Why do so many people said that Katana is the Best sword ?

Bill,

Miyamoto Musashi Fujiwara no Genshin's father was Shinmen Munisai Fujiwara no Genshin, a master of Tori-ryu (当理流 ) kenjutsu & juttejutsu. They didn't have a happy family life and the father was always away and according to historical records, brutal budo lessons were conducted by Shinmen Munisai when he was there.

Think of the Johnny Cash song, 'A Boy Named Sue' and multiply it by ten.

It's a common misconception that everyone thinks that Miyamoto Musashi made his own style without influences. His father was a master swordsman and was appointed the shinan-to (instructor) for the domain he was serving.

There is also a popular theory by a number of researchers that Shinmen Munisai Fujiwara no Genshin could have been a student of Takenouchi-ryu. Geographically and historically, this could possible, since both parties were alive and adults decades before the battle of Sekigahara and both the Takenouchi family and Fujiwara family resided in Mimasaka domain, which is now modern day Okayama-Prefecture.

Alas, there's no viable proof to back this theory up.

 

So you have never seen a sword breaker then?

 

I have always thought that the samurai sword owed it's fame to two things, the excellence of the blade design itself AND the master swordsmen. I agree that other cultures had their master swordsmen and schools, however the Japanese seam to have lifted the sword into cult status.
I have also heard that used by one of little experience even a fine sword is vulnerable to breakage.Musashi used a suburito even an oar at times over the katana. I do not think this was from an altruistic point of view he did not live in altruistic times. While Musashi deserves the reputation as the finest exponent of two sword combat is it not true that the Katori Shinto Ryu had two sword in it's curriculum before Musashi's time.

Bottom line. "BEST sword + MASTER swordsman=BEST SWORD.

REGARDS KOYO
Suburito/oar

 

ummm ..... adouglasmhor ....... check out what means. (do a mouse over).

 

I have seen guys "catching" the sword between their palms. I have seen simutaneous disarming of multiple swordsmen!!! And I have seen swordbreakers. I would NEVER consider trying to break an attacker's sword. Have you seen the speed of a 6th dan kendo cutting from jodan to shomen?
I may be too pragmatic in my approach but I tend to think for myself rather than to buy instantly into what I am told.

regards koyo

 

Otake sensei says that Musashi does not deserve the reputation as the invention of two sword use since Katori Shinto Ryu had that in its curriculum for about two hundred years before Musashis birth. That does not mean that Ienao Choisai Iizasa was the first to use two swords though. I am sure that someone together with many other thought of it first. That some ryu had it in its curriculum before Katori but that the ryu
died out.

I would never try to catch a sword in cutting speed with your hands only. I get goose bumps just thinking of it.

 

Hi ludde and welcome

If the thought of catching a sword gives you goosebumps. THIS should give you nightmares.
Catch this? A special camera was needed to catch this.

regards koyo

 

I think it would hurt…

 

sorry meant to do a wink smiley after but forgot....! Have this one instead

 

Smiley accepted ... huff averted ... cat not kicked!

 

It seems to me that if you are good enough to catch a blade, you should definately be good enough to you know.... get the hell out of the way.

But it definately looks alot cooler to catch the blade in a demo than to tackle the swordsman.

 

Actually The guys I have seen doing such things are phonies and an embarassment to the martial arts. In particular I saw one sit in a chair and "throw" four "swordsmen" all attacking at the same time. My point was to show just how far some brain donors will go.


regards koyo

 

That is correct, historically a number of koryu kenjutsu ryuha had nito techniques prior to Miyamoto Musashi founding Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu & Enmei-ryu (Now no longer extant).

Nito/ryoto techniques exist in the syllabi of Araki-ryu, Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu, Shingyoto-ryu, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, Yagyu Shingan-ryu, Komagawa Kaishin-ryu and Sosuishi-ryu. A number of these schools were founded almost a hundred years prior to the founding of Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu.

 

well the way i see it katana are just highly regarded swords because european swords weren't as well made. as for superhuman feats, of course they're much easier with a weapon but just imagine cutting a tank with a knife hand then you'd be special

 

Thanks for the answer kogusoku. And thanks for the welcome koyo.

Do we know if some was known to use two swords technique prior to Katori Shinto ryu?

 

Sorry dude but the vikings were making swords in 800 ad that were at least as well made as any katana. The whole thing about european swords not being well made is rubbish and is one of the great myths about western martial arts.

read this for an idea of what was going on in europe several hundred years before the katana emerged.

 

Remember there is nothing ells’ in comparing two different swords made in two different cultures than fun. Because what you do then is actually comparing two cultures. Different armour, different material, different enemies and so on. So it is not possible to compare them in who is the best one. A Viking sword put in an old Asian battle will most surely not fit in the use that you need. And an Asian sword will not have what you need in an old Viking battle. And this goes for all Asia and all Europe.

 

Ludde I am right with you here. A sword is a tool for a specific job. It would be folly to compare a two handed sword to a rapier as they were designed for two different roles HOWEVER thats what is continually done with the katana and every european sword ever made.
The point zuiquan21 made was 'european swords weren't as well made'. Thats a common opinion based on decades of (for want of better words) propaganda, mysticism, ignorance and half truths.

While the katana is a well designed, well made, functional weapon for its intended role. its not 'the best'. The mentality so often appears to be 'Katana's are the best sword cause they are soooooo cool'. Neds wander the streets in glasgow armed with katanas for that very reason. Too much manga, Matrix et al.

There is no best sword ... simply the best sword for the circumstances you find yourself in right this moment. However european swords deserve so much better than to be continually considered 'inferior' for no other reason than 'coolness'.

Although given you need a sword for every different occasion ... can you see Conan with his golf-club bag full of swords?

 

The katana is the best sword… for its role. HAHA. Just to take your words Hamster. And the Viking sword is the best sword… for its role. Even the same type of sword evolved through out the history and still does today. But the different from this kind of peace from earlier is that the sword will never be used again because other weapons have taken over.

But seriously the myth is today on both sides. I have not been in this sword/armour world any long. And I must say there are some that thinks that the western sword is superior to the katana. They are very sceptical about the ability of the katana. I am not sure why but I think that they mean that the mechanics and the use of the katana is not wise in a duel. Stabbing and acute pointy ends is the thing.
The link I posted in on of my earlier threads shows that some even was surprised about the cutting ability of the katana. I can understand the stabbing, even I was surprised.

 

catching a sword between your hands.....yeah

i have seen guys catch a bullet with there teeth.

but after seeing it being broken down by myth busters....im now sure its a work (fake)

the guys uses slight of hand to slip blank for live bullet. and puts a buttet in mouth

actually there is no way for a human to react that fast. even with mechanical timing it was tough...after alot of calibration it turned out the bullet is powerful enough to rip the teeth out if you caught it anyway


that being said while the speed and power of the sword is much less than a bullet.....i would still bet that this could only be done with a very compliant swordsman