Yawara

Numerous types of jujutsu make use of a small rod, made of wood, that extends somewhat from both ends of a person's fist which is known as a yawara.

A variation of the yawara is a kubotan which is about six inches long, made of plastic, weighs about two ounces, and has no sharp edges.

Numerous types of jujutsu make use of a small rod, made of wood, that extends somewhat from both ends of a person's fist which is known as a yawara.

Pressure points that can be easily struck with a yawara are "the forehead, bridge of nose, upper lip, chin, temple, jaw, bicep, solar plexus, elbow, forearm, kidney, wrist, hypocondrium, genitalia, testicles, and knee".

[2] Sometimes a wielder would add a short "rope or cord" that would be looped around the user's wrist, allowing the yawara to be propelled as a distraction while in combat.

[2] In feudal Japan, some yawara included miniature claws on one end, allowing someone to "hook the opponent's clothing to pull the attacker off-balance and throw him".

[5] Assistants of the Japanese police force created various ways to capture a criminal with the rope of the yawara.

[3] Japanese immigrant Frank Matsuyama taught the Berkeley, California, police department how to use the yawara in the 1930s.

The spikes, which were made of metal, were to dishearten someone from taking the yawara from the police officer or to cause pain in order to stop a criminal.

[6] While some yawara have ball bearings on each end, that version has been banned for most police officer usage due to how easily it can penetrate both flesh and bone.

[8] Martial artist Miguel Ibarra stated of a yawara, "It can give a person who might lack physical size, strength or highly developed technique an edge against an attacker".

Martial artist Roy Goldberg said, "Stay away from the types of yawara that have knives or blades concealed inside them.

[9] A variation of the yawara is a kubotan which is "about six inches long, made of plastic, weighs about two ounces, and has no sharp edges.