Metal
History:
A traditional Japanese sword carried by the samurai class. During the Japanese Satsuma clan occupation of Okinawa the rules regarding weaponry prohibited non-warrior class civilians from carrying a personal weapon on them. The occupying military members carried katanas and civilians had little defense against them unless they creatively utilized Kobudo.
Traditional use:
Katanas were not common in Okinawan Kobudo usage largely due to the fact that it was illegal to carry them. Knowledge of the weapon was not prohibited, but effectively training with it would have been difficult due to the ban of war weapons for civilians.
Current use:
The katana today is a well known Japanese weapon that is reserved for training, ceremonial and competition purposes.