The Wakizashi is the Samurai's short sword. This sword is much like the Katana as it is sharp on only one side and is curved. The Wakizashi was used mainly when fighting indoors or in tight areas. This sword was a better fit for fighting one on one if the opponent was more agile then the Samurai as the Katana would be too slow to land a blow on the enemy. It would be more adventatious for the Samurai to use this weapon around more skilled enemys also, as it would allow the Samurai to have less swing time and more time to react to the enemys movements.
