It's considered as one of the furnishing goods for samurai as well as "naginata" (Japanese halberd) or spears, and already used during the Genpei War, but after the civilization and enlightenment, it hardly existed and also there are few schools which teach its techniques.
薙刀や槍と同じ武士の調度品で源平合戦では既に使われていたとされるが、文明開化以降はほとんど残らず、教える流派も極少数である。