Ninjato/chokutō

[albeaver89]

I now that for a Katana Wakizashi and Tanto you use Kenjutsu, and i also know that the straight bladed swords use a different swing and target different areas, but what does one who uses these weapons study? Kenjutsu? or something completely different?

[Toptomcat]

The design of the chokuto was imported from China prior to the Heian period: after about 1200 I don't think any were made except for temple swords. If you really wanted to fight with one I suppose a Chinese jian art would be the way to go, or some other non-Japanese sword art: the oldest surviving school of Japanese swordsmanship dates to the 14th century, considerably after curved blades had become the only game in town.

As for the ninjato, there's considerable doubt as to whether they even existed in actual Japanese history.

[Davisonsensei]

Ninjato Were Designed for close quarter combat and for easy carry when they were sent to achieve an objective. As they we not a battlefield soldier like the samurai. If you study a sword system, then use your ninjato instead of katana and follow the same curicucim. The best ive found r made by Paul Chen.

[Wastelander]

Ninjato did not exist as actual weapons, they were invented by theater (along with the entire ninja uniform) so that the audience could distinguish good guys from bad guys and eventually made more popular by Hollywood. Japanese swordsmiths utilized a heat treating method called 'differential hardening' which will cause a sword to curve along the spine, so creating a straight blade and still using that method would have been very difficult and unnecessary when the wakizashi already exists.

ETA: If you want to study fighting with straight-bladed swords you need to look into European fighting arts related to the longsword or rapier.

[Liver Punch]

Ninjato did not exist as actual weapons, they were invented by theater (along with the entire ninja uniform) so that the audience could distinguish good guys from bad guys and eventually made more popular by Hollywood. Japanese swordsmiths utilized a heat treating method called 'differential hardening' which will cause a sword to curve along the spine, so creating a straight blade and still using that method would have been very difficult and unnecessary when the wakizashi already exists.

My understanding is that this is correct. However, I've found very little documentation on any inexpensive swords existing of any type. Does this mean that if one could not afford a katana or wakizashi, they were left to polearm and other types of weapons for battle?

[shinka]

Ninjato straight sword is kinda of an unknown subject....Some say it's kinda new some don't.... Mostly, ninjas used katana cause they were most of the time (samurai) working as an assassin on the side etc...

Some say the original ninjato came from the fact that sometime they needed a quick,wastable weapon so they would forged a cheap piece of metal into a blade.

The curve was not easy to make so they made it straight and sharp.

I've studied ninjutsu and worked on the subject for many years now.