sasumata; man catcher; two-pronged polearm
A traditional Japanese pole weapon with a U-shaped head, historically used to catch criminals or restrain people. In modern contexts, it is used by police or security personnel for non-lethal restraint.
The police officer used a sasumata to pin down the suspicious person.
In the school's crime prevention drill, we learned how to use a sasumata.
捕具 is a general term for traditional Japanese arresting implements, while さすまた refers specifically to the two-pronged man catcher.
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are rare or search-only.
Rare kanji form; the word is normally written in kana.
Search-only kanji form.
Rarely used kanji form.
The word さすまた is composed of 刺す (sasu, 'to pierce' or 'to thrust') and 股 (mata, 'fork' or 'crotch'), referring to the forked shape of the weapon. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.