Among the Samurai class in feudal Japan, it was de riguer for women to be trained in weapons arts. There are whole martial arts that are traditionally for women, and we’re not talking gentle, either. Are you at all familiar with the Naginata, one of the classic weapons of feudal Japan? (If not, think a two foot sword blade on the end of a four foot pole; in use, it’s whirled around the body, and opponents basically get to find out what vegetables feel like when you drop them into a food processor.) It’s a women’s weapon – the classic women’s weapon of the Samurai class – and to this day, it’s primarily practiced by women.
naginata