I Tried Katana Roll Cutting

[@SenseiSeth]

Want the book I wrote??senseiseth.com

[@wololoaeoo4120]

as a 10y practitioner of Kendo and Kenjutsu, Thanks for the video!!

[@TotalWannabe]

OK, Seth, I'll watch your video, you can stop changing the goddamn title now

[@Skallagrim]

Nice to see you dabbling in the world of swords. :) It's always neat to see how quickly unarmed martial artists adapt to the use of weapons. Every skill takes a lot of time to develop, but prior experience gives you kind of a head start.

[@DouglasGomesBueno-jw9lh]

He doesn't adapt he still are a noob with Katana.

[@august4476]

Good to see you here Skallagrim ⚔️🛡️

[@Skallagrim]

@@DouglasGomesBueno-jw9lh He got some really clean cuts with it. That's more than 90% of people who haven't practiced with it before.

[@anoakenstaff]

Great to see you here Skall! I guess the only disadvantage with a katana is that you can't end him rightly.

[@Resis222]

aye wassup! you are making some banger content

[@algorerhythm2751]

I'm glad they showed the process of overcoming their fear of the swords! Not sure if it was the price tag or the fear of injury, but that confidence made all the difference.

[@BauKim]

I've never had to cut with a sword but it seemed like the difference was in confidence but also in speed vs forcing power. It looked like focusing on power affected the trajectory while focusing on speed helped them keep a clean line?

[@DaTimmeh]

@@BauKim Having minor sword experience but good physics knowledge, I imagine a lot of the speed comes from pulling with the bottom hand. Rotational Speed paired with sword length is massive. Newer practitioners probably try to create speed by swinging faster. It's the same principle for racket sports, which would make sense.

[@akauknowbetta]

I cut my thumb trying to sheath my katana. Never lost that fear

[@BauKim]

@@akauknowbetta I frequently forget the important lesson about handling blades.

[@akauknowbetta]

@@BauKim my lesson was don't have a few drinks and play with a sharp sword

[@TheMissingno]

There have been a lot of comments and I know this will get buried, but I have to say this guy you found is awesome. Super chill, and coaching is on point. "This is what you did, this is what you need to do," very straightforward, and appears in the video (not sure how much it was edited) that it worked. Horizontal from the left side is probably the most difficult single cut that you can do on tatami, I was surprised that you were starting with it. I've seen a lot of people try to coach cutting, and often the instruction can get bogged down in minute details about exactly what each muscle should be doing, which is frankly unnecessary, especially for someone trying to cut for the first time. I really like what I see here, and I think I would enjoy learning from him, which is not a sense that I often get. Thanks for the video.

[@SenseiSeth]

I agree!!

[@KevinLeeVlog]

I would do this again!

[@TehDurnknVirkin]

You should try HEMA, it often combines more grappling techniques and hand to hand stuff alongside swordsmanship

[@El-Burrito]

Absolutely! Seth should try getting out to the UK and seeing if he can collab with Schola Gladiatora!

[@TehDurnknVirkin]

@@papereye9736 I suppose I was thinking something more along the lines of a collaboration with Skallagrim or something. Completely forgot he'd already done one

[@smol_hornet613]

Seeing as he's already tried unarmored HEMA fencing (Blossfechten), I think the next step for Seth would be to see if he can try out some Harnischfechten. For those unaware: it's HEMA, but focused entirely on heavy armor combat. Sparring includes: polearm fighting, thrusting into gaps, and lots of grappling. Alternatively, he would probably find Ringen very fun too. Nonetheless, I have a sneaking suspicion that either of the two would be right up his alley.

[@papereye9736]

@@smol_hornet613 I only practice Blossfechten, so I have no real perspective on Harnischfechten. He did try Buhurt once, which I personally am not a big fan of, but I assume that the general pillars of HEMA, especially the safety aspect, still applies to Harnischfechten.

[@smol_hornet613]

@@papereye9736 Yeah, Blossfechten and Harnischfecten are very similar in both roots and spirit. The difference is in application. The thing I like so much about harnischfecten is that, since the potency of attacks are generally valued with plate armor in mind, the sparring exchanges rarely stop after the first hit - or even the second and third. Instead, almost all kinds of direct hits are regarded as 'potentially fight-ending', and the participants just keep fighting like nothing happened until someone is either immobilized or consider themselves to have taken too much 'damage'. This, combined with Harnischfecten practitioners often trying for much heavier protective gear than in Blossfechten, opens up the avenue for a lot of unarmed and grappling-based techniques that you don't get to see in unarmored disciplines, *especially* not in live sparring. You can punch, you can head-butt, you can trip and throw (within reason, of course), you can ground-fight. Harnischfecten has the whole menu. I'm not dunking on Blossfechten or anything here, because I love both, but Harnischfecten does have a lot more going on aside from the weapon-play itself. Also, quick note on Buhurt. To be blunt: the main reason why I want Seth to try out Harnischfecten, or any kind of armored martial art, is because I don't want his impression to be skewed by... whatever *that* was. If you ask me, I wouldn't mind seeing him go to a more sensible Buhurt group and try again. Rest assured, finding one wouldn't be hard looking at what happened in that video. But, at the same time, what's done is done. And honestly? Given his expertise in Muay Thai, Karate and Sumo, I think Harnischfecten would fit him like a glove.

[@KendoSwordsman]

Horizontal cuts are actually quite challenging. I think diagonal cuts are easier to get started with. Once you get a feel for where to introduce the snap into the cut it'll find it's way through provided you can swing it straight. Cool vid Seth. Glad you got to have a go at this.

[@SenseiSeth]

We did start with those 👍👍

[@KendoSwordsman]

@@SenseiSeth yeah I noticed before you started on the tatami but the edit came across as the first cuts to the mats being horizontals. Addictive once you get going... You run out of tatami way faster than you want to don't you think? 😂

[@velazquezarmouries]

Also it seems that he tried to chop more than slice

[@coopermarion547]

Was not expecting the direct link to Musashi, that made me feel some type of way.

[@lopa-u9f]

yeah, wow!

[@LagerPetrol409]

Great video , always a real pleasure to listen to Mike Yamazaki he is so knowledgeable about Nihonto and an excellent teacher, also nice to see Jeff Imada having a go , a very good weapons practitioner in Filipino martial arts and JKD. Thank you

[@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst]

Oh I thought he looked familiar. He was famous for being real good with the Balisong knives.

[@gushlergushler]

Okay some corrections here. Other asian swords are also regularly differentially hardened. The biggest difference is the specific way in which japanese smiths apply the clay to achieve a specific pattern and the long and time consuming process of polishing. Differential hardening was done historically on many central asian swords and is still done often. As a matter of fact, due to the nature of steels in the dark and earlier middle ages in europe many central european swords were also "differentially hardened" if you will as a by product of the fact that those steels were usually shallow hardening steel. Additionally, welding multiple types of steel together is also not unique to japanese culture. Many scandinavian blades have pattern welded steels that were combined in a "hard soft" configuration. Same for the middle ages, the biggest difference is in the polishing process. Modern steels have added elements to allow for a more even hardening process.

[@SHaDyFiGuRe]

Sensei Seth, Kevin Lee and Sifu Jeff with kitanas!? I don't think this video could get anymore badass😁

[@jacobharris954]

Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed Jeff randomly popping in

[@mt_yuji]

Mike Yamasaki did some great interviews a few years back, has a lot of knowledge. Would love to meet the guy someday.

[@TheTenguwarrior]

In Budo we use the term Kenjutsu more for Kumitachi-Kata, so Drills with a Partner, training actual fencing techniques against an opponent. That what you did is called Tameshigiri (Cutting to test the sword) or Suemonogiri (cutting to test the practioner's skills)

[@HimesMagic]

Most impressive part of this video for me was the every end with the monkeys made by Musashi. I let out a verbal wow. 😂 Great video. You did better on your first time cutting than most people do!

[@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst]

I know, right? That;s hard to even believe. I would like to see the papers. If it's real, that's super expensive.

[@varencilator]

Sensei Mike's got a fucking banger collection of stuff. A set of menuki handmade by Miyamoto Musashi? Godam

[@davidwashington1869]

Seth so you know the first cut that you attempted is the hardest cut in kenjutsu….so well done 💯

[@dlatrexswords]

Always good to hear from Sensei Mike. You guys did great first time out! Glad you had fun. Cutting is addicting. If you’re ever in PA, and want to test a bunch of swords drop me a line ;-)

[@Bevallalom]

I loved your video. So sick to see Musashi's handcrafts! BTW you guys did well with the cuts as first timers!

[@xXjOmAmMaXx]

Mike is an excellent teacher, both in the history of the Japanese sword as well as how to wield one. An excellent experience to have for certain!

[@stevenbolstridge596]

I’m an Iaidoka (been practicing Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū for nearly a decade), but I’ve only done Tameshigiri once with the tatami, a couple times with newspaper and once with sunflower storks. It’s not easy the first time, as long as you let the katana do the thing it’s made to do, it does get a little easier. It’s incredibly fun though!

[@Inigo44Mag]

It's always cool to see you make martial arts more known to people. Whenever you post a video, i always keep wanting to know more of what you do. Keep it going man!!

[@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699]

That’s awesome you got to meet and learn from Mike. He has such a deep well of knowledge and seems like such a cool dude. I could only dream of learning from him. Your cuts were pretty good overall. I find it odd how he started you off with horizontal cuts as those tend to be more difficult but you did pretty well and the kesa cuts seemed to come naturally. I actually had no idea Musashi even made menuki. That’s absolutely nuts Mike was able to find a pair. Also I like how you all were holding it in the reverse grip showing proper sword safety. This was great and I look forward to more weapon content in the future! Edit: though what he said in the beginning isn’t exactly true: differently hardened blades existed all over the world in many cultures

[@BZY-bu9wr]

I loved this video! but holy shit the expert guy was waffling in the beginning. A flexible spine and a hard edge is literally characteristic of so many East Asian sword types (and outside of Asia as well). The differential hardening technique literally arrived in Japan through Chinese and Korean artisans. Differential hardening became irrelevant in the East Asian mainland because blacksmiths were able to create consistent steel grades and used softer steel inserts into harder steel shells.

[@sifutenzsako2701]

The end, seeing something made by musashi gave me goosebumps. Fucking awesome man

[@TheElbowMerchant]

"That was the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life" Right there with you, Seth. I've always been fascinated by the history of the katana, and the amount of effort it takes to forge them, so this video is an absolute treat.

[@lazyman7505]

Well, the main reason for the effort needed was inferior iron ore Japan had.

[@tabkg5802]

@@lazyman7505🤓🤓🤓

[@eagle162]

​@@lazyman7505they didn't actually that's a myth, if you want some sources let me know.

[@lazyman7505]

@@eagle162It's not a myth. Japan had only inferior iron ore deposits, they either imported iron from China or used local ironsands instead of ore. Iron sands were much harder to work with and produced inferior, inconsistent iron. All the "special techniques" Japanese blacksmiths had to use were just to overcome the problems that wouldn't even exist if they had better iron.

[@eagle162]

​@@lazyman7505again no is not the case I can elaborate with some sources in a minute. Sand iron is actually a good source of iron after refinement (and in what region it was known to be top quality), that was not even the only local source there was also a solid iron ore comparable to the best in Europe, sand iron just more popular now because it's more unique. They did not do any kind of special techniques to overcome problems. Sources: Neutron diffraction study on full-shape Japanese sword" The Investigation of Establishing Time of Zuku-Oshi and Kera-Oshi with Data of Iron Image of Buddha Making Age and Old Document "Kokon-Kajibiko" Ancient and historic steel in Japan, India and Europe, a non-invasive comparative study using thermal neutron diffraction, F.Grazzi et al, 2011. The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century, A. Williams, 2012 Some Aspects of the Metallurgy and Production of European Armor OCTOBER 18, 2016 Archaeometallurgical Investigation on Historical Sword-Making Techniques in Northern Italy Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, G.Tonelli et al, 2022 November 04, 2019 Japanese Swords "Mythbusting" - Part 1 La question du minerai de fer pour la période médiévale (IXe - XVIe siècle) Home-made steel: A week at Manabe Sumihira's zuku-oshi tatara Mineralogical Study of Iron Sand with Different Metallurgical Characteristic to Smelting with Use of Japanese Classic Iron-making Furnace “Tatara” Micromorphology, chemistry, and mineralogy of bog iron ores from Poland SOME THOUGHTS ON UTSURI Posted on 2013/08/22 January 27, 2019 Iron and Steel Technology in Japanese Arms & Armors - Part 3: Bladesmithing

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

I would have guessed Sensei Seth had done sword cutting before. But this was very interesting to me seeing how a complete novice progressed within a short time from being unable to cut to being able to cut fairly well. I've been training with swords on & off since 1995 (earlier if you count larping weapons & sticks) but I admit I'm not as good now as I was due to issues with my knees. But I'm working to improve. Seeing this vid reminds me of how even with an excellent cutting sword like the katana that it's not the easiest thing to get right & one has to learn not understand how but not think about how when cutting. Congrats to all as you honestly did well for beginners & seemed to enjoy the session!

[@KlyeKlyeKlye]

This is great! You both got to grips with that much faster than a lot of other people I've seen. I hope we'll see some more of this kind of thing in the near future, you've got the arms for archery 🏹

[@joostfloot5279]

I can't find words to describe how cool it is that the instructor owns something made by Miamoto Musashi!

[@MrJacobrezac]

I remember seeing Mike on Pawn Stars and he was always so cool to listen to. He really knows his stuff.

[@Hayhurstb]

We got your book for our soon to be born grandson! Love your channel. Keep up the fun and hard work!

[@helpdeskjnp]

I’m glad you got to do this and show it off, it’s a lot of fun and i recognize the actor in the video also!

[@AngraMalnyu]

I legit got chills when he brought out the menuki made by Musashi

[@stevenedmund5680]

So AWESOME you got Mike in there for the interview. His cutting skills are great.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

You made some very nice cuts there. You can tell they are particularly good when you get a very satisfying shing sound, it goes through with no resistance, and the piece you cut off just drop straight down instead of flying off to the side.

[@gdesigns6895]

By far one of my favorite videos ever. So much respect and passion, with a little fun competition. More like this if we can

[@wolfstatus]

Lmao "the sound of no sound being made" 😂

[@modernchow]

holy moly, musashi?? such a cool video!! Sensei Mike is such a chilled out sensei wow

[@chrislindsey5877]

Thank you for this video! I love Japanese culture and mythology! The Japanese swords are, in my opinion, the best ever made! I would love to have the honor and privilege to do that and see his collection! Great video, Sensei!

[@BRUCEJJ66]

Very cool! It's nice to see traditional martial arts disciplines treated with respect in this day & age (also cool to see the legendary Jeff Imada still expanding his knowledge of the arts after all these decades!).

[@KarateMami]

I absolutely love the sword. Yes, it's pretty difficult to handle because you need great control and precision on a blade that is arms length or longer (unlike a knife)

[@jacobharris954]

Kevin I love seeing two awesome martial artist hang out

[@cubandarknez]

this was so cool, not just the discipline itself but clearly showcasing sensei's passion for that whole world.

[@Awesnap]

I love the synchronicity of me inheriting the sword of my sensei who studied under Kanai one week after he retired. He practiced Aikido and kenjutsu for years. Great man hope to carry his torch so I can hand it over to the next.

[@Guavaniteplayz]

I can’t get enough of you and Kevin’s reactions at 6:30 😭

[@bobbob2564]

That last bit was really cool. Musashi is like the Bruce Lee of swordsmanship

[@bigolbearthejammydodger6527]

interesting point re Miomot Musashi - he was unable to write when he 'wrote' the art of war - he dictated it, and he was inspired - at least in part to write after losing a match to a man with a staff - which was one hell of a taboo, as it was seen as a peasant weapon.

[@josharnett3983]

Bro the fact that he has 2 of only 6 ever made is absolutely insane. Great video. Again brobeans. Btw you stole my joke. Don’t steal my joke.

[@MartialCoachJF]

Man, this was special!! Tameshigiri is how katana cuts in real life. I'm glad you wanted to try, the sword is the soul of the warrior 🥋💪💪💪👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🤗

[@BMO_Creative]

Wow man! Ya, Swords are intimidating! Especially when they are that sharp!

[@JeremyConners]

This was SO impressive throughout the entire experience

[@derekhoyle5371]

This was awesome to watch I’ve been wanting to try this but it’s intimidating and dangerous!

[@miguelcregogarcia6451]

awesome. your skill is evident. Pleaaaaase try kendo :) ( sparring version of kenjutsu)

[@BubonicCure]

Edge alignment is a thing. Thanks for branching out on this stuff.

[@camiloiribarren1450]

Seth and Kevin are now samurai in training. They can do anything

[@joshchan2712]

awesome! But cutting mats is batto, not exactly kenjutsu! It'd be cool to see you try kenjutsu like onno ha itto or hyoho nitten ichi ryu or maybe even one of the modern arts like kendo or iaido! :)

[@adrianturley2478]

That was fricking awesome! Great work Sensei Seth.

[@beelzebub5286]

I love the video what i also love is the buhurt axe in the background when you’re in your office.

[@sinisterswordsman25]

Damn seth nice cuts 🤘 you're awesome! Never stop! You should make a side channel dedicated to swordsmanship I would watch every video.

[@richx5064]

In the future, I would like to see you try iron palm training and Iron Palm kung fu.

[@alexandregerrits8808]

Hey that's the sword expert from Pawn Stars. I love this guy. Didn't know he could swing the sword as well. I thought he was just an history nerd.

[@tabkg5802]

I love swords. Ps: 12:19 holy fucking shit this is the coolest thing I've seen in years

[@Memorixt]

Btw. actually you did a pretty nice job as a beginner...🤔👍🏻🙂 And had the luck of seeing and having in your hand some beautiful and historical swords. Even those you trained with have a value I never could afford...

[@davidfausel9029]

Dude first off - great video. Second - you also got to hang with Jeff Imada??! That guy's a legend!

[@iisan1]

I feel like im watching an old friend when see mike in the video. I binged to many pawn star episodes and i instantly recognize mike man hahaha

[@adept.anderson]

His collection alone is museum worthy, what an honor to witness

[@denniswijker7162]

When I recently wanted to get into Martial Arts (amongst others, your fault Seth :P ) Kenjitsu was really the one I was wanting to learn. Sadly I found there wasn't any school or gym near me that teaches it. I tried some Bujinkan Ninjitsu, as they also teach some Katana lessons, but it really wasn't what I was hoping or expecting it to be. There IS an Iaido class near me, and I might try that out in the future, but for now, I've decided to start with Karate. No katana's sadly, but who knows what the future brings :D

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

Check out hema or renaissance festivals.

[@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst]

Iaido is a lot more common than Kenjutsu, but that's OK because it's more important to find a good teacher than it is to find a certain style. Just do something, then some day you might see that the journey is more fun than the destination.

[@denniswijker7162]

@@vagabondwastrel2361 Yeah, hema was something I tried to find a while back too, but sadly also not remotely close to me.

[@vagabondwastrel2361]

@@denniswijker7162 Also check out renaissance festivals. You might live near one of the knights. Not all gyms are open to the public. I learned that from riding horses. Some of the best Jumping schools are invite only.

[@Priapos93]

Thanks for taking us along!

[@brannybrapz]

its simple really. I see sensei slice with a sword. i hit like

[@corinfletcher]

Oh, man. I could go for a few katana rolls right now. Yum! My favorite!

[@tree6835]

my boy Kevin Lee showing up in a lotta videos lately 👀

[@nhemesis_productions3008]

It's so crazy that you post this video considering I literally just started training Katana arts seriously 🤣 timing is epic

[@user-hy1fs3by9l]

I practice toyama ryu and nami ryu and I’ve gotta say you guys did awesome for your first times cutting!

[@hawkknight4223]

You have much to learn about the book of five rings! Bless you on your journey.

[@D--man]

Fun video. Thanks. Awesome about the book!!!!

[@HerrZenki]

In this day and age, we use tatami but back then, ancient Japanese used condemned criminals, cadavers...... Usually cutting them down in one, gruesome go.

[@jasonmiller4307]

Thank you Sensei!! ❤❤

[@nucklechutz9933]

Wow to that ending too.

[@nether4234]

If those Monkey brass pieces at the end really are from Musashi that's insane,

[@ShiKage08]

Wtf! Made by Musashi himself. That's fuckin' sick!

[@jacobcarrizales427]

Seeing the monkeys made my Musashi was really cool. I’ve read Eiji Yoshikawa’s “Musashi” multiple times. A really good book filled with action, philosophy, romance and many other interesting themes.

[@jamesbeach7405]

I like that this looked too be in someone's typical los Angeles area house and backyard. Like you may not know it but you live near a sword master.

[@BradYaeger]

I just love the whole Japanese martial arts philosophy of attempting to perfect just a small amount of techniques instead of trying to do a large amount of them poorly. Besides all the spiritual aspects of that, it actually makes perfect sense when it comes to fighting .

[@heresjonny666]

I'd love to see you go along to a HEMA tournament with what little training you had and film the results, like you have with Judo etc! I'm sure something like CombatCon would be able to facilitate you!

[@andrewzach1921]

Commenting for the algorithm, thanks for the video Seth

[@fireeaglefitnessmartialart935]

It feels like Kevin has become seth and master seth had become mike. Fun video. I'd love to hack things with a Japanese sword.

[@AMACHiiBiong]

Cool. You got Mike-sensei on 😮

[@CaitlynWongSkate]

PLEASE TRY KENDO

[@paulyperreira2795]

MIKE YAMASAKI!!!!! Lets gooooo the GOAT

[@wesleyviers1550]

I love watching your videos, but as someone who studied Japanese swordsmanship (kenjutsu and iaijutsu) for over 20 years, this is what I've been waiting for!

[@zimcam1]

This needs more content. Do a more in depth one please.

[@IPLayedVR42Long]

All these year's of Kenjutsu and Iai training and I never thought twice about the "whoosh" lol

[@valeriecatanzaro_art]

Enjoyed the video topic and "guest", Mr Yamasaki! Had a similar experience in Tokyo a few years ago, it was a very interesting experience. I recommend it if you have the opportunity!👍

[@EggShen905]

Great work, sensei. Kendo cuts are much harder than they look.

[@dhotnessmcawesome9747]

"Kevin who?"- Miyamoto Musashi

[@nightshade7240]

A sword expert who doesn't understand why we wet tatami mats? Has nothing to do with "dirty shit" in the mats. You roll the mat in a certain way and soak it for the optimal length of time to create texture that is akin to cutting through human limbs. The inner rolls depending on whether you are double rolling or single rolling will simulate things like muscles and sinew. There was a time they'd test the sharpness of their swords on prisoners. Tatami is a more humane way to do that and still have the same feedback. You only really get tachi kaze (sword wind) the "whoosh" on swords with a bohi (the groove channeled into the blade that has everything to do with balance and weight and strength and nothing to do with "blood channeling") when swung with exact edge alignment. You also wouldn't cut to a point down position unless you were following up with a rising or ascending cut. Most often you stop your cut at a place that is in line with your belly button or slightly lower (chudan) so as to keep your blade in a position to keep your sword online to their line and to stop them from being able to rush in or capitalise on your technique. Though the techniques for tameshigiri are quite different to practical kenjustu techniques. He certainly demonstrates expertise in the academic knowledge. A lovely video. Thank you, Seth.

[@robertscicluna4384]

Would be amazing for you to pick up a koryu kenjutsu school to get into. Also, I strongly recommend delving into Hoplology - or have a visit / discussion with the International Hoplology Society.

[@RomanNumural9]

While you're at it your should try iaido, what you just tried was battodo. Iaido is like the Thai chi of katanas and teaches you much more about the draw, sheath, and attacks

[@rainbowGZUS7]

"Maybe if i squint?" Lmfao the unintentionally really funny joke

[@ThePandaAgenda]

“There is one weapon, throughout history that has struck fear into hearts like no other…” … the bamboo mat roll.

[@jiroumochizuki]

Edge alignment my guy.