Bajutsu

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title: "Bajutsu" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["japanese-martial-arts", "equestrian-sports"] description: "Japanese form of military equestrianism" topic_path: "geography/japan" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bajutsu" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Japanese form of military equestrianism ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Kozaemon_Hisamitsu_mounted_and_armored,_but_bareheaded,_on_his_galloping_steed.jpg" caption="A Japanese warrior fighting from horseback"] ::

is a Japanese form of military equestrianism.

History

Although its origins are closely related to those of mounted archery (yabusame), bajutsu is considered a distinct and separate martial art, and there are a number of traditional schools, such as the Ogasawara, Otsubo, and Hachijo. The art originated in the 7th century AD during the reign of Emperor Tenji but was popularised in the 12th century as large-scale mounted warfare became more common. However, the comparative scarcity of horses in Japan meant that bajutsu was always an elite art, restricted to high-ranking samurai. In spite of this, many contemporary historians ignored the numbers of foot-soldiers in battles and referred to the size of armies by the number of horsemen alone.

The comparative peace of the Tokugawa era from 1600 onwards led to a decline in the military practice of bajutsu, and it became relegated to a more ceremonial role, indeed, the practice of horsemanship was actively discouraged during the reign of Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. By the beginning of the 20th century there were more than 20 schools of bajutsu and the Japan Bajutsu Federation was formed in Tokyo in 1946 to promote it as a modern sport.

Techniques

As well as requiring proficiency in riding and mounted sword-fighting, the art also included teachings on the care and upkeep of horses. Horses were trained to ignore sudden shocks, and to press forward in the charge, veering off at the last second to allow the rider to kick with his battering-ram-like stirrups. Such charges were used to great effect by the Takeda clan, who introduced the tactic during the mid-to-late sixteenth century, but after the Battle of Nagashino, were used only in conjunction with infantry manoeuvres.

References

References

1. Mass, Jeffrey P.; ''The Origins of Japan's Medieval World: Courtiers, Clerics, Warriors, and Peasants in the Fourteenth Century'' Stanford University Press, 2002. footnote p433
2. ''Kodansha encyclopedia of Japan, Volume 3'' Kodansha, 1983 p229
3. Deal, william E.; ''Handbook to life in medieval and early modern Japan'' Oxford University Press, 2007, p155
4. Lowry, d; ''The Karate Way: Discovering the Spirit of Practice'' Shambhala Publications, 2009 p55
5. [[Karl Friday. Friday, Karl]]; ''Samurai, warfare and the state in early medieval Japan'' Psychology Press, 2004 p96-101
6. Ratti, O and Westbrook, A; ''Secrets of the samurai: a survey of the martial arts of feudal Japan'' Tuttle Publishing, 1991 p292
7. Murdoch, J; ''A history of Japan: volume 3'', Routledge, 2004, p192
8. Frédéric, Louis; ''Japan encyclopedia'' Harvard University Press, 2005 p354
9. Japan Tsūrisuto Byūrō, ''Japan: the new official guide'' Japan Travel Bureau, 1957 p221
10. Durbin, W: ''The Fighting Arts of the Samurai: a Warrior's Combat Handbook'' in ''Black Belt Magazine'' March 1990 Vol. 28, No. 3 ISSN 0277-3066
11. These stirrups (''shitanaga abumi'') were designed to enable the rider to stand and shoot easily from the [[Kura (Japanese saddle). spear]] techniques from horseback in the late 14th century, supplanting the mounted archery styles that had previously dominated.Turnbull, Stephen; ''War in Japan 1467-1615''Osprey Publishing, 2002 p16
12. R. G. Grant. (1 March 2011). "Commanders". Dorling Kindersley.
13. Stephen Turnbull. (19 August 2002). "War in Japan 1467-1615". Osprey Publishing.

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