The Katana

Hello,

I practice aikido and swordsmanship. Because of this, I have found the katana to become my favorite weapon. Alongside the bo, it is one of the most universal weapons.

The art of the katana requires great discipline but, when attained, great skills can be demonstrated.

Consider the following:

Katana vs 9mm Pistol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNiX_l-HEGM
+ The katana can split bullets of certain caliber. However, I have yet to ever see someone willing to demonstrate the ability to do this live.

Katana vs Arrow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouU19zvF9xk
+ One of the greatest and rarest skills that gave reason to revere the swordsman in the great ancient wars.

Extreme Katana demonstration:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lueuQu62nRQ
+ A very talented demonstration

Do you have a favored weapon? Any others that practice kendo, shurikendo, etc?

I plan on posting pictures soon of my katana..

Edit; I forgot to mention how much I hate anime and cartoons have made the katana cliche. I really like this sword, but I hate how its always used in such cheesy ways.
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Katana vs. machine gun
=P

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Originally Posted by arby

Katana vs. machine gun
=P

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Yeah, like I said.. some caliber.
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Those are some seriously awesome videos. I'm not experienced in any weapon, but I have been considering training in some sort of swordplay or swordsmanship.

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Katana vs 9mm Pistol:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNiX_l-HEGM
+ The katana can split bullets of certain caliber. However, I have yet to ever see someone willing to demonstrate the ability to do this live.

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I saw them do that on Mythbusters. It was awesome. :cooler:

Check this shit out, too. :shock:
Katana vs. 50-cal machine gun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sHTJAKN-5k

They may have destroyed the sword, but it still cut through about 6 bullets. That's incredible.

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Katana vs Arrow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouU19zvF9xk
+ One of the greatest and rarest skills that gave reason to revere the swordsman in the great ancient wars.

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Not saying it can't be done, but you can tell, by the angle of the bowstring, that she wasn't pulling it back as hard as someone that was actually attacking might have. I definitely couldn't do that, though, so I'm taking nothing away from the swordsman.

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Do you have a favored weapon? Any others that practice kendo, shurikendo, etc?

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Katana has always been my favorite weapon, but I love so many other weapons for different reasons. The bo-staff is my second favorite, followed by the nunchaku. I've never had any formal training on either of them, but I've got a few good moves with each. I'd really like to get some kendo training. I have had shurikendo training, though, when I was younger. I'm good with stars and throwing knives.

I also like the tonfa, but I've never used one.

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Edit; I forgot to mention how much I hate anime and cartoons have made the katana cliche. I really like this sword, but I hate how its always used in such cheesy ways.

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Really? I can't say that anime has made the katana cliche. It was, and has always been, the most popular Japanese weapon in history, as far as I know, so it only makes sense that it would show up, so much, in anime. Also, aside from a few "you-gotta-let-it-slide-because-it's-just-a-cartoon" moments, all of the anime I've seen have used the katana in very cool ways. I'm not sure what you mean by that last part.

But, yeah, I love the katana. I've got two right now (one of them is broken. :() and I'm going to order a bamboo sword (when together, it looks like a single stick of bamboo, until you separate the ends, and it hides a katana-fashioned blade, beneath), sometime soon.

[Edit: Damn, just saw that Arby posted the .50 machine gun vid. Hey, like I said, even that it cut through ONE of those bullets is amazing..but six in a row?? That's downright awesome.]

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Really? I can't say that anime has made the katana cliche. It was, and has always been, the most popular Japanese weapon in history, as far as I know, so it only makes sense that it would show up, so much, in anime. Also, aside from a few "you-gotta-let-it-slide-because-it's-just-a-cartoon" moments, all of the anime I've seen have used the katana in very cool ways. I'm not sure what you mean by that last part.

But, yeah, I love the katana. I've got two right now (one of them is broken. :() and I'm going to order a bamboo sword (when together, it looks like a single stick of bamboo, until you separate the ends, and it hides a katana-fashioned blade, beneath), sometime soon.

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Yeah, I often see people making lame poses or using katana's as the "cool" weapon in everything they possibly can. For example; licking the blade, the eyes across the blade, etc. You don't see anyone doing cool poses with any other sword...

Hrm.. I guess, when I consider it, this is really because the katana is probably the best sword and it is just inevitable to happen that I was to see it so often represented.. Which is too bad because I happen to think the other swords are "cooler" looking; I just think the katana is the most practical.

I think that encapsulates my point; those that like katana's just for its looks and those that like katana's for it's versatility.
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Originally Posted by O'nus

I think that encapsulates my point; those that like katana's just for its looks and those that like katana's for it's versatility.
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Ah, I gotcha. Yeah, there are definitely two sides to the community. But, yeah, I think most of those moves (I see what you're talking about, now that you've named a few), have less to do with the katana, itself, but more to do with the fact that it's the most widely used, and animators/directors love doing "cool" shots with weaponry. It was bound to happen. I don't think it diminishes the weapon, though. :)

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Ah, I gotcha. Yeah, there are definitely two sides to the community. But, yeah, I think most of those moves (I see what you're talking about, now that you've named a few), have less to do with the katana, itself, but more to do with the fact that it's the most widely used, and animators/directors love doing "cool" shots with weaponry. It was bound to happen. I don't think it diminishes the weapon, though. :)

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Not at all - that's why I love it.

And you may very well likely see a pic of me soon with it...
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http://www.sbcc.org/PA63.gif

Ah yes.

But I assume you were talking weapons that don't involve black powder. I have done a lot of Martial Arts and my favorite non firearm weapon was probably the katana as well. It just bestows a mindset of badassery on you, but kind of combined with this weird tranquility.

But when it comes down to it, I train "One Mind, any Weapon".

I would say that, as far as guns go, my choices differ depending on the situation. Let's put it this way, if I were to go into a war and could choose my weapons:

- Katana - close range
- M16 - long range
- Spas12 Shotgun - close range/demolition
- Colt .45 pistol / knife - (used in combination) contingent weapons, or when you are alone against many.
- Fragmentation and Smoke grenades.

This arsenal can have you prepared for any situation. The problem would be being able to fit all of it on and still be able to move fast enough.
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yeah i still like my 9mm sig p225. and i think the sword bearer would be shit out of luck if i wasn't aiming at his sword. :mistergreen:

but if i could imagine using a archaic weapon i'm thinking the axe would be my favorite. the physics just make sense to me.

I have to admit, I really like the axe as well. It would be my favorite weapon as long as I have some support because the axe can be so bulky sometimes.
~

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Originally Posted by Spook

But I assume you were talking weapons that don't involve black powder.

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Modern firearms use smokeless powder :P...

Anyways, blade weapons went out of favour for a reason, you'd be hard pressed to find someone outside of the military that can take on me and my 12 gauge :P.

Ever notice how a katana is just a pointy peice of metal on a stick?

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Originally Posted by Spartiate

Anyways, blade weapons went out of favour for a reason, you'd be hard pressed to find someone outside of the military that can take on me and my 12 gauge :P.

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You'd also be hard-pressed to find any 12 year old kid who couldn't pick up a gun and take out a room full of people. Call us romantics if you will, but there are some of us that actually appreciate the amount of training it usually takes to handle a bladed weapon effectively, against attackers. It's much like the difference between respecting a military that can completely obliterate all attackers through hand-to-hand and small-arms fighting, and one that can obliterate an entire city with the push of a button.

It's just not the same.

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

You'd also be hard-pressed to find any 12 year old kid who couldn't pick up a gun and take out a room full of people. Call us romantics if you will, but there are some of us that actually appreciate the amount of training it usually takes to handle a bladed weapon effectively, against attackers. It's much like the difference between respecting a military that can completely obliterate all attackers through hand-to-hand and small-arms fighting, and one that can obliterate an entire city with the push of a button.

It's just not the same.

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Yeah, I understand the appeal behind that, maybe I've just gotten a little too attached to my gun :P... Plus anything that makes a *bang* that loud just screams "respect".

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

It's just not the same.

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Yeah, war used to be so much fun. JUST ANOTHER REASON WE NEED THAT PATCH.

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Originally Posted by Spartiate

Yeah, I understand the appeal behind that, maybe I've just gotten a little too attached to my gun :P... Plus anything that makes a *bang* that loud just screams "respect".

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Yeah, it's cool. I love a good firearm as much as the next guy, but when people start spouting off the whole "blades suck because guns are better" deal, I usually feel the need to tell them the score. :lmao:

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

...when people start spouting off the whole "blades suck because guns are better" deal, I usually feel the need to tell them the score.

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And you do that by affirming that guns are, in fact, more effective?

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

You'd also be hard-pressed to find any 12 year old kid who couldn't pick up a gun and take out a room full of people.

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Well, some of us do understand the fact that saying something is "better" is subjective, Mark. If you need a lesson on the meaning of the word, I've got time. :P

Can't argue with results.

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Originally Posted by Mark75

Can't argue with results.

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Guns can actually be a hinderance, especially in close quarters combat, because the individual relies on a 'hit-or-miss' type of fighting style.

Tai-jutsu vs guns:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQdHuwcrIbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vyK2Rb15Qk
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So... Take a step back?

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Originally Posted by Mark75

So... Take a step back?

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Of course, gun advocates always say this or "I would just shoot him". However, even in paintball people panic when these techniques are used.
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Of course you can. When using something like the word "better", it all depends on what the word is meant to encompass. Guns may be more effective (at times), but it also creates the problem that anybody can pick one up. In a gun-toting society, not only are you creating the variable that your chance of killing someone is higher, but you are also a victim of the variable that you are more likely to be killed, because anybody, yards away, can kill you almost just as easily, with a firearm, especially something like a shotgun.

If someone challenged you to a fight, put up their dukes, and waited for you to follow suit, but then you pulled out a 9mm and shot them in the face, would that give you bragging rights? No. Any untrained, gun-toting, 98lb weakling can become a god if he is among the unarmed. It doesn't mean having a gun is, objectively, better, because some of us believe that a part of being "better" is having the attribute of a skill, or an ability that makes you better. Not just having a tool that proves that you're nothing more than some punk with a cheat code. :P

What kind of paintball field allows taijutsu?

My cliche attempt to show off my katana:

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/2...nus1qw7.th.jpg
^ Note the sunglasses inside.

(PS: This is the first good pic of me on DV, hurrah!)

~

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Originally Posted by Mark75

What kind of paintball field allows taijutsu?

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Since when were all shots from a paintball gun fired on a field?

Nice-looking blade, O'nus. :cooler:

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Originally Posted by Mark75

What kind of paintball field allows taijutsu?

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What kind of paintball field does not allow taijutsu? "Pansy Paintball"?

:P
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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

Of course you can. When using something like the word "better", it all depends on what the word is meant to encompass. Guns may be more effective (at times), but it also creates the problem that anybody can pick one up. In a gun-toting society, not only are you creating the variable that your chance of killing someone is higher, but you are also a victim of the variable that you are more likely to be killed, because anybody, yards away, can kill you almost just as easily, with a firearm, especially something like a shotgun.

If someone challenged you to a fight, put up their dukes, and waited for you to follow suit, but then you pulled out a 9mm and shot them in the face, would that give you bragging rights? No. Any untrained, gun-toting, 98lb weakling can become a god if he is among the unarmed. It doesn't mean having a gun is, objectively, better, because some of us believe that a part of being "better" is having the attribute of a skill, or an ability that makes you better. Not just having a tool that proves that you're nothing more than some punk with a cheat code. :P

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Um? I can't tell if you're disagreeing with me or not. The fact that the gun provides such lethality is exactly the point as to why it's a better weapon.

Oh, I'm not disagreeing with the fact that it's such an effective killing machine, in itself. It is just the notion that people usually use, that states something like "I'm a badass because I've got such-and-such type of gun." To me, it's not much different than saying "I'm as cool as an untrained 12 year old with a Mossberg." There just isn't much bragging rights, there, if you ask me. The word "better", no matter how you slice it, is a subjective word. Some could say a gun is a "better" weapon because it's so lethal, even a caveman could use it. Others can say it's not better, because it's much less honorable, and requires much less skill. Like I said, call me a romantic, but that's just how I see things. I like weapons as an extention of the user - something that actually grants them worthy of being able to end someone's life, or doing the damage that they do. So, our definitions of "better" are probably different. :P

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

no matter how you slice it

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This pun cuts deeper than any blade ever could.

PS

You are a romantic. Real honorable people use rocks. Blades are too easy. You can gut someone in half a second, whereas with a rock it takes a lot of grinding and sawing, which is painful to everyone involved.

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Originally Posted by Mark75

This pun cuts deeper than any blade ever could.

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LMFAO. Damn, I didn't even notice that, when I typed it. :P

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You are a romantic. Real honorable people use rocks. Blades are too easy. You can gut someone in half a second, whereas with a rock it takes a lot of grinding and sawing, which is painful to everyone involved.

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And that depends on the size of the rock. When it comes right down to it, I'd choose a good, old-fashioned fist-fight, over anything else, and fighting with a rock is just as lethal as fighting with a sword. It is just a matter of tactics. You cannot inflict the exact same kinds of wounds, but you can inflict some that are just as deadly, or that will immobilize your enemy long enough for you to deliver a fatal blow.

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Originally Posted by O'nus

Guns can actually be a hinderance, especially in close quarters combat, because the individual relies on a 'hit-or-miss' type of fighting style.

Tai-jutsu vs guns:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQdHuwcrIbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vyK2Rb15Qk
~

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guns ONLY suck at close quarters though. that's why they invented bayonetts and hitler youth knifes... duh.

i'm thinking the best close quarters weapon would be a simple dagger/shiv. with some sick krav maga.

ohh hells yeah

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

tactics

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You're right. They sure don't use those crazy things in modern combat. These days they just run at each other with big knives and sticks and hack away until the others are dead... Oh, wait.

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Originally Posted by Mark75

You're right. They sure don't use those crazy things in modern combat. These days they just run at each other with big knives and sticks and hack away until the others are dead... Oh, wait.

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Wow. You focused on that one word like it was the only thing that I said in that entire post. That's kind of left field, even for you.

My point was that you tried to paint the picture of a "romantic" being more likely to choose a rock over a katana, because of simplicity, unilaterally asserting that it's probably not as effective (which is the only thing I could get out of your sarcasm). I was simply saying that a rock can be just as deadly as a katana. In saying so, I was negating your assertion that a "romantic" would choose one of those over the other. The only difference between the two was the tactics in how the wielder used them. What does any of that have to do with comparing them to modern combat?

Or were you just trying to make a point that wasn't really relevant? Hmmm....:hrm:

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

a rock can be just as deadly

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But guns make you even more dead.

There's no such thing a "more dead." If you're not "all the way dead," you're not dead. :P

losers

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Originally Posted by Wanted

losers

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Who, exactly? :wtf:

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

You'd also be hard-pressed to find any 12 year old kid who couldn't pick up a gun and take out a room full of people. Call us romantics if you will, but there are some of us that actually appreciate the amount of training it usually takes to handle a bladed weapon effectively, against attackers. It's much like the difference between respecting a military that can completely obliterate all attackers through hand-to-hand and small-arms fighting, and one that can obliterate an entire city with the push of a button.

It's just not the same.

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I don't agree with this at all. First of all, a 12 year old kid with no training would have a difficult time firing all but the smallest of caliburs. Second, perhaps a 12 year old kid could walk in to a room full of people and cause a lot of injuries but its likely that there would be very few actual deaths. Third, an untrained 12 year old kid most likely would not stand a chance against an attack with any weapon including a fire arm. Firing a gun at an attacker takes a lot of control and discipline that most people never realize since there are not a lot of opportunities to shoot at someone who means to kill you. A fire arm takes close to if not the same amount of training and discipline to wield effectively as any bladed weapon. I could turn your statement around and say any 12 year old kid could walk up behind someone and stab them in the back.

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Originally Posted by Xaqaria

I don't agree with this at all. First of all, a 12 year old kid with no training would have a difficult time firing all but the smallest of caliburs. Second, perhaps a 12 year old kid could walk in to a room full of people and cause a lot of injuries but its likely that there would be very few actual deaths. Third, an untrained 12 year old kid most likely would not stand a chance against an attack with any weapon including a fire arm. Firing a gun at an attacker takes a lot of control and discipline that most people never realize since there are not a lot of opportunities to shoot at someone who means to kill you. A fire arm takes close to if not the same amount of training and discipline to wield effectively as any bladed weapon. I could turn your statement around and say any 12 year old kid could walk up behind someone and stab them in the back.

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Well, in that instance, I was talking about a shotgun. At a distance, sure, a handgun or rifle ups the ante, when it comes down to how much skill you need to take somebody out. I'm not saying, at all, that it doesn't take any amount of skill to shoot someone, depending on the situation. You give a kid a shotgun (and I'm talking about buckshot, more than slugs), and there is a good chance he can cause some major damage. Granted, there may be very few deaths, initially, but it only takes a room full of the wounded to make foreshadow a room full of the dead.

At no time, was I talking about walking up to someone and attacking them from behind. I'm talking about where two people are facing each other, and the challenge has already been affirmed. With a sword, you actually have to get to within a range where it's possible for that other person to reach you, conceivably without a weapon at all. Every time you attack and miss, you are opening yourself for a counter. It only takes one swipe for you to leave yourself open to a fatal blow from the person you meant to take out. With a gun, (depending on the range, of course), you can fire shots much faster than a person can keep up any defensive maneuvers, unless they have something to hide behind, or you're an extremely lousy shot. It all comes down to line-of-sight aim-and-squeeze, which is much different than learning to swing a sword and follow through, countering its weight and moment and preparing for subsequent attacks.

*is too lazy to read everything so far*

Katanas are nice, I own one. But I'm afraid of it... After that incident with one I tend to avoid close contact with katanas.

I dun really have a fav weapon. They all scare me. I like using the good old legs, lol.

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Originally Posted by Oneironaut

There's no such thing a "more dead." If you're not "all the way dead," you're not dead. :P

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"There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do." - Miracle Max

And I'd have to say a staff of some sort. Anything from a cane or short walking stick to a quarterstaff is my kind of weapon. I'm with Teddy: speak softly but carry a big stick. And a knife. Or three. :D

I've done many kinds of fencing, I prefer the straight sword to a curved sword. I utilize stabbing more often than slashing (my initial training was in epee.)

Katana, huh...

For ages, in my family there's a sword handed down, it's a katana. What is cool about it, is the fact its quite ancient, even though its old, its incredibly sharp and balanced.

I am attending to kenjutsu for quite some time already, and my skills are getting better and better.

Also, that sword is a heirloom after my grand grand grand grand (damn grand) father who took part in the boshin war, retrieved it from the battlefield from one of the fallen samurai's (it supposedly was some important dude). Anyway, this sword is old, very old, but its unique in every way.

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Originally Posted by O'nus

(PS: This is the first good pic of me on DV, hurrah!)

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seriously... i was tired of picturing onus getting stabbed in the face with a radio antenna probe.

*is on a month delay*

pps *is confused and drunk because he can't find the katana picture.

Gah, I missed to much to counter all the points, but here are a few key things...

Any 12 year old with a katana can go in a room full of people and slice everyone up.

My experience with my shotgun is mostly from hunting and trap shooting, which is way more challenging than going into a room and pumping slugs into everybody. If, for some odd reason, I was shooting at people, I would probably opt out for my good old .30-30.

A gunfight, with cover and everything, is way more intense than a swordfight. A proper swordfight usually lasts less than a dozen moves, guns have a certain "hunting" aspect about them.

Wow, I really sound like a trigger-happy gun nut after that, hehe...

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Originally Posted by Spartiate

Gah, I missed to much to counter all the points, but here are a few key things...

Any 12 year old with a katana can go in a room full of people and slice everyone up.

My experience with my shotgun is mostly from hunting and trap shooting, which is way more challenging than going into a room and pumping slugs into everybody. If, for some odd reason, I was shooting at people, I would probably opt out for my good old .30-30.

A gunfight, with cover and everything, is way more intense than a swordfight. A proper swordfight usually lasts less than a dozen moves, guns have a certain "hunting" aspect about them.

Wow, I really sound like a trigger-happy gun nut after that, hehe...

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Yeah, so I suppose it comes down to the context of the fight. This is why I have a certain set of weapons I would use; not just one weapon. However, if I had to choose down to the line, I would have to go with a colt .45 and a hunting knife.
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F-18 for me.

Nuke>all

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Originally Posted by Carôusoul

Nuke>all

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Not if you skillfully deflect it.

With a katana?

I think I saw a YouTube vid that proved that...

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Originally Posted by Siиdяed

With a katana?

I think I saw a YouTube vid that proved that...

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Lol.

Where in the world is Chris Crocker.

The Katana is a lovely weapon...I would love to own one...I have seen some that look very nice...but maybe I would want a personalized one?

With hentai on it?

No...It would be kinda dumb to have hentai on a katana...it would be too small to see..unless you had a really big katana