Thread: 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.
~

Katana vs. machine gun
=P

Originally Posted by arby

Katana vs. machine gun
=P

Yeah, like I said.. some caliber.
~

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.

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.

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

Check this shit out, too.
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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.]

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.

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.
~

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.
~

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.

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.

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

And you may very well likely see a pic of me soon with it...
~

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".

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.

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
~

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