Criminals, police, military forces, and civilians practice martial arts which often utilize weapons. One major difference is weather or not the weapons are handled according to legal guidelines. This special anthology includes insightful writings that focus on aspects of martial arts as they are practiced and used by different people on both sides of the law.

This anthology presents an assortment of seven articles from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts that deal with Japanese weaponry: archery, short staff, naganita polearm, and test cutting (tamashigiri) with the long sword. A few articles are highly academic and others are easier reading, based on interviews or actual practice. There is a common theme: the importance of these to Japanese martial traditions.