Japanese Naginata  SBBR-NAGINATA   $54  Expedited Shipping Available! E-mail service@strongblade.com or call 866-7SWORDS Ships in 5-10 days    There's a lot of debate over the naginata. Many historians believe that the weapon was created circa 700 CE by warriors or farmers who wanted a more effective weapon to fight against horsemen. Others hold that it was created as a means of tricking your opponent. Although this latter theory is widely dismissed by most historians, here's how it goes: the warrior would stand beneath a coconut tree and threaten his opponent with it. When the opponent reacted and prepared to counter-attack, the naginata wielder would feign a look of fear and pretend to surrender, holding the naginata upward and way from his body. The opponent would then approach warily and reach to take the naginata away from the warrior. At the last second, the Naginata warrior would slice a coconut off the tree in such a way that it would fall directly onto the head of his approaching enemy. This tended to knock the opponent unconscious and leave him at the mercy of the naginata warrior. Historians who believe this are adamant that this type of strategy led to the development of the helmet. Of course, most historians quibble that the helmet was invented centuries earlier, and that coconuts are not native to either Japan or China. And, some add spitefully, it's a really dumb theory. That said, most historians agree that the naginata was a perfect weapon to use when facing mounted opponents (like samurais). It was also a fantastic weapon to use when guarding something, since the long reach could keep multiple opponents at bay. It can be used both for slashing and thrusting, although slashing is the primary intention of the weapon. The long handle provided much leverage in a swing, allowing the blade to bite deeply into opponents. The naginata is tentatively dated as far back as the 7th century, but was most widely used in the 11th century.