Samurai Sword Basics, A Brief History

Capturing the spirit of old Japan and recognised by its deadly curvature, the samurai sword is widely recognised throughout the world as the most deadly of all Japanese weaponry. Although gaining modern fame and notoriety in modern epic cinema in such films as The Last Samurai and the Kill Bill series by Quentin Tarantino, samurai swords have long being an iconic symbol of Japan and its history.

The most famous samurai sword, the Katana, is curved and bladed only on one side ? if you have seen Kill Bill, you will know exactly what I'm talking about. The Katana was developed in the 10th century to enable Japanese calvery to carry out surprise attacks on their enemy and was worn hung from the belt with the cutting edge faced upwards.

The craft of forging katana samurai swords peaked during 1190 ? 1337 ? many of the swords from this era we're assigned national treasures. Thousands of swords are still circulated and collected from more recent times; the most popular 'collection' era's being WW1 and WW2. eBay is a great place to find both old and new samurai swords, but beware of what you're buying ? a lot of swords sold today are machine replicas and only fit for display purposes.

There were however many types of samurai swords and the other often mentioned includes shorter swords, one being the wakizashi (shoto) and the tanto knife. Only the samurai were allowed to carry these as a pair.

Article by Nick Johnson

For more history and information on samurai swords please visit http://www.japanese-samurai-swords.net

---

Catholic Self Defense

Note: I wrote this essay regarding the development of Tekkenryu jujutsu. However, I think it is applicable for all methods of self defense. It may also explain why martial arts are the way... Read More

John Styers

Most people have only been exposed to John Styers work through the book "Cold Steel".It is important to remember that first and foremost this book outlines a BASIC course of close-combat instruction. The... Read More

The Economics of Self Defense

The following is a recent email I received; I thought I should respond to the list rather than to the individual because this situation is common:"I'm a 52 year old guy who has... Read More

How to Select Your Martial Arts and Self Defense Equipment

The most common place to buy martial arts or self defense equipment is in the local dojo. Most dojos, training centers, etc., have a small store where you can buy or order the... Read More

Choosing a Self Defense / Martial Arts School: A Parents Guide

"Daddy, I want to take Karate!""Mommy, Jimmy on the bus hit me again today"There are many reasons why parents want to sign their children up for Self Defense or Martial Arts classes. Once... Read More

Samurai Sword Basics, A Brief History

Capturing the spirit of old Japan and recognised by its deadly curvature, the samurai sword is widely recognised throughout the world as the most deadly of all Japanese weaponry. Although gaining modern fame... Read More

Real Life Self-Defense Starts From...

"Nicky Bats" was an "old school" kinda guy. He was "street" thru and thru. He was a hard bark tough as nails S.O.B. He was a survivor. His definition of "success" in life... Read More

Bogu Training

About four years ago Carl recommended we start using the Bogu during our kumite (sparring practice). This method was developed in Okinawa and then found its way into mainland Japan and eventually to... Read More

Have No Misconceptions

I just received an Email from a woman who has a child (3 year old) and about to have another. Considering my wife is in a similar situation, this question couldn't be more... Read More

A Great Question!

It's a question that we went back and forth with for awhile ourselves many moons ago. The "how" and "why" of our conclusions may be of some interest. Whether or not anyone agrees... Read More

How to Become A Modern-Day Ninja Master

The ninja were a military order in Japan. Most people have seen them in movies and fictional books.They are the guys dressed in the black suits that seem to have amazing powers, such... Read More

Martial Arts and The Zone

On the occasions you delivered the perfect strike; blocked without the need to think or performed a near flawless kata, did it feel difficult? Or did you get the sense it happened by... Read More

Who Created Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Chi Boxing)?

I have read a number of books, articles, and novels, and have watched movies and television series that touched on the origins of Tai Chi Chuan (Tai Chi Boxing), and the question, "Who... Read More

Fun Games for Children Training in Martial Arts

Keeping children interested in their Martial Arts training requires an element of fun and games. Traditionalists are usually only concerned with the discipline and structure of their training, but incorporating fun games involving... Read More

Basic Drills

We all have a good foundation in the basic blows and combinations.Think about adding the following drills to your basic syllabus.These can be trained as "stand alone" combinations OR worked into existing "Defendu"... Read More

Regular or De-escalated

We always stress that NOTHING occurs in a vacuum. There always exists stepping stones or a progression of events that lead up to a "situation". Whether YOU are AWARE of them or not... Read More

A Few Things Everyone Should Know to Keep Themselves Safe

The following are a few thoughts about how to decrease your chances of being a victim of a violent crime. I know a lot of times we focus on the nuts and bolts... Read More

What Can We Learn From What Has Already Been Done?

Pre-WWII Judo was a far different thing than what we see now.The Japanese in particular, being on a global war footing, practiced a type of Judo that has little in common with the... Read More

Are You Frustrated Yet?

I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid they would get frustrated when he lost. The... Read More

British Aikido Board National Nepotism Seminar

For many years The British Aikido Board (BAB) have shown no interest whatsoever in the true history of British Aikido, to be fair to the BAB, they have shown a great deal of... Read More

Samurai Swords and The Swordsmiths

Back in the early times of sword manufacture, the production of super strong high-grade carbon steel wasn't even a vague dream. But we know, as history has taught us, that sword makers of... Read More

Tae Kwon Do As A Means To Stay In Shape

Becoming a martial artist is a fanatastic method of fitness. While there are many martial art forms to choose from, taekwondo is clearly the most beneficial, and the most practical. And while many... Read More

COMBATIVES A Rose by Any Other Name?....Part 2

The advent of World War One (the war to END all wars) brought warfare into a new and foreboding era of man to man killing and slaughter. Air power, mechanized warfare, chemical warfare... Read More

Tai-Chi for the Masses--and Others

Kuang Ping was the T'ai-chi set favored by Yang Lu-Chan, the man who brought forward the "Yang" style in the mid-1800's, now so popular throughout the world. Kuang Ping is what the man... Read More

Women in the Martial Arts

1st Lady Assistant to Sensei Henry Ellis Ellis Schools of Traditional AikidoI was born in West London in 1963, my father was very involved in the martial arts and a dan grade... Read More

The Test

"Will this work so that I can use it instinctively in vital combat against an opponent who is determined to prevent me from doing so, and who is striving to eliminate me by... Read More

The Plight of Industrialized Man

Living in the Pacific Northwest is a challenge for any body: the poor excuse for weather west of the Cascades is one of the worst on earth for human health. Luckily our Ch'uan... Read More

The Acronym That Saved My Life

Frequently, I get asked about certifications, systems or methods. We made a decision a long time ago of purposely staying away from things like this.Obviously, it's a no-brainer, money maker and it's not... Read More

Martial Arts Strength Training

According to various sources on the internet, a 1996 article in Iron Man Magazine revealed Bruce Lee's workout. In addition to his cardio and karate workouts, Lee lifted weights three times a week... Read More