Naginatajutsu

Naginatajutsu (長刀術 or 薙刀術^?) is the Japanese martial art of wielding the naginata (なぎなた^?). This is a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive. Most naginatajutsu practiced today is in a modernized form, a gendai budō, in which competitions also are held.

Multiple theories concerning the weapon's exact origins are in debate. It has been suggested that it developed along the same lines as Okinawan kobudō weapons as a modified farming tool. Another theory states that it is the result of the Japanese modifying a Chinese Guan Dao that bears a similar appearance. Others say that a creative samurai in need of a longer weapon attached a sword to a pole.

In the early history of its use, the naginata was primarily used against cavalry, as its length kept the wielder a safe distance from horses and their riders. During the Tokugawa period (1603–1868), the naginata was transformed into a symbol of status for female samurai, as well as being the primary means for a woman to defend her home while her husband was away at war. This period also saw the propagation of the naginata as a feminine art and the weapon serving as more of a symbol of devotion to a woman's family.

Many koryū ryūha, such as the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu, include naginatajutsu in their curriculum, as do some umbrella budo organisations, such as the Bujinkan.

Gendai budō (現代武道^?), meaning "modern martial way", are modern Japanese martial arts which were established after the Meiji Restoration (1866–1869). Koryū are the opposite: ancient martial arts established before the Meiji Restoration.