When the Mongols invaded Japan the following century, the naginata was a major factor in their replusion. By the seventeenth century, the naginata had become almost exclusively a woman's weapon with such famous women warriors as Kesa Gozen gaining fame in its use. The blade, shaft and butt of the naginata are all utilized in combat. Skill in ha-kaishi, the ability to change the position of the blade rapidly, enables the user to cut as with a sword, but with powerful sweeping arcs at a much greater range due to the length of the shaft. In training, naginatas with bamboo blades are used, students often wearing protective body armor, as well.
Practice consists of kata or choreographed exercises and sparring.
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