Japanese Sword Misconceptions

[@spiffyracc]

You are forgetting the highlanders of Clan MacLeod that used katanas from the late middle ages through the late 1990s.

[@charles2703]

That took me a minute, lol

[@grot777]

Bam!

[@MrDVSDuncan]

Yes but the introduction of the katana into Scottish culture was only due to the Sino-Caledonian border wars of the late 14th and early 15th century, a dramatic though often overlooked chapter in Scottish history. Their use was generally abandoned after it was discovered that they were less than optimal for cutting haggis.

[@chrishill3785]

@@MrDVSDuncan lol

[@spiffyracc]

@@MrDVSDuncan Caledorian wars are easy, just spam Sisters of Avelorn.

[@d.pollett1812]

Most katana we have now were either produced in the Edo period, or shortened to official Edo period standards, in which swords allowed to be worn for dress in cities and at court were restricted to a length of two shaku three sun and under. We might view this as being in line with the Tokugawa Shogunate's general trend towards restricting and limiting weapons of war. It should also be remembered that the Edo period was a time of peace without pitched battles, and that the sword had become an important status symbol of the Samurai caste; perhaps more then ever. Given how the Daisho set is worn (fairly horizontal lengthwise), a conservatives size would have been desirable for their enhanced role as dress swords. Moreover, while comfort and regulation are likely the main reasons for this decrease in blade length; there were more combat oriented, utilitarian reasons why we might imagine shorter blades becoming more prevalent during the Edo bakufu. The sort of street fighting, duels and other altercations that did occur often took place in tighter and more enclosed spaces. Beyond this, more and more emphasis was placed on quickness of the draw, which we can imagine might prove extremely useful in the context of the sort of combat and ambushes that a Samurai would be primarily concerned about during the Edo period, rather then on the battlefield. Of course, when everyone is forced to use the same length of sword, concerns regarding the advantages and disadvantages of a longer blade become moot.

[@slowpokebr549]

Tachi were more popular when open warfare and cavalry were the norm. You make an excellent point. Samurai were living in a very restrictive, urban society by then.

[@victorwaddell6530]

So ,it was a Japanese ' Assault Weapon Ban ' ?

[@junichiroyamashita]

The Edo period truly feels like Japan Victorian Era,where many misconceptions and rewriting of history were made, created many myths and plasmated the idea of a country. It was a more neutered version of the samurai,kinda like a shadow of his former self,more concerned with roles and appareance than practicality, binding others and being bound himself in a strict social order and set of rules. A stark contrast to the deathly efficiency and skill of the preceding Sengoku period samurai.

[@wierdalien1]

@@victorwaddell6530 something like that

[@wierdalien1]

@@junichiroyamashita and pseudo-hyper religiousity?

[@ST-zm3lm]

I very much enjoy the evolving discourse on the katana. It’s gone from disproving the myths idolizing the thing to disproving the myths denigrating it and now we’re safely in the valley of nuance 😁

[@morty908]

With the nuance being: "It is a regular sword."

[@elgenerico6263]

@@morty908 Because it kind of is, isn’t it?

[@kiltymacbagpipe]

Anime over exaggerates things like swords?!? Next you’ll tell me ninjas can’t run straight up trees.

[@manhphuc4335]

Me looking at ancient persians and French parkourers: hmmmm.

[@jsihavealotofplaylists]

@@manhphuc4335 ancient what

[@lazyman7505]

@@manhphuc4335 Pugilism: martial art of fighting with the fists. Judo: martial art of grappling. Parkour: martial art of running away :)

[@Duncomrade]

You've never seen a ninja run straight up a tree because they're invisible when they do it, duh

[@RonJeremy514]

Except that a ninja is a blue haired, highly visible and annoying popular person and shinobi is what you are thinking.

[@tedhodge4830]

"fetishization, basically...." - /slides hand up and down grip

[@Krishnaeternal]

That's abit Tachi feely...

[@seriousmaran9414]

Only if one has pink fur on the grip.

[@rix3333]

1:08

[@jamespfp]

At which point, sometimes on dark winters night when the icy mists roll over the moors, you can hear the ghostly voice of Francis Pryor yelling about tossing the bronze swords into the nearest bog.

[@seriousmaran9414]

@@jamespfp and then you hear the flush? :D

[@callumbiasnow4825]

So glad you did this video. Ive noticed in the last 5/6 years there’s been a growing online “counter cult” against the katana. To the point where the claims of European swords being vastly superior have become similar to claims of the “mystical” katana. I love the katana but also the long sword, bastard sword and many others, but they are all long sharp pieces of steel. They’re all going to hurt you.

[@creativedegree]

I absolutely love these long form educational weapons history videos. It's like I get to go to college again for just one class :D

[@Khornedevotee]

@Bertrum Arthur Too much effort. :P

[@harrymills2770]

I usually set out to blurt out all the lore I think I know in the comments section. Then I check one of my facts and end up reading for 20 minutes. By the time I'm back to the comments, I just cancel the original comment I started making. It's called the University of Interwebz.

[@trompell0]

Indeed. Without the crippling debt to boot!

[@narusawa74]

He is so good at it. Captivating the students with proper relevant real life details. I had a British history teacher in university who had the same magic. He knew shits that only someone that was there can have known....like details about royals and their private decadent life and what was said in the corridors behind the walls. Magic people like Matt and my old teach should definitely be prominent in universities and educative system.

[@Erebus.666.]

@@harrymills2770 Ha. You too? That's how I do it too.

[@johnurbanek1027]

I'm a weeb and a katana fanboy, but I know they weren't the best. I just love them because I think they're the most beautiful without being gaudy. As far as the media thing goes, growing up as a 90's kid, before anime became real popular, I remember most shows and movies primarily having straight, double edge, Euro style swords. Then when anime started coming around, starting with shows like Ronin Warriors, Inuyasha, and Rurouni Kenshin, they showed these Japanese styled swords and at the time they were so different from what has been shown before, that they sparked an immense interest in not only these blades, but the Japanese culture as whole.

[@morty908]

Agree. I'm Korean so to me the katana is literally just a slightly curved version of any other East Asian sword, but I've also always thought it looked the most elegant in its simple design.

[@derrickbonsell]

"He speaks fluent Japanese." "What does Katana mean?" "It means Japanese Sword."

[@NYPATRIOTBX]

🤣🤣🤣🤣I wouldn’t have gotten that a month ago.

[@appa609]

I doesn't even... the character in Japanese (and Chinese) is 刀 which generically just means knife. Single edged swords are considered big knives in both cultures (in a way remarkably analogous to Messers in German speaking places).

[@doyouwanttogivemelekiss3097]

@@appa609 whooosh...

[@doyouwanttogivemelekiss3097]

@@appa609 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppK3iGathN58j9k

[@louisvictor3473]

@@appa609 I believe it is less knife, and more like (single edge) blade, which more commonly gets applied to a knife (so knife by association, not origin/absolute meaning). In western contexts we also have the more general term "bladesmith" which iirc is the more common historical term, while today we tend to focus on the specialization such as knifemaker, swordsmith and others. I imagine this is more a side effect of swords not being as popular anymore, so linguistic practices changed evolved differently from language to language and place to place (no surprise there).

[@brittakriep2938]

In the Wehrgeschichtliches Museum ( museum of military history) in Rastatt/ Germany, you can see the saber of a german imperial Admiral, which has a katana blade.

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

I think the katana might be the size it is because it tends to be a walking around weapon that needs to be comfortable to keep on your belt all day. also it needs to be short enough to perform a draw cut with 1 hand. More of a civilian style gentlemans sword kind of idea, less than a battlefield primary weapon.

[@mr.meowgi9876]

Ive heard they where a secondary weapon to the bow or spear

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

@@mr.meowgi9876 That's right, for the Samurai the Katana was his side arm, they mainly fought with yari, Yumi, naginata, tachi, odachi etc on horseback and on foot. But outside of war the Samurai used the Katana and Wakizashi (Daisho) when walking around towns and cities, as their casual day to day weapons.

[@houayangthe3rd]

Take this with a grain of salt but I remember hearing there was a sword regulation law that forced samurai to only carry swords to a certain length by the Toyotomi Shogunate after the unification of Japan.

[@fiendishrabbit8259]

If it had been primarily a civilian sword it would probably have a more extensive handguard and probably less weight in the blade (so that it's more nimble). It's a battlefield secondary weapon (where the handguard protects your hand very well if you're wearing japanese style gauntlets). The short length with two-handed grip is ideal if your yari/naginata breaks and you need to draw a secondary quickly and under less than ideal circumstances, but you still have two hands free and you still need to use it to cut through armor (although enemies aren't encased in steel plate like you might see in the western battlefield) so it's good to have a relatively cut-heavy blade that can also perform a strong drawcut in close quarters. It becomes a primarily civilian weapon in the Edo era, but the Edo era is extremely conservative so there isn't much of an evolution in terms of sword development. It's fast drawing speed also contributes to its use as a bodyguard weapon (since the timing between draw&strike is exceptionally quick).

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

@@houayangthe3rd I think the shaku regulations on length in that era were mostly put in place to protect the samurai class and regulate everyone else except the samurai themselves. More of a way to stop the peasants and street gangs carrying full length katana which was reserved for the noble class. That's why the Yakuza started wearing swords like long wakizashi so they weren't seen to be carrying full length katanas. The same thing happened basically in Europe where the upper class wouldn't allow peasants to walk around London with full length swords, so they started carrying very long knives and daggers instead. They don't want the common people having the same grade of arms as the elite class.

[@keithallardice6139]

Happy New Year Matt, all the very best to you and yours

[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

First quote of the year Matt Easton is a big fan of tip penetration

[@ArkadiBolschek]

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) first lenny face of the year

[@a-blivvy-yus]

You forgot "deep"

[@robgoodsight6216]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH....just waiting for that! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[@patrikconnell7360]

No he said" ...he was a big fan of penetration " but ya, great quote. Oh and I ,also

[@RonJeremy514]

It also influences the "friction".

[@Kanner111]

"The katana is a super sword." "The katana is a bad sword for weebs." "The katana is a katana." It's probably a great thing that expectations of perfection, or even perfect knowledge, are falling away, especially on KZbin of all places.

[@RonJeremy514]

The katana is 2+2=4.

[@SergeantSniper]

*Sword doesn't change! Sword is sword!*

[@fransthefox9682]

Everyone talks about the Katana, but nobody cares about the Tachi. And that upsets me.

[@immortalasirpa8199]

I share your pain

[@taylor_green_9]

And I don't think I've ever seen a video about the tsurugi or the chokutō

[@fransthefox9682]

@@taylor_green_9 Yes, that's sad too.

[@lowlandnobleman6746]

Nobody talks about Irish swords, Lowland Scots swords, or Iron Age Celtic swords, either.

[@RagnarLodbrok1]

They had a much longer period of battlefield use. The uchigatana starts coming into use early in the Sengoku period, and I don't know that it ever truly supplanted it. The classic katana is more associated with the Edo period, so the contexts were dueling, self-defense, and acting as a status symbol. I have nothing against the katana, but a tachi or uchigatana is much higher on my wishlist.

[@d512634]

I've been watching videso from 藁斬り抜刀斎 channel and I'd like to point out that even swords under the "uchigatana" category, the infantry katana, comes in various forms as well. The owner of that channel uses their equivalent of a falchion and actually spark a few discussions before. If anyone is interested in Japanese swords, you can watch his videos. They do a lot of cutting forms and practices.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Thanks for the info!

[@charles2703]

Can we get a link?

[@d512634]

@@charles2703 kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5m6pn-DodJ-pZo Here is his most watched video.

[@dylanholderman]

@@d512634 that thing looks like a damn meat cleaver (i mean that in the most positive way)

[@Thesandchief]

one thing to keep in mind about the Katana's short length is that during the Edo period, Japan was at peace. the blades were only used in an urban self defense context and the occasional duel. they were also part of the samurai class "uniform" I'm sure they appreciated the swords being short for convenience and the previously mentioned self defense. also the government during the Edo era enforced standardized blade sizes for the Katana so everyone realistically had similarly sized blades

[@clydeberry8523]

This parallels the more every day carry kind of development in European swords. Short long swords/ arming swords were a weapon to wear and use if need be. Once battle is a bigger consideration over ergonomics of actually carrying it around, we see war swords/ great swords/ longer long swords. I imagine its a similar distinction between katana and tachi

[@unap16]

My respect for Mr. Matt Easton continues to increase. The continued refinement in how perspectives are contextualized prior to being presented, as well as "deep penetration" of knowledge itself and of course, just as importantly placing the onus of potentially misconstrued content on himself and addressing them in a sincere manner show notable growth, and is why I love to learn from Mr. Easton. Kudos to you, and hope you have a good start to this new year.

[@ScrollwormoftheFanWings]

The one dislike is Hollywood

[@jrs4516]

i think it was from a guy called ryu who was aghast at his name being pronounced incorrectly

[@harrymills2770]

Think of every movie you've seen, where they stumble around in Tin-Man costumes. Yeah. It wasn't like that.

[@laksivrak2203]

Japanese Nationalist, more then likely 😂

[@pelicans456]

Done a lot of Kendo and Iaido over the years - two big concerns to keep in mind with katana size: (1) there were serious shortages of iron available to swordmakers in Japan (depending on the date); and more importantly (2) these are sidearms, it would have been rare for them to be your main weapon on the battlefield. Most samurai would have gone into battle with a spear (yari), spear/polearm (naginata), maybe a no-dachi (big katana) or a bow as their main weapon.

[@jort93z]

I think the second thing is obvious, at least to most people. In medieval europe, swords were rarely main weapons as well. .

[@kissme1518]

China and Europe has used halberds as their primary weapon. Swords are a sidearm

[@rasmasyean]

I heard from somewhere, maybe History channel or something like that, that the katana shape is to allow you to draw and strike very fast. A lot of techniques stress this move. So it wouldn't make sense for it to be long, despite how much "ore" your province has. As a "sidearm", it's mostly USED in civilian life, I'd imagine. That's where you would just kill someone in the street by surprise. Just like the real quickdraw in the Wild West...without the "stare at each other and see who draws first part". lol

[@Kurt20051YT]

​@@rasmasyeanThe curve of the blade also makes it more effective in slashing attacks than straighter swords

[@rasmasyean]

@@Kurt20051YT Well, on that note, since slashing is relatively ineffective against armored soldiers in the battlefield, it kind of shows how disadvantaged you'd be wielding a katana as a primary weapon if your goal is to slash opponents.

[@junichiroyamashita]

After passing through the stages of fetishization,deconstruction and reconstruction,i can say... I like katana,they are a very nice equilibrium, i am past considering them " the mythical blade capable of cutting the fabric of reality",but also past considering them a poorly made decorative cutting implement either. They are a one handed sword blade lenght weapon,with a two handed grip,slightly curved, heavier feel,very good both at cutting and thrusting,while not necessarily being the best at both. This combination of elements make a very good close quarter sword, powerful,agile,and capable of complex and varied movements,the one i would take and learn to use in a realistic world situation. The fact that they have a very estethically pleasing shape is also a plus.

[@nolanolivier6791]

On a side-note: your use of the word 'equilibrium' is unusual. I'm guessing you mean 'all things being equal'?

[@junichiroyamashita]

@@nolanolivier6791 i wanted to say that they stand in a confortable middle between extremes,kinda like Goldilocks, not too much ,not too little. I meant that they have very specific characteristics that gave them a peculiar spot among swords,the ones i list after that.

[@Erebus.666.]

Well said. Katana are not the be all and end all, but rather a genius level set of compromises. Perfectly suited for its usage and it's eras battlefield.

[@southerngrey]

As a proud owner of 3 sharp katana. The mysticism fades exceedingly fast. They are a high quality Audi. You want performance and engineering. You get a long term maintenance project. You love it, no doubt you love it. But needy as fuck. Would I give them up? Nope. Would I buy them again? Nope.

[@junichiroyamashita]

Well,i would buy a Musha Musashi for thrashing around,getting the hang,destroy and such,and then buy a proper one or two,once i have gotten familiarity on them. Once you have a beautiful Himetsuru replica,and you know how to use it,i pays itself.

[@Yellow.1844]

@64 64 interesting, thank you for writing, wasn't expecting to read that

[@doctorr2]

I noticed how you stroked the hilt suggestively when you said Japanese swords get a sort of fetishization, over exaggeration.

[@patrikconnell7360]

Thought about saying something too but,decided to stroke one out instead. LoL

[@nagyzoli]

You can not NOT do that, if you have a katana grip in your hand. Just.. natural :D

[@Nafinafnaf]

​​@@nagyzoli it was funny though, as he said that he stroked it 😂

[@SenshinAnon]

"...Deeper Penetration, which as you all know, I'm a massive fan of..." we ain't your wife Matt :S joking aside, great video and the joke (intended or not) made me lol

[@dave_h_8742]

Does he do a lot of penetration videos for specialist collector's ?

[@raphaelprotti5536]

It's a simple matter of friction, my friend.

[@JoeSteel1]

this video is much appreciated coming from a predominantly European sword affectionato...All swords are a large part of our history in every part of the world and every culture...The Katana for me presents an achievement in a functional piece of art as deadly as it is beautiful...and the historical aspect of the importance if this sword to a large group of people is amazing...well spoken video

[@antivalidisme5669]

Gotta say I love this kind of format Matt. Especially since my knowledge of Asian and especially Chinese an Japanese blades is lackluster to say the least especially compare to Islamic, European or even Indian ones. Learned a lot. Half-an-hour for a quick look, that's why we love you Matt! Happy new year!

[@Angmir]

Cycles of the Internet -> people praize Glorious Nippon Steel -> thay get annoying, and public starts calling anyone likeing Japanese Swords Weebs -> Weeb haters go more anoying than weebs themselves -> European Hema puritist gets called on their biggotry -> reapreciation for Japanese Swords - cycle begins anew ... -> Reapers come every 50 000 years to wipe out all advanced civilizations ....

[@himadridas7101]

Katana have mass effect field around them(missed point)

[@abyssaldragonslayer4389]

Good thing by the time the Reapers come for our cycle we'll have Commander Shepard around to stop them 😁

[@WhatIsThatThingDoing]

Reject Nippon Return to Sheffield

[@philholman8520]

Blimey I think that everyone should see this video of yours. It really is an eye opener. Tip Top young man, knowledge of the way history unfolds itself is truly an asset.

[@tubastud2]

The polish on that blade is almost distracting its so nice lol!

[@Gabrong]

The polish are flattered by your comment.

[@dave_h_8742]

Shame he's talking over the blade. Big no no that and touching the blade even the back of it.

[@alexandergutfeldt1144]

I didn't get close enough to see any 'polish', but it does look like a good 'finnish' 😉

[@AntonAdelson]

Seeexy!

[@davekennedy6315]

@@dave_h_8742 wouldnt last long in combat if the blade cant handle being touched or even talked over.

[@koaa1565]

Thank you for a very neutral and informed description. As a Japanese who practice Japanese swordplay and researched on Japanese sword, I appreciate your clip. You mentioned many critical points on myths, and also gave me new insight on Japanese sword. And Happy new year

[@eagle162]

If you want, I would recommend this site a lot of Articles to check out. gunbai-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/?m=1

[@ACat1255]

As far as length goes, it may be potentially complicated. "In Shoho 2, (1645 a.C.) "The Order Regarding Dai-Sho Katana and Hair Style" fixed the maximum length of Katana to be 2 shaku and 8 to 9 sun (84.84 cm - 87.87 cm), and Wakizashi to be 1 shaku and 8 to 9 sun (54.54 cm - 57.57 cm)." -wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Japanese_Swords At this time, many older longer swords were shortened, and obviously after this time swords were made complying to the length requirements. Taichi were also shortened to comply with this length requirements (as well as many being given katana style fittings to wear blade up though the side the signature would still reveal that it was originally a taichi). Furthermore, once you enter the long peace of the Edo period, samurai were required by the Tokugawa shogunate to reside in the domain capital with only once exception (Satsuma basically just deliberately defied this order and their samurai continued to live wherever). Thus Samurai became an entirely urban and also non-battlefield existence. This basically lessened the importance of length since they were not really fighting anyone anymore, and anyone they would be fighting would be in a more confined setting of city streets and alleys. Also, I would guess due to universal human laziness, they would try to carry lower amounts of weight so thus extra length was further discouraged. Also, as far as taichi vs katana lengths, they had different roles. Taichi were from the era of samurai fighting (and pre-samurai even) where the warriors were cavalry. They were primarily archers. The extra length of taichi facilitates striking someone from horseback. Uchigatana were created to be a cheap sidearm for non-samurai footsoldiers during the Ashikaga shogunate (Muromachi period). They were 23-27 inches long in blade and thus very short. Army size grew to the point that mounting most of your warriors was less practical, and samurai more and more became dismounted infantry. Mass armies of polearm users were common this era. Thus even the samurai started adopting the uchigatana as it turned into katana, since it was more convenient in the method of wear for fighting with polearms. The length of the sword gradually grew until they were getting close to the old taichi lengths (that being said taichi never went away completely either).

[@christopherneelyakagoattmo6078]

Well said. Like so many things, be they weapons or styles of fashion, category gets too much emphasis over context and nuance.

[@Phunny1]

Always good to see someone who can sensibly and with dignity correct themselves down the line.

[@harizotoh7]

I remember being shocked as a teen opening up a book on samurai and having it describing the favorite weapon for the longest time being... the bow. They were known as bowmen for a long time.

[@Cervando]

Yes the Dai-kyu, bow was their main weapon, specifically shaped for use on horseback, followed by the yari, or spear. Katanas etc were backup weapons in war. Furthermore they originally fought mainly from horseback.

[@kwanarchive]

And then that changed to firearms when they became available. Turns out people really prefer to fight from as far away as possible.

[@Vlad_Tepes_III]

@@kwanarchive It has happened since times immemorial: humankind's preference for ranged weaponry whenever and wherever the option was available is probably older than the modern human species.

[@velazquezarmouries]

Well there is a record of a samurai stabbing someone in mexico but it was either with a yari or a tanto

[@Ghostrebel017]

I sense there's a hell of a story there.

[@velazquezarmouries]

@@Ghostrebel017 it supposedly happened because of a perciebed insult

[@junichiroyamashita]

It was narrated by an aztec noble,and the samurai stabbed a conquistador if i am not wrong.

[@velazquezarmouries]

@@junichiroyamashita it was an spanish soldier

[@galgenvogel1871]

@@velazquezarmouries Depending on the time period a conquistador and a Spanish soldier should be the same

[@mastermarkus5307]

14:40 - So it's less "the Japanese kept their swords really sharp" and more "the Europeans were not sharpening their swords nearly as much as everyone else", LOL. You kind of touched on it near the end, but I do find that one of the misconceptions that keeps going on, not so much with "sword people" but with the Euro/American "layman" is that all Japanese swords are "katana".

[@junichiroyamashita]

Because katana means sword, the earlier name for what we know as katana was uchigatana,literaly "striking sword",probably to emphatise the shorter lenght and practicality. When the uchigatana became the most common one,there was no need to refer to his specific name.

[@johndododoe1411]

@@junichiroyamashita So similar to how English-language Westerners drifted to using the word "gun" to implicitly refer to handguns, rather than large guns.

[@mastermarkus5307]

@@junichiroyamashita That still doesn't mean that all of them are CALLED katana though, or look the same as one.

[@45calibermedic]

I think that comparison gets made especially concerning 19th c. western European military swords, which were quite often not sharpened nearly much as Japanese or Indian blades (of course, this varied between nations and even individual units). Western European swords from earlier periods were made quite sharp, depending on user preference. Of course, if they were made from homogeneous spring steel, the lesser edge hardness wouldn't allow a super sharp edge to keep as long when cutting soft materials as with a katana. Earlier medieval, Viking, and certain classical swords with hard (even folded steel) edges welded onto a softer core are more comparable in terms of construction and potential for very hard edges.

[@junichiroyamashita]

@@mastermarkus5307 well if we want to be specific no one was called katana, since it was a generic term,they also used the term tachi even to refer to katana in modern periods,or ken to refer to others types of swords. You have to remember that katana comes from the chinese kanji for knife,so swords with that kanji have a similar connotations.

[@theg0z0n]

Thanks Matt, this video popped up in my queue today, and i learned a lot. I appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

[@rebeccaschade3987]

Instead of having to give in to the "longsword vs. katana" conundrum, I simply decided to go with the best of both worlds... Getting one longsword and one katana :D

[@KevinTangYT]

Indeed! Why not both? Each informs the other. Since we're not the era of needing to fit in with any sort of societal sword convention, it helps to learn the pros and cons of both, especially if you were to ever spar with weapon unlike your own.

[@luuk341]

I do not understand why most people choose "one side" in this pointless argument about which is better

[@ColossalSwordFormAndTechnique]

I've lost count in how many times he said penetration.

[@Jubel06]

This is just one video. You should watch Matt's entire catalog (if you haven't). Go down the "rabbit hole of penetration" so to speak.

[@sir_humpy]

but penetration IS important. Where we'd all be without?

[@medea27]

Great to hear about the 17th/18th century European perspective of Japanese swords as it's not one that's often discussed 👍 I've had a lifelong interest in katana & other Japanese weaponry from a scientific, engineering, artistic & cultural perspective (not so much an efficacy one!) and I can see why the whole 'mystical properties of katana' idea started in the west. A big part of the problem is that it's impossible to evaluate Japanese swords when you try to shoehorn them into a European context. The katana is an embodiment of the Japanese culture (unlike anything in European culture today) and many of the differences between it & western blades make perfect sense when you understand the context in which they were produced & used.

[@StudentOfWarCustoms]

You cleared up some misconceptions but have perpetuated some in this video. 1. The length of Japanese swords we have now are what we have left AFTER the passing of the Josun laws by the 3rd Tokugawa shogun. This is a big deal because these laws regulated what lengths of swords were allowed. Katana could no longer legally be longer than 27.4" and as a result most swords were shortened to comply with the new law. When we look at the lengths of the swords that were documented that the 47 ronin used many if not most were over 30" long. The lengths that defined the different lengths of Japanese swords were really defined by the Josun laws. You nor any other channel ever talk about this when regarding length. 2. You talk about blade thickness and weight as if there is only 1 shape to Japanese swords. There were many blade shapes to Japanese swords some of which were thinner at the spine to reduce weight such as unokubi zukuri and kanmuri otoshi zukuri. 3. You talk about point length as if there was only 1 length of tip and again this is not the case. There were short points, medium length points and long points sometimes extremely long. Combined with the blade shape we could talk about shobu zukuri blades which have a thicker tapered point designed to piece softer armors like leather armor or to be able to go through mail easier. Also there are ways to stab with Japanese swords to be able to actually do things like going under the throat guard by stabbing in an arch of sorts. 4. Sorry but that's wrong about lack of blade to blade contact. I have studied numerous styles of Japanese swordsmanship and most if not all of them dealt with blade to blade contact and binds especially in Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu. If you would ever be interested in collaborating on a video to dispel of misconceptions with Japanese swords I'd be more than willing to do so.

[@holyknightthatpwns]

On point 4 - yes obviously there is blade on blade contact in japanese martial arts, but it's the comparison that's interesting. Did they have as much tendency to use blade on blade contact as their European counterparts did? I'm admittedly an amateur in HEMA, but from what I've seen it has significantly more than I've seen in my decade of Japanese swordsmanship.

[@dave_h_8742]

I've got the aloe Vera for his burn.

[@StudentOfWarCustoms]

@@holyknightthatpwns perhaps its just the style I study but in Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu we have quite a bit blade on blade contact especially in our paired kata.

[@StudentOfWarCustoms]

@@dave_h_8742 there's no burn, just stating facts.

[@holyknightthatpwns]

@@StudentOfWarCustoms I'm not practiced in Eishin Ryu, but I wonder how many of those techniques are taught for a thoroughly complete understanding, versus how many would be commonly used. I don't think there's a good way to know the answer unless the old masters specifically recorded it, but you may know better than I.

[@pensmith]

Time to blab a bit. In western stories, myth, and folklore, there are tales of weapons being able to fly to strike its foe unerring, cut mountain tops off, and have crafting lineages linked to gods and fairies who get to decide which leader will rule your country based on who can pull it out of an unusual sheath such as a tree, rock, or lake. The modern myths behind Katana's cutting through anything isn't really all that surprising, people like tall tales. They love them more from cultures that have continued blade traditions. Katana is to the modern Japanese language [if I'm not mistaken] as the word Sword is a general term for swords in English. It can mean a specific type of blade of course, which is thus generalized under certain specs/appearance expectations, but may just as well be used by a layman to mean something that looks close enough to one. In the historical context, the blade that has become the modern conception of the Katana came about as munitions grade weapons were getting stamped out during decades of war and soldiers found themselves in combat in tighter urban environments and thus came a preference for a weapon that was shorter, as a backup weapon that wouldn't get in the way as much as its predecessor, a significantly longer field/calvary sword [Tachi] . Ultimately it is a back up weapon, a final resort after your primary weapons were lost, and the only thing after it would have been the equivalent of a utility knife or dagger or head hunting or suicide. Ironic how within their own culture, a few bits of literature retroactively made the weapon the symbol of the Samurai, when prior to that it was really the bow. Even with a shorter blade in context to a Tachi, the overall length of a typical Katana is going to being linked to the intended original user's height; those result in blade lengths which average in the 28~30 in range. That is the just the blade part itself. If you think about it. 28~30 in of blade alone is comparable to a lot of western swords such as gladius and viking era migration blades. Add a two handed handle which is typically another 11 in, and the over all length of the blade as a whole isn't all that 'short'. A Katana can be seen as a thicker saber. In fact, mounting it as one isn't so out of line. The Japanese military did so after the Meiji era when nationalism and traditionalism created a fusion of traditional blades with western mounts like saber grips with hand guards. In the few rare cases I've seen in museum collections, the handle mount is for one hand, bringing it back to some tachi designs which occasionally had shorter handles despite having longer blades as they were meant to be used like a saber from horseback. History sometimes goes in full circles. A Katana may not typically be tempered as a spring steel blade, but it isn't a rigid piece of rebar. It can flex, and in fact it has to be able to flex due to how traditional stone based sharpening is done for the blades where the blade is bowed slightly during the sharpening and polishing process. It just won't bend to the degrees that we often see people valuing in western spring steel flex blades then snap back. Modern manufacturers have made plenty of spring steel style blades, so if you want something less traditional it isn't like the design of the blade [thickness, angle, curve, tip, etc] is going to stop you. With or without the ability to bend 45 degrees and return true, the flex isn't going to change the fact that it won't be cutting through a tank. If its sharp enough and you swing right you'll cut through most unarmored things just fine. Circular disk guards offer plenty of protection for a hand properly sized for it. If your hand isn't covered properly then order a guard that is properly fitted to your hand size. If you have something like a talwar that is too small for your hand, then perhaps it was meant for someone with a smaller hand. A circle disk guard isn't so different from a nagel / nail or a side ring - if anything it's more protective than either when properly fitted to your hand size. Neighboring cultures will influence each other. It's part of being a neighbor whether peaceful or not. Cultural exchange is a neat thing. If you look at sword designs in the China, Korea, and Japan triangle, you can sometimes find examples of such exchanges with parts that didn't transfer properly [as in they didn't keep some parts or kept a part, but didn't understand what it was for so it isn't functional]. You can see how weapons were valued or not, and how the local region viewed them during manufacturing. Nationalism and misplaced mysticism can make defining historical elements frustrating. A sword, like any tool, has a lot of thought put in its design.

[@carlpeters8690]

Thanks for the balanced coverage of the pluses and minuses of tempering & hardening, distal taper, ... context, ...

[@lucanic4328]

One note on the last point concerning the development of Japanese swords. Chinese and especially Korean swordmakers laid the foundation of Japanese swordmaking as we know it today, but they aren't as closely related as one might think. It's also hard to make analogies as the development of Japanese sword is rather peculiar within its interaction with the Chinese sphere of influence. One thing that should be clear is that a katana is not a direct development of Japanese copies of Tang and Sui dynasty daos. It should be noted that while it is linked to the Tachi, a uchigatana has its roots in the swords developed by the Emishi people in north east Japan while the Yamato people hadn't unified the island yet. The 立鼓柄刀 developed by the Emishi around the 7th and 9th century strikingly resemble eaerly uchigatana as the ones depicted in the Ban Dainagon Ekotoba (伴大納言絵詞) , in terms of cross section, size and fittings. Back in the heian period, uchigatana were shorter one handed swords used ad back up weapon by the lower nobility. pbs.twimg.com/media/EEG0a45UEAEKdK9.jpg Furthermore, the late Heian period Tachi associated with the Samurai class own its feature to the interaction of regional variants of Chinese and Koreans swords and Warabiteto and Kenukigata swords developed by the Emishi people. One should see the distinctive curvature and shape of the blade present in kenukigata tachi and warabiteto to but absent in straight Tang dao.

[@eagle162]

If I could add to that recommend there two Chinese articles that goes further into debunking that they are copies of Tang Dynasty blades. zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/87342543 www.jiangrenchuanshuo.com/wanlizhuanlan/2020-04-08/1899.html Also the name Tang Dao is made up, swords that time were not even called that during the Tang Dynasty.

[@DeadCatX2]

As someone who trained with a bokken (a practice katana), when you're discussing how it "feels" to swing and that it's "clumpy" (at the end of the Length section), the reason that it feels weird to you is because you're holding it improperly. You also have to remember that one of the training purposes was literally chopping off arms, which is why you get people practicing on tatami mats wrapped around bamboo (i.e. flesh around bone). There's a very particular motion you need to get efficient cutting with a katana, but if you do it the "right way", limbs are butter.

[@Palmakify]

If we blindfolded you, could you tell what type of sword it is by swinging it around a bit? (no touching of the Blade) Might be an interesting video idea

[@Jukkaimaru]

It's worth pointing out that there are also examples of larger, more robust tsuba than what is typically depicted; ones which actually would give a nice amount of cover for the lead hand in many of the common kenjutsu postures.

[@Kageitenshi]

20:44 When it comes to reinforced tips in Naginata, it may well depend on the style and period, as the Edo period one I have is right relatively slim at around 5 mm thickness and is but one of many in similar form and size that I came across in auctions. I've seen much heftier and larger ones during that search for an antique to call my own, but I personally like the curves on the Edo style ones. Here's a bunch of pics via Dropbox alongside a yari from the same period: www.dropbox.com/sh/3th9xz0sr1mvree/AADcTgDL_vaOhMNHX2Aq8vKMa?dl=0 For those wondering: There's no katana style differential hardening or hamon there on the Naginata, aside from the corners that also took a brighter polish, but the difference in gloss between the edge and the rest of the blade is the result of a harder steel insert at the edge and hours of work on my part with hand polishing and final work with slurry forming finger stones to make that harder edge pop out from the softer back. Keeps a wicked sharp edge and I still have a small scar on my left index finger thanks to a slip while cleaning before changing to a finer grit polishing paper, much unlike some of the spring tempered blades I have that won't even take a proper edge. The yari does have a faint hamon, but it's also been dressed up with a hand polish that makes the edges appear milkier, rather than glossy. No maker's marks on either, which brought the prices to an affordable point, but likely first half of the 19th century.

[@45calibermedic]

Thanks for sharing, your input is very interesting!

[@adenyang4398]

5mm thickness at tip isn’t really slim though, such dimensions are fairly common for Japanese swords and many mainland dao swords. It’s also a bit thicker than many late medieval European war swords. If we actually look for slim tips then we can get some mainland dao swords that have around 2~2.5 mm thickness at the tip. (But they often tend to be extremely thick at the base in return).

[@bartonbrevis3831]

Any sword is a balancing act between many factors and optimized for the combat environment it evolved in. Looking back at them today we often lack in period context to inform our modern perceptions. Kudos to you Matt for being well aware of this in your videos, and providing it to the viewing audience. I don't know if you've done anything in relation to 'modern-era' (post-Victorian) sword carry/use and given the view of 'blade-culture' in Britain as the legalities are you may want to avoid said topic, understandable.

[@althesmith]

Musashi famously was not a big advocate of continually using a two-handed grip.

[@rogercoltest350]

The tachi was used primarily from horse back...hence the length...the uchi-katana was used on the ground ...cant remember what era that was...the changing tactics of warfare and the different periods made a difference.

[@chefhotspotVODS]

edo period

[@Tananjoh]

Something to keep in mind about tales of shaprness is that it' seems to be a fairly common trope in travellers accounts that swords are not only sharp but amazingly super-sharp. Matt mentioned British accounts of sharp Indian swords, there are also accounts from medieval Arabic sources about both Indian and European swords. Egyptian scholar Nasir al-Din al-Tusi wrote that swords of the Franks were so sharp that they could cut iron and Abraham ben Jacob that theyw ere sharper than Indian ones.

[@farstrider79]

So your saying multiple cultures figured out how to sharpen metal?

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

@@farstrider79 No, he ia saying chronicles liked to fetishize sword sharpness.

[@WhatIsThatThingDoing]

You could boil it down to two countries as singular people pointing to each other, both saying: "That guy's swords are REALLY good. Even better than ours."

[@TheZaYo]

One technical tip: switch your mic left/right channels, so when you tilt your head to the left, viewers will hear your voice in left channel, not in the right one. Keep up the good work man!

[@houayangthe3rd]

I believe another reason for the length and the shortening of Tachis into Katanas was do to sword regulations made by the Toyotomi Shogunate after the unification of Japan.

[@temperededge]

That may have had something to do with it. "o-wakizashi" (a big "short sword") became all the rage with the peasantry during that time. As I understand it, however, it was more that samurai were no longer exclusively horse-mounted soldiers. A tachi was more of a cavalry sword and samurai started wanting something easier to carry and draw while on foot. This shift was happening before Toyotomi came to power.

[@houayangthe3rd]

@@temperededge yes but the toyotomi made it into law.

[@temperededge]

@@houayangthe3rd Maybe you're confusing this with the meiji sword bans (which *did* make katana much shorter to comply with the law)? In hideyoshi's time, the katana had already all but replaced the tachi as a samurai's sidearm around end of the muromachi period. Hideyoshi only took power about a decade later. Moreover, while hideyoshi's sword edict made it illegal for peasants to carry both the katana and tachi, samurai were still allowed to carry both, so hideyoshi's sword laws wouldn't have affected samurai who preferred to carry tachi over katana. There were simply fewer samurai who liked using tachi. Of course, that's not to say hideyoshi's sword edict had no effect on the tachi's use. Arming only samurai in a civil setting further emphasized their police, or peacekeeping roles, meaning they had to able to fight as well on foot as on a horse (and as I mentioned, katana tends to be easier to use on foot than a tachi)

[@temperededge]

@@houayangthe3rd Um... sorry about the unscheduled history lesson. As you can imagine, I have few occasions to talk about this in everyday life and got a bit over excited.

[@houayangthe3rd]

@@temperededge No confusion at all. The Meiji sword ban came after the Toyotomi regulation and itself came after the Oda's. The Meiji sword ban had no effect on Katana length, but the Toyotomi actually regulated size.

[@breaden4381]

Everywhere is renowned for sharpness. And everyone has the best cavalry or horses too.

[@anotherboredperson]

As it turns out, cavalry tends to kill everything its used against (and not used against things it wouldnt) so im sure itd be remembered that way.

[@lorddunsparce9425]

Not exactly everyone had the best cavalry. There were places historically that had bad cavalry I’m sure.

[@lamia197]

What I find funny as a Korean is that katana is just a sword to us. Sort of like a longsword is to a European. For me things like Ulfberht, falchion and claymores are the fantasy swords.

[@bully_hunter_4206]

Thats pretty fascinating

[@yogsothoth915]

Well, I'd say the Arming sword is more the one people just tend to call "a sword " even back then it was just like: "arm them with a sword" they never even had a true name which is why today people suggested calling them Arming swords... Longswords were more for Knights so they get to be special and sexy.

[@rumplefourskin6775]

All swords have a fetishization in movies in the sense that they were usually a side arm in reality.

[@yogsothoth915]

Well, fully armored Knights on foot did often use Longswords as primary weapons, as they were good against the cloth armor like gamasins. And you can only use a lance while mounted.. people also used heater shields with arming swords specifically for defense against bludgeoning.. maces were also a popular opinion for knight on knight... but for infantry. Bill hooks and Arming swords.. bill hooks need more love, nearly every pole arm at the time was a bill hook.

[@vumanhtung]

Aside from the topic, I do know about anime culture, movies and video games that might have over-exaggerated the image of the katana for a period of time. However, this "Bollywood" misconception already became an outdated thing long ago (or at least within this community). I can no longer see any "katana fanboiz" so-called mall ninja/weaboo/etc in any comment section. Yet somehow lots of people still keep complaining about them and keep underappreciating the katana with ignorant arguments (katana is inferior to bla bla bla). I guess this is what happen when people combine hatred with biases (which is sadly happening in pretty much every aspect in life). Thank you, Matt, for sharing your intellectual view points. Anyways, there is one more thing about the katana that you could take in consideration. As you said, the Tachi was used in battle field as samurai's secondary weapon, not the katana. The katana was mainly designed for self-defense during the peaceful Edo period. This is why the Japanese cut down the length of the blade (from Tachi to Katana) so that it could be more compact/less bulky to carry around, not to mention the quick-draw capability (which also relate to the "small" guard design). In this case, shorter blade is a huge advantage. As you can see, the Wakizashi (a shorter version of the Katana) was obviously designed afterward for indoor usage. Sorry, I just can't bare the people's mindset of "longer is always better bla bla" when comparing weapons.

[@d.pollett1812]

For your example of Edo period regulation, this wasn't a shortening of Tachi into Katana, but rather a shortening of various swords, Nodachi and Katana, into a very conservative Katana size (two shaku three sun, I think, though I don't recall if this was for the nagassa or the entire blade; if my memory serves me right two shaku should be the length of the nagasa). I absolutely agree with you, in these circles, and really almost any circle dealing with historical arms and armour there are almost no katana fanboys left; but the absurd amount of overcorrection and tunnel vision remains the same; including for that matter a lack of criticism toward other contemporary swords that failed to meet the 'universal' standards and advantages offered by western European swords. Even with allot of people who should, or even do know better (however reluctantly it might seem), there dose seem to be a certain air of cantankerousness around Japanese swords. I can think of a particular example who isn't able to find much redeemable or interesting about Japanese Swords, while praising in particular the design and function of the kriegsmesser. Perhaps it is understandable that people will have this sort of sour reaction after going through the initial phase of arguing with normies and weebs about European swords and martial arts, but by this point I would think that everyone would be over it by now.

[@bapro1715]

About 8years ago I was at a seminar of an aikido teacher from Linz/Austria. He also trained the Austrian Battle of the Nations team. He had of course japanese swords and also a pair of mediaval bastard swords, made in Prague, which we were allowed to try. It was the first time, that I could compare the two swordtypes and was surprised, how much more nimble the european sword was. Watching your videos are the most useful way spending time in the first 48hours of the year...

[@2Axiom]

Matt 'It's a simple matter of friction' Easton

[@gibbeldon]

Another point about thrusting is that spring tempered blades aren't as rigid as katanas. Therefore you can put more force behind a katana thrust, which could potentially be better in some circumstances than a narrower tip.

[@shaidrim]

Nice vid Matt! Finally is clear that Katana will not cut trough reality 😀 Only one correction. Karate was born in Okinawa, in a time it was still an independent reign, or at least formally independent, by a mix of original Ryukyu’s self defence art and Chinese kempo (Shaolin Kung-fu mostly), but at the time it became a Japanese thing (around 1920), it was so developed to be considered original MA and that its relations to China were lost in the mist of legend.

[@raymondg.rienks9906]

The Chinese roots may have been intentionally ignored, based on the Asian enmity for each other.

[@shaidrim]

@@raymondg.rienks9906 it absolutely was. After Funakoshi presentation of karate, the Japanese military officers that hosted it, were so impressed they wanted to insert karate in their mens training but looked too similar to kung-fu, so they specifically invited Funakoshi to remove al those “Chinese looking” parts and create a totally Japanese art. And that’s in short the origin of Shotokan style. There’s a beautiful video from Jesse Enkamp on this very topic if you are interested

[@stephanwatson7902]

21:46 Not only is the tip broad and reinforced, the arch of the blade also supports the thrust. So you can deliver a more powerful thrust and have the tip strong enough to handle it

[@rumplefourskin6775]

Matt Easton will never get tired of talking about tip penetration

[@mrkiky]

Not sure about this but I have heard someone say that the saya should be made in such a way that the sword is only supported at the tip and at the habaki, which is one of the purposes of the habaki, so the edge should never scrape against the wood inside.

[@Freerider1972]

Correct, when it begins to get loose you shim the inside of the saya with a thin strip or wood actually on the sharp side. If you draw badly you cut that strip of wood. If you draw properly the blade touches nothing.

[@davidcrisp3832]

Great presentation! Here is some more information for you about katanas. - In Japan, every single edge blade is a katana, whether it's a knife or a sword. This includes foreign weapons. That's why there are different types of katanas, like for instance the ko katana which is a shorter version of the standard size sword. - Japanese swords used to be signed on the tang by the smith who made them. The proper way to wear Japanese swords is so the smiths name is facing out. This is important. - Traditionally, a tachi is signed on the right side of the tang when the blade is pointed at the enemy, and that's why you wear a tachi blade down on the left side of your body. Tachi have always been a status symbol as much as a weapon and even though the signature is hidden it's a mark of respect to have the maker of a signed katana's signature facing your opponent... because Japan. - The katana was originally the weapon of foot soldiers, or ashigaru. As Japan's warring period raged professional soldiers and standing armies became more common. The shorter blades made for the ashigaru were not very good quality compared to the tachi and were simply called "katana" or "sword". Katanas are cheaper to make, straighter, and shorter than tachi because they were designed for foot soldiers. Around this time another word, "nihonto" replaced "katana" as the catch-all word for a single edged blade. The two words are still interchangeable in Japanese though. Anyway.... the ashigaru wore their katanas with the blade down even though they were often unsigned by the maker because it's simply easier to draw a sword that way while wearing armor. - After the warring period ended the tachi was all but abandoned except for ceremonial purposes and even samurai were using katana for their EDC. Their katanas were better than the katanas of the ashigari and the practice of signing fine swords on the right side of the tang was the norm, so at this time they were being worn blade down. This is the period when duals became commonplace among the samurai as a way to test their martial ability. One of the many techniques developed during this time was to wear the sword blade up in order to facilitate a faster drawing of the blade. A sword worn with the blade up is called an "uchigatana" which literally means "fast sword". The practice became the standard fashion and smiths making finer katanas began to sign katana blades on the left side of the blade. Because the "katana" was originally a low-quality ashigaru weapon they had a pretty bad reputation in the early years, so it is proper to call a higher quality sword an "ushigatana" when worn blade up as a mark of respect to the smith... because Japan. - Even during the peaceful years samurai still found reasons to go to war with each other, though. The tachi had been designed to be used on horseback. Part of the reason it's designed to be worn blade down is so the weapon can be drawn while riding. It turns out that it's easier to draw a katana on horseback with the blade down, too. So, it's still okay to wear a katana blade down if you're wearing armor regardless of where the blade is signed.

[@jort93z]

Now they call all of them katana, I believe historically, that was a term reserved for that type of sword in particular. People have used a lot of katanas over hundreds of years, at some point they just called every sword a katana.

[@EchoesDaBear]

Happy New Year!! Always love your analysis and insight - cheers! All the best in 2021.

[@kublaicarl4818]

My Grandad told me a tale about a Japanese officer who ran along the trenches cutting the machine gun barrels in half with his sword, he was only stopped by an English longbow which had to shoot through a Tank to hit him. Upon questioning as to the magik qualities of the blade the Japanese officer told his captors that the sword was made from Unicornium Unobtainium, and had to be mined on a full Moon by Fairy Virgins, they all nodded in wonder.

[@alfatazer_8991]

Sugoi

[@buffoonustroglodytus4688]

«Unobtainium» now that’s great I think I’ll borrow that one day

[@junichiroyamashita]

Hey Matt,what is the messer you have in this video? I would be interested in it.

[@freestatefellow]

I believe it’s from the Landsknecht Emporium. Try searching for that in his videos, I think that’ll bring it up 👍

[@Sikraj]

3:36 "This is going to be a quick look"......video time is 32 minutes and 55 seconds.

[@AlanGChenery]

Clearly he's picking up habits from Lloyd (Lindybeige) :p

[@dave_h_8742]

Quick for the subject as he missed tons out

[@Sikraj]

@@dave_h_8742 That is a valid point.

[@robertmccann5838]

Quick is relative.

[@Johnny_Seven]

This tired me out. All I know is both swords are sharp and deadly lol.

[@borismuller86]

Felt pretty cool to give this the 888th thumbs up, given the context of the video! Happy New Year, Matt!

[@charliealbright662]

I just have to comment on the "shortness" of a katana. These weapons were hand made to the owners specifications. I train in MJER and our blades are 3+ shaku in length. I am 5'10" and my tachi has a 34" blade length, it is 42" in total length. This is still considered short for our school, and this is iaijutsu. Also, tachi is the sword, katana is how it is worn, but that is another issue.

[@bully_hunter_4206]

Cool that your school does that. Now how long are the original examples

[@pirotess2]

About the thrusting, I read a document of armoured fencing of samurais, the thrusts are most used and strongest attacks instead slash and hack. Btw, if you research Korean swords, Southeast Asian swords like Vietnamese swords, you will find some interesting that they have similar shapes and designs. Vietnamese sabers already have curved blade since 13rd century.

[@basketcase289]

A general rule of thumb is if a whole lot of people used something for a long time they probably had a really good reason to do so

[@Robert399]

True but a "good reason" doesn't have to be a _functional_ reason. For most of their history (certainly the Edo period, which inspired their pop culture depiction), they were civilian-carry status markers. To be clear, I *don't* think katanas are bad weapons but I'm not buying that argument when it comes to the typical, pop culture, Edo period katana.

[@louisvictor3473]

Great video, as always my dude! I just want to make a few additions. About the tip and the length of the sword. It is basically a misconception on itself, but "katana" isn't a single design, but a collection of closely related designs (in Europe typologies they usually different enough to get a different name in spite of similarities, so imo the generalization under just "katana" is a bit telling). I am no expert, but some designs in some periods, which are also further classification of said swords, have longer blades (also more or less curved blades), and some have seemingly pointier more penetrating tips like the Momoyama period ones. In fact, you even have some that are double edged at the tip too (those are usually earlier blades though). A think that throws people off is the curve and assymetry. But honestly, most tips when you look just at it aren't that different from an arming sword or the like (the sword as whole doesn't distal taper as much, but the tip itself does taper a bunch down to a blade). About hand protection. I think Japanese swords has pretty excellent "Medieval" hand protections _in context._ In civilian life without armor, I think it is mostly a matter of taste. It is 360 degrees, vs a bit longer metal bar. In a real fight (i.e. not Hollywood sword clapping ballet), both have comparable chances to catch a blade, they just stop different attacks. But militarily, they wore armor (essentially a demi gauntlet). When you pair that with the way you hold the sword, the disc covers the exposed bits of your hands more than a regular cross guard would.

[@deejin25]

Just about all the short and long Kenjutsu and Aijutsu Katas I learned have a one handed cutting motion, many have a stabbing motion somewhere as well. The one handed use of the Katana (not necessarily the longer Taichi and Nodachi) is literally something introduced on day 1. I'm glad you made this video, since fetishization of a weapon is bad, but so is demonization and purposely demonizing a weapon by saying it is less than it is. serious scholarship is simply about finding facts, truths and being objective. Good job!

[@liukang85]

Good on you for posting this video... not that I ever cared too much about sorts, but I like that you openly admit to potentially having contributed to misconceptions circulating about Katanas.

[@kaizoebara]

Japanese swords do have a convex bevel. The term is _niku_ (meaning "meat") - the more convex teh bevel, the more _niku_ a sword has. Professional sharpenings tend to reduce _niku_ over time.

[@reesestrada7575]

I'm studying Japanese history and I think another reason why they aren't as long as you'd expect from an European perspective is that from ~1600-1860s there was a unprecedented period of peace (pax Tokugawa). Additionally, swords were of course used to cultivate martial skills amongst the 'bushi' (not samurai as we know today) class. However, they were more often than not a status symbol for the warrior class AND the right to use them was occasionally given to notable commoner/merchant status people as a reward for good service (along with the ability to bear a surname 名字帯刀 myoujitaitaitou). In summary, I would argue that it was largely ceremonial and there aren't many instances of battles where they were used in the 17th-19th century other than in many peasant uprisings and the turbulent 1860s.

[@kongandbasses8732]

Happy new year everybody. Stay well, and may this year be better as the last one. Greetings from Germany.

[@assumjongkey1383]

Greetings from india

[@kongandbasses8732]

@@assumjongkey1383 You are welcome!

[@assumjongkey1383]

@@kongandbasses8732 I did not come at germany

[@assumjongkey1383]

@@kongandbasses8732 but happy new year

[@kongandbasses8732]

@@assumjongkey1383 "You are welcome" has more than just one meaning. Like when I give you a present, you say "thank you" and I answer "you are welcome". I sended greetings from Germany, you answered with greetings from India. So I don't answer with "thank you for greeting back" in this case. I just answer "you are welcome", what in this case is nothing but a polite answer to your kind response. At least this is what this English teacher told us. Btw, if you are ever thinking of comming to Germany, be sure to be welcome.

[@Erebus.666.]

One thing I like about antique Japanese swordsmiths, is the quality they got out of quite a low grade starting material. Folding and beating tamagahane until left with a rather pure, uniform structure. Very clever stuff.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

That lead to really good blades being rare as making them was time-consuming. Most Japanese blades when they were really used were not great.

[@eagle162]

They did not come from a low-grade starting material that's a myth Tamahagane wasn't even the only thing that was use,Japanese swords were even admire for craftsmanship by other Asian countries and Europeans at the time, the problem is the Shinshinto tradition which is a much later one. "Japanese Swords "Mythbusting" - Part 1" on Gunbai.

[@andreascj73]

"... But what about Hanzo-swords ...?" A crosshilt is just as much protection against sliding your hand down your own sword.

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

Would you agree that you can make useful cuts further towards the tip with the katana?

[@InSanic13]

I believe he has said so in another video.

[@Krishnaeternal]

Matt, talking about Japanese katana influencing Chinese blades, take a look at the Miao Dao. I think you'll find that blade fascinating.

[@ronalddunne3413]

Beautifully-made katana! Very distinguished hamon.. Very professorial lecture on a complex subject.. while you were waving your hand about was waiting to see you impale your hand! Thanks for posting another excellent video...

[@songokulul]

Bro my Nippon steal was folded a million times and can slice through battleship armor like warm butter -some weeb on MySpace circa 2006

[@SapSapient]

This is fascinating. But I'm hypnotized by how pretty that blade is.

[@JC-uz3ey]

i find it hilarious that the misconceptions of the swords were made. Ask a Japanese, most know that their swords were expendable items, and not mystical hunks of steel. So many records were made by swordsmiths noting the poor quality of steel, and the need to customize the blade according to the needs of the wielder. Traditional swords were used as a last resort since they knew of the weaknessess of the blade - naginata's and yari's were the weapon of choice, followed by the bow/gun, and finally the sword.

[@eagle162]

Steel was not terrible the problem was later sword making traditions. www.quora.com/Would-the-Japanese-forging-techniques-have-worked-in-Medieval-Europe-if-it-was-introduced-to-the-blacksmiths-there-If-so-how-would-European-swords-have-looked-like/answer/Luca-Nic-1?ch=10&share=dd5a5e27&srid=3z2sJ

[@ivanwoods2033]

Thank you! Thank you! I cannot thank you enough for setting straight that Japanese swords weren't and didn't copy or came out of the blue and that they were Chinese in origin. Thank you again for making that clear for everyone and may I wish you a decent year.

[@eagle162]

Early ones yes but are not the direct origin to later swords. gunbai-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2019/02/chokuto-swords-early-japanese-swords.html?m=1 gunbai-militaryhistory.blogspot.com/2020/02/wanto-early-curved-japanese-swords.html?m=1

[@jeremyyerger7527]

My one problem with people talking about the length of katanas is that they ALWAYS get the context wrong. The blade was more or less supposed to reach the ground when held with arms down. Japanese men of that period, as well as Europeans, were much shorter than the average modern person of European descent. If a modern individual, let alone a tall man, were to get a sword a custom personalized sword not a replica, it would be longer. Can someone please mention this in a video and not just say how long the blades were without giving the reason as why they were that size.

[@scholagladiatoria]

I do discuss the height thing in this video.

[@jeremyyerger7527]

@@scholagladiatoria so you dif. I missed that with my son talking over it. Thank you. Maybe a hit more emphasis on how the customized to size not just people generally bigger today. But thank you

[@lunacorvus3585]

@@jeremyyerger7527 Actually, I do know there is a well reputable manufacturer of unsharp version of katana (mostly for iaido practicing) that provides suggestions about how to choose the proper blade according to the user’s height. Here is the full chat. nosyudo.jp/how-to-choose/. It seems they suggests that for a 175cm tall man, the blade length that suits him would be about 2尺4寸5分, which is about 74cm.

[@jeremyyerger7527]

@@lunacorvus3585 thank you

[@DavidLaFerney]

Excellent! Every blade is a compromise - thinner cuts better, but is more fragile - harder gets and the stays sharp, but is more brittle. Etc.

[@WhatIsThatThingDoing]

And it partly hinges on the intended use, determined by military doctrine of the nation or group in question.

[@Tigermaster1986]

Yeah, some of these are quite irritating. I've practiced Aikido for a few years. Sword forms are a vital part of this martial art, and literally all forms that I know include at least one stabbing move. Now, why would that be, if the katana couldn't be used for stabbing? As for hand protection, I know from experience what it is to practice with a bokken - which is basically a wooden katana - without the tsuba. It can be painful, to say the least. It's happened more than once - the blade of my training partner's sword slides down the blade of my sword and hits my fingers.

[@TGPDrunknHick]

bear in mind you'd probably be wearing armour in any warefare scenario. armour of the time would actually have hand protection so it's not exactly the same problem a lot of people hype up. otherwise in civilian life around town having the sword is probably deterant enough for most people.

[@dave_h_8742]

No plastic tsuba on yours fitted ?

[@Tigermaster1986]

@@dave_h_8742 There is, it's just that sometimes more advanced students are asked to practice without tsubas on their bokkens. We're more careful this way. At least so far this hasn't been that dangerous, but it can still be painful.

[@matthewmckinney5387]

" a quick look" 32 minute look lol! Love the long format Matt

[@digzgwentplayer4159]

So it is confirmed then, Katanas can cut through time and space!

[@junichiroyamashita]

Japanese blades or similar ones were also found in chinese and korean martial arts,specifically called Japanese sword,so Wodao in chinese, and Waegeom in korean.

[@kyomademon453]

Katanas are mostly edo which is a period with no war, no reason to make longer weapons so they just become mostly dress accessories like how the rapier was replaced by the smallsword

[@nomoresuperstition]

There were a lot of edicts prior to Edo period Japan that mandated the short length of katana, hence why we see a lot of tachi cut down. It had nothing to do with a lack of wartime to apply the weapon towards.

[@ChristianKobayashiComposer]

Something to note as well with the katana tip, is that it’s primarily designed to cut as well as stab(if not more) , the heavy curve at the end and the separate bevel kind of lends itself to this. Japanese swordsmanship also emphasises using the tip to make precise cuts.

[@RedmarKerkhof]

Another thing the Japanese took from other cultures, developed on their own and improved so much that even the original culture was impressed, is the apple. Apple trees are not native to Japan but the Fuji apple is one of the most popular types in the world. Same with Kobe Beef.

[@Hans-Yolo]

Fuji is the most popular type because it is the most grown, same for bananas, many better sorts but you cant try what you cant buy. It does not say that the fuji is the best apple just because the chinese and other countries are flooding the market with it and people are only exposed to this kind of cheap apple

[@JvS1711]

Better examples I think would have been motor vehicles rather than the Fuji apple.

[@arcturionblade1077]

Never underestimate the power of Japanese OCD when it comes to their obsession with attention to detail. Having lived in Japan for about 8 years and counting, I can speak from experience. Fuji apples are indeed delicious. The Japanese take their fruit very seriously and their other fruits like strawberries, pears, and watermelons are second to none. So much so that they consider fruit to be a very auspicious gift to friends and family, with high prices to match their quality.

[@JvS1711]

@@arcturionblade1077 Fuji aren't bad but pale in comparison to many other apple varieties because they're really just crisp and sweet, and that's it. That said, taste is subjective.

[@gjergjaurelius9798]

@@JvS1711 yup. I'm a granny smith Guy!🤣

[@tsmspace]

more talk about how, the reason for less protection isn't always the tradeoff of acceptable casualties, but instead is for the need to achieve certain battlefield position first. (so, being able to arrive at the battlefield first requires fastest marching, being able to advance from one part of the battlefield to the next requires fastest marching, etc.). more armor means slower marching.

[@afaultytoaster]

"...tested on prisoners and so on..." shots fired!

[@messiah7112]

The history of the evolution of swordmaking fascinates me. The intertwined journey of cultures and knowledge shapening the material.