Similar to the European glaive (in Japanese, naginata), the Japanese halberd was a scimitar like weapon at about three feet fastened to the end of a three-foot pole. It was considered the “woman’s spear” because of the requirement for perfection of skill by the women by the age of eighteen, yet it was also used by many male samurai. As the Edo period came, the naginata became more of a secondary weapon for men and as a result it became a symbol of the social status female samurai. It was also benefited women in combat because it was able to keep men at a distance, where their great height, weight, and upper body strength was futile. Many used it because “it could cut and thrust from a distance.” Nagitana of early make comprised of a blade, a shaft, and a tsuba (hand guard) was added later. The typesof naginata most popular with the samurai were the double-edged ones and the nagitana set at right angles.
