JAPANESE WAR FANS

[VANDOO]

THESE ATTRACTED MY ATTENTION RECENTLY AND I DON'T RECALL THEM ON THE FORUM SO WILL DO A POST.
WITH A LITTLE RESEARCH I FOUND THERE WERE FOUR TYPES
1. GUNSEN " FOLDING FANS USED BY THE AVERAGE WARRIOR TO COOL THEMSELVES. THEY WERE MADE OF BRONZE, BRASS OR A SIMULAR METAL FOR THE INNER SPOKES AND OFTEN USED IRON FOR THE TWO OUTER SPOKES. THEY WERE LIGHT WEIGHT BUT STRONG. WARRIORS WOULD HANG THEIR FANS IN A VARIETY OF PLACES, MOST TYPICALLY FROM THE BELT OR THE BREASTPLATE THOUGH THE LATTER OFTEN IMPEDED THE USE OF A SWORD OR BOW."

2. SAIHAI IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A FLY WHISP THAN A FAN. "THEY WERE TASSELED SIGNALLING FANS WHICH WOULD BE USED BY A COMANDER TO SIGNAL TROOP MOVEMENTS.

3. TESSEN IT RESEMBLED FAN #1 BUT WAS PERHAPS MORE STURDY AND SOMETIMES HAD SHARPENED EDGES FOR SLASHING. SOME HAVE 12 METAL RIBS OTHERS HAVE LESS THE FIGHTING STYLE USING THEM IS CALLED TESSENJUTSU
"TESSEN WERE FOLDING FANS WITH OUTER SPOKES MADE OF IRON WHICH WERE DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE NORMAL, HARMLESS FOLDING FANS OR SOLID CLUBS SHAPED TO LOOK LIKE A CLOSED FAN. SAMURAI COULD TAKE THESE TO PLACES WHERE SWORDS OR OTHER OVERT WEAPONS WERE NOT ALLOWED. SOME SWORDMANSHIP SCHOOLS INCLUDED TRAINING IN THE USE OF THE TESSEN AS A WEAPON. THE TESSEN WAS ALSO USED FOR FENDING OFF ARROWS AND DARTS AND AS A THROWING WEAPON. IT WAS ALSO USED AS A SWIMMING AID." THE TESSEN SOMETIMES HAD SHARPENED EDGES USED FOR SLASHING. MANY TESSEN HAD IRON SPOKES THRUOUT.

4. UCHIWA "WERE LARGE IRON FANS, SOMETIMES BUILT ON A WOODEN CORE, THEY WERE CARRIED BY HIGH RANKING OFFICERS. THEY WERE USED TO WARD OFF ARROWS, AS A SUNSHADE AND TO SIGNAL TROOPS."

I WILL INCLUDE PICTURES OF THE 4 TYPES ( I DID NOT INCLUDE A PICTURE OF A GUNSEN FAN AS IT LOOKS MUCH THE SAME AS THE TESSEN)
FIRST PIC. SAIHAI, AUTHENTIC TASSELED FORM.
PICS 2,3 &4 TESSEN,
PIC. 5 AUTHENTIC UCHIWA, GOLD WITH BLACK SYMBOL.
PIC 6 AUTHENTIC SOLID IRON TESSEN, WITH CARD IN JAPANESE
PIC. 7 , SILVER AND BLACK UCHIWA (REPLICA)

[VANDOO]

FOR THOSE WISHING TO SEE SOME FAN TECKNIQUES THERE ARE SEVERAL VIDEOS YOU CAN GOOGLE (TESSENJUTSU) AND SELECT AND VIEW. I WOULD RECOMEND CHOSON NINJA, VIDEO 341 BASIC IRON FAN.
AND OTHERS FROM THE SAME SOURCE. I WOULD ATTACH A LINK BUT DON'T KNOW HOW, SO IF SOMEONE MORE COMPUTER SAVY WANTS TO ATTACH A VIDEO OR PICTURES FEEL FREE.
WAR FANS WERE ALSO USED IN OTHER COUNTRIES SUCH AS KOREA AND CHINA, I DID NOT FIND A SURE REFRENCE FOR WHERE THEY ORIGINATED.

[Jason Anstey]

here is a picture of my edo period tessen that I purchased in Japan around 5 or 6 years ago



It is heavy iron with gold leaf urushi lacquered paper fan. Sparrows form the pattern and are done in red ink.

[David]

Very interesting thread.
Barry, all you have to do to create a link it to copy the url of the website (the actual address) and paste it to this page.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8rgix2ZZ2c

[Jason Anstey]

Choson Ninjutsu is seen as fake in Japanese Budo circles. From what I understand the style never existed and certainly is not practised in Japan - So I would take that clip with a grain of salt.

Here is a demo showing real budo - it features Jutte with Tessen as practised in Shindo Muso Ryu( Ikkaku Ryu) a style some 400 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu38C...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTeaU91MtV8

edit - I have added a different clip to begin with which shows the tessen better, same ryuha (school/style)

[David]

Originally Posted by Jason Anstey

Choson Ninjutsu is seen as fake in Japanese Budo circles. From what I understand the style never existed and certainly is not practised in Japan - So I would take that clip with a grain of salt.

Here is a demo showing real budo - it features Jutte with Tessen as practised in Shindo Muso Ryu( Ikkaku Ryu) a style some 400 years old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu38C...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTeaU91MtV8

edit - I have added a different clip to begin with which shows the tessen better, same ryuha (school/style)

Well Jason, that well may be, but i must say that the demonstrations in the videos you posted look almost comically ineffectual while the methods in the Choson video look at least practical and well executed. Says little about the historical reality of course, but i think i'd rather be holding the grain of salt in this respect.