1.
kendo gauntlet; wrist/forearm armor
The padded glove-and-forearm protector worn in 剣道 (kendo). Also refers to similar wrist-and-forearm guards worn with traditional armor or in other martial arts.
小手をつける。
To put on the kendo gauntlets.
練習の後、小手を丁寧に干した。
After practice, I carefully aired out my kote.
古くなった小手を新しいものに買い替えた。
I replaced my worn-out kote with new ones.
2.
strike to the wrist (kendo)
In kendo, a scoring strike to the opponent's wrist/forearm. Called out as 'kote!' when delivered.
鋭い小手を決めた。
He landed a sharp strike to the wrist.
試合は小手一本で勝負がついた。
The match was decided by a single kote strike.
相手の動きを読んで、すばやく小手を打った。
Reading my opponent's movement, I quickly struck their kote.
Two related meanings centered on the wrist/forearm: the protective armor itself, and the strike that targets it.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 小手を打つ: to strike the kote
- 小手一本: a single kote point
- 小手面: a kote-followed-by-men combination strike
KENDO CONTEXT:
There are four scoring targets in kendo: 面 (head), 小手 (wrist), 胴 (torso), and 突き (throat thrust). When a strike lands, the striker shouts the name of the target. The wrist gauntlets themselves are also worn during 剣道, 薙刀, and some armored martial arts.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 籠手: same meaning but with the older/traditional kanji writing — common in historical armor contexts
- 手甲: hand-back covering worn by laborers and travelers — covers the back of the hand and forearm