Secrets of the Samurai Sword on NOVA

quality stuff; will have to look for the broadcast. simple yet effectively elegant weapons.thank you
 
I was less than impressed by the preview. The dang producers always want to make shows more exciting and sacrifice important parts of reality to do so, even on Nova, it seems.
I have a suit of the tatami yoroi worn by the soldiers in the first part of that clip, and you won't be stabbing me through that steel with any katana, unless you manage to launch your whole body out of a rail gun.

As we discussed here, once upon a time, the battlefield sword was a mostly dull weapon, a backup weapon, used to batter exposed wrists and stab people through the eyes.

These shows ALWAYS get time and place mixed up.

The soul of the samurai (as if they had souls) was the bow and arrow and then the gun. After the wars were over, the sword was the only thing they carried around on a day to day basis, and then there wasn't anyone left to fight...

Don't get me wrong, I own a Japanese sword, a $5,000 o-dachi. No matter how much I like it, it is just a piece of metal without a trained, educated, refined mind to wield it.

Train your mind, train your heart.
 
DannyinJapan said:
Don't get me wrong, I own a Japanese sword, a $5,000 o-dachi. No matter how much I like it, it is just a piece of metal without a trained, educated, refined mind to wield it.
Click to expand...

Sort of like a chain link fence is nothing unless a highly trained parkourist jumps over it. :D

Sorry, couldn't resist. :o
 
DannyinJapan said:
The soul of the samurai (as if they had souls) was the bow and arrow and then the gun. After the wars were over, the sword was the only thing they carried around on a day to day basis, and then there wasn't anyone left to fight...
Click to expand...

I think I read somewhere that this whole "sword is the soul of the samurai" business started when lords could no longer reward samurai with fiefs and land, and so swords became a frequent gift in lieu of something more... spacious. To try and counter the feeling that samurai of this era were being cheated in the exchange, a whole mythos about the near-holiness of the blade was constructed to give the gifts a greater sense of importance and value.

But it could all be buncombe. :D
 
The true secrets are probaly not usualy on history or discovery channel I think?

The preview looked & sounded like Discovery channels old Progarm the Samari sword, with Chris etc. From Brit museam Talking on it.

Entertaning & basicly informative though.

Spiral
 
It can cut through the barrel of a machine gun. Probably because of the method the smith used to quench his blades. Thurst red hot, into the body of a virgin was the usual method if I recall.:D
 
I have a gun barrel that I often thrust into the hot body of a redheaded virgin. Does that count ?
 
Anyone who thinks it would be cool to be a Samurai back in the day should do full contact for 30 seconds with some padded weapons. And if two of you guys want to go full speed and full contact with shinai or bokken just be sure a friend videotapes it and puts it on youtube.

Samurai trained a very long time in very gruling conditions in order to die a gruesome and only periodically quick death. No surgeons, painkillers, and antibiotics kids, if you lost you ended your own misery.

Oh yeah, and back in the day if your side lost it really sucked for everyone.

They did come up with interesting and effective training methods. However, I am really glad to be born in the time and place where I have been.

I'm going to go get my preferred beverage from the fridge.
 
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