The Length of a Sword Blade Sword blades come in different lengths which we call Hawatari. But aside from Hawatari, there are several things to consider when choosing a sword. More so in training and actual fight, the weapon has a lot to say. First in the list is the material composition. A swordsman examines […]
Samurai Armor Here we are going to talk about the Samurai battle suit or armor. What was it like? Is it heavy? Why do some helmets have horns? Or did it mean something else? When we think about Samurai history, the Katana sword always comes to mind. Before you’ve seen a movie or two, could […]
The Daisho Do you know the importance of Daisho? The Samurai wore the Katana as their life swords. That is true. But what most didn’t know is that Samurai don’t just have one sword with them. There would either be two or sometimes three swords. Daisho is the set of swords that these warriors wield. […]
The Dual Battles of Imjin The Imjin invasion started in the year 1592 when the Japanese army arrived at the Busan port city. This peninsula is in the southernmost spot of Korea. The Japanese military soon conquered the location. The Japanese became repulsed after years of brutal fighting, which even culminated a mediation by China. […]
The Onin War Who can tell that a dispute between a father and his son-in-law would eventually become a 12-year civil war? This war was known as the Onin War. Ōnin refers to the Japanese era spanning from March 1467 through April 1469. It occurred after Bunsho and before Bunmei. Bunsho marked the history from […]
Tameshigiri The most challenging cuts you will first learn are the double cuts. Yet this is where all the trick cuts start. It can be daunting, especially the speed of cuts, sudden directional changes, and needed accuracy. All these need to be demonstrated and may come off as impossible at first. Yet there are some […]
The Samurai Bow and its History The Yumi was a vital weapon of the Samurai during Japan’s feudal period. It was able to accurately and efficiently shoot Japanese arrows called Ya. The term means bow in Japanese but in English, it refers to the classic Japanese asymmetrical bow. This includes the much longer Daikyu and […]
The Samurai Spear and Polearms Aside from the popular Katana, the Samurai spear and polearms were also some of the main weapons of the Samurai. These warriors have also utilized these weapons to achieve victory during battles. The Japanese polearms consist of the Naginata and the Yari. The previous is quite similar to the Japanese-styled […]
The Kogarasu Maru The Kogarasu Maru – a double-edged Katana – is also called the Little Crow. It is a distinct Japanese Katana believed to have been crafted by Amakuni. Known as a legendary smith, it is said that Amakuni made Kogarasu Maru in the 8th century CE. The sword was also said to be […]
Tamahagane There are various Japanese swords made of Tamahagane steel, but what is Tamahagane? It is a kind of steel that originated from Japan for producing classic Nihonto. In a sense, this metal composes of carbon and steel ore. The steel ore comes from iron sand while carbon is from charcoal. These components undergo smelting […]
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