Review: Akado Armory Tetsuba 鉄馬 Katana & Raiju 雷鷲 Kokatana! Combat tested!

Are these the BEST katana trainers available today? We test them out and compare them to a similarly sized 17th century antique katana!
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[@eagle162]

Katana could actually be longer prior to the edo period laws regarding blade length, resulting in many swords getting shorten to accommodate new laws, there were exceptions however and some blade's kept the original length intact.
The balance point could also differed some were closer to the guard more common with kotō era blades if I'm correct, thanks to tapering (funbari), also bigger Tsuba were used more in the past then the smaller ones recognize today, along with different handle,pommels or blade designs, ect.
I honestly would not call katana a specifically cutting weapon, especially when it comes to armor combat other methods were preferred.

[@tatumergo3931]

Yes you're very correct. After the senguku jidai period, not only did the shape and size of blades change, but also the manner in which they were used.
The tachi for example was mostly and originally a court sword, mostly for ceremonial use. Although it was also the weapon use by the cavalry or high ranking samurai (Daimyos). It would not have been too unusual for mounted troops to be wearing katanas instead of tachi.
After the Mongol invasions of Japan, the samurai changed their tactics from mounted archers to mounted lancers. The inclusion of levy troops during the sengoku jidai period also gave rise to specialized troops (ashigaru) who would have been either dedicated pikemen, archers, or arquebusiers after the introduction of firearms by the Portuguese and the Dutch.
Although not the preferred weapon for armour combat, the katana as well as the tachi could be employed for that task as demonstrated today by the TSKSR (tenshi shoden katori shinto ryu) school, one of the still in existence from the Senguku period.

[@tatumergo3931]

The only truth about the length and weight of a katana is and was dependent on, the time period, the swordsmith, and the dimensions of the individual who it was made for.
The practice is still conducted today, in which an individual wishing to own a katana would have his measurements taken by either the swordsmith making it bespoke for the person, or by the sword shop salesman who will guide you to the closest one to your measurements.
Ofcourse there were the mass produced ones that would have been issued to the general troops (ashigaru). These could come in any variety of lengths and sizes. There were also specialty types that would come with very extra long blades like a spadone type blade length.
Then there were types of Nihon-to (japanese swords) that were a combination of a katana handle and some other type of blade, like one from a naginata (halberd or bill, depending on the sources name preference). There were even types that had a yari (japanese spear) type blade attached. Ofcourse this was more the rarity than the common place.
What differentiates mostly a katana from a tachi is the mountings and the shape of the blade. For example Tachi swords usually have long pointed tips, and the curvature of the blade is more pronounce.
Whereas katana blades can come in many shapes and sizes, from regular size blades with short handles like the ones used in Iai, or short blades with long handles (tsuka), often associated with shinobi no mono, but actually designed for indoor use by inner castle guards.
To really understand the katana, one would have to go deep into learning the typology of nihon-to, which thankfully the japanese have kept in books enumerating the periods, types and bladesmiths from the different regions. Also how they were made and how they were used.
Thus there were many schools of the art of japanese swordsmanship, from the early middle ages to the late Edo period. Some of these ancient schools having even disappeared in history and only a few traces of them remaining today in their modern descendant styles.
For those interested in an ancient school still alive today, look up Tenshi Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu (TSKSR) of the late headmaster Otake Ritsuke sensei.

[@Apperceptive_Swordsman]

thank you for the informative comment!

[@uncabob214]

Really lovely to see the shifting between stances and the interplay of testing and reactions that the different stances brought out.