Spear and halberd
The techniques for spear and halberd fighting are the same as those of
sword fighting. Spears were first popular in the Muromachi period, primarily as arms for
the vast armies of common infantry, and later became objects of decoration for the
processions of the daimyo to and from the capital in the Tokugawa period. The spear is
used to cut and thrust, and is not thrown.
The halberd and similar weapons with long curved blades were especially effective
against cavalry, and came to be used by women who might have to defend their homes in
the absence of menfolk. The art is widely studied by women today.