Let's Ask Shogo Said WHAT About Ninja Swords?

[@metatronyt]

Link to the original episode kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJWkaoiZpbl0iJI

[@ImUselessTeammate]

Still waiting on the historical analysis of Communism in the early 1900s compared to modern politics. Thought it would come soon after the “Was Fascism Right Wing or Left Wing” “Was Nazism Right Wing or Left Wing”. Those had some interesting comparisons to modern politics, and we know there are differences between communism during those days compared to our current left wing/right wing perceptions.

[@zetsumeimaru]

Would you call a nagamaki a sword?

[@TrueDarkness458]

What do you think of Seki Sensei?

[@wassiliewert3457]

why is it so hard to believe that ninjatos actually existed. ppl back then looted the dead bodys after a battle for armor and weapons. and if you take a katana that is bend your would have to repair and requench it. and what would happen if you you reheat treat a curved katana? thats right it would go back to its original shape wich is straight. and a square tsuba is much more practical and save then a round one if you use it as a stepladder. and dont forget that straight blades are much better at stabbing then curved katanas.

[@wassiliewert3457]

@@ImUselessTeammate you can answer your question your seld if you just look what Naz! means. national "socialist" german laber party.

[@Philxia66]

Love that you found Shogo, Raph. I've already been watching him for years. He absolutely is a nice guy. I also like that even though he says something factually questionable and gets called out in the comments, by either Metatron or myself, he often will still like your comments. In addition, almost all his videos start with the disclaimer, "The content of my videos is based on personal studies and experience. There is no intention of denying other theories and cultural aspects," and invites comments to correct or point out new perspectives, or anything left out regarding that topic. Like all you fellow noble ones, he responds to factual disputes with humility and tact. As far as I've seen, anyway.

[@trollmcclure1884]

There's no ninjas. That's what a ninja would say

[@shawn6860]

Ninja say what? LOL!

[@NathanaelTheAussie]

@@shawn6860what?

[@atlaswen5223]

​@@NathanaelTheAussie Oho!!!! We found a ninja here, guys!

[@P3C0L4]

the lack on evidence means that ninjas exist 😊😁

[@PaulDekleva]

This guy Shogo is a breath of fresh air. Nothing bombastic about him. His disclaimer tells you he only knows what he has learnt not what he thinks he knows. Too many channels are inventing untrue facts without a disclaimer to rope people into watching them.

[@martindeviantxiii]

He has a podcast also

[@NorseGraphic]

I’ve been a subscriber of Shogo for some time, so it was a nice surprise seeing a reaction video. He also collaborate with Seki Sensei regarding the various katas. One surprise was seeing episodes were Seki Sensei was trying European swords, seeing the use from a fresh perspective.

[@martindeviantxiii]

Asayama san is a legend, love the vid when Shogo surprises him with his favourite band to make a musical intro for his channel. Seki's reaction was priceless when they walked into his dojo. 🖤

[@Grandwigg]

That was an interesting video. It was curious to see how the wide cross guards were somewhat incompatible with his school's katas- they tangled in his clothing in some movements.

[@saiien2]

I watched Shogo for some time and just to clarify this. He's born Japanese but from what I learned he spent a big part of his life in the US before he returned to Japan. That's why his English is so good and why he sometimes uses "english" pronounciation of some Japanese words.

[@outerlast]

he's also in kansai, so there's a possibility his japanese is more kansai than standard kanto.

[@PhthaloGreenskin]

Yeah, he started kindergarten in the US and left at around 2nd grade. His dad worked in the Automotive industry Abroad. When he went back to Japan he had a rough time at school and was bullied for being a "Wierd American."

[@moristar]

Holy shit, that Amiga flex was something else. I never knew you're also a collector of 80-90s hardware

[@metatronyt]

I have a whole channel dedicated to vintage computers haha Metatron’s Protectorate

[@martinricardo4503]

I like Shogo. I like Metatron. I like Sora the Troll. Shogo lived in USA during school years.

[@metatronyt]

He seems like a very nice guy

[@tiawheeler1153]

@@metatronyt I have watched his channel, Shogo is a nice dude.

[@captaindanger13]

Awe ye Sora the Troll

[@alexgunawan8275]

@@metatronyt He and I think a Ken-jutsu master once react to your channel too. It's your HEMA VS Kenjutsu video. you should watch that video, the title is "Kobudo Master Reacts to Metatron's "HEMA VS KENJUTSU""

[@Riceball01]

​​@@alexgunawan8275Yeah, it's Shogo's other channel in collaboration with his iaido sensei and it's called "Let's ask Seki sensei ".

[@biggerdoofus]

I think it's also worth mentioning that the concept of the "ninja" appeared in traditional theatre as well, so in a sense japanese pop culture has had a coolness over reality presentation of ninja for quite a long time. I unfortunately can't back it up, but I've heard that the stereotypical black ninja outfit was actually a theatrical shorthand for people you don't see.

[@its_clean]

What you heard is correct. I don't have the sources at hand right now, but in addition to published books/papers there are literally museums in Japan showing the stereotypical pop culture ninja, with plaques debunking the stereotype and explaining how the depiction was invented for the stage. This includes the use of shuriken, which were a character device intended to show them as sneaky and cowardly fighting from a distance with projectiles, while noble samurai only fought using swords. The Japanese themselves have known for a long time now that the ninja outfit, weapons, and image as mystical elite assassins are about as historically accurate as Robin Hood (the one with the tights). Kind of weird that the West is still arguing about it.

[@gaijinkishin]

He is using "katana" in the colloquial sense to mean "blade". In this sense, large knives, swords, spear blades, etc. are all called katana. For instance, if you are asking a local for a good "katana" shop in Japan, you would likely be taken to a knife maker unless the local explicitly understands you mean swords.

[@captaindanger13]

Ah I forgot “katana” in Japanese has a much broader meaning than it does in English.

[@Emarq31]

Hahaha where'd you learn that? If you go to Japan and ask for a "katana shop" they're gonna look at you veeeery confused. They're not going to take you to a knife making shops. We don't call knives, katanas, you ass. 😂

[@gaijinkishin]

@ living in Kumamoto and Nagasaki for many years. And yes, if you ask for a place where you can buy a katana, they will likely take you to a knife shop.

[@sb792079]

I would say that’s about 95% correct. Katana is broad, but not THAT broad. Japanese people will understand you as talking about an implement of war, more or less resembling an “East Asian/Japanese sword” In my experience, this will definitely include things like tachi, wakizashi, the elusive ninjato, etc. Depending on who you talk to, it may include foreign blades like Persian sabers and European longswords. It is true that smaller tool knives are often named with the word “To” (meaning katana), such as in “Gyuto” (chef’s/butcher knife), but these things are never referred to as a “katana”.

[@Emarq31]

@@gaijinkishin no they'll send you to the closest hobby store where they sell props and cosplay things. You're making us sound like some 3rd world country that tries feeding carrots to buses. Like come on. 😂

[@robertfaucher3750]

8:00 You say here that you wouldn't call a glaive or spear a sword, as you wouldn't call a yari or naginata a katana. But there is a term in English we would use to describe all these weapons: Blades. If i remember correctly from all those RVA Katana comment responses that the blade itself is considered the sword, and the word katana itself literally means edge, like an edged weapon

[@Prata304]

I think you refer to a spear as a polearm with a pointed end. If it was a polearm with a blade then it would be a glaive. Metatron did include naginata when talking about them as polearms but the weird part was the inclusion of the yari, which I never heard of being included in the blade/sword/katana group.

[@Hyrdar]

A spear Is not a blade, and edged sword doesn't mean blade, and there are cultural differences on a linguistic level, you can't make a comparison just like that.

[@robertfaucher3750]

@@Prata304 okay there are plenty of bladed spears guys. The Scandinavian hewing spear, for one. The Swordstaff, for another And as far as the Japanese were concerned, the naginata is both a blade and spear. The na in naginata and waki in wakizashi are actually different readings of the kanji for Katana, as is to in ninjato and chokuto.

[@robertfaucher3750]

@@Hyrdar Katana doesn't mean edged sword though. The kanji for katana literally means Single Edge. This is despite some swords having two edges but this is what Metatron said in the video, that he's using the word generically. But I'm saying he's not calling them all swords but blades. And a yari has a small double edged blade on the end of it like a small chokuto

[@johnduquette7023]

"Glaive" has an archaic usage referring to any hewing weapon, including swords. A popular instance of this usage was in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's _The White Company,_ where the protagonist Alleyne feels his lord insulted by another squire and challenges him to a duel, demanding of the other young man "grab your glaive," in clear reference to a sword.

[@TroyPacelli]

Man, I would love to see a colab between Metatron and Go Ask Shogo - IN JAPANESE!

[@zekeolopwi6642]

Shogo seems like a nice dude. He gets stuff wrong, like most folks, but he doesnt ever seem arrogant or rude about it. Just genuinely misinformed.

[@ringoworkagain]

Since last 1.5 years he's been practising Koryu, which you can find on Seki Sensei channel. Also, he changed a lot of his views and opinions on Budo/Kobudo/History due to further learning in the last 2 years. So worth checking his newer videos. ARE YOU GONNA MAKE A VIDEO ABOUT fencing in future @Metatron ?

[@kryogenik2073]

The little blue ninja guy looks like the opening for Ninja Gaiden on the NES from back when

[@lualdiz]

I think that the idea of the ninja sword is to be a cheap disposable sword that have no way to be linked to anyone and is promptly discarded after doing the deed, pretty much like hitmen pistols and such, which is much different from Katanas that are intricate works of art passed downwards to each generation in a clan.

[@facina3390]

That's a good theory. Makes sense.

[@valandil7454]

Do you think someone who knows how to kill someone needs to carry a specifically designed weapon? 😄 The shinobi would probably kill with whatever's at hand, everything's an untraceable weapon when it's not a novelty made for the right occasion. That makes more sense doesn't it 🙂

[@lualdiz]

@@valandil7454 Yes, and the so called "ninja sword" seems to be a normal utility sword used by commonners that could get associated by ninjas exactly for this reason, not because only ninjas used it, but because anyone could use it, making the ninjas blend in and hide in plain sight, just like a pistol with a silencer being called an "assassin's pistol" even though not only assassins use it, and I'm not even getting into the features of the specific configuration of the weapon and it's uses, which is just speculation, but it makes sense that these weapons, whatever they might be, would be discarted/destroyed/disassembled and reforged and that's why there's no surviving example, not just swords, but ninja equipment and weapons in general, which would be mostly improvised from tools and such, or common weapons.

[@valandil7454]

​@@lualdizahhh so you want their existence to be a possibility despite the lack of recorded uses or finds, so your idea is that everything they used was reforged so not preserved long enough to be recorded. That way you've got an idea that no-one can research or disprove...okay

[@lualdiz]

@@valandil7454 It's an hypothesis.

[@TimRHillard]

Shogo is the man. I been watching since he started. Very good man, excellent creator.

[@LatimusChadimus]

He is really nice, I used to watch him all the time but I don't think I ever remember to subscribe and at some point in time I forgot to check back more than just a few times so that was a good time to go back and find his channel

[@LastGoatKnight]

I used to watch him too but I got bored of the new contents like 3-4 years ago and since then I didn't looked back

[@LatimusChadimus]

​@LastGoatKnightreally..it got boring? Well generally that can happen if you upload way too much and you just don't have enough quality ideas but I think I just got obsessed with a few other channels and I think the last thing I saw was he did a live stream and it just didn't go so well and I ended up forgetting about him but as soon as I saw the notification for this video I immediately recognized the face and name. I'm sure if he's shortened his videos down to like 6 minutes he could keep up the good work so to speak

[@TheDorianTube]

I used to be a sub until he said that Yasuke was a Samurai, which is utterly ridiculous. Can't trust him about facts if he gets it THIS wrong for something so obvious.

[@LatimusChadimus]

@TheDorianTube yeah sometimes people get inflated heads, and without watching a show, will speak like they already know. That's a shame. Pride is the downfall of everyone. I don't think he did it to rattle some heads, probably just didn't watch it and assumed he knew everything therefore he can speak on it without having learned

[@dormichigan6447]

As someone who's half japanese, it's easier for the flow of the English language to pronounce Japanese words with an English accent, unless I'm demonstrating how i would pronounce it when speaking Japanese. I do the same thing in reverse in Japanese. So I say both "kuh-tAH-nuh" and "カタナ", depending on context and the person to whom I'm soeaking. This might be obvious to some, but others do often ask about it.

[@NicholasproclaimerofMessiah]

He's also the host at Let's ask Seki Sensei, which is an excellent channel.

[@michaelshelton5488]

I knew his voice sounded familiar but I couldn't remember where I'd heard it.

[@ralphsunico]

"You're a ninja! You're a ninja! You are all ninjas! You are all spying on me!" "My lord... you're crazy!"

[@jonathanh761]

"I am ninja, we are ninja.... and I believe that you are ninja too!"

[@ralphsunico]

@@jonathanh761 And that is our "ninja way"... BELIEVE IT! Time to eat more ramen!

[@korstmahler]

The whole province is Shinobi, all the way down. That hill? 5000 infiltrators, stacked in a pyramid. That shrine? 250 spies, all stood on each other's shoulders. The shrine maiden? Also a spy. Just one though. I should inform you, this post's characters are also made of intelligence agents wearing logographic camouflage.

[@AngraMainiiu]

6:49 The Japanese use "Katana" in the same way we use "Blade" in English.

[@larquefausse3623]

6:30 I believe the list is meant to reflect historical nihonto types which would include yari (and tsurugi). As for "katana" it generally describes a single-edged blade which would include naginata (and nagamaki), but not yari. 13:50 Kendo shinai are straight, though 😉...

[@Bridgercraft]

Shogo is awesome! I started watching him during the first covid lockdown and he's gone from strength to strength since. He's friendly, fun, informative and humble, always willing to listen to other's opinions or be proved wrong. You may have seen some videos of him with his Sensai on the channel "Let's ask Seki Sensai"? If not, you absolutely should! I think Matt Easton has done a reaction or two on them.

[@nicholasbenjamin3826]

This video is three years old. Shogo has actually basially paused this channel, partly because he just had a third kid, and partly because he's started another channel. Shogo, in this video three years ago, is a student with very little actual knowledge. He's probably repeating japanese pop-culture sword books. The new channel is the "Lets Ask Seki Sensei"channel. Seki Sensei has actual credentials and runs a Ryu. A 2024 Seki Sensei video would probably be a lot more accurate.

[@teeprice7499]

Having lived in Japan for some time, and learned kenjutsu and kendo there, I never heard anyone seriously say that ninja-to existed in the early eras (I suspect it's usually mis-identified choku-to). I did see some dojo who claimed to be teaching ninjutsu/ te-jutsu, but... it looked like a mix of judo and karate, and I learned more from hunting and army training about being sneaky than those people knew.

[@orenmontgomery8250]

I love Shogo. Such a wholesome dude.

[@Erick_Bloodaxe]

I suspect shinobi/ninja did use the straighter swords because they were affiliated with ashigaru as you pointed out, so they were common. Also, being a shorter straight sword makes it easier to conceal in a bundle of other goods.

[@bierce716]

It was my understanding that the curve of the katana was an artifact of manufacture. It was a single edge sword; of you're doing all the tempering and hammering on one side, the two sides will be different and therefore curved.

[@acudaican]

The single-edged straight steel sword was around in Japan for centuries before the tachi, which itself precedes the katana. There was definitely some element of deliberation in having curves for horseback.

[@Torfin2001]

Speaking of japanese swordfights, I am currently playing the "Yakuza: Ishin" game, set in the 19th century, and the gamepla, characters, lore and depiction of Kyoto is making me fall in love with Japan's ancient lifestyle. Hope the prequel "Yakuza: Kenzan", set in the 1600's will also get a remake some day 😊

[@Halfdanr_H]

Metatron channel going through History Buffs and Let’s Ask Shogo videos, it’s been a very good week!

[@TrueSighted]

Been watching Shogo off and on for years. Much as I have your videos Metatron.

[@metatronyt]

Glad you enjoy both of our content, thanks for the support

[@Klokkeklar]

I have looked at the historical records. The most famous sword wielding ninja, Leonardo of the kappa ninja clan, is known to dual wield both straight and curved katana.

[@DynomitePunch]

a friend of mine once posed a theory that the ninja sword in it's current design came about by someone somewhere mistaking a chokuto or tsurugi sword as a ninja weapon even though it's an early japanese straight sword before the invention of the katana or tachi etc, but that this image may have been missused and then got popular so a lot of people just rolled with it, but i dunno, it' could be any number of things honestly

[@mep1990]

When discussing cutting with curved swords, there's an aspect that I am surprised noone brings up. And that is the interaction between a slightly off-line center of gravity (slightly behind when compared to straight swords) and the momentum of the swing. Have never tested it, but I think that having the center of mass slightly behind would mean that when you swing, that center of mass has a tendency to "lag" behind the movement, meaning that it should be slightly easier to get a decent edge alignment. Not sure how significant that would be, but I'd love for someone to test this.

[@dustyboots2693]

I recently saw a video commentary by a former CIA agent on spies movies, and at one point he said they seldom even carry weapons in the first place. As their mission is to blend in and gather intelligence, they don't really have use for guns and whatever, plus depending on the environment if a gun was found on them it could be hard to explain. I think that, as a part of their training ninjas would be proficient with a variety of weapons "just in case", but I really doubt they would carry anything that could stand out in a crowd and give away their mission. Maybe they could have carried some concealed weapons of some sort, but surely not a "hey-look-at-me-I'm-a-ninja-spy" kind of sword.

[@japanesepokemoncardsbuydir9657]

Drab oranges and broken wins are supposed to be good for blending in at night more than black. The curvature of the katana blade allows for large opening in the guard of an adversary to be made by flipping ones blade over after contacting the opponents sword pushing it out of guard. An straight blade cannot automatically create this large differential in angles. Close quarter ‘sword grappling’ (for lack of a better term) will require much different techniques to defeat an enemy when using a straight sword.

[@NaturesWrath]

Shogo is a really nice guy, but his takes are mostly just his opinions. Often subjective, even on some topics that have more objective answers. Opinions, that are sadly not rarely flat out wrong if the topic isn't iaido (he knows his stuff there obviously). But he seems to take criticism well and seems to change his views, if the criticism is valid. Edit: But that also means, that some people have to stop seeing him as THE source for japanese sword martial arts. I used to work as a kenjutsu instructor and would've prefered less "but Shogo said" on topics, where our style was just different. Especially back when he used to only train iaido, which is ofc very different to any kenjutsu style. (ofc that isn't his fault, he has a disclaimer for exactly that) The problem was not that people had questions, which would actually be welcomed, but more that they just told me that i was wrong. Which ofc can get annoying from time to time if you're trying to teach something. (Also, that's not part of my rant, but i've seen many japanese call the yari and the naginata katana, as for them the actual katana is just the blade, and therefore they tend group all of their bladed weapons together as katana.)

[@matthewlamont3112]

The straight swords I'd presume are easier to forge, which would allow for faster mass production and make it logical for them to be used by the Ashigaru who had the numbers.

[@chie970]

1. Believe it or not, some of us refer to guandao as 大刀 😅 (but read daitou, and not tachi, and maybe he thought guandao = naginata, too). However, nobody actually refers to naginata as katana. I think that was an oversight or misunderstanding on Shogo's part, because 大刀 (tachi, old name for choukuto), 大刀 (daitou, current historical term for choukuto), and 大刀 (daitou, guandao) are almost indistinguishable in writing. 2. As a former naginatajutsu practitioner, I've never heard my teachers or seniors calling it katana either. Although, we often joked that naginata is just a katana on a staff (we did this jokingly, too), and that's why we learnt bojutsu and kenjutsu on the side. Maybe that's how Shogo got his hands on the idea. Don't quote me on this, these are just my measly knowledge on naginata.

[@ryanomalley3705]

Have you watched seki sensei's videos of him fencing with european weapons?

[@jamesfrankiewicz5768]

Shogo-san is also the producer and narrator behind the "Let's Ask Seki Sensei" channel. He has a later video that explores the origin of the straight katana (which is I think is better researched and less sensational) called "Why Policeman Used Non-Curved Katana". As to the weapons included on his list as katana, that might go back to the reading of the kanji 刀, which can be read "katana" or "tō" ("tou"). "Tō" can be used for any blade whatsoever, so I guess it comes down to whether the speaker considers the spoken form of the word or the written form of the word to be the more important one.

[@azrael915]

He may be using the umbrella term "nihonto" here vs actually just katana.

[@ignaciosperanza1026]

The day has come ! My favourite content creators in the same video!

[@alittlepuertoricanboy1993]

Throughout the Sengoku period, the main fighting force for samurai armies was ashigaru, conscripted peasants used as foot soldiers. Straight bladed katana were often carried by ashigaru, and many of them preferred them over regular uchigatana. We also know from the few credible records and letters from the time period that a lot of daimyo used ashigaru as hidden scouts and saboteurs. These ashigaru were called "kusa", because they would hide in the grass watching and scouting enemy camps or when enemy forces were marching. In the Edo period, retained samurai and ronin who were skilled in Shinobi arts were often given the roles of guardsmen and secret police (kobito metsuke/onmitsu). Post-Boshin War, when the Imperial family were given government power back and the Shogunate was no more, samurai operating as policemen prior still continued to do so under Meiji rule. This too included secret policemen, and this is where Meiji era police squads like the Tokkō came from. Policemen in the early Meiji era were allowed to wear katana publicly, and the preference was often straight bladed katana, because its blade shape allowed less lethal cuts. So, there you have it, two possible origins for "ninja" and straight bladed swords. (I am NOT implying that straight bladed katana are exclusively "ninja swords". I'm saying that the connection between straight blades and "ninja" lie in pre-Edo ashigaru and Meiji period policemen, many of whom were used for information gathering and secret warfare to some degree. Because that's what "ninja" were... people from any of Japan's social classes used for intelligence gathering, sabotage, and secret warfare)

[@DersNoNem]

What surprise the most is you guys didn't collab for the past years. You guys are literally in the same field 😂

[@rrsjr]

Chokuto has a straight, 26" single-edged blade with an angled chisel point, so I wonder why he showed an illustration of what looks like a short, broad dagger. The chokuto is basically a straight-bladed katana.

[@mansfieldtime]

So... Ninjatō is a Short sword the Samurai had. I could see the ninja class only bringing their short sword to go spy because it is much easier to hid. Also, assassins, they use what they are familiar with, so bringing one of their swords makes sense.

[@Riceball01]

But, as explained by both Shogo & Metatron, if the "ninja -to" were the standard go to sword used by ninjas that means if they're seen walking around with them then that automatically marks them as a ninja. It would make more sense for a ninja, when spying, to go unarmed, if paying as a monk or peasant, or wear a katana if they're a samurai thereby not making it obvious to everyone around that they're a ninja.

[@GrimReaperPTD]

Wouldn't a charcoal gray or dark blue be best since if you are out at night or in moonlight black is very noticeable.

[@jasonjohnson6938]

Solid black does indeed suck for camouflage, even/especially at night

[@matchesburn]

If it became known that every spy carried a Walther PPK handgun and that was the de facto "I'm a spy" handgun, would anyone that is a spy actually keep doing that under risk of basically advertising they're a spy if caught? That's why I agree with Metatron on the "This is a Ninja sword, carrying this is clear evidence I'm a ninja for having this sword" thing.

[@Doomguy-777]

NInjas in popular culture: super stealthy and all Ninja Gaiden's Ryu Hayabusa: Let's knock on the front door and create a blood bath, shall we?

[@xdragon2k]

I'm quite convinced that the curve in a katana is to differentiate the cutting edge with the back of their single-edged sword. Most European swords are double-edged and thus making them straight will not be a detriment in distinguishing the cutting edge.

[@kierankennedy7162]

I know him, his a pretty serious guy. This video was really old, and was done for entertainment and fun. He practices some very old Koryu.

[@Kendro311]

I've watched many of Shogo's videos. He's kinda like a Japanese Bob Ross. Very calming and pleasant to watch 😎.

[@Aarenzarifa3772]

Very nice! Thank you for this video. Any chance you would like to review his other channel: Let's Ask Sensei?

[@ryanfebrianto8973]

He also had second channel with his kenjutsu sensei called ask seki sensei. The interesting part is, they also tested HEMA weapons based on kenjutsu master perspective

[@myleft9397]

Check out Let's Ask Seki Sensai too!

[@outerlast]

-he's doing a koryu for some time, asayama ichidenryu. -he's in kansai so of course his pronunciation is different. kansai-ben has more complex pitch patterns than the standard anyway. -as far as his videos till now, his knowledge is more of general japanese knowledge, not specialized expert. it's good for people new to japan things.

[@micahkeren-zvi9208]

metatron, i recently started practicing iaido. i'm taking an auto-didactic approach, my main source is a book by darrel craig (and of course there is youtube.) i'm a musician by trade and i don't expect to find myself in any sword fights anytime soon, but i appreciate the the art form for its beauty. i find it meditative and it's quite a good work out. there will come a day when i want to upgrade my weapon. can you recommend a sword merchant or two who meet your standards? would be much appreciated happy new year;)

[@almerindaromeira8352]

It's not impossible. I mean current special warfare units have dedicated gear for their operations too. Even when their goal is to blend in. I believe they probably had a wide spectrum of activities and as such could've worn plain clothes one day and armour on the next for all I care.

[@tsuukimarunakayama9055]

I think what makes the most sense is, that the Katana became over time more a symbol of the Samurai class itself. Like being allowed to carry two swords or later in history owning a Katana. And by banning Katana for commoners, in a lot of provinces while there were still a lack of security, because of bandits or pirates on the cost side. The people started to forged longer knives. The look of them was attentionaly mad to separate both. We see the same thing in Europe in the middle ages as well, with the sax-sword. Probably people in that time would called it ōtanto as well, but the ninjatō sounds better and sells better. That's probably the reason why, they market it later this way.

[@jordanrock3494]

The shape doesn't really matter. Your understanding of what it needs so that it can cut and / or deal damage is what's important. Once you've mastered certain advanced principles, anything that you can hold onto becomes a dangerous weapon.

[@morrishansford3316]

Let's be honest, all us guys in our Middle ages at one time wanted to be ninjas when we got older.

[@Ciprian-IonutPanait]

6:43 he uses katana with the sense of bladed weapon

[@sociallyferal4237]

Given the prevalence of mainstream 'stories' of Ninja vs Samurai and eternal rivalry, I could very well see the adoption of the straight edged Ninjato as a Ninja weapon as part of the story telling narative. So in plays etc you can tell who is who at a ready glance (ninjawear PJs aside).

[@caravaneerkhed]

As far as them carrying them on their back… and wearing the dark blue outfits, I always thought it was real that they wore these types of clothes, but it was specifically during night infiltration missions? Carrying the sword on the back as simply to keep it more secure and out of the way while sneaking…? Maybe I’m wrong, it’s hard to say since like shogo says the ninja aren’t very well documented since they seemed to have performed their duties well.

[@deesil13]

Check out ask shogo’s video when he goes to the “ninja school” it’s most assuredly a tourist trap thing but still looks cool

[@Mackeriv]

Hey Metatron, when it comes to information on ninjas, there are documents left by some clans that have been recently found, like the Bansenshūkai collection. It details various things, and there is quite a bit of sword-related techniques there if I'm not mistaken. There is a documentary series by NHK on this that I think is decent.

[@colonelkenpachi5009]

They say The Metatron has spread his wings... I would argue that's just what happens when he eats 🍝.

[@gategaming959]

Will you try watching "lets ask Seki sensei" videos...?

[@TheNewAccount2008]

I love Shogo, he has a lot of great videos. Great to see you react to it.

[@AbleDefenseUS]

I'm surprised he didn't mention how they were easier to draw from the back over a curved half-shell. I actually watched the original a while back. Fun to see your reaction. Definitely, please check out his combat training videos with Seki Sensei? I don't know if I spelled that right. I thought you had watched them before, though.

[@michaelpartie9511]

You would probably enjoy Shogo’s Kent’s series (other channel) “ Let’s ask Seki Sensei.”

[@BLaCkKsHeEp]

Shogo: the ninja swords that exists today were created in the Meiji era after there were no more ninja Ninja hiding behind Shogo: facts bruh....

[@christiansorensen7567]

Shogo needs to change his channel title, to the effect of, "I Got Reincarnated in Clown World, and Politely Answer Geishen Questions: Your Only Japanese Fren in Modern Kyoto."

[@ScottyC93Official]

Hey mate, do you think things like shuriken's and kunai were every used for hunting small game? My friend came up with the thought saying "Well they're all incognito so no bows, but what if they need to catch lunch?" Dont know if you will see this, anyways, happy new years from the Laurie household.

[@DaveLopez575]

I like Shogo’s content but is cool to see you discussing the said video. Is good to see another perspective regarding the Shinobi.

[@penguintaco9038]

Without question Shinobi had specialized outfits for missions and what not. Even the iconography about them shows this. But correct as spies, saboteurs, and yes even assassins they would have tried to blend in as much as possible to people they would be interacting with.

[@victoriazero8869]

The best punchline was the clip revealing that the straight ninjato are police sword...

[@inregionecaecorum]

His Sensei is amazing though, the level of skill he has and with humility too.

[@Dragoon876]

"that's a long name" wait till you see recent anime titles lmao.

[@melstormnobles]

If anyone's interested in historically accurate ninjas Gaijin Goomba's channel is pretty much dedicated to comparing modern concepts of ninjas to their historical counterparts as well as Japanese culture in general.... But mostly ninja.

[@TheStugbit]

Could it be the case that ninjas, instead of being spies or shinobies and things like that, could simply be kind of an ambush unit sort of thing? Like designed to attack at night, using unofficial, unorthodox tactics that could be viewed as morally unacceptable, like attacking the enemy when they're not expecting, when they're resting and so on. Perhaps also using all sorts of camouflages. So, instead of working as a single individual, more like as an unit with many troops. Specialized units certainly existed throughout feudal Japan, so what we understand as a "ninja" could simply come out to a matter of formal rethoric And it even wouldn't be impossible for one of those units to wear clothes similar to these of the stereotypical ninja as well. I mean, assuming that your ninja unit is supporting an army attacking a fortress or something, waiting for the adversary to get distracted in order to climb a wall and sabotage a gate, for instance. First you wouldn't be wearing armor because it simply would get in the way of your action. Second, you would prioritize covering your face as well in order for the enemy not recognizing you, so you could safely and anonymously leave the place after your mission is complete. People back then would know and recognize individual samurai. And if you get caught during a sabotage act, that would be morally unacceptable for you and you and your family might suffer consequences in case of a loss. And even the straight blade sword, though, could be somewhat realistic in such circumstance. If you're rushing in a surprised enemy not wearing armor, it could be of use to have a slightly smaller straight sword in an assault against other samurai drawing their katanas. So, to me it makes perfect sense to have a specialized unit akin to what we understand as a ninja. Instead of being like a civil action thing, it would rather be more active and military. They simply didn't call that ninja.

[@potandpoliticswithmr.broph1420]

You've watched his videos boss. He's also the host of Let's Ask Seki Sensei.

[@dannygraham4508]

i think it would be awesome if you and Shogo San did a calaboration like he and Shogunate did you and Shogo are my favorite youtube channels

[@TheCrazyPlayer]

Shogo is also involved in the channel, Let’s Ask Seki Sensei. And, they reacted to one of your videos on Japanese sword work. You should check them out.

[@kierankennedy7162]

I have a sneaky suspicion that this video might be in response to that one 🤔

[@bryce4228]

Shogo has to be one of the nicest people in KZbin.

[@-Kailinn-]

I think it's odd to suggest a weapon wouldn't be used much or often for its various purposes. Most swords can slash and stab, and I don't think someone is going to limit themselves to just one technique unless it's truly ineffective. The only goal is to incapacitate a target, and if you're in a life-or-death situation, I don't think you'll limit the ways in which you achieve that. I could see situations where a thrust would be preferred to reduce the amount of blood thrown around, especially if you're trying to minimize the evidence left behind or to increase the time before you get caught. However, I imagine the main goal is simply to neutralise someone before they can alert anyone, and in that way, you'd use any technique you can.

[@disappointedfather5119]

Insane crossover in the history/sword community

[@RobertWoodie-y3c]

Metatron I have a question for you can you do a video on William the supposedly white samurai

[@spaman7716]

I first learned about him through a video he did on seppuku, fascinating stuff and a really nice guy.

[@darkaxel1991]

Already a subscriber of Shogo and Seiki Sensei!

[@Wintermute909]

"Ninja, the tea party is over!"

[@mrnomad1737]

Some samurai also operated as Shinobi. They used all sorts of weapons including katana. it maybe that some might have adapted their katana to suite their operation.The darkoutfit was used for nighttime operation to make use of nighttime attack but at daytime it would be indistinguishable.

[@ericheckenkamp6091]

I think of it like the word "gun." In civilian life, and everyday parlance the word gun can mean anything from a .38 revolver, to an AK-47. But in the military gun has a different, and much more specific meaning/usage. A soldier would never refer to his rifle as a "gun." I'm sure it's similar in ancient cultures. Those in the soldiering profession probably have more precise language, whereas a civilian writer or whatever would just call everything a "sword." ...but yeah, yari is over the line, no matter how you draw it. lol

[@shawn6860]

Ninja like modern spies would likely use special equipment to spy and gather information. A modified sword or weapon seems to be something that would not be for just Ninja. Many warriors could modify weapons to do certain jobs better or be lighter/heavier and such. That makes more sense to me.

[@PaNNgz]

3:00 You have an operating Amiga! It looks brand new.

[@fanert1]

only "logical" reason i can imagine for the ninjato is just for assassinations when a short thrustsentric sword might come in handy if shit got messy. same for the outfit, i would only wear a mask so i would not be recognized if thing got messy when i was heading for the woods. then again we had some epic spy/assassination weapons i WW2 such as the gun attatched to the hand and fired when you punched someone

[@DarknessGuard]

SO glad he use blue for the Ninja because, real ninjas wear blue. Though an argument can be made that in the black shadows of modern cities, black prolly serves better to hide in shadows though jumping from shadow to shadow itself, seems a bit impossible. Either way, if there was a ninja in your town, you would never know because they will blend in by looking like any other person nowadays.

[@erroldrommond9149]

but Metatron? how can it be founded on a documented sources if ninja are extremely secretive ?