the use of the war fan in combat is mentioned in early japanese legends. for example, minamoto no yoshitsune, a hero of japanese legend, is said to have defeated an opponent named benkei by parrying the blows of his opponent's spear with an iron fan. this use of the iron fan was said to have been taught to him by a mythological creature, a tengu, who had also instructed him in the art of swordsmanship.