Bajutsu

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.

[9] As well as requiring proficiency in riding and mounted sword-fighting, the art also included teachings on the care and upkeep of horses.

[10] 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.

[5] Cavalry charges were made possible by the development of spear techniques from horseback in the late 14th century, supplanting the mounted archery styles that had previously dominated.

[11] Such charges were used to great effect by the Takeda clan, who introduced the tactic during the mid- to late- sixteenth century,[12] but after the Battle of Nagashino, were used only in conjunction with infantry manoeuvres.