Kanabō and similar variants were primarily made of heavy wood or entirely of iron. The end of the weapon featured iron spikes or blunt knobs. They existed in various shapes and sizes, with smaller ones being one-handed and approximately the length of a forearm, while larger ones could be as long as a person and required two hands to wield.
The shape of the weapon resembled a baseball bat, with a larger, heavy end tapering towards the grip and ending with a pommel. On average, a Kanabō could be round, but it could also have several flat surfaces around a central axis.
Usage
Similar to other war clubs, the Kanabō was used to crush the opponent's armor, bones, and the legs of warhorses. The martial art of using the Kanabō was called kanabō-jutsu or tetsubo-jutsu, which involved mastering balance and physical strength to handle the cumbersome weapon. A missed strike left the user vulnerable to a counterattack since it required a considerable amount of strength to recover from the swing.
Japanese Mythology
In Japanese mythology, the Kanabō is the weapon of an oni (Japanese demon) and is considered to be very powerful.
In Japan, there is a proverb: "Giving a Kanabō to an oni," which means giving an advantage to someone who is already in an advantageous position.