Sasumata – Samurai weapon in schools in Japan

Sasumata (刺股) is a fork spear used by samurai in feudal Japan, also known as a man-grabber. The Sasumata along with 2 other weapons called the tsukubo and sodegarami were used by samurai police and security forces to arrest criminals and suspects without injuring them or controlling crowds. The Sasumata looks like a 2-pronged fork with a 2-meter stick filled with spikes to prevent the individual from holding onto the bar.

Nowadays, a modern version of the sasumata is still occasionally used by the police as a self-defense tool. These modern sasumata are often made from aluminum, without the sharp blades and spikes. They can also be found in public places in Japan, such as schools, where they are used to protect against intruders or violent assailants.

Sasumata - samurai weapon in schools in japan

Sasumata in Japanese schools

Many schools in Japan have kept a Sasumata to stop intruders and school break-ins. This weapon is very useful if the person is not armed, this works in Japan because it is rare to find a weapon there.

It is common to find Sasumata in some strategic place hanging on the wall, or kept in a place with items prepared against invasion. Sometimes it is possible to find in addition to the Sasumata a shield to protect yourself or strategically advance against the enemy. When immobilizing a person with Sasumata the next smart action would be to tie him up and hold him.

Some cases in Japan that used Sasumata: In Aichi a 62 year old man entered Ichinomiya school with a kitchen knife, 3 teachers used a Sasumata and stopped the intruder. Something similar happened in Tokyo, and again 3 teachers caught the suspect with Sasumata, the school principal said they were trained for such occasions.

Below, see some videos of Sasumata in Action:

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