1. Though a battle may have many men, those who go ahead to clash with the enemy are fewer than five or ten.
"...何方之合戦にも人数多しと申とも、先へ出て鑓を合る者は、五人拾人には過去物なれども..."
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2. Death of Ban Naoyuki; soldier throws away his spear to grapple.
"...然処ニ大野主馬敵陣ノ薄キ様ニ成ヲアヤシミ物見之馬乗八十騎計シタチ村ヘ遣シケル亀田モ上田モ敵陣ノ様ヲ見トテ行ケルニ途中ニテ行合在処ヘ引取ントスルヲ大坂勢追付テ塙段右衛門真先ニ進ミ紀州勢八木新左衛門ニ向テ面モフラス切テカヽル新左衛門ヲ十文字ノ鑓中段ニヲツトリ打ツ太刀ヲ引ハツシ段右衛門ヲ突タヲシ則首ヲ討取ヌ上田宗康カ手前ニモ敵バラニ懸リケルヲ宗康敵一人鑓付若党首ヲソトツタリケル懸処ニソコ引ナ兵トテ河内牢人ニ田輪六郎左衛門ト云者宗康ニツイテカヽルヲ得タリヤト云マヽニ鑓ヲ捨宗康ムスト組テンケリ一度ニドウトマロプトテ宗康ハ下ニ成ケルヲ若党上ナル敵ヲ引ヨセテ首カキ切テ押ノケ宗康ハナンナク立アカル亀田カ手前ヘハ松浦作右衛門ト云兵ソ懸リケル松浦亀田カ内モヽヲ一鑓突ケレハ亀田モ少シ引退ク作右衛門モツヨク追ハス互ニ進ミ退テ華ヤカニハナカリシカトモ爰彼ノセリ合ニ大坂ノ兵ヨハク成テ本陣ニソ引退ケル..."
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3. A warrior uses a "short handled naginata", grapples with another man, is killed by a wakizashi thrust to his armpit.
"...左衛門自身手を砕き、敵を拉ぎ、聞ゆる大力の勇者なれば、薙刀茎短に追取延べ、向ふ者の真額・錦齧・脇楯・籠手・草摺、之を薙ぎて、手下に三人切伏せ、五七人にも手を負はせ、あたりを払つて見えける時、黒川兵庫と名謁つて、互に馬上にて鑓組む。左衛門尉、能き敵とや思ひけん。駈寄りて組んで落ち、上になり下になりしけれども、敵も味方も入乱れて、両人共に助け来る郎従もなき内に、兵庫、鎧通の脇差を以て、左衛門尉が腋壺を突通して繅殺し、吭を搔落し、屍を踏んで起上る、黒川が働、他国遠邦とも口伝へ、聞く者之を称美す。"
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4. A man throws away his spear and draws his sword as it was not piercing his foe's armor; his opponent does likewise.
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5. Two men charge one another with spears; after passing one another, they dismount and fight once more; then they draw their swords. One of them gets wounded in the hand and resorts to grappling.
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6. A samurai's bowstring snaps, so he draws his sword to fight. He eventually gets wounded in his hand, which (presumably) causes him to drop his sword, and at which point he draws his long wakizashi and saves himself.
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7. Two men fight, one with a spear and the other with a naginata; the spearman drops his spear to grapple, draws his wakizashi, and kills the other with two thrusts.
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8. From Owari to around Kyoto (上方), the swords are generally small, but the author has heard that in the Kanto they all use tachi, and for other regions it is not one thing or the other.
"尾州より上方五畿内までは大畧刀ちいさく候関東はいづれも大刀と聞へ候他国は何とも候へ"
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9. The Hojo used "long handled swords" (長柄刀).
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10. On weapon preference and usefulness.
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11. Letter written by Sakamoto Ryoma, 1866.
To summarize:
- Fought in an ambush, killing multiple with his pistol, and was wounded at close quarters; the pistol had a cylinder that could hold 6 rounds, but he only loaded 5. Having spent his ammo, and being unable to reload, he and the man he was with decided to retire.
- Long swords are now unnecessary on the modern battlefield; those who draw their swords throw away their guns, and weaken their party. Even at close quarters, one can reload their gun. A short sword and a dagger is suitable enough; even cavalry do not need swords. Battles are not as chaotic as one imagines in peace.
- When the shooting begins, the inferior force throws themselves to the ground.
- During long firefights, the inexperienced clump together behind cover, taking many casualties. Good troops fight dispersed; when the British landed at Choshu, they fought scattered, each man about 4 ken (7 meters) apart.
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