| History of the Mokuju: from
americanjukenjutsu.org: The bayonet was in general military use in
Europe in the 1660s and remains part of the rifle weapons system in most
modern armies. The systemization of combat with the bayonet reached a
height in the period 1850 through 1914 in Europe and North America. The
European bayonet was incorporated in the modernizing armies of Japan and
China in the late 1800s and early 1900s, making this weapon a unique
example in the development of Asian martial arts. Bayonet fencing as a
form of competition was closely associated with classical fencing, and
remained, at least in theory, a competitive sport into the 1930s in
Europe. The techniques and training for bayonet combat in World War II
and subsequently were generally simplified, eliminating most of the
complex techniques that could not be quickly taught to soldiers. After
World War II bayonet fencing emerged again in a sporting context in
Japan as Jūkendō |