Jitte may have a small pointed tip or blade attached to the handle (tsuka) and hidden in the shaft (boshin). Jitte could be highly decorated with all manner of inlays and designs or very plain and basic depending on the status of the owner and the jitte's intended use. Jitte could range in length from around 12 to over 24 in (). The modern jitte is about long with no cutting edge and a one-pronged tine (kagi) about long starting just above the hilt and pointing toward the tip (sentan). A popular misconception is that the kagi is used to catch a sword. It could possibly be used for this purpose, but the hook's proximity to the hand would make it rather dangerous; a more likely use for the hook would be to capture and arrest the blade after blocking it with the boshin.Serge Mol, Classical weaponry of Japan: special weapons and tactics of the martial arts, Kodansha International, 2003; p.80 The kagis more common use is to hook into clothing or parts of the body like the nose or mouth, or to push into joints or other weak points on the body. It also could be used to hook the thumb while holding the weapon backwards, to allow different techniques such as punches and blocks, very similarly to a sai. The jitte can also be used in much the same manner as other short sticks or batons, to strike large muscle groups and aid in joint manipulation.
