Battotai

Battōtai (抜刀隊, Drawn-Sword Regiment) were a special police squad formed in Japan by the Meiji government in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion.

Their success in sword fighting led to a renewed interest in the art of kenjutsu, which had been abandoned after the Meiji restoration, and, as a result, the formation of modern kendo.

This was due to the fact that most of the government forces were conscripted "common people", peasants and townspeople who had never learned to fight with a sword.

After two days of battle with Satsuma rebels detachment suffered heavy losses of 25 dead and injured 54.

Despite the fact that the sword at the end of the 19th century was considered a long-obsolete weapon, Battotai revived interest among Japanese in Kenjutsu, which was abandoned after the defeat of the shogunate.