Samurai era justice
The weapons, tactics, and techniques used to keep the peace in feudal Japan

The Edo period in Japan witnessed the iron-fisted rule of some of history�s most infamous shoguns, beginning with Tokugawa Ieyasu. In his remarkable campaign to take control of Japan, Ieyasu instigated harsh new laws that forced the daimyo (feudal lords) to live part-time in Edo, restricting their movement and draining their coffers, which ensured that they could pose no threat of insurrection. Ieyasu also imposed severe limitations on the weapons available to the chonin (commoners), effectively preventing them from starting uprisings of their own. In order to enforce the new laws and to maintain order among the growing population of Edo (now Tokyo), the Tokugawa shogunate employed a large number law enforcement officials�from the noble-caste samurai warriors to the criminals-turned spies known as okappiki, and everyone in between.

In this fascinating story of samurai-era �police procedure,� Don Cunningham paints a colorful picture of life during the oppressive Edo period, and the measures taken (and weapons used) to uphold the law. With illustrations, historical photographs and reproductions of paintings of the era, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai provides the reader with the most complete and accurate impression of law enforcement and the �arresting arts� during the samurai era.

In Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, author and judo second-dan Don Cunningham provides a fascinating introduction to the civil society of Edo-period (1603- 1867) Japan�particularly the role played by the well-known warrior class, the samurai.

During the enforced peace of this era, many of the samurai were unemployed and had great difficulty earning a living. Some were even forced to join the lower classes of merchants and chonin (commoners) to get by. These circumstances redefined the part that the samurai played in Japanese society, and challenged the traditional caste system.

Cunningham shows that the samurai were not, as commonly portrayed, always all-powerful mediators ruling the chonin through the power of their swords. During this period the samurai became a part of the complex system of Japanese law enforcement. Made up of samurai as well as machi-bugyo-sho (town magistrates), yoriki (�assistant� samurai), doshin (samurai patrol officers), komono (assistants), goyokiki (part-time police assistants), and okappiki (informants and spies)�this intricate structure mirrored the Japanese society of the day.

Taiho-Jutsu also offers a detailed look at the weapons these law enforcement officers used including the jutte (iron truncheon), tessen (iron fan), yori-bo (wooden staff), sodegarami (sleeve entangler), sasumata (spear fork), and torinawa (arresting ropes), as well as a fascinating illustrated look at the techniques used to apprehend criminals. From kamae (stances) to parrying and striking and throwing techniques, these explanations demonstrate the practical applications of self-defense techniques in Edo-era Japan.

About the author

Don Cunningham has devoted over thirty years of his life to the study and practice of both contemporary and ancient martial arts, holding advanced ranks in judo, jujutsu, and kendo, and contributing regularly to a variety of martial arts publications. While studying the ancient art of kendo (fencing with bamboo swords) on one of his frequent visits to Japan, Cunningham became interested in samurai swords and the samurai culture. This passion led him to research the Edo period, and he soon learned a great deal about the weaponry and the culture of feudal Japan.

Book Reviews

The Leader-Telegram

A daily newspaper based in Eau Claire, WI, The Leader-Telegram published a feature article on Don Cunningham and his book, Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2006. Click on the photograph on the right to view the entire article, "Author lays down the law on historical Japanese weapons" by Pamela Powers, Menomonie News Bureau, in Adobe PDF format.

The Asian Reporter

by Mike Street
Special to the Asian Reporter

During the Edo period in Japan, strict regulations governed the lives of the peasantry, including the outlawing of wheeled vehicles (useful to move anti-government troops) and international travel (to avoid collusion with foreigners). As part of this program to pacify the countryside and maintain order, the Tokugawa shogunate also instituted strict social reforms that divided Japanese society into four groups: warrior (samurai), farmer, craftsman, and merchant. Only the samurai were permitted to carry swords above a certain length, or to carry more than one weapon; members of the other classes were restricted to short swords and daggers.

In this way the shogunate hoped to keep its peasants separated from the instruments of disorder and rebellion, and the system was largely effective, unifying the country after years of civil war. When sword-wielding miscreants did flaunt the laws, Edo-period justice demanded capturing them without killing them. In response to this, the Japanese developed passive-control weapons and techniques for their police force in a new martial arts style called taiho-jutsu ("arresting arts").

In his new book Taiho-Jutsu: Law and Order in the Age of the Samurai, author Don Cunningham describes in detail these weapons and techniques, as well as the reasons behind the institution of these social reforms. What emerges is a picture of Edo society seen through the lens of law enforcement, a perspective that will benefit historians and martial artists interested in samurai-era justice, as well as modern readers who encounter daily the delicate balance between liberty and safety.

Cunningham spends the first several chapters outlining the Tokugawa shogunate�s rise to power and its far-reaching legislation, and how these changes affected the lives of everyday citizens. In a dry, academic style, he writes with great authority about everything from firefighting equipment and traditions to the physical and social makeup of large Japanese cities. His informative explanations provide a framework for the martial arts explications of the later chapters, allowing us to understand the reasons for the use of non-lethal force, as well as the finer points of its application.

Japanese martial-arts techniques follow a variety of schools, differentiated by styles of fighting or weaponry used, and taiho-jutsu was developed to respond to the unique demands of Edo-period policing. Arising from the schools of jujitsu (unarmed fighting) and kenjutsu (sword fighting), taiho-jutsu incorporated several types of weapons unique to this discipline. Most prevalent was the jutte, a kind of metal truncheon that could be used either to parry or break swords, or as a blunt weapon for dealing non-lethal blows; carrying a jutte became a kind of badge among policemen throughout the Edo period.

For more dangerous situations, policemen might also employ one of the torimono sandogu ("three tools of arresting"), long pole-arm weapons used to hold criminals from a safe distance, where another officer could subdue or disarm them. The barbed sodegarami ("sleeve entangler"), U-shaped sasumata ("spear fork"), or T-shaped tsukubo ("push pole") were used to move, trip, or immobilize a suspect from a safe distance. Once subdued, the criminal would be tied with one of a wide variety of binding styles (hojo-jutsu, or "restraining arts"), in accordance with the prisoner�s social class, because of the great shame associated with being publicly bound.

Cunningham describes the origin and use of several other police weapons, but only the jutte is included in his final four chapters on taiho-jutsu techniques. While not intended to be a comprehensive explanation of all the exercises used in this class of martial arts, his diagrams and explanations give the reader a very good idea of how a suspect might have been apprehended in the Edo period. Many of these techniques are still used by Japanese policemen today, and would be worthwhile study for anyone interested in learning self-defense with a blunt weapon.

The intention of Cunningham�s book, however, is not entirely as an instructional manual, but also as a scholarly exploration of the use of the police force in this era of Japanese history. He strikes a good balance between context and detail, giving us a full portrait of both Edo-period society and the role of law enforcement within that carefully regimented culture. The book has special resonance in an era when police forces from Portland to Prague search for non-lethal methods of subduing suspects, giving it an interesting (if unintended) subtext about the lengths to which governments have gone to prevent harming suspected criminals. Although hardly a light read for the casual samurai enthusiast or kung fu fanatic, Taiho-Jutsu is an excellent reference for scholars or martial artists exploring this fascinating time in feudal Japan.

Book News, Inc.

Cunningham, a true amateur in the sense of being inspired by a love for his topic, became interested in samurai swords and culture while studying martial arts in Japan. His overview of the civil society of the Edo period of 1603-1867 takes a particular look at the role played by samurai--the warrior class, whose members had a difficult time earning a living during the era's enforced peace. Many became part of the complex system of Japanese law enforcement; Cunningham focuses on the weapons used by its officers and the techniques they used to catch criminals. The work is plentifully illustrated with the author's b&w photos as well as many sketches of defensive, offensive, and arrest and restraint techniques.