As a traditional iaido trainee, you're 100% right. The always ready, one motion draw cut is where the katana particularly shines, and the whole philosophy of zanshin (loosely 'readiness') in Japanese swordsmanship flows from this. It's been pretty frustrating seeing people just completely pass this by and starting all of their katana discussion by looking at it exclusively outside the sheath, given how big of a deal this all is in traditional Japanese swordsmanship. Kudos for pointing it out!
ruclips.net/video/9Oz0rAvdWaw/видео.htmlsi=kiBCHUleUV4wd46s RUclips recommended me this video randomly and looks like exactly what you're talking about. Can't imagine anybody doing this with a European style sword and sheath.
@@Farengast The Messer seems to be equivalent, differences in training aside. Depends on the blade length, but all you need is a curved sword that's not TOO long, and a good sheath.
also worth mentioning all the schools that use the scabbard for blocks or control. The japanese weren't as keen on shields as westerners (they had them ofc). So the scabbard became a shield sub in some cases.
also worth mentioning all the schools that use the scabbard for blocks or control. The japanese weren't as keen on shields as westerners (they had them ofc). So the scabbard became a shield sub in some cases.
From my understanding there was a period in Japan's history where drawing your sword if you weren't attacked was illegal. A samurai could carry their sword, but if it was outside it's sheath they could be arrested. So there was a large emphasis on quick draws and quick resheathing - being able to keep the sword in the sheath as much as possible.
This is legitimately why you're one of the only two sword channels that I follow because you are extremely realistic and fair about every single topic without over hyping stuff kowtowing to sponsors. Keep up the great work!.
@@Scaevola9449 I can't help but find these comments a little frustrating, like it's trying to do things that nobody needs at all, and it all just depends on the resolution of your analysis. At one end, they're both just sharpened bars meant for fighting that more or less do the same thing. On the other end, almost every single detail is different; even if slightly. I guess you can say that a two handed messer and katana (well this kind of goes for a few Japanese sword types) are both cutting swords that are two handed and kind of have some similarities in grip build - but is that the best resolution? Idk, but it doesn't feel helpful or eye opening
6:08 I think part of why you can always get a good scabbard with a katana is how much more the scabbard is considered part of the katana on a cultural level, especially with display swords.
I was thinking about this. Typically a katana is displayed inside a scabbard. European swords are displayed hanging on walls, without scabbards. There's less incentive to make nice scabbards because they usually aren't displayed
Does anyone here even know for sure what in-use practices were in both Japan and in different parts of Europe for swords when they weren't being worn? That is a blind spot I have, and I wouldn't be shocked to hear that we don't even know; at least for many places, times, and for most social groups. Like you might think that a common man from, say a 1400's burgh, who owned a sword but couldn't/wouldn't really wear it in his day to day life might just have his sword on show in his home for most of the time he had it - but do we even have a way of knowing about that? Do we even know what the well-to-dos did with their swords, day-to-day?
@@tommeakin1732 For the katana, during the Edo period: they would be displayed in the home on a purpose built stand when not in use, horizontally, blade up, inside the scabbard (saya). The katana was displayed with the handle (tsuka) to the left during peacetime, which means you can't draw it quickly off the wall with your sword hand. During wartime, you would flip the katana over, displaying it with the handle to the right. Notably, this only happened if the samurai in question was home, they were required to always have their katana (and wakizashi) with them when being outside. In the homes or buildings of another, they would leave their katana in a designated spot, but continue to wear their wakizashi. This is the historical advantage of looking at a society with very strict social rules and rituals, I suppose, it makes it a bit easier to say what was generally done by people in certain circumstances simply because it was socially enforced.
A lot of people martial arts for the katana center around different types of draw cuts. If you don't have a scabbard you can't really practice. I don't feel Hema practitioners or other types of European fencers focus on drawing techniques nearly as much, certainly not as the center point of their entire practice.
@@tommeakin1732 Unfortunately, pre-modern Europeans rarely bothered documenting such things, particularly if they regarded the lower classes, so there's little primary source material on how personal weapons were stored. However, the methods probably varied wildly, as the cost, rarity, and legality of swords could differ dramatically, depending on when/where you're discussing. Swords were incredibly expensive in some times/places (eg, 11th-century Denmark) and quite affordable in others (15th-century Germany), and while some cities prohibited the carrying of swords in public, there are others that prohibited walking around in public _without_ one. (Seriously. There were some German cities where adult male citizens could be fined for walking around town without a sword.)
When you draw, move the saya forward with your left hand as you begin, and then withdraw it back again, all while drawing with the right hand as normal. It's faster and your sword is forward earlier.
Another piece is the beginning of where a katana or daisho were carried with the tsuba already being on the centerline vs. more carried back such as how ronin were required to carry. Great video.
Even katana haters gotta admit when it comes to design and ascetic, very few weapons can meet katana. Makes sense considering their cultural significance. The tachi specifically will always be a personal favorite for me.
Katanas being the "quick draw" sword is fun considering how westerns that popularized that concept were originally inspired by samurai movies. Just like a rifle has more ammo and is more accurate than a revolver, but a revolver is more practical to wear and faster to draw, the Katana is more practical to carry than for example a spear, and faster to draw than for example a Odachi.
Fallout New Vegas captures this quite nicely. The rifles are powerful, slow, and long-ranged, while the pistols are weaker, but allow you to shoot faster at shorter ranges. I often find pistols to be more decisive in a fight because missing a shot doesn't cost you as much downtime as missing a rifle shot does. Interestingly, it does this with melee weapons too. The big two-handed weapons do a lot of damage, but are slow. While the little one-handed weapons are fast and can inflict a lot of damage in smaller bites. In a fight with multiple enemies, it's often better to have a FAST weapon than a super-powerful slow one.
even though the uses of those two other examples are different this is very true, and i love the katana just because it's so fast to unsheath, it's just super useful.
I'm no expert, but I think you nailed it. It's a blade with the intended use of being able to quickly dispatch one enemy at a time. Originally, wars in Japan in the Samurai period were fought at range. If it came to swordplay, things already went a bit topsy turvy, or it's mop up time. In either case, you want a tool you can bring to bear at any moment and also put away at any moment. You want it to be easy to move around with, and easy to carry while shooting a bow and arrow. You have lightly armored opponents, so you want a blade you can be accurate with, and which is small enough to find gaps in the armor. Has to be made from inferior iron ore. If you're caught out by mistake, you kill the one guy, sheath and beat feet back to your friends. If you're mopping up, you want to be prepared for a sudden ambush or counter attack. Checks all the boxes it needed to check. Add a few hundred years of that being the norm, and it starts to inform martial arts. Regular self defense tactics develop and work really well as a consequence of the aforementioned design constraints. For that era of European warfare? Gimme a halberd OR a longbow. In this era of Japanese warfare?? Shortbow and a Katana every day.
Samurai are most known for using the daikyū , a long bow designed to be used on horseback, they were every bit as deadly as a Mongol on horseback, they also used a lot of guns. The low quality iron is highly misunderstood, the Iron sands are not as high quality, which is why they have a special process to make high quality steel, it's the reason for all the folding, the blades also used several different metals, many different sword makers with their own technique and specialization. On a battlefield for sure you want Naginata and Yari, I wouldn't mind a Nagimaki and a bow And guns, a retainer or 3 to hold and load more guns...
That's true for Heian period samurai, not so much for the Kamakura period going forwards and definitely a far cry during the Sengoku period, when they start to introduce guns or "teppo" in mass formations to great effect. Oda Nobunaga, one of the three great unifiers of Japan, was the first to use teppo successfully against Takeda Katsuyori's forces during the Battle of Nagashino. After mass volley fire, they would deploy samurai cavalry to break enemy formations with yari and once the fighting got super close, it would get very chaotic. That's the time you deploy sidearms like the katana/tachi. Don't get me wrong, they still used yumi, however bows would become the purview of ashigaru rather than samurai since horseback archery or yabusame was proven obsolete when the Mongols attempted 2 invasions of Japan a few centuries back. Yabusame since then has been more of a ritualised religious thing.
A big part of the sword community has gone to the other extreme with katanas, especially those who are too new or those who are too biased about their tastes. I highly appreciate that throughout the 7 or so years I've been watching your channel you have always remained serious and objective with your opinions towards this and other misconceptions WITHIN the community. Don't get me wrong, you're still funny. I'd say you're even funnier because you don't have to be over the top or loud to make me laugh.
The katana being easier to draw makes alot of sense for a warrior culture where even the way to sit is prioritized towards being ready for battle in a moments notice.
Ease and quickness to draw the sword (or lack of thereof) is an aspect that I feel most people who have never or only rarely practice with a sword tend to underestimate. I'm more of a late Reinassance - Napoleonic era guy, but something that I find a bit frustrating about my swords is how cumbersome it is to draw and sheathe a rapier or a longer infantry sabre, which is why I ended up favouring the shorter naval officer sabres.
Folk seem to like to mock Silver for his shit-talking of the "rapier" (which is beloved of most moderns), but I think the rapier is, for a bunch of very modern reasons; badly overrated. I think there's a lot of pretty clear problems with very long, thrusting sword when it comes to, say, getting into a street brawl; and it's easy to miss some things by doing fixed fights in hema. There are some swords that are wonderful already-in-hand weapons; but have some big flaws if you're wearing it to stop yourself getting shived in the alehouse. On the other hand, you have swords that are pretty underwhelming in those already-in-hand situations; but are wonderful swords to wear at your side, day in, day out. It is all about context, and a duel isn't the same as self-defence. And I would also say that, for most swords over time (most often being backup weapons), battlefield use has more in common with the self-defence than it does for duels.
@@tommeakin1732It's like having a 5 pound pistol. If you're the one with the gun already drawn, you'll love the controllable recoil and (assumedly) high caliber. If you're the one who has to draw, you'll curse yourself for your choice.
@@tommeakin1732 A rapier has the best possible design for killing other men. It's length, balance, and speed make it ideal for a fatal stab, and no other weapon can compare to it in a one on one duel. Unarmored, of course. It would do well for a street brawl, as long as you mind your positioning. For a big brawl, you're better off with one hand free, to fend off others, and the other with a lethal yet nimble blade. I'd suggest the cutlass, the gladius, or a messer for something like that. Of course, spear is king of the battlefield, has always been so, but we're talking about swords. Battlefield? Shield and gladius for me, please. Tested and perfected for over a thousand years. Second best is shield and iklwa. Again, spears are even better, but we're talking about swords. Everyday carry? My glock. When it comes to swords, it depends. Walking around on the street and not expecting trouble, I'd want something with a small hilt, not heavy, and easy to carry for general self defense. Chinese dao sword, or an arming sword. Indoors? Something like a wakizashi.
It’s interesting how the life cycle of the katanas reputation has gone. From being considered the best bladed weapon ever being made, and then the over-reaction of people thinking it’s trash, to people realizing that they’re basically good reliable weapons who served their users well.
Interestingly, its reputation began centuries before the internet. Be it from an Asian or European nation, the overwhelming majority of quotes about Japanese swords has been positive. I only know of a single quote saying the contrary. Though even that one has more context behind it.
If weebs hadn't been weebs, we would be fine. The katana was a good sword for what was basically medieval Japan, it was culturally before the comparable era when Europe went to the longsword, when Japan also went to the tachi (o-dachi, etc). But that conversation requires telling people ninjas and our image of samurai aren't real. The American image of ninjas/samurai literally comes from guys selling mail order catalogs in New York in the 80s. It back populated, so now literally any Japanese person who ever engaged in sneaking or spying is now classified as ninjutsu. And any Japanese person with a sword is a samurai. And that's all weeb. Looking at you, Assassin's Creed.
@@Zagskrag Precisely. Yes German heavies were mechanically unreliable and would often breakdown long before encountering the enemy, but if they did get there, they were a very dangerous opponent.
First critique is that you aren't using your left hand enough to assist in drawing and sheathing, though that isn't always a requirement depending on the style/sensei. The Seki-sensei channel has a videos about throw drawing and sheathing. Coming from an armchair non-practitioner ofc
Or how despite being completely outdated even in the later 1800s, a Colt Single Action Army is still one of the fastest on the draw, compared to a Schofield or even double actions.
I'm not so sure... Technically, the machine gun is already out and aimed at the enemy. You just need to start firing. I'd rather be behind a big, mounted machine gun than have a small caliber 6-shooter.😅
@@KickyFutWell that’s what a machine gun is for, being mounted on a position facing the enemy, but you’re going to have a hell of a time trying to pull out an LMG as a sidearm. Then again, I suppose no one is going to expect the second machine gun, and Rambo would approve.
Pretty much an exploration of why the tachi gave way to the katana after the warring states era. General use went from battlefield weapon (once in close quarters) to... well a hundred different things from personal protection to legally required badge of nobility etc. The shift into the Edo period in terms of where and when you'd be fighting, the philosophy around it etc changed massively. The modern proportions we're all familiar with are a result of the change in use to more spiritual/sporting use than instruments of war, straighter blades to match the shinai used in practice, decorative hamon patterns for artistic beauty and showcasing the smith's skill vs the older line following the cutting edge to have harder and softer steel where they should be for function during actual bloody combat. Endlessly interesting and stuff I imagine most people having this in their youtube history could talk about for hours! One thing I do want to mention about the ease of shifting the saya from belted to held is the sageo cord, yours in this example is in a decorative knot, when worn for iaido (and probably use back in the day but there's a weird lack of documentation that is its own rabbit hole etc) it's tied to the hakama to stop it slipping as you move more rigorously than walking about and so on, and the management of it is highly structured and deliberate at the start and end of practice... as almost every part of japanese martial arts tend towards to be fair!
As a iai and kenjutsu practitioner, you are correct. I prefer a longer blade and shorter handle as well. In ancient budo, Kobudo, longer blades 30+ inches with shorter tsuka 10in were preferred. Which is why Kobudo is my preference in study. Even with a longer blade, the drawing is smooth.
I've heard the argument that for Western practitioners the katana should generally be longer than what's traditional in Japan, due to the taller average height.
@@Skallagrim That is generally true, but my Sensei's have told me to use the longest katana you can. It depends more on arm and torso length. I'm only 168cm tall but I use a 2.7shaku (81.8cm) nagasa katana. Based on the standard chart for katana length based on my height, my katana should be at most 2.4 shaku (72.7cm). So it really depends on your Ryuha and Sensei. There is quite a bit of variety.
I preferred a rather short (28") sword for iaijutsu. It's so easy to draw it feels like cheating- although once everyone has their blades out, the lack of reach would probably become an issue
@@Skallagrim but the katana wasn't used much over the odachi or tachi which were much longer, also europeans were actually shorter than asians, because when marco polo and alot of people met the mongols like the russians and hungarians, they called them orcs or hordes since they were so much taller, the reasons why modern asians were short was because of malnutrition, the dutch was the shortest people in europe before ww2.
I've heard of a shower gun for potential home intruders while you're in the buff, but never a shower sword...hmm. I suppose my long handle back scrubber will have to do.
A pirate crew and a team of ninjas joined forces for a difficult mission. The pirate captain explained his plan. "When I give the signal, I want you to draw your swords as fast as possible! Can you do that?" The ninjas answered, "Iai, captain!"
Hey Skall, the way you draw it is far from perfect but it’s also not that bad. One way to improve is to watch how the pros do it and pay attention to their left hand (sheath hand). It does a lot more than you think, in both drawing and sheathing. The ability to sheath with out taking your eyes off of your surroundings sounds like something that would be huge on a battlefield. When all the chaos fills your ears and your armor also slightly limits your senses, maintaining your sight on possible danger is a big plus. I wonder if there are any anecdotes about noticing a threat while in the middle of sheathing in any culture. Speaking on anecdotes, other Asian cultures like China and Korea speak highly of the cutting ability of Japanese swords as well as European quotes of the same era. Though I agree it is the best cutter in the world, likely going to some kind of specialized executioners sword, they were recognized as being high quality and having great cutting abilities. If you follow Gunsen History on twitter, he had a great thread of these quotes. For all the reasons you mentioned, it goes to show why the katana excelled in the civilian environment that was the Edo period.
you probably aren't sheathing your sword on a battlefield. Its your secondary, if you pull it at all your in trouble, the odds of you having time to carefully resheath your secondary in the midst of fight are next to zero
@@primeministersinister625 not necessarily in the midst of a fight. You’d likely sheath it during a lull in the fighting in order to grab a primary weapon laying around. Seeing more danger approaching while sheathing then gives you the info for you to decide whether to stick with your secondary or risk it and reach for a primary weapon on the ground. If you have to resort to your secondary, it’s not like you have to use it for the rest of the battle
I figure it’s more of a built in zanshin/situational awareness exercise, like in a lot of kata training (almost all koryu I’m aware of), probably with a handful of plausible explanations, although I do agree it’s not likely about being on a battlefield.
@@primeministersinister625 I would agree in most cases--but say your spear gets knocked out of your hands or someone attacks too close to use your bow and you draw your secondary; if you fight that attacker off _and_ get a chance, you're going to want to pick your primary weapon back up and go back to fighting with that. Similar to, say, a modern day soldier having to fall back on their sidearm because, for example, their rifle jammed and they don't have time to clear it just now. They'll want to switch back to the rifle when they have the chance but aren't just going to want to just drop their sidearm to do it. There's good reason to practice stowing weapons as much as you practice drawing them. That way you can stow a back-up weapon quickly and efficiently so you aren't stuck having to either abandon it, or not switch back to a superior primary weapon. But even outside of that possibility, the basic idea can still apply. If you had to draw and fight to defend yourself in a non-battlefield context, a great moment for a secondary attack would be when you thought the fight was over and were putting your weapon away. Perhaps even...someone starts being intimidating towards the swordsman to get them to draw, then runs off...then the actual attacker jumps them while they are occupied putting their weapon away. Being able to keep your head on a swivel while stowing a weapon would make such an act harder than if you were busy looking down, lining the blade point up with the scabbard.
True, but, on a battlefield you should properly be wearing armor. It has been noted that swords don't cut through iron shirts very well which is why pole arms ruled the battlefield when the armies came to melee. Same as everywhere else. Not ragging on the katana by any means. It is a very good dueling sword. Fair battlefield sword too. My point was more that on the battlefield its a backup weapon for all cultures (except maybe the Romans). Its generally the pole arms and the bows that decide the matter. (and later the guns)
People in the katana debate tend to be ignorant of the historical context of the weapon. It was an everyday-carry weapon for the warrior class of Japan, for self defense. It needed to be easy to draw and handle, and didn’t necessarily have to concern itself with fighting people with longer weapons or against armor or horses. When they did, they altered the form of the katana to be longer, weightier, etc. It was essentially the self defense handgun of Japanese warfare. The reason why the katana is mythologized in Japan is the same reason the revolver pistol was mythologized in the US. People love to make media about how a duelist and his weapon were so powerful they never missed, or could cut through solid steel, or whatever. Obviously that wasn’t the case in real life. But these weapons wouldn’t persist for centuries in warfare if they were completely useless. They have strengths and are purpose-built.
I mean, jokes aside, it is true. The first cut is usually the best because you are at your best in the beginning - you are not yet too injured or too tired - and the faster you can dispatch your opponent, the better.
I just never get tired of absolutely nerding the hell out of sword related topics XD love your videos bro! Inspiring confidence and passion in this one here ❤
4:45 modern katana, even real ones made in Japan nowdays, generally have a much longer handle. This was never meant to be, in the older times tachi and early uchigatana (so called "koto" which means old swords) have a much shorter handle that really works well with the blade length, meanwhile modern katana pretty much have a longsword-length handle with a blade much shorter than longsword, making it slightly awkward and even harder to use. Many traditional Japanese dojo still holds katana as if the handle is only 2/3 of its length, some even hold it like a baseball bat (two fists stacking together), the legendary "modern Samurai" Isao Machii holds his sword like that.
Found this really entertaining, I like these deep dives into weapon history and culture,, not just necessarily the act of using it but the area around that, transport, maintenance, construction, the how's and whys of things and also what people thaught back in the day about these weapons and gear.
You can just copy and paste the link if you're on a computer. You could go through Google Chrome and copy the link from there for phones. But it's not always reliable.
I completely agree, It is quite funny how people compare the katana to the rapier and the saber saying its defective against them while the whole point of a katana & a rapier/saber is different. I mean the whole point of a katana is its quickness, its not even speed, its just the quickness and how the sword can follow the order of your hand perfectly, its not perfect at thrusting but its good enough, its not perfect for heaavy two handed attacks but its good enough, what this sword is perfect at is slashing, not the type of slashing that you use with a shamshir or egyptian das swords, but a more quick & precise slash that doesn't require you throwing your hand. Great video, also about what you saidin the video, there are actually sword unsheathing techniques in kenjutsu, known as battoujutsu, made from the two words: "battou" meaning unsheathing, and "jutsu" meaning art.
And polearms. Swords get all the glory cause they are cool but "war weapons" were bows and polearms, mostly spears. Katana and most swords were backup weapons. Even in European warfare this was true.
Polearms, firearms, bows, giant baseball bats and hammers sometimes, on horse, on foot, on board a ship. There was a *lot* of diversity in how a samurai might fight on the battlefield; the sword is the thing they'll all have in common.
There are variations from school to school but all have you to some degree pulling back the scabbard with the left hand as you draw with the right. This will speed up deployment even more. I think the focus on draw attacks is due to the different nature of duels in the East from the West. In the West duels seemed generally less spontaneous and even if not actually scheduled affairs there was some preparations made before hand. In Japan duels could occur with very little provocation or warning. I think as you said the scabbard is what really distinguishes the katana. Not just the ability to pull it forward or back in the sash while drawing, but also twisting or rotating it while drawing greatly changes the angle of the draw cut between the horizontal and the vertical allowing for a huge variety of angle/direction/blade orientation when cutting from the scabbard. Great video!
Part of it is also the fact that the one who is considered the aggressor is the first to show the steel of the blade, at least that's what i heard one japanese instructor claim. This is also why you see them pulling the whole scabbard forward, as it lets you essentially draw halfway without your sword leaving the scabbard. Though you see similar ideas in the west, at the very least in pop fiction westerns, where the first to actually grab and unholster is the aggressor in a standoff.
My father-in-law is a swordsmith from Kyushu, descended from a line of swordsmiths, and gifted me what he calls a "katana" from his family as a wedding gift dating back to the mid-18th century. It's astonishingly short and in the Wakizashi range with only ~45cm blade, so I was surprised he insisted it's a "Katana" (specifically "Shirasaya") and corrected me when I asked if it is a "Wakizashi" and apparently still the primary sidearm of Samurai during the period in the Southern area of Japan. So I asked him why it's so small and he demonstrated how quick it is to draw and sheath (he's also a Kendo teacher and very skilled at handling the sword), repeatedly sheathing and unsheathing the sword with deft motions just like how you emphasized in this video. Apparently this ability to very rapidly draw and sheath the sword (as well as conceal it) was prized even among nobility during this area and time period of Japan. Also he taught me that during this period in Kyushu, most of the battles fought by samurai were naval battles on ships with cannons, firearms, and bows, and some close-quarter fighting in what I imagine to be very tight spaces with lots of bodies. So the swords apparently evolved to be a lot smaller to favor this type of tight combat. It's also surprisingly lacking a handguard, but apparently wasn't considered important for this type of fighting (I wanted to ask if they wore an alternative form of hand protection to compensate for the lack of hand guard but my Japanese is terrible and I only understood half of what he said while my wife translated the rest). I'm admittedly not even close to being an expert and feel a bit guilty hanging this beautiful piece of history in my home without knowing much about the history, but I found it so interesting that yours is the first video I encountered prioritizing the quick ability to draw the sword which is something my father-in-law emphasized a lot with the sword he gifted me.
I still maintain that without the minuki... i think that's what they're called. The little art pieces on the handle. That the skin and wrapped grip the katana has is one of the most secure I've experienced.
It does feel very nice, but that's coningent on it being a well done wrap. I've seen hundred dollar katanas that have stellar wraps, and some approaching the thousand dollar market with loose wraps.
I have even heard that menuki is supposed to help with the grip and that that is supposed to be it's main purpose. But generally, my sense is from handling them, it just doesn't have much effect one way or the other. The grip is all about the wrappings.
@@SirConto in my experience, you're pretty spot on. They're largely decorative, but the wrap can be done in such a way that the menuki can impact the grip but it's usually mostly up to the wrap itself
Iai-do - the art of the draw/cut offensive - a life saving technique for the wielder vs the opponent who looses theirs. Today it is an art that instills a centered calmness and openness to their environment and their opponent's reflection in it.
7:30 actually, the best cutting implement is water, and if the water nation attacked medieval europe and japan they would have all fallen under the power of hydraulic jets. Sadly carrying a Hydraulic Water Jet sword isn't very convenient or cheap
Couldn’t agree more. 👍 It’s what makes iado so much fun. On a side note, I love when guys like yourself and Matt Easton get into the Japanese weapons. As a Japanese martial arts student, but also someone who grew up in love with stories of knights in shining armor and all that, I personally love the variety but also the interesting dialog that comes out of it. In fact it was both of your responses to Seki Senseis video where he tried out a longsword which brought me to your channels in the first place.
i am practicing mugai ryu iai and kenjutsu (mugai ryu was founded in the 1600s by tsuji gettan). what people often dont think about is that there is no standart "katana". you can have an uchigatana (full name of what most understand as katana) thats 60 cm or thats 90 cm. you can have one that is as good as straight, or have one that has a 4cm curve depth. During war periods like sengoku jidai or the bakumatsu rebelion, you see uchigatana getting longer and heavier, while during the edo period, they get lighter and more artsy. what people understand of katana is mostly just the fraction of edo period that is often referenced in pop culture. another factor is that the reproduction market isnt great when it comes to variety, a good 99% of repro uchigatana have almost the exact same length and curvature, the handles usually are also quite on the long side compared to historical references.
Yeah, wasn't it also a thing in the Edo period that even for the Samurai the swords they were allowed to carry day-to-day was limited in size. I think something like 86 cm for the long sword (2 feet and 10 inches) and 55 cm (1 foot 9.6 inches) for the shorter sword. These lengths in total, including the blade and hilt
@@dragon12234 it would always be measured on the cutting edge, not including the hilt or anything. for the longer sword the limit was 3 shaku (90.9 cm) for the shorter one it was 2 shaku (60.6)
That flanged mace is BEAUTIFUL! And the big knife looking thing to the right, with the right-angled hand guard thing, has such a gorgeous look to it, such nice shapes.
I appreciate the focus on design elements other than the blade. It seems like they get overlooked by non-hyperfocused nerds, even though they can have more of an impact on the experience of actually wearing it all the time. Some thoughts: I think Matt Easton and Matthew Jensen have done some videos about O-Katana, noting that the kind of katana you can usually buy is on the small side, even for a lot of one-handed swords, but that this fits with the descriptions from Chinese sailors who noted that Japanese pirates of the time were quite short, even compared to their own pre-industrial statures. When they both tried O-Katanas more proportional to their sizes, they found them much more comparable to something like a longsword, and in the case of Matthew Jensen it highlighted the importance of all the little details of the traditional drawing technique, which he had previously been able to skip over because the blade was just so short for him. So the principle of a short (for the user) blade and wearing it with (an) edge facing up still allows for a similar quick draw-into-downwards cut when using any suitable sword. For example, the under-arm position from i33 certainly seems like it could be used as a draw-into-cut. The positive attributes you listed, along with the more convenient one-handed grip (recurved which may help in a thrust), is why I've long considered something like the Wo Yao Dao from LK Chen to be one of the most appealing swords for me. (I don't have one, just admiring from afar) In the past I've heard some people talk about the Habaki as an additional benefit in the draw. The metal collar that fits the blade tightly into the scabbard is only a couple centimeters long, and once you've drawn it that far the blade is now loose with very little friction. I have no experience to compare this with other scabbards (profile and distal taper being a thing would suggest any blade experiences less friction as you draw) but it is at least interesting to note. And I appreciate the distinctive sound it can make, such that Japanese media rarely uses the "shing" sound effect that's been so discussed.
Great vid! LOVE that you showed the main weakness of the rapier in the context of the biggest strength of the uchigatana mount style. Chinese repros often have 11" tsuka on 28" blades. That is really too small for most average size Americans, although some ryuha focus on everyone with a slightly shorter blade (or beginners as well). It's really not the right proportion. You could definitely go with a shorter handle longer blade. Handle lengths and blade lengths are almost always determined differently per ryuha for kenjutsu vs your size, but classically wouldn't have been super strict outside of (during Edo) what was legal (around 34 inches or below nagasa depending on late or early Edo). It usually works out that it's normally handle length is is about 1/3 of the blade length. Also blade length is to the munemachi, not the bottom of the habaki, so there is usually around 1/2-3/4 inch extra on the length past nagasa. My iaito is currently a 31.5" nagasa with a 10.5" tsuka. In the style I am practicing I can safely use up to around a 36" nagasa, but that is pushing it to max and slower to draw, not great for one hand techniques. I would probably go 33" if I wanted the perfect length for me (iaito are hard to come by at that length). Grip I would leave at 10.5" unless I went above 33.5". Muramachi period uchigatana would have been more of a messer size (up to larger refitted tachi), with similar handle lengths and everything as the main was a spear (gun or bow). Earlier would have more often than not been a hung style tachi with a usually longer blade, with a balance point a little closer to the hilt for easier one hand use. More of a calvary sabre vs the uchigatana's edge up through the sash methodology.
It would be worth noting that in Japan they often only wore armor when on campaign. So quick draw definitely is superior in a situation where nobody is wearing an iron shirt....You introduce armor and the quick draw has somewhat reduced efficiency. Also while your sword couldn't be quickly deployed your off hand implement could. A buckler or parrying dagger can be drawn very quickly buying you time to draw your longer weapon. From what I've read a buckler was often worn hooked over the sword hilt. So you could hook it with your thumb and deploy it quickly while your other hand was dragging out whatever long blade you carry.
youre spot on. nukitsuke in times of peace, absolutely made the katana a viable weapon and was one of its characteristic and most notable advantages. most schools base a fair portion of their practice on the many techniques involved around it. You mentioned the length of the tsuka. tsuka were not always as long as that one you have. 10ish inches was a good length and I actually found that just over 7.5 inches was an excellent length for more nimble cutting. traditionally, this sort of length of tsuka you would find on kata-te uchi along with the curvature being further toward the tip, or saki sori. I ended up gifting that sword to someone else, i miss it to this day :)
The carry-ability of the uchigatana makes sense since it was only a secondary weapon on the battlefield and then virtually regulated to just a status symbol until the end of the Edo period.
Another awesome video. Skallagrim freakin rules in that topic. In addition to always well served compressed info You ALWAYS makes me smile Skall. Even during darkest times. Thank You so much for that. Your energy is amazing
Another interesting thing with the Katana and/or Tachi in my own research that adds to why you always seem to get a good scabbard with them is... A form of fighting that I can't remember the name of, but it involved using the scabbard in your offhand as a defensive/parry tool, and the Katana in the main hand. So, the laquered wood being so smooth to slide in and out is absolutely an intended part of that, I believe. Is it a great defensive tool? No. But it's better than nothing, if needed. But, that also could be wrong. After all, it's hard to trust many sources these days
More than likely Sōjutsu. There are probably other styles with a similar philosophy, but Sōjutsu is probably the most popular. Uses a lot of spear techniques as well.
Hey Skall did you watch Ross Scott´s last video on Accursed Farms about the Stop Killing Games campaign? Maybe you can help with the european audience to get signatures! Love your videos, thanks!
I wouldn't say that I'm very experienced in any kenjustu but have done a bit of iaido (a branch of kenjustu mostly focused on drawing, striking and sheathing) so I feel like I can share some of what I have been taught and give some minor pointers. Mostly the basics, there are a lot of techniques and styles that change one or more things but I think these are some things that are good to know for beginners. Some tips about sheathing the katana in the scabbard (saya in japanese): 1. Slower is better, not just from a safety perspective, but it also looks better. 2. Choke up on the end of the scabbard so the blade does not touch the scabbard, you want to guide it by "squeezing" it between your thumb and index finger. Just don't go too high so the skin between your thumb and index finger is over the opening of the scabbard. 3. You want the blade and scabbard to almost be at a right angle from each other but rest it on the meaty part between your thumb and index finger and the inside of your index finger near the knuckle (find a position that feels stable and good for you). 4. Slide the blade forward until you can feel the tip traveling across and slightly beyond that meaty part. 5. "Rest" the blade on your index finger, this will be the pivot point for aligning the scabbard and the blade. At 0:31 you can see the tip "drop" from the back of the scabbard to the front when you are aligning it, that can cause cuts and other nasty things and can't happen if it was resting against your index finger. 6.There are multiple ways to align, but a simple and safe one is to lower and tilt your left hand and let the right hand follow. Since the left hand is closer to the pivot point it requires less movement to align then with the right hand. Try to not let the blade slide on your index finger, you can lightly pinch the blade if it helps. 7. Make sure the skin between your thumb and index finger is NOT over the opening of the scabbard or at risk of being cut by the edge of the blade. If you want you can raise the thumb to be prepared to "catch" the guard (tsuba), this will also ensure that you wont cut the skin but make sure you raise it enough so you don't cut the thumb itself. 8. Slide the blade into the scabbard by using both your hands, moving the right hand backwards and the left hand forward, you will move the right hand more, but since the left hand is probably close to your left hip it is slightly awkward to move your right hand so far, it is better to let them meet around "10 to 11 a clock". Also, some pointers about the drawing itself: * Since the scabbard is closer to round than most other scabbards it is easier to rotate it in the belt or sash, this is used a lot. * You can rest the left thumb on the guard and use it to push the blade a bit forward before the right hand grabs it, this removes the "thump" at the beginning of the draw and allows the energy to go into the slash instead of "dislodging" the blade. It also makes the draw smoother and a gives a bit more control. * Don't grab the hilt with a closed fist, this will make your wrist and arm twist at the end of the draw. Instead allow the sword to turn into the correct position when you are past the scabbard by closing and tightening your grip. * The scabbard guides the sword, so use your left hand to turn it in the direction of the swing, a draw into a straight down cut it a bit hard, so if you angle it a bit and do a slight crosscut slash it will flow a bit better. * You can use that to do horizontal cuts, upward cuts and much more as long as you angle and position the scabbard in the direction of the draw you want to do. In the beginning of the video (0:25 and 0:41) when you showed some cuts you drew the sword straight and then twisted it afterwards which looses speed and power compared to if the sword was angled when you begun. * At the end of the draw you can use the left hand to pull the scabbard back, making the unsheathing happen a bit earlier. This not only makes it so you can swing faster but also allows you to start moving the sword with more force before you are extended with your right arm. * For a bit more advanced draw you can wait with the twisting until the end of the draw, but the twisting should be done with the left hand not the right. * When resting your left hand on the scabbard, try to have it a bit in front of you and when you want to draw guide it toward your right hand. This lets you draw earlier and you don't need to reach awkwardly far with your right hand.
4:28 "not that they generally allowed the carry of swords in most towns" That's why it's called a messer, german for knife, bans would be based on blade length. So they would just call it a knife instead of a sword and make it short enough to be allowed.
Is that a proven fact? I can't imagine that the judge would care a lot about what you call your weapon. Also, the Japanese word katana also just means knife (or at least it uses the Chinese character for knife). There simply aren't a lot of different names for one-sided cutty things.
@@tarille1043 That is not quite right. In Germany swords were not banned at all. In some towns it was even required to have weapons by law. However there were guilds back then that had monopolies in their respective fields. Swords were only allowed to be made by members of the swordmaker guild. There was also a knifemaker guild, and they wanted to poach a bit of business of the swordmakers. Swords and knives were defined by their hilts, so they just put a knife hilt on a long blade, called it a messer, and made quite a bit of money off of that.
Quickness is a good point. The draw cut was probably one of the main reasons it's shaped as it is. (citation needed) Being the weeb in the room, I always feel like you need to talk about the context it was used in history to fully understand it. Why would the samurai want a quick weapon over something more versatile? Battoujutsu (literally pull out technique) has been prominent since before the katana. And I think it can be related to etiquette, or societal norms/laws (specifics are hard to find from back then). In essence; When someone shows their blade (except with great apologies beforehand), they are treated as an aggressor that you are within your full right to draw your own blade to... take care of... in self-defense. Hence, when you see your opponent's blade, you probably want to draw your sword quite quickly. Chances are, they also know how to draw fast, so having that katana specifically engineered to draw even faster could make the difference.
Are there actual draw attacks in HEMA? I've never seen you or really anyone else talk about draw cuts with HEMA lol.....did it just never happen? EDIT: I guess a better way to phrase it would be is there a Iaido equivalent in HEMA?
I recall seeing some treatise that covered some self defense application, though usually in the form of using a still sheathed sword as a blunt weapon until you had time/space to unsheathe. A lot of treatise simply focus on duels, wherein weapons start already drawn. Contrast to katana, which are mostly a self-defence/backup weapon where drawing them in combat is their purpose so you do get more focus on draw cuts (With styles specifically focused around them).
Fiore has some techniques but they all are from the position where you are holing the sheathed sword in your left hand and not in the belt. It’s pretty limited but still very interesting
It's while watching a video of yours like this that I take a long moment to pause, and think: "Nagamaki, why do you exist? You're neither a type of great sword or a pole arm, yet show some characteristics of both catagories." I say this, and I actually do own a Nagamaki that I have no clue how to use properly. I remember an older video that you had made detailing your thoughts on the Nagamaki, and it actually inspired me to buy one of my own. I still don't own a single Katana, but as always your insight is well valued.
Your knowledge of blades is excellent. From 6.50 and on...... is 100% correct. Every single sword is different, with pros and cons. Every blade, axe or spear has specific advantages and disadvantages. But learning those and exploiting those in battle is winning vs losing.
I don't know if the appropriate is respectful, but you were very respectful at the start with stating that you are gonna make mistakes and you were open to correction if there was one needed from people knowledgeable in kenjutsu , I've always liked to watch your stuff and this kind of thing (besides others that make me enjoy your videos so much more) that makes me appreciate you more, from the standpoint of a random guy in the interent, thank you for doing what you do
Excellent video, thank you. Not enough people point out this fact. There's just one thing that I'd like to address about Iai : it is not only about drawing the sword and cutting at the same time. There are plenty of techniques like that of course, but it is not a necessity. Drawing the sword to parry, then counter attacking is also Iai. Drawing the sword back or to the side then stab is also Iai. Some techniques are about drawing the sword and just pointing it toward an approaching opponent. And some techniques are not defensive at all, but are actually surprise attacks. The point is : Iai is much more versatile than it is actually known for.
It makes absolute sense that the katana's best niche is quickly drawing and striking. It was a weapon of self-defense in an environment where samurai were betraying each other left and right and assassins could attack at any moment, and even on the battlefield you needed to get to your sword quickly if you were disarmed or your primary weapon broke. If you were jumped in the street by a couple of hired ronin killers or your yari broke in the middle of a battle, getting your sword out of its scabbard and into a guard or striking position could be the difference between life or death.
The deal with the quickdrawing is as more a matter of the suspension system than the sword itself. The length of the katana is about as long as you can draw at speed reliably; the difference in speed to any other sword of the same blade length is negligible at best. However, the loose and adjustable suspension system using the _sageo_ makes it extremely changeable and thus adaptable for drawing. While I suspect the curvature may _slightly_ further optimize it for the draw, it is such a miniscule factor as to be almost irrelevant. I have an entire public playlist about this topic on my account if anyone wants to look at it.
It's interesting to see the crossover with modern self defense in terms of sheathing without looking in that a lot of modern defensive handgun doctrine has your holster without looking for the same reasons. It's of course debated with safety concerns especially when it comes to appendix carry so it's not a standard but it's still interesting.
I would advise being cautious when holstering instead. I haven't met anyone who has been jumped again mid holster and couldn't just draw it in time again. I have however, met people who have shot themselves down the side of their leg while reholstering. (Mostly bikers and cops)
IMO That's the point in late middle ages was planty of types weapon for every Day carrying, messers, short sword, even daggers because also of law. Katana covers every Day carrying sword and(secondary) battlefield weapon And third thing - nobility sign
Something you said, and something I think many people don't take into account when comparing katanas to other swords, is that they are two-handed weapons. As far as accessibility/movement/draw speed, it's pretty hard to beat a katana when compared to other two-handed blades. But when you start talking about range, stabbyness , or the fact that you can have a similar length or longer sword in one hand with a sheild or off hand weapon in the other, the katana starts to show its downsides.
As a practiioner of Musou Shinden Ryuu, I greatly appreciated this video. Katana tend to be either overhyped into some anime fantasy, or downplayed as being just a worse longsword made out of horrible iron. This video and what you say in it corresponds very well with what I've experienced when training. Drawing the sword into a cut is almost 50% of the swings I've done, and it gets ridiculously fast. You can pull the scabbard back a bit in the latter half of your sword draw to get it out even faster than you are showing here by the way. But even so, great technique considering your experience level is what you say yourself. Your general sword skill shines through!
You got it right broski a katana is perfect for everyday weapon because of the quick deployment is very hard to counter unless you have a katana yourself but the quick draw it makes a difference
Due to this being a Skallagrim video I expected edge alignment first. And that's the main good thing I remember you saying about Katanas so I was a bit surprised this wasn't even in the video. Drawing speed was only my second guess but with way less confidence.
Great video! I have a tip for you about drawing and sheething a katana. You don't want to draw using your right hand. What i mean is that you should use your left hand to move the katana in front of you with the end of the handle on your center, loosly grab the handle and draw using your left hand, that pulls back the sheeth and turn your hips as your pulling back with your left hand. Seki-sensei has a great video about this, it's one of his earliest videos with "Throw draw" in the name.
Interesting video. After over twenty years of studying iaido, I think that the speed of the katana has three other important aspects to consider. One is that it is worn with the cutting edge up which allows the user to immediately present the correct edge to whatever cut they are performing. Second, in the samurai culture sword study started at a very early age and with continued practice the speed of the draw with such a weapon becomes a matter of muscle memory. Lastly because the sword is worn in an obi (sash) the angle of the draw is extremely easy to alter on any given target. Keep up the good work.
Its kind of crazy, i saw the title, said to myself "The drawstroke probably" and clicked the video 😂 i definitely agree with you on the scabbard (or saya for any nerds that want to police my language.) Katanas feel like theyre sold as a complete package, which makes them a much more enticing value proposition for me. Buying a saber or a messer or some other large blade, I know im gonna have to sort a scabbard seperately, or possibly its own belt and hanger as well. I also really appreciate the fact that you can get all the same features of a katana in different form factors. You can get a wakizashi, a kokatana, an O-katana, and several other length variations where you still get that great grip (in my opinion) blade shape, and scabbard. I primarily care about hobbyist cutting, I practiced iaido for a year and some months, as well as mat cutting for a similar amount of time, i dont consider myself an expert, but I definitely think my opinion has been formed by at least some practical experience compared to the "folded a thousand times in the flames of mount fuji" audience that seems to make up a sizeable amount of the katana fandom 😂
remember, switching to your katana is faster than reloading
“Reloading?”
- Doomguy
Switching to your wakizashi is faster than sharpening your katana.
Apparently you haven't seen me relosd.
Switching to your caulk is faster than reloading as well.
That was just IJA officer training
As a traditional iaido trainee, you're 100% right. The always ready, one motion draw cut is where the katana particularly shines, and the whole philosophy of zanshin (loosely 'readiness') in Japanese swordsmanship flows from this. It's been pretty frustrating seeing people just completely pass this by and starting all of their katana discussion by looking at it exclusively outside the sheath, given how big of a deal this all is in traditional Japanese swordsmanship. Kudos for pointing it out!
ruclips.net/video/9Oz0rAvdWaw/видео.htmlsi=kiBCHUleUV4wd46s
RUclips recommended me this video randomly and looks like exactly what you're talking about. Can't imagine anybody doing this with a European style sword and sheath.
@@Farengast The Messer seems to be equivalent, differences in training aside. Depends on the blade length, but all you need is a curved sword that's not TOO long, and a good sheath.
also worth mentioning all the schools that use the scabbard for blocks or control. The japanese weren't as keen on shields as westerners (they had them ofc). So the scabbard became a shield sub in some cases.
also worth mentioning all the schools that use the scabbard for blocks or control. The japanese weren't as keen on shields as westerners (they had them ofc). So the scabbard became a shield sub in some cases.
From my understanding there was a period in Japan's history where drawing your sword if you weren't attacked was illegal. A samurai could carry their sword, but if it was outside it's sheath they could be arrested. So there was a large emphasis on quick draws and quick resheathing - being able to keep the sword in the sheath as much as possible.
This is legitimately why you're one of the only two sword channels that I follow because you are extremely realistic and fair about every single topic without over hyping stuff kowtowing to sponsors. Keep up the great work!.
what's the other one, if you don't mind
@@una-mura Well there is at least "let's ask Seki-Sensei"
@@una-mura Probably matt Easton
@@iliketoeatchocolate623 let's ask Seki sensei is such a nice channel!
@johannestetzelivonrosador7317
Robinswords and Sellsword arts also are quite nice
"Messer ist besser!" is my new motto
For years I've held the opinion that the Kriegsmesser is a european equivalent to the Katana, at least in terms of the basic design shape.
@@Scaevola9449 It's more like the tachi. Bigger and heavier
It is basically the Euro katana but it is also its own sword. There are also Asian versions of popular European swords.
@@Scaevola9449 I can't help but find these comments a little frustrating, like it's trying to do things that nobody needs at all, and it all just depends on the resolution of your analysis. At one end, they're both just sharpened bars meant for fighting that more or less do the same thing. On the other end, almost every single detail is different; even if slightly. I guess you can say that a two handed messer and katana (well this kind of goes for a few Japanese sword types) are both cutting swords that are two handed and kind of have some similarities in grip build - but is that the best resolution? Idk, but it doesn't feel helpful or eye opening
"knife is better"
6:08 I think part of why you can always get a good scabbard with a katana is how much more the scabbard is considered part of the katana on a cultural level, especially with display swords.
I was thinking about this.
Typically a katana is displayed inside a scabbard. European swords are displayed hanging on walls, without scabbards.
There's less incentive to make nice scabbards because they usually aren't displayed
Does anyone here even know for sure what in-use practices were in both Japan and in different parts of Europe for swords when they weren't being worn? That is a blind spot I have, and I wouldn't be shocked to hear that we don't even know; at least for many places, times, and for most social groups.
Like you might think that a common man from, say a 1400's burgh, who owned a sword but couldn't/wouldn't really wear it in his day to day life might just have his sword on show in his home for most of the time he had it - but do we even have a way of knowing about that? Do we even know what the well-to-dos did with their swords, day-to-day?
@@tommeakin1732 For the katana, during the Edo period: they would be displayed in the home on a purpose built stand when not in use, horizontally, blade up, inside the scabbard (saya). The katana was displayed with the handle (tsuka) to the left during peacetime, which means you can't draw it quickly off the wall with your sword hand. During wartime, you would flip the katana over, displaying it with the handle to the right.
Notably, this only happened if the samurai in question was home, they were required to always have their katana (and wakizashi) with them when being outside. In the homes or buildings of another, they would leave their katana in a designated spot, but continue to wear their wakizashi.
This is the historical advantage of looking at a society with very strict social rules and rituals, I suppose, it makes it a bit easier to say what was generally done by people in certain circumstances simply because it was socially enforced.
A lot of people martial arts for the katana center around different types of draw cuts. If you don't have a scabbard you can't really practice.
I don't feel Hema practitioners or other types of European fencers focus on drawing techniques nearly as much, certainly not as the center point of their entire practice.
@@tommeakin1732 Unfortunately, pre-modern Europeans rarely bothered documenting such things, particularly if they regarded the lower classes, so there's little primary source material on how personal weapons were stored. However, the methods probably varied wildly, as the cost, rarity, and legality of swords could differ dramatically, depending on when/where you're discussing. Swords were incredibly expensive in some times/places (eg, 11th-century Denmark) and quite affordable in others (15th-century Germany), and while some cities prohibited the carrying of swords in public, there are others that prohibited walking around in public _without_ one. (Seriously. There were some German cities where adult male citizens could be fined for walking around town without a sword.)
When you draw, move the saya forward with your left hand as you begin, and then withdraw it back again, all while drawing with the right hand as normal. It's faster and your sword is forward earlier.
I think that depends on the ryuha.
@@thearchlich7273 Quite possibly.
Also keep the saya close to your body as you move it back.
Another piece is the beginning of where a katana or daisho were carried with the tsuba already being on the centerline vs. more carried back such as how ronin were required to carry. Great video.
Also twist the saya, and sword to 35-45 degrees outward.
"Estoc is bestoc!"
"No, messer is besser!"
Claymore is baemore
RAPIER IS GREAT-IER!
Spear is lovely dear
Knife is life!
@@viktorthevictor6240Claymore is way more (better)
Katanas are my favorite sword for the most important reason possible... I think they look really fucking cool.
hell yeah brother
Even katana haters gotta admit when it comes to design and ascetic, very few weapons can meet katana. Makes sense considering their cultural significance. The tachi specifically will always be a personal favorite for me.
I prefer Tachi. They are so elegant.
@@silorion9967Haters will deny anything positive about the katana.
@@fransthefox9682 remember, the best way to confuse a katana hater is to ask them how europeans obtained iron (they don't know)
"Wanna see me get to the point? Wanna see me do it again?"
it deals bleed without being a serrated sword, Elden Souls taught me that
Truly a michael zaki move
Katanas being the "quick draw" sword is fun considering how westerns that popularized that concept were originally inspired by samurai movies. Just like a rifle has more ammo and is more accurate than a revolver, but a revolver is more practical to wear and faster to draw, the Katana is more practical to carry than for example a spear, and faster to draw than for example a Odachi.
Fallout New Vegas captures this quite nicely. The rifles are powerful, slow, and long-ranged, while the pistols are weaker, but allow you to shoot faster at shorter ranges. I often find pistols to be more decisive in a fight because missing a shot doesn't cost you as much downtime as missing a rifle shot does.
Interestingly, it does this with melee weapons too. The big two-handed weapons do a lot of damage, but are slow. While the little one-handed weapons are fast and can inflict a lot of damage in smaller bites. In a fight with multiple enemies, it's often better to have a FAST weapon than a super-powerful slow one.
even though the uses of those two other examples are different this is very true, and i love the katana just because it's so fast to unsheath, it's just super useful.
I'm no expert, but I think you nailed it. It's a blade with the intended use of being able to quickly dispatch one enemy at a time. Originally, wars in Japan in the Samurai period were fought at range. If it came to swordplay, things already went a bit topsy turvy, or it's mop up time. In either case, you want a tool you can bring to bear at any moment and also put away at any moment. You want it to be easy to move around with, and easy to carry while shooting a bow and arrow. You have lightly armored opponents, so you want a blade you can be accurate with, and which is small enough to find gaps in the armor. Has to be made from inferior iron ore.
If you're caught out by mistake, you kill the one guy, sheath and beat feet back to your friends. If you're mopping up, you want to be prepared for a sudden ambush or counter attack.
Checks all the boxes it needed to check. Add a few hundred years of that being the norm, and it starts to inform martial arts. Regular self defense tactics develop and work really well as a consequence of the aforementioned design constraints.
For that era of European warfare? Gimme a halberd OR a longbow.
In this era of Japanese warfare?? Shortbow and a Katana every day.
Samurai are most known for using the daikyū , a long bow designed to be used on horseback, they were every bit as deadly as a Mongol on horseback, they also used a lot of guns.
The low quality iron is highly misunderstood, the Iron sands are not as high quality, which is why they have a special process to make high quality steel, it's the reason for all the folding, the blades also used several different metals, many different sword makers with their own technique and specialization.
On a battlefield for sure you want Naginata and Yari, I wouldn't mind a Nagimaki and a bow
And guns, a retainer or 3 to hold and load more guns...
That's true for Heian period samurai, not so much for the Kamakura period going forwards and definitely a far cry during the Sengoku period, when they start to introduce guns or "teppo" in mass formations to great effect. Oda Nobunaga, one of the three great unifiers of Japan, was the first to use teppo successfully against Takeda Katsuyori's forces during the Battle of Nagashino. After mass volley fire, they would deploy samurai cavalry to break enemy formations with yari and once the fighting got super close, it would get very chaotic. That's the time you deploy sidearms like the katana/tachi.
Don't get me wrong, they still used yumi, however bows would become the purview of ashigaru rather than samurai since horseback archery or yabusame was proven obsolete when the Mongols attempted 2 invasions of Japan a few centuries back. Yabusame since then has been more of a ritualised religious thing.
A big part of the sword community has gone to the other extreme with katanas, especially those who are too new or those who are too biased about their tastes. I highly appreciate that throughout the 7 or so years I've been watching your channel you have always remained serious and objective with your opinions towards this and other misconceptions WITHIN the community.
Don't get me wrong, you're still funny. I'd say you're even funnier because you don't have to be over the top or loud to make me laugh.
Cutting through the fabric of space and time, obviously
Judgement Cut
@@desgroid Now i'm motivated !
"You're going down"
This used to be hilarious. These days, this quip feels like a pulverized goo of a horse cadaver.
THIS so much 👍
The katana being easier to draw makes alot of sense for a warrior culture where even the way to sit is prioritized towards being ready for battle in a moments notice.
Ease and quickness to draw the sword (or lack of thereof) is an aspect that I feel most people who have never or only rarely practice with a sword tend to underestimate.
I'm more of a late Reinassance - Napoleonic era guy, but something that I find a bit frustrating about my swords is how cumbersome it is to draw and sheathe a rapier or a longer infantry sabre, which is why I ended up favouring the shorter naval officer sabres.
This is why I'm a fan of the so-called "cutlass". Having a "better" sword won't help you much if you get cut down before you can unsheath.
@@Wastelandman7000 The cutlass' short, wide blade also makes it ideal for tight spaces--exactly what you'd want from a sword as a navy sailor.
Folk seem to like to mock Silver for his shit-talking of the "rapier" (which is beloved of most moderns), but I think the rapier is, for a bunch of very modern reasons; badly overrated. I think there's a lot of pretty clear problems with very long, thrusting sword when it comes to, say, getting into a street brawl; and it's easy to miss some things by doing fixed fights in hema.
There are some swords that are wonderful already-in-hand weapons; but have some big flaws if you're wearing it to stop yourself getting shived in the alehouse. On the other hand, you have swords that are pretty underwhelming in those already-in-hand situations; but are wonderful swords to wear at your side, day in, day out. It is all about context, and a duel isn't the same as self-defence. And I would also say that, for most swords over time (most often being backup weapons), battlefield use has more in common with the self-defence than it does for duels.
@@tommeakin1732It's like having a 5 pound pistol. If you're the one with the gun already drawn, you'll love the controllable recoil and (assumedly) high caliber. If you're the one who has to draw, you'll curse yourself for your choice.
@@tommeakin1732 A rapier has the best possible design for killing other men. It's length, balance, and speed make it ideal for a fatal stab, and no other weapon can compare to it in a one on one duel. Unarmored, of course. It would do well for a street brawl, as long as you mind your positioning.
For a big brawl, you're better off with one hand free, to fend off others, and the other with a lethal yet nimble blade. I'd suggest the cutlass, the gladius, or a messer for something like that. Of course, spear is king of the battlefield, has always been so, but we're talking about swords.
Battlefield? Shield and gladius for me, please. Tested and perfected for over a thousand years. Second best is shield and iklwa. Again, spears are even better, but we're talking about swords.
Everyday carry? My glock. When it comes to swords, it depends. Walking around on the street and not expecting trouble, I'd want something with a small hilt, not heavy, and easy to carry for general self defense. Chinese dao sword, or an arming sword. Indoors? Something like a wakizashi.
We need to send this video to Seki-sensei for review!
It’s interesting how the life cycle of the katanas reputation has gone. From being considered the best bladed weapon ever being made, and then the over-reaction of people thinking it’s trash, to people realizing that they’re basically good reliable weapons who served their users well.
Almost like the reason there are historical examples of swords being because they worked and were useful for their time
Interestingly, its reputation began centuries before the internet. Be it from an Asian or European nation, the overwhelming majority of quotes about Japanese swords has been positive. I only know of a single quote saying the contrary. Though even that one has more context behind it.
If weebs hadn't been weebs, we would be fine. The katana was a good sword for what was basically medieval Japan, it was culturally before the comparable era when Europe went to the longsword, when Japan also went to the tachi (o-dachi, etc).
But that conversation requires telling people ninjas and our image of samurai aren't real. The American image of ninjas/samurai literally comes from guys selling mail order catalogs in New York in the 80s. It back populated, so now literally any Japanese person who ever engaged in sneaking or spying is now classified as ninjutsu. And any Japanese person with a sword is a samurai. And that's all weeb. Looking at you, Assassin's Creed.
I think it's the way things go when something gets hyped up to a mythical degree. German WW2 tanks are going through the exact same discourse.
@@Zagskrag Precisely. Yes German heavies were mechanically unreliable and would often breakdown long before encountering the enemy, but if they did get there, they were a very dangerous opponent.
First critique is that you aren't using your left hand enough to assist in drawing and sheathing, though that isn't always a requirement depending on the style/sensei. The Seki-sensei channel has a videos about throw drawing and sheathing.
Coming from an armchair non-practitioner ofc
No you’re absolutely right, moving the saya (scabbard) around to assist in drawing is standard practice
he is also using what is historically considered a war length katana. A peace time katan is shorter and easier to draw at speed.
Moving scabbard with off hand is a common enough practice no one bother to point it out unless you are dealing woth vomplete newbs.
@@jintsuubest9331 okay? They’re nonpracticioners of kenjutsu. Pretty sure that qualifies
his katana is actually way too short to be a wartime katana
this looks much more like an edo period
It's like how a six shot muzzleloading revolver is a lot faster than a heavy machine gun in a quick draw duel
Or how despite being completely outdated even in the later 1800s, a Colt Single Action Army is still one of the fastest on the draw, compared to a Schofield or even double actions.
I'm not so sure... Technically, the machine gun is already out and aimed at the enemy. You just need to start firing. I'd rather be behind a big, mounted machine gun than have a small caliber 6-shooter.😅
@@KickyFutWell that’s what a machine gun is for, being mounted on a position facing the enemy, but you’re going to have a hell of a time trying to pull out an LMG as a sidearm.
Then again, I suppose no one is going to expect the second machine gun, and Rambo would approve.
@@zachmercer1065 such was my point! You don't need to draw the machine gun! It's out and ready to go. That's why I think it just may win!😅
@@astrotrek3534 didn't know that, pretty cool :o
The intro was perfect. A+
Pretty much an exploration of why the tachi gave way to the katana after the warring states era. General use went from battlefield weapon (once in close quarters) to... well a hundred different things from personal protection to legally required badge of nobility etc. The shift into the Edo period in terms of where and when you'd be fighting, the philosophy around it etc changed massively. The modern proportions we're all familiar with are a result of the change in use to more spiritual/sporting use than instruments of war, straighter blades to match the shinai used in practice, decorative hamon patterns for artistic beauty and showcasing the smith's skill vs the older line following the cutting edge to have harder and softer steel where they should be for function during actual bloody combat. Endlessly interesting and stuff I imagine most people having this in their youtube history could talk about for hours! One thing I do want to mention about the ease of shifting the saya from belted to held is the sageo cord, yours in this example is in a decorative knot, when worn for iaido (and probably use back in the day but there's a weird lack of documentation that is its own rabbit hole etc) it's tied to the hakama to stop it slipping as you move more rigorously than walking about and so on, and the management of it is highly structured and deliberate at the start and end of practice... as almost every part of japanese martial arts tend towards to be fair!
As a iai and kenjutsu practitioner, you are correct. I prefer a longer blade and shorter handle as well. In ancient budo, Kobudo, longer blades 30+ inches with shorter tsuka 10in were preferred. Which is why Kobudo is my preference in study. Even with a longer blade, the drawing is smooth.
I've heard the argument that for Western practitioners the katana should generally be longer than what's traditional in Japan, due to the taller average height.
@@Skallagrim That is generally true, but my Sensei's have told me to use the longest katana you can. It depends more on arm and torso length. I'm only 168cm tall but I use a 2.7shaku (81.8cm) nagasa katana. Based on the standard chart for katana length based on my height, my katana should be at most 2.4 shaku (72.7cm). So it really depends on your Ryuha and Sensei. There is quite a bit of variety.
I preferred a rather short (28") sword for iaijutsu. It's so easy to draw it feels like cheating- although once everyone has their blades out, the lack of reach would probably become an issue
@@Skallagrim but the katana wasn't used much over the odachi or tachi which were much longer, also europeans were actually shorter than asians, because when marco polo and alot of people met the mongols like the russians and hungarians, they called them orcs or hordes since they were so much taller, the reasons why modern asians were short was because of malnutrition, the dutch was the shortest people in europe before ww2.
I've heard of a shower gun for potential home intruders while you're in the buff, but never a shower sword...hmm. I suppose my long handle back scrubber will have to do.
If it's made of lacquered hardwood, I wouldn't wanna get domed with that.
I just saw a video about a guy who made a polycarbonate katana (search RUclips for "transparent katana"). It's a perfect shower sword.
Seems paranoid in the extreme. Besides, your towel is right there and those make fine weapons.
edit: Unless you're Musashi. Then it's just sensible.
I have a shower knife. It, appropriately, is a dive knife.
I just saw a video about a guy who made a polycarbonate katana (search RUclips for "transparent katana"). It's a perfect shower sword.
A pirate crew and a team of ninjas joined forces for a difficult mission.
The pirate captain explained his plan. "When I give the signal, I want you to draw your swords as fast as possible! Can you do that?"
The ninjas answered, "Iai, captain!"
Hey Skall, the way you draw it is far from perfect but it’s also not that bad. One way to improve is to watch how the pros do it and pay attention to their left hand (sheath hand). It does a lot more than you think, in both drawing and sheathing.
The ability to sheath with out taking your eyes off of your surroundings sounds like something that would be huge on a battlefield. When all the chaos fills your ears and your armor also slightly limits your senses, maintaining your sight on possible danger is a big plus. I wonder if there are any anecdotes about noticing a threat while in the middle of sheathing in any culture.
Speaking on anecdotes, other Asian cultures like China and Korea speak highly of the cutting ability of Japanese swords as well as European quotes of the same era. Though I agree it is the best cutter in the world, likely going to some kind of specialized executioners sword, they were recognized as being high quality and having great cutting abilities. If you follow Gunsen History on twitter, he had a great thread of these quotes.
For all the reasons you mentioned, it goes to show why the katana excelled in the civilian environment that was the Edo period.
you probably aren't sheathing your sword on a battlefield. Its your secondary, if you pull it at all your in trouble, the odds of you having time to carefully resheath your secondary in the midst of fight are next to zero
@@primeministersinister625 not necessarily in the midst of a fight. You’d likely sheath it during a lull in the fighting in order to grab a primary weapon laying around. Seeing more danger approaching while sheathing then gives you the info for you to decide whether to stick with your secondary or risk it and reach for a primary weapon on the ground.
If you have to resort to your secondary, it’s not like you have to use it for the rest of the battle
I figure it’s more of a built in zanshin/situational awareness exercise, like in a lot of kata training (almost all koryu I’m aware of), probably with a handful of plausible explanations, although I do agree it’s not likely about being on a battlefield.
@@primeministersinister625 I would agree in most cases--but say your spear gets knocked out of your hands or someone attacks too close to use your bow and you draw your secondary; if you fight that attacker off _and_ get a chance, you're going to want to pick your primary weapon back up and go back to fighting with that. Similar to, say, a modern day soldier having to fall back on their sidearm because, for example, their rifle jammed and they don't have time to clear it just now. They'll want to switch back to the rifle when they have the chance but aren't just going to want to just drop their sidearm to do it. There's good reason to practice stowing weapons as much as you practice drawing them. That way you can stow a back-up weapon quickly and efficiently so you aren't stuck having to either abandon it, or not switch back to a superior primary weapon.
But even outside of that possibility, the basic idea can still apply. If you had to draw and fight to defend yourself in a non-battlefield context, a great moment for a secondary attack would be when you thought the fight was over and were putting your weapon away. Perhaps even...someone starts being intimidating towards the swordsman to get them to draw, then runs off...then the actual attacker jumps them while they are occupied putting their weapon away. Being able to keep your head on a swivel while stowing a weapon would make such an act harder than if you were busy looking down, lining the blade point up with the scabbard.
True, but, on a battlefield you should properly be wearing armor. It has been noted that swords don't cut through iron shirts very well which is why pole arms ruled the battlefield when the armies came to melee. Same as everywhere else. Not ragging on the katana by any means. It is a very good dueling sword. Fair battlefield sword too. My point was more that on the battlefield its a backup weapon for all cultures (except maybe the Romans). Its generally the pole arms and the bows that decide the matter. (and later the guns)
People in the katana debate tend to be ignorant of the historical context of the weapon. It was an everyday-carry weapon for the warrior class of Japan, for self defense. It needed to be easy to draw and handle, and didn’t necessarily have to concern itself with fighting people with longer weapons or against armor or horses. When they did, they altered the form of the katana to be longer, weightier, etc. It was essentially the self defense handgun of Japanese warfare.
The reason why the katana is mythologized in Japan is the same reason the revolver pistol was mythologized in the US. People love to make media about how a duelist and his weapon were so powerful they never missed, or could cut through solid steel, or whatever. Obviously that wasn’t the case in real life. But these weapons wouldn’t persist for centuries in warfare if they were completely useless. They have strengths and are purpose-built.
You've seemed happier these days my dude. Whatever you're doing, keep it up!!
Speed is very important! Why you might ask? Because we allllll know "The First Cut is The Deepest" ....... I will see myself out...lol
I mean, jokes aside, it is true. The first cut is usually the best because you are at your best in the beginning - you are not yet too injured or too tired - and the faster you can dispatch your opponent, the better.
Get out of here, Rod Stewart!
@@LordReginaldMeowmont It was written by Cat Stevens in 1967. But I prefer Sheryl Crows version to Cat's or Rod lol
@@Chris.Haines. agreed. Sheryl Crow did it best.
I'm proud to say I was only ever aware of the Cat Stevens version.
I just never get tired of absolutely nerding the hell out of sword related topics XD love your videos bro! Inspiring confidence and passion in this one here ❤
The fact that you’re open to advice on something like the katana for example is great 👌🏻 love the attitude & will to learn
4:45 modern katana, even real ones made in Japan nowdays, generally have a much longer handle. This was never meant to be, in the older times tachi and early uchigatana (so called "koto" which means old swords) have a much shorter handle that really works well with the blade length, meanwhile modern katana pretty much have a longsword-length handle with a blade much shorter than longsword, making it slightly awkward and even harder to use. Many traditional Japanese dojo still holds katana as if the handle is only 2/3 of its length, some even hold it like a baseball bat (two fists stacking together), the legendary "modern Samurai" Isao Machii holds his sword like that.
Being ergonomic as heck being it's biggest plus makes sense considering it was more rank signifier than weapon for the whole shogunate.
Loving the new studio look. Haven't been around for a while and it's a good look.
Found this really entertaining, I like these deep dives into weapon history and culture,, not just necessarily the act of using it but the area around that, transport, maintenance, construction, the how's and whys of things and also what people thaught back in the day about these weapons and gear.
I suggest taking a look at Seki Sensei on his draw tutorial. I can't put a link in comments but it is called "How to Train "Throw" Draw at Home"
You can just copy and paste the link if you're on a computer. You could go through Google Chrome and copy the link from there for phones. But it's not always reliable.
A messer is indeed besser.
Avoided katana memes and created a messer meme.
But an estoc is bestoc.
"a Messer is just Besser" LoL I'm dying right now ☆
Also Katana is not a main primary weapon, its more like a sidearm so your argument makes sense. A sidearm should be easy to use and fast to draw.
Katanas are the colt of feudal japan.
I completely agree,
It is quite funny how people compare the katana to the rapier and the saber saying its defective against them while the whole point of a katana & a rapier/saber is different.
I mean the whole point of a katana is its quickness, its not even speed, its just the quickness and how the sword can follow the order of your hand perfectly, its not perfect at thrusting but its good enough, its not perfect for heaavy two handed attacks but its good enough,
what this sword is perfect at is slashing, not the type of slashing that you use with a shamshir or egyptian das swords, but a more quick & precise slash that doesn't require you throwing your hand.
Great video, also about what you saidin the video, there are actually sword unsheathing techniques in kenjutsu, known as battoujutsu, made from the two words: "battou" meaning unsheathing, and "jutsu" meaning art.
It seams right.
It's a backup weapon for an archer.
Convenience is first, but you still should be able to fight with it without the shield.
And polearms. Swords get all the glory cause they are cool but "war weapons" were bows and polearms, mostly spears. Katana and most swords were backup weapons. Even in European warfare this was true.
they were also spearmen.
Polearms, firearms, bows, giant baseball bats and hammers sometimes, on horse, on foot, on board a ship. There was a *lot* of diversity in how a samurai might fight on the battlefield; the sword is the thing they'll all have in common.
Good vid as usual, always appreciate your fair approach to these kinds of topics.
There are variations from school to school but all have you to some degree pulling back the scabbard with the left hand as you draw with the right. This will speed up deployment even more. I think the focus on draw attacks is due to the different nature of duels in the East from the West. In the West duels seemed generally less spontaneous and even if not actually scheduled affairs there was some preparations made before hand. In Japan duels could occur with very little provocation or warning.
I think as you said the scabbard is what really distinguishes the katana. Not just the ability to pull it forward or back in the sash while drawing, but also twisting or rotating it while drawing greatly changes the angle of the draw cut between the horizontal and the vertical allowing for a huge variety of angle/direction/blade orientation when cutting from the scabbard.
Great video!
The unsheathe skill in Elden Ring seems to get it right
Part of it is also the fact that the one who is considered the aggressor is the first to show the steel of the blade, at least that's what i heard one japanese instructor claim. This is also why you see them pulling the whole scabbard forward, as it lets you essentially draw halfway without your sword leaving the scabbard. Though you see similar ideas in the west, at the very least in pop fiction westerns, where the first to actually grab and unholster is the aggressor in a standoff.
My father-in-law is a swordsmith from Kyushu, descended from a line of swordsmiths, and gifted me what he calls a "katana" from his family as a wedding gift dating back to the mid-18th century. It's astonishingly short and in the Wakizashi range with only ~45cm blade, so I was surprised he insisted it's a "Katana" (specifically "Shirasaya") and corrected me when I asked if it is a "Wakizashi" and apparently still the primary sidearm of Samurai during the period in the Southern area of Japan.
So I asked him why it's so small and he demonstrated how quick it is to draw and sheath (he's also a Kendo teacher and very skilled at handling the sword), repeatedly sheathing and unsheathing the sword with deft motions just like how you emphasized in this video. Apparently this ability to very rapidly draw and sheath the sword (as well as conceal it) was prized even among nobility during this area and time period of Japan.
Also he taught me that during this period in Kyushu, most of the battles fought by samurai were naval battles on ships with cannons, firearms, and bows, and some close-quarter fighting in what I imagine to be very tight spaces with lots of bodies. So the swords apparently evolved to be a lot smaller to favor this type of tight combat. It's also surprisingly lacking a handguard, but apparently wasn't considered important for this type of fighting (I wanted to ask if they wore an alternative form of hand protection to compensate for the lack of hand guard but my Japanese is terrible and I only understood half of what he said while my wife translated the rest).
I'm admittedly not even close to being an expert and feel a bit guilty hanging this beautiful piece of history in my home without knowing much about the history, but I found it so interesting that yours is the first video I encountered prioritizing the quick ability to draw the sword which is something my father-in-law emphasized a lot with the sword he gifted me.
I still maintain that without the minuki... i think that's what they're called. The little art pieces on the handle. That the skin and wrapped grip the katana has is one of the most secure I've experienced.
It does feel very nice, but that's coningent on it being a well done wrap. I've seen hundred dollar katanas that have stellar wraps, and some approaching the thousand dollar market with loose wraps.
I have even heard that menuki is supposed to help with the grip and that that is supposed to be it's main purpose. But generally, my sense is from handling them, it just doesn't have much effect one way or the other. The grip is all about the wrappings.
@@SirConto in my experience, you're pretty spot on. They're largely decorative, but the wrap can be done in such a way that the menuki can impact the grip but it's usually mostly up to the wrap itself
Finally someone that gets it. It is speed to the cut that can win the encounter or defend and counter strike quickly. Nice work
Iai-do - the art of the draw/cut offensive - a life saving technique for the wielder vs the opponent who looses theirs. Today it is an art that instills a centered calmness and openness to their environment and their opponent's reflection in it.
7:30 actually, the best cutting implement is water, and if the water nation attacked medieval europe and japan they would have all fallen under the power of hydraulic jets. Sadly carrying a Hydraulic Water Jet sword isn't very convenient or cheap
Couldn’t agree more. 👍 It’s what makes iado so much fun.
On a side note, I love when guys like yourself and Matt Easton get into the Japanese weapons. As a Japanese martial arts student, but also someone who grew up in love with stories of knights in shining armor and all that, I personally love the variety but also the interesting dialog that comes out of it. In fact it was both of your responses to Seki Senseis video where he tried out a longsword which brought me to your channels in the first place.
i am practicing mugai ryu iai and kenjutsu (mugai ryu was founded in the 1600s by tsuji gettan). what people often dont think about is that there is no standart "katana". you can have an uchigatana (full name of what most understand as katana) thats 60 cm or thats 90 cm. you can have one that is as good as straight, or have one that has a 4cm curve depth.
During war periods like sengoku jidai or the bakumatsu rebelion, you see uchigatana getting longer and heavier, while during the edo period, they get lighter and more artsy. what people understand of katana is mostly just the fraction of edo period that is often referenced in pop culture.
another factor is that the reproduction market isnt great when it comes to variety, a good 99% of repro uchigatana have almost the exact same length and curvature, the handles usually are also quite on the long side compared to historical references.
Yeah, wasn't it also a thing in the Edo period that even for the Samurai the swords they were allowed to carry day-to-day was limited in size. I think something like 86 cm for the long sword (2 feet and 10 inches) and 55 cm (1 foot 9.6 inches) for the shorter sword. These lengths in total, including the blade and hilt
@@dragon12234 it would always be measured on the cutting edge, not including the hilt or anything. for the longer sword the limit was 3 shaku (90.9 cm) for the shorter one it was 2 shaku (60.6)
That flanged mace is BEAUTIFUL!
And the big knife looking thing to the right, with the right-angled hand guard thing, has such a gorgeous look to it, such nice shapes.
Time to watch the main weapon man
Great video. Short and to the point . Please make more videos like that. Especially with the arming sword and the long sword .
I appreciate the focus on design elements other than the blade. It seems like they get overlooked by non-hyperfocused nerds, even though they can have more of an impact on the experience of actually wearing it all the time.
Some thoughts:
I think Matt Easton and Matthew Jensen have done some videos about O-Katana, noting that the kind of katana you can usually buy is on the small side, even for a lot of one-handed swords, but that this fits with the descriptions from Chinese sailors who noted that Japanese pirates of the time were quite short, even compared to their own pre-industrial statures.
When they both tried O-Katanas more proportional to their sizes, they found them much more comparable to something like a longsword, and in the case of Matthew Jensen it highlighted the importance of all the little details of the traditional drawing technique, which he had previously been able to skip over because the blade was just so short for him.
So the principle of a short (for the user) blade and wearing it with (an) edge facing up still allows for a similar quick draw-into-downwards cut when using any suitable sword. For example, the under-arm position from i33 certainly seems like it could be used as a draw-into-cut.
The positive attributes you listed, along with the more convenient one-handed grip (recurved which may help in a thrust), is why I've long considered something like the Wo Yao Dao from LK Chen to be one of the most appealing swords for me. (I don't have one, just admiring from afar)
In the past I've heard some people talk about the Habaki as an additional benefit in the draw. The metal collar that fits the blade tightly into the scabbard is only a couple centimeters long, and once you've drawn it that far the blade is now loose with very little friction.
I have no experience to compare this with other scabbards (profile and distal taper being a thing would suggest any blade experiences less friction as you draw) but it is at least interesting to note. And I appreciate the distinctive sound it can make, such that Japanese media rarely uses the "shing" sound effect that's been so discussed.
I don't blame you for lusting after the Wo Yao Dao, it is a pretty sword.
Then again I want everything in LK Chen's catalog LOL
Ironically or not, the Chinese katana-like swords seem like a better match for taller swordsmen!
Great vid! LOVE that you showed the main weakness of the rapier in the context of the biggest strength of the uchigatana mount style.
Chinese repros often have 11" tsuka on 28" blades. That is really too small for most average size Americans, although some ryuha focus on everyone with a slightly shorter blade (or beginners as well). It's really not the right proportion.
You could definitely go with a shorter handle longer blade. Handle lengths and blade lengths are almost always determined differently per ryuha for kenjutsu vs your size, but classically wouldn't have been super strict outside of (during Edo) what was legal (around 34 inches or below nagasa depending on late or early Edo). It usually works out that it's normally handle length is is about 1/3 of the blade length. Also blade length is to the munemachi, not the bottom of the habaki, so there is usually around 1/2-3/4 inch extra on the length past nagasa.
My iaito is currently a 31.5" nagasa with a 10.5" tsuka. In the style I am practicing I can safely use up to around a 36" nagasa, but that is pushing it to max and slower to draw, not great for one hand techniques. I would probably go 33" if I wanted the perfect length for me (iaito are hard to come by at that length). Grip I would leave at 10.5" unless I went above 33.5".
Muramachi period uchigatana would have been more of a messer size (up to larger refitted tachi), with similar handle lengths and everything as the main was a spear (gun or bow). Earlier would have more often than not been a hung style tachi with a usually longer blade, with a balance point a little closer to the hilt for easier one hand use. More of a calvary sabre vs the uchigatana's edge up through the sash methodology.
That 11" tsuka that is common on the 28" blade would more than likely be somewhere between 9 and 10" on an antique.
It would be worth noting that in Japan they often only wore armor when on campaign. So quick draw definitely is superior in a situation where nobody is wearing an iron shirt....You introduce armor and the quick draw has somewhat reduced efficiency. Also while your sword couldn't be quickly deployed your off hand implement could. A buckler or parrying dagger can be drawn very quickly buying you time to draw your longer weapon. From what I've read a buckler was often worn hooked over the sword hilt. So you could hook it with your thumb and deploy it quickly while your other hand was dragging out whatever long blade you carry.
And when on campaign, they will always go for the yari (bladed spear, also forged using techniques for the katana) anyways.
youre spot on. nukitsuke in times of peace, absolutely made the katana a viable weapon and was one of its characteristic and most notable advantages. most schools base a fair portion of their practice on the many techniques involved around it. You mentioned the length of the tsuka. tsuka were not always as long as that one you have. 10ish inches was a good length and I actually found that just over 7.5 inches was an excellent length for more nimble cutting. traditionally, this sort of length of tsuka you would find on kata-te uchi along with the curvature being further toward the tip, or saki sori. I ended up gifting that sword to someone else, i miss it to this day :)
ZERO MEMES???!??!??
NANI???
NO MEMES
We could start making memes about Longswords since they're next in line for most over hyped, but that really wouldn't help anybody
Remember, no memes
Memes about the Mitsubishi A6M?!?
The carry-ability of the uchigatana makes sense since it was only a secondary weapon on the battlefield and then virtually regulated to just a status symbol until the end of the Edo period.
katanas are awesome weapons
Another awesome video. Skallagrim freakin rules in that topic. In addition to always well served compressed info You ALWAYS makes me smile Skall. Even during darkest times. Thank You so much for that. Your energy is amazing
Another interesting thing with the Katana and/or Tachi in my own research that adds to why you always seem to get a good scabbard with them is... A form of fighting that I can't remember the name of, but it involved using the scabbard in your offhand as a defensive/parry tool, and the Katana in the main hand. So, the laquered wood being so smooth to slide in and out is absolutely an intended part of that, I believe. Is it a great defensive tool? No. But it's better than nothing, if needed. But, that also could be wrong. After all, it's hard to trust many sources these days
More than likely Sōjutsu. There are probably other styles with a similar philosophy, but Sōjutsu is probably the most popular. Uses a lot of spear techniques as well.
@@SuperFizzah That does sound familiar, so, yes, I think that's the one I was reading about.
Another great, informative video. Thank you and keep them coming, Skall
Hey Skall did you watch Ross Scott´s last video on Accursed Farms about the Stop Killing Games campaign? Maybe you can help with the european audience to get signatures!
Love your videos, thanks!
I wouldn't say that I'm very experienced in any kenjustu but have done a bit of iaido (a branch of kenjustu mostly focused on drawing, striking and sheathing) so I feel like I can share some of what I have been taught and give some minor pointers. Mostly the basics, there are a lot of techniques and styles that change one or more things but I think these are some things that are good to know for beginners.
Some tips about sheathing the katana in the scabbard (saya in japanese):
1. Slower is better, not just from a safety perspective, but it also looks better.
2. Choke up on the end of the scabbard so the blade does not touch the scabbard, you want to guide it by "squeezing" it between your thumb and index finger. Just don't go too high so the skin between your thumb and index finger is over the opening of the scabbard.
3. You want the blade and scabbard to almost be at a right angle from each other but rest it on the meaty part between your thumb and index finger and the inside of your index finger near the knuckle (find a position that feels stable and good for you).
4. Slide the blade forward until you can feel the tip traveling across and slightly beyond that meaty part.
5. "Rest" the blade on your index finger, this will be the pivot point for aligning the scabbard and the blade. At 0:31 you can see the tip "drop" from the back of the scabbard to the front when you are aligning it, that can cause cuts and other nasty things and can't happen if it was resting against your index finger.
6.There are multiple ways to align, but a simple and safe one is to lower and tilt your left hand and let the right hand follow. Since the left hand is closer to the pivot point it requires less movement to align then with the right hand. Try to not let the blade slide on your index finger, you can lightly pinch the blade if it helps.
7. Make sure the skin between your thumb and index finger is NOT over the opening of the scabbard or at risk of being cut by the edge of the blade. If you want you can raise the thumb to be prepared to "catch" the guard (tsuba), this will also ensure that you wont cut the skin but make sure you raise it enough so you don't cut the thumb itself.
8. Slide the blade into the scabbard by using both your hands, moving the right hand backwards and the left hand forward, you will move the right hand more, but since the left hand is probably close to your left hip it is slightly awkward to move your right hand so far, it is better to let them meet around "10 to 11 a clock".
Also, some pointers about the drawing itself:
* Since the scabbard is closer to round than most other scabbards it is easier to rotate it in the belt or sash, this is used a lot.
* You can rest the left thumb on the guard and use it to push the blade a bit forward before the right hand grabs it, this removes the "thump" at the beginning of the draw and allows the energy to go into the slash instead of "dislodging" the blade. It also makes the draw smoother and a gives a bit more control.
* Don't grab the hilt with a closed fist, this will make your wrist and arm twist at the end of the draw. Instead allow the sword to turn into the correct position when you are past the scabbard by closing and tightening your grip.
* The scabbard guides the sword, so use your left hand to turn it in the direction of the swing, a draw into a straight down cut it a bit hard, so if you angle it a bit and do a slight crosscut slash it will flow a bit better.
* You can use that to do horizontal cuts, upward cuts and much more as long as you angle and position the scabbard in the direction of the draw you want to do. In the beginning of the video (0:25 and 0:41) when you showed some cuts you drew the sword straight and then twisted it afterwards which looses speed and power compared to if the sword was angled when you begun.
* At the end of the draw you can use the left hand to pull the scabbard back, making the unsheathing happen a bit earlier. This not only makes it so you can swing faster but also allows you to start moving the sword with more force before you are extended with your right arm.
* For a bit more advanced draw you can wait with the twisting until the end of the draw, but the twisting should be done with the left hand not the right.
* When resting your left hand on the scabbard, try to have it a bit in front of you and when you want to draw guide it toward your right hand. This lets you draw earlier and you don't need to reach awkwardly far with your right hand.
4:28 "not that they generally allowed the carry of swords in most towns"
That's why it's called a messer, german for knife, bans would be based on blade length.
So they would just call it a knife instead of a sword and make it short enough to be allowed.
Is that a proven fact? I can't imagine that the judge would care a lot about what you call your weapon. Also, the Japanese word katana also just means knife (or at least it uses the Chinese character for knife). There simply aren't a lot of different names for one-sided cutty things.
@@3st3st77 It's the literal reason why they're called messers. There was a ban on swords and swordmaking, so they circumvented it by making "Knives".
The name isn't fooling the law. Knife makers just wanted to get in on the sword-making money.
@@tarille1043 That is not quite right. In Germany swords were not banned at all. In some towns it was even required to have weapons by law. However there were guilds back then that had monopolies in their respective fields. Swords were only allowed to be made by members of the swordmaker guild. There was also a knifemaker guild, and they wanted to poach a bit of business of the swordmakers. Swords and knives were defined by their hilts, so they just put a knife hilt on a long blade, called it a messer, and made quite a bit of money off of that.
@@XS69 That seems to make more sense.
I hadn't thought about this angle but the way you explain it makes a ton of sense. Thanks, Skall!
Memes aside?
With a Katana, they must always have memes present
I give it twenty minutes before somebody mentions lawn chairs.
To meme is to live.
Quickness is a good point. The draw cut was probably one of the main reasons it's shaped as it is. (citation needed)
Being the weeb in the room, I always feel like you need to talk about the context it was used in history to fully understand it. Why would the samurai want a quick weapon over something more versatile?
Battoujutsu (literally pull out technique) has been prominent since before the katana. And I think it can be related to etiquette, or societal norms/laws (specifics are hard to find from back then). In essence; When someone shows their blade (except with great apologies beforehand), they are treated as an aggressor that you are within your full right to draw your own blade to... take care of... in self-defense.
Hence, when you see your opponent's blade, you probably want to draw your sword quite quickly. Chances are, they also know how to draw fast, so having that katana specifically engineered to draw even faster could make the difference.
Are there actual draw attacks in HEMA?
I've never seen you or really anyone else talk about draw cuts with HEMA lol.....did it just never happen?
EDIT: I guess a better way to phrase it would be is there a Iaido equivalent in HEMA?
This. I honestly never thought of the combination of a unsheathing pommel strike followed by a regular strike
Maybe, I think they are in some treatise. But not commonly talked about.
I recall seeing some treatise that covered some self defense application, though usually in the form of using a still sheathed sword as a blunt weapon until you had time/space to unsheathe.
A lot of treatise simply focus on duels, wherein weapons start already drawn.
Contrast to katana, which are mostly a self-defence/backup weapon where drawing them in combat is their purpose so you do get more focus on draw cuts (With styles specifically focused around them).
Fiore has some techniques but they all are from the position where you are holing the sheathed sword in your left hand and not in the belt. It’s pretty limited but still very interesting
It's while watching a video of yours like this that I take a long moment to pause, and think:
"Nagamaki, why do you exist? You're neither a type of great sword or a pole arm, yet show some characteristics of both catagories."
I say this, and I actually do own a Nagamaki that I have no clue how to use properly. I remember an older video that you had made detailing your thoughts on the Nagamaki, and it actually inspired me to buy one of my own. I still don't own a single Katana, but as always your insight is well valued.
Did...you just say you studied the blade?
No. :p
Your knowledge of blades is excellent.
From 6.50 and on...... is 100% correct. Every single sword is different, with pros and cons. Every blade, axe or spear has specific advantages and disadvantages. But learning those and exploiting those in battle is winning vs losing.
I eat rocks
Same
you must also shit rocks
Do you swallow them, too
I don't know if the appropriate is respectful, but you were very respectful at the start with stating that you are gonna make mistakes and you were open to correction if there was one needed from people knowledgeable in kenjutsu , I've always liked to watch your stuff and this kind of thing (besides others that make me enjoy your videos so much more) that makes me appreciate you more, from the standpoint of a random guy in the interent, thank you for doing what you do
Excellent video, thank you. Not enough people point out this fact.
There's just one thing that I'd like to address about Iai : it is not only about drawing the sword and cutting at the same time.
There are plenty of techniques like that of course, but it is not a necessity. Drawing the sword to parry, then counter attacking is also Iai. Drawing the sword back or to the side then stab is also Iai. Some techniques are about drawing the sword and just pointing it toward an approaching opponent. And some techniques are not defensive at all, but are actually surprise attacks.
The point is : Iai is much more versatile than it is actually known for.
It makes absolute sense that the katana's best niche is quickly drawing and striking. It was a weapon of self-defense in an environment where samurai were betraying each other left and right and assassins could attack at any moment, and even on the battlefield you needed to get to your sword quickly if you were disarmed or your primary weapon broke. If you were jumped in the street by a couple of hired ronin killers or your yari broke in the middle of a battle, getting your sword out of its scabbard and into a guard or striking position could be the difference between life or death.
The deal with the quickdrawing is as more a matter of the suspension system than the sword itself. The length of the katana is about as long as you can draw at speed reliably; the difference in speed to any other sword of the same blade length is negligible at best. However, the loose and adjustable suspension system using the _sageo_ makes it extremely changeable and thus adaptable for drawing. While I suspect the curvature may _slightly_ further optimize it for the draw, it is such a miniscule factor as to be almost irrelevant.
I have an entire public playlist about this topic on my account if anyone wants to look at it.
I'm so happy your channel is still going well! I think I follow you since 2015, and it's always nice to see the followers increasing
Gotta love a short simple and grounded Skall video
idk why but i feel like a collab between you and "lets ask shogo" about kenjutsu would be interesting
At last, a sensible take on the katana! Thank you!
It's interesting to see the crossover with modern self defense in terms of sheathing without looking in that a lot of modern defensive handgun doctrine has your holster without looking for the same reasons.
It's of course debated with safety concerns especially when it comes to appendix carry so it's not a standard but it's still interesting.
I would advise being cautious when holstering instead.
I haven't met anyone who has been jumped again mid holster and couldn't just draw it in time again.
I have however, met people who have shot themselves down the side of their leg while reholstering. (Mostly bikers and cops)
@@1stCallipostle id have to agree. Though it's a good skill to have if practiced dry
IMO That's the point in late middle ages was planty of types weapon for every Day carrying, messers, short sword, even daggers because also of law.
Katana covers every Day carrying sword and(secondary) battlefield weapon
And third thing - nobility sign
Something you said, and something I think many people don't take into account when comparing katanas to other swords, is that they are two-handed weapons. As far as accessibility/movement/draw speed, it's pretty hard to beat a katana when compared to other two-handed blades. But when you start talking about range, stabbyness , or the fact that you can have a similar length or longer sword in one hand with a sheild or off hand weapon in the other, the katana starts to show its downsides.
Great video. No one references the art of drawing the blade or convenience of wearing one.
As a practiioner of Musou Shinden Ryuu, I greatly appreciated this video. Katana tend to be either overhyped into some anime fantasy, or downplayed as being just a worse longsword made out of horrible iron. This video and what you say in it corresponds very well with what I've experienced when training. Drawing the sword into a cut is almost 50% of the swings I've done, and it gets ridiculously fast.
You can pull the scabbard back a bit in the latter half of your sword draw to get it out even faster than you are showing here by the way. But even so, great technique considering your experience level is what you say yourself. Your general sword skill shines through!
You got it right broski a katana is perfect for everyday weapon because of the quick deployment is very hard to counter unless you have a katana yourself but the quick draw it makes a difference
Due to this being a Skallagrim video I expected edge alignment first. And that's the main good thing I remember you saying about Katanas so I was a bit surprised this wasn't even in the video. Drawing speed was only my second guess but with way less confidence.
Great video! I have a tip for you about drawing and sheething a katana. You don't want to draw using your right hand. What i mean is that you should use your left hand to move the katana in front of you with the end of the handle on your center, loosly grab the handle and draw using your left hand, that pulls back the sheeth and turn your hips as your pulling back with your left hand. Seki-sensei has a great video about this, it's one of his earliest videos with "Throw draw" in the name.
I agree with you Skal. Different tools for different jobs.
One of your best videos. Hope you cover other swords like the horse slayer or kunai etc
Interesting video. After over twenty years of studying iaido, I think that the speed of the katana has three other important aspects to consider. One is that it is worn with the cutting edge up which allows the user to immediately present the correct edge to whatever cut they are performing. Second, in the samurai culture sword study started at a very early age and with continued practice the speed of the draw with such a weapon becomes a matter of muscle memory. Lastly because the sword is worn in an obi (sash) the angle of the draw is extremely easy to alter on any given target.
Keep up the good work.
The katana is a more effective every-day sidearm, the longsword is a better weapon on the battlefield, and the rapier is pure performance in a duel...
Watching you sheathe the katana is really satisfying.
There's something so satisfying about the sound it makes when you sheathe or unsheathe it.
Also to reduce the noise of the saya when drawing if i remember correctly you need to keep some peressure on the spine on the blade.
Its kind of crazy, i saw the title, said to myself "The drawstroke probably" and clicked the video 😂 i definitely agree with you on the scabbard (or saya for any nerds that want to police my language.) Katanas feel like theyre sold as a complete package, which makes them a much more enticing value proposition for me. Buying a saber or a messer or some other large blade, I know im gonna have to sort a scabbard seperately, or possibly its own belt and hanger as well. I also really appreciate the fact that you can get all the same features of a katana in different form factors. You can get a wakizashi, a kokatana, an O-katana, and several other length variations where you still get that great grip (in my opinion) blade shape, and scabbard. I primarily care about hobbyist cutting, I practiced iaido for a year and some months, as well as mat cutting for a similar amount of time, i dont consider myself an expert, but I definitely think my opinion has been formed by at least some practical experience compared to the "folded a thousand times in the flames of mount fuji" audience that seems to make up a sizeable amount of the katana fandom 😂
Interesting warhammer in the background
2:07 That's what my urologist said...