ritual seppuku suicides. Today, katanas are popular among collectors and are also still used in some traditional Japanese martial arts such as kendo and iaido.
