Tatami Cutting: Not Easy, Even With a Katana! (Tameshigiri Reaction)

This time I figured it would be fun to comment on some footage of tameshigiri practice that is not just a compilation of the best cuts but actually knows some failed or suboptimal attempts as well. A very skilled swordsman can make each cut look effortless, and viewers may think it's the sword that makes it easy. When in reality it's lots and lots of practice...
Those "fails" put things into perspective and show how challenging cutting with a sword can be. Especially with multiple tatami mats. It's also fun to hear how universal the groans of frustration are when a cut goes wrong. I can easily empathize with these Japanese practitioners... it can be infuriating at times, although funny as well.
Watching them is also a good reminder of how silly the many internet debates between sword fanboys get, when one side obsessively tries to convince the other that their favorite thing is the best. Every design has its pros and cons, and they all work well for their intended purpose in skilled hands.
The videos I'm reacting to:
• 日本刀試し斬り　失敗集 Part.3 （Ja...
• MONONOFU TV vol.13 - 明...
A video about some of my worst tatami cuts, and how I did much better afterwards:
• Everybody Fails... And...
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#katana #tameshigiri #swords

[@bobowon5450]

Tatami mat companies like "we have made these beautiful mats for peoples houses! they're selling so well! people must really like them"

[@jarodmcdonald2041]

@Qimodis it’s a joke, you simpleton

[@lanky2592]

@Qimodis I didn't know this joke

[@matthewmackenzie5773]

@@jarodmcdonald2041 poor guy doesnt have a funny bone in the body lol

[@ducatipaso1386]

The mats supposedly approximate human limbs.

[@DrHokeyPokey]

haha katana goes brrr

[@AncestorEmpire1]

King: why is the sentenced criminal laying in several pieces? I wanted the decapitation done in orderly fashion Executioner: it was just one of those days....

[@undertakernumberone1]

Executioner: *gets Executed for fucking up the Execution*

[@swaghettimemeballs4420]

@@undertakernumberone1 Executioner of executioner: *Also gets executed for fucking up the execution of the executioner.* "Sir, maybe we should stop executing the few people who know how to perform executions properly?"

[@AncestorEmpire1]

@@swaghettimemeballs4420 Stalin: Wait.... We can't Execute the Executioners?

[@swaghettimemeballs4420]

@@AncestorEmpire1 If we start executing executions on the executioners then there won't be any executioners left to execute the executionings. _OBVIOUSLY, DUH._

[@AncestorEmpire1]

@@swaghettimemeballs4420 apparently Stalin forgot this just before the winter war with Finland. Oops

[@ddmannion]

The very slight woman who sliced through six mats and successfully sliced the single mats is an excellent example of the value of skill over force. She was brilliant.

[@BigPanda096]

People do not understand the meaning of "Force multiplier." To most, they see it as "Well if I'm stronger and I use it that means I'll have more force," sure in a straight forward no other factors situation that is the case. However, force multiplier does not just mean physical force. It will multiply the lethality of your skill, as well as physical force. When wielded correctly a force multiplier works in a congruence of ways ; Mental force multiplication in the terms of applicable tactic and strategy, Physical force in the terms of physical striking power, and demoralizing force in the terms of the feeling helplessness in the enemy. These are all factors "force multipliers" affect and is why there is no guarantee a man and a woman, unarmored with weapons against one another will result in the physically stronger of the two always winning. An example, my sister practiced fencing and multiform weapon defense for years, and she carried a collapsible baton on her for self defense. She was on her way home from work one night coming to meet me at a coffee shop, and she was attacked by a guy who had seen her cash her check and followed her. He came at her with a stick, I would say roughly around 4 foot long looked like a piece of wooden closet hangar rail. She pulled the baton out and icepick gripped it, and the guy swung the stick at her she said one handed, and she was able to cross disarm the stick from him. She was able to back off enough to control the stick in her dominant hand and was able to prevent him from closing the gap on her because he simply did not know what to do and thought his pure physical strength, which was undeniably much higher than hers, would win. All it did was nearly gouge his eye out, shredded his face open, broke his nose, knocked a few teeth out, cracked his skull open and got him arrested. All she did was use the stick like a rapier, and he was so unaware he didn't notice every time he grabbed the stick with two hands to try and rip it out of her hands the baton was full force into his temple 2 or 3 strikes before he could pull away. It happened so fast that by the time I was able to get out of the shop and tell the barista to call the police, and cross the street he was down on the ground with some serious injuries, and he was clearly WAY stronger than my sister. On paper he should have beat her at the first exchange right? He was a 212 pound 6'3 behemoth, definitely a gym rat. My sister is a 5'8 very active woman who works in the construction field, she is a tie rail placer, basically when they redo rail roads she loads the giant timbers they use to support the rails. So she's not weak, but she doesn't work out beyond that so maybe slightly above average. so went went wrong for the stronger attacker, why didn't that first hit which he swung really hard with, instantly take my weaker sister out? Well, it's simple really. He didn't understand that force multipliers aren't static increases to power, and because of it he was instantly over taken and beaten down, rather swiftly. For anyone saying "I would have done this [...] I would have done that" it is easy to say after the fact, but this happened really fast. This happened in less than 1 minute, because I turned my audio recorder on before I even made it out the door to run across the street, and I didn't turn it off until about 15 seconds after he was down and not getting back up, and it was at [Okay so I checked the audio recording, it lasted 53 seconds] -like 43 seconds-. Realistically I only seen about 1/8th of it as I was running around the tables, yelling to the barista and trying to cross the street, my sister filled me in, but with his condition and her condition being what they were [he was bloody and had shredded skin, busted teeth and a ripped shirt, she had a really stretched collar on her work shirt rendering it rubbish and a red hand mark on her arm but otherwise no damage] I was inclined to believe her take of events as what she said happened lined up with what bits I did see. From the start it didn't really matter what that man did, because my sisters skill was high enough that the force multiplier effect of her skill drastically over shadowed the effect of the same for his strength. There is a saying, "Strength increases lethality in multiples. Skill increases lethality in magnitudes."

[@dimasakbar7668]

@@BigPanda096 long text is loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong Jokes aside, for force multiplier, if the base number (i.e. you) is zero, then no matter how many multiplier it have the result is zero. Other seem to forget that zero is not the lowest limit even, it could even be minus (eg. Those people so "skillful" in their head only, they manage to hurt themselves with their weapon, or those people who may be physically strong but mentally lack fortitude they hurt themselves / team in blue on blue fashion )

[@BigPanda096]

@@dimasakbar7668 Yes, that is why I worded what I said the way I did. Ypu have to have some physical power, that is undeniable. But with force multipliers it's a bit more than the static, and hard numbers only do justice in terms of demonstrating paper value, but not much else for real world value. Translation; It doesn't really matter how well and formed to skill you can maneuver your weapon if you only have the physical power to hold it up and move it and not much else. You still need to be physically strong which is why I advocate for everyone to take care of their bodies. If you're physically capable and have a decent amount of power, enhancing your skill will yield far more returns on time investment than just strength training at that point. Further to your point yes, my lord yes there are SO many negative force multipliers and people seemingly REFUSE to acknowledge they exist. You explained one already, over confidence, bravado or otherwise pure arrogance. These are the people who pull their guns out to use in defense and end up getting disarmed or hurting themselves. Largely because they don't realize how easy it is to imagine acting a certain way in duress, and how difficult it is to do any of that aforementioned planning and execution when in the actual situation. As you said, these people end up making the force multiplier a negative net value, i.e someone else gained control of it or your use of it was so detrimental to the situation it would have been better off without it. There is also false security as well. Thinning that just by having it, and the other not, that no matter what you will come out on top. That's not always the case. I could drone for days but you appear to already have an understanding of what points I was making so I'll not bother you with that haha

[@dimasakbar7668]

@@BigPanda096 i agree. Especially people with false security, they may walk into troubles they actually can avoid or unknowingly escalate a situation to flashpoint. The teacher and the student in this video may do exactly just that.

[@Kendricklamarglazer17]

@@BigPanda096 yoi boiger thoinkfz kill me to Uhm but anyways thanks for giving me detail and shit

[@hermitcard4494]

No language needed, just relatable human body expressions we all share xD

[@rumpelpumpel7687]

i smiled so bright after the perfect triple cut fencer missed to sheath his sword. Within a splitsecond his whole body exhales the "proud samurai"-posture and changes to "spare-time with me buddys" xD sooo relatable

[@bensul9979]

@@rumpelpumpel7687 jajajajaja he looked epic until he failed such a minor thing in comparrison with the cuts he just acomplished

[@thelegendaryklobb2879]

@@rumpelpumpel7687 The laughing in the background makes it even better

[@freddymichalak9306]

Still lamenting over being a hermit?

[@arturasmilasius1200]

its called body language ! understanding it ! .....

[@lancer227]

Now I truly understand Sword Saint Isshin's famous line: hesitation is defeat.

[@turinmormegil7715]

Musashi says in the Five Rings (Elements( that every strike must be dealt with Full intent to kill. Thinking too much leads to second thoughts and mistakes Just Fucking Do it

[@functionatthejunction]

*Kensei, but nice dog whistle.

[@Athalwolf13]

Where is that SS coming from O.o

[@Alex_Fahey]

@@Athalwolf13 Sword Saint Isshin. It's from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

[@Athalwolf13]

@@Alex_Fahey Ah, did play and fight against him, but the SS caught me off guard.

[@timalice-2833]

“Swords work in skilled hands” is the perfect statement. I studied iaijutsu and after I was studying for a few months, the class tried tameshigiri. I did it and was fair. My cuts weren’t perfect but decent. A senior student who had similar build, was older, but had studied a lot longer than me used the same sword when they took their turn. There was no contest. Their cuts were straight and passed through the tatami with ease.

[@wren7195]

In your opinion would you say the cutting sword you used was wider than a "standard" katana or was traditional? Also gosh I'd love to study iaijutsu. Thanks for sharing this with us. Were you on just one wetted mat? It's hard, people don't realize. Best wishes, thanks again

[@timalice-2833]

@@wren7195 the one we used was traditional. It was not a true shinken since those cost thousands of dollars but it was in that style. We used rolled and soaked tatami. Mine was single rolled but the senpai cut through a double rolled mat. He even cut off the tip of the wooden rod that was being used to hold the mats in place. Afterward he gave me the top of the cut mat to keep. The style I studied was muso jikiden eishin ryu if you ever want to check it out. I just wish I could have seen our soke try his hand at it. He learned from the great grandson of a former grandmaster. The sound his swipes made in class when he swung it while doing kata was impressive. Best wishes to you too and you are welcome . A great book to look at that shows philosophy, kata, and history is Flashing Steel by Masayuki Shimabukuro and Leonard Pellman

[@wren7195]

@@timalice-2833 LOL I actually own that book, or did, my friend "borrowed" it. Why does the book call the forms waza when everyone else seems to use kata? Thanks for sharing so much with us, I really appreciate it. You're very kind, and your respect and passion for your ryu and teachers really shines through. I wish you all the best, it's been a pleasure speaking with you *bows*

[@timalice-2833]

@@wren7195 thank you so very much for your kind words. It has been a long time since I studied, health and life got in the way, but the dojo, my two senpai, and the soke truly made an impact on my life even to this day. Studying there was not just about going through forms and swinging a sword around. They stressed respect to each other and the essence of the tenets of bushido. But to answe your question, they honestly never told us the true difference. My thought is that waza means more technique rather than forms. Kind of the difference between the suffix of -do which is “the way”” so it is meditative vs -jutsu which is “the art” so it is meant more based in combat. They stressed that the techniques we practiced were not a game, they were dangerous and very real. We would be corrected if we left ourselves undefended. We were to imagine what those cuts did. They showed us where they were supposed to land. Thank you for your questions. I enjoyed sharing what I learned. *bow

[@Tinky1rs]

@@wren7195 My experience is in japanese jujutsu, but I guess it's quite similar? waza (技) and kata (方) are pretty similar. Usually waza is a specific technique, whereas a series of techniques is called a kata. Don't confuse homonyms though, as in Japanese jujutsu kata waza (肩技) means shoulder series (i.e. shoulder throws), and ne waza kata (寝技方, ground technique series).

[@yimyom]

The Evermore increasing amount of tatami mat residue at the bottom shows how much they are practicing. Jesus christ thats kinda scary how hard it is.

[@drawapretzel6003]

5,000$ worth of practice in an afternoon and who knows how many hours practiced swinging it

[@charlielilley8033]

@@drawapretzel6003 tatami is very cheap in japan compared to the rest of the world as many people still prefer and use it in homes and the matts used in these practice sections are probably made with mats that were not of usable grade for floors or with offcuts. (not to mention that both kendo and iadao are popular martial arts in japan in creating both demand and supply dropping price.

[@marcosdheleno]

@@charlielilley8033 being a less durable material, it would also mean it would need to be replace far more than our usual flooring type. i wouldnt doubt if their life span was only a couple of years at most.

[@charlielilley8033]

@@marcosdheleno typically tatami mats are much thicker that the rolls and actually last around 8 years due to wearing shoes indoors being very rare in japan (even in schools you switch to slippers when you enter the building) however they stain easily and are often replaced or flipped due to staining before wear becomes an issue

[@ikksksknsk4720]

they can get old tatami surfaces for free in japan

[@SamChaneyProductions]

The wide blade katanas are specialized "mat cutter" swords specifically for tameshigiri. Cheness Cutlery makes an affordable line called the SGC series, it's probably one of those or similar.

[@wren7195]

Yes thank you! I was wanting to ask about that, because they do that now with HEMA swords. Am I wrong in thinking that they're a bit like "training wheels" for a bike (Not in the sense that "you don't knwo what you're doing" but more of "it'll help you learn edge geometry more easily and quickly, and improve your true sword use) in that it helps people learn edge geometry more easily by forcing you to use it in order to cut at all? Just guessing and curious. Best wishes Sam, glad to meet you! Stay safe

[@SamChaneyProductions]

@@wren7195 You're welcome. I'm not sure if the intention is to graduate to a more traditional sword geometry after but that would make sense. I've never bought one because I don't really like the look and I don't have much issue cutting with normal blade geometry.

[@wren7195]

@@SamChaneyProductions Modern Rogue has a vid on champion sword cuts, and the current winner using HEMA type longsword uses a wider blade also, and I've seen Skalligrim gush over one of his new wider cutting blades. They certainly seem easier to keep in line especially through thicker/wider targets and multiple cuts. I learned on a normal blade also, I do ok for a girl but I always end up twisting when doing a rising cut from left tail guard :( I've NEVER done that one successfully. Be safe Sam, thanks again :D

[@yastreb.]

Probably they are to katana like what the Principe is to longsword. Amazing in light cutting but would break in real combat use.

[@danielwalker8142]

wish id read ferther before posting

[@Pokemaple]

Aaaahhh, the most painful part of these mistakes is you can tell that these people are REALLY good at this, it's just so hard!

[@codybaker1255]

Katanas are almost as varied as European swords within a certain length, weight, and purpose categories. Everything from overall length and weight, to the finer details, like blade geometry, point shape, hamon line shape, and the furniture of the blade can vary from person to person, class to class, clan to clan, hell, even prefecture to prefecture!

[@myname-mz3lo]

thats so true . going to a katana shop in japan makes you realise that all the katanas available to us are pretty uniform . even in the high price ranges . we dont have access to real katanas since japan only has around 350 certified katana makers and it isnt a real katana unless it is made by those artisans

[@bencekovacs2960]

I agree, however I suppose that the one with the wider blade was a modified naginata blade. For it’s significantly shorter yet wider than a common katana or tachi.

[@edstar83]

@@myname-mz3lo * laughs in Toledo steel * kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4rcmKuAebGDf7M

[@atom8248]

@@bencekovacs2960 no, naginata blades usually have a different shape. That's apparently a modern sword specifically for tameshigiri

[@andryuu_2000]

Wide thicc katana: *exists* Skall: What.. what is this feeling?

[@renangeek47]

He clearly felt tempted lol

[@firstnamelastname180]

Hahahah . It....it's approaching kriegs messer width...I...what is this...?

[@CesarTheWelfareCaptain]

@@firstnamelastname180 What form of power is this?

[@firstnamelastname180]

@@CesarTheWelfareCaptain thicc katana..."this isn't even my final form!"

[@wren7195]

Probably going to say this in another comment but pointing out that HEMA cutting matches use wider blades as well, so I can see how Japan would adopt that geometry for tatami cutting. Although the wider blade helps you make your cuts more easily, it hampers those same cuts if you twist at all. If anything, you could say that it's sort of "training wheels" that forces you to cut as straight and aligned as possible so you can take that muscle memory to a more narrow blade.

[@forsetigodofjusticeexcelle7506]

Horizontal cut difficulty is simply due to human movements all being rotary, i don't think we have any movements that are natural vertical or horizontal lines, we jury rig straight movements with rotating shoulder countered by elbow extension or hip rotation countered by knee bends to make straight lines.

[@manuelaj3z116]

We have in our arms, but when use you all body, the shoulders apply a natural angle and the elbow, that's why when you see horizontal cuts in movies is to attack small and soft targets, like the eyes or the neck

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Very awkward because that's the first thing they taught me when i first got into HEMA in order to teach me how to use my hip. I was told to cut the air horizontal while your arms and sword straight out and just swing left and right with just hip rotation. Most of the people now in the club still suck at horizontal cut, lol

[@Immortal_Fish]

interesting, I didn't know that

[@KoxenBols]

It's also physics involved, in a horizontal cut a lot of the energy is absorbed by the sideways flexing of the mat and the air around it. In more vertical cuts there's less sideways flex in the mat, as well as the base providing both upwards and downwards resistance, which makes vertical cuts inherently more effective (against tatami mats at least). Although the mats are woven I assume the direction of the fibers relative to the blade could be a factor to some degree as well.

[@Kensh1D]

Used tatami mats are a bit tougher than new. Your also cutting against the grain.

[@flaiqe1316]

What I came for: katana fanboys in the comments What I got: Sword equality video ❤️❤️❤️

[@wren7195]

Praise! Respect! SWORDS!!!

[@aloysiuskurnia7643]

@@wren7195 swords *work*.

[@wren7195]

@@aloysiuskurnia7643 Horribly well, terribly well. I forget who quoted it, "swords were made for young men to kill other young men, and they perform that remarkably well"

[@chicoti3]

Was für ne Scheisse ist Sword equality

[@DPedroBoh]

While you were looking for katana nerds i was studying the blade. 😎

[@serpnta1267]

"What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?" - Thulsa Doom.

[@marekprazak]

love the comment!

[@Pyrela]

Come to me my child.

[@damiensmyth3404]

Too bad that wasnt true for his neck..

[@serpnta1267]

@@damiensmyth3404 He should have had a sword in his hand instead of a torch.

[@damiensmyth3404]

@@serpnta1267 we both know arrogance was his downfall.. he didnt think he needed a weapon.

[@gleipnirrr]

I don't know shit about swords, but as an amateur boxer, i think it might be because horizontal cuts drive more strength from the torso spin than the ground push, and that's what makes them more difficult. But i'd be curious to hear about it from people that have experience.

[@youtubevoice1050]

The problem is, that the horizontal cut (because of the 90* angle) transfers the most momentum to the target. The tatami mats are kinda "soft" targets, so if the speed of the cut isn't high enough, the mat will start bending over before the sword is through. This will effectively result in a curved cut (downwards slope), even when the edge alignment is perfectly horizontal. The blade goes straight, but the target moves and messes up the alignment.

[@youtubevoice1050]

@Ryan Newman. Yes, depending on how the mat was made, direction of "grain" is another possible problem. Especially in those mats that have long, stiff pieces in one direction (less so in softer mats that are essentially a criss-cross mesh).

[@planescaped]

Using the proper core muscles in cuts does take a lot of practice, and it definitely helps if one does their crunches regularly. :P

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Nah, i cut horizontal the same way i cut diagonal, the same way a boxer would throw a right cross. The key point here is that most people in the clip didn't step when they cut, hence only the torso spin

[@andrewsock6203]

They could simply set up target mats at differing leans not just straight up. But they never do, just robot practice in this class of swordsmanship.

[@MARfilms]

Most people don't really knows how cutting works and what it takes to do it. Most people are not duelest, smith, machinist, or an engineer. As a person that study FEA in mechanical engineering I'm shocked when a person becomes so trained with anything to the point of consistency.

[@wren7195]

You're not even making a joke but I had to laugh because it's hilarious and terrifying, what you just said. Heck, we've got all these monkeys flying around in ton vehicles with nothing but paint separating us from life and death. Respect to you, I know an engineer and I have all respect for you

[@creldest]

Our bodies are utterly ridiculous on this point. "Muscle memory" is us almost literally rewiring parts of our nervous system to create connections that allow for repeated actions to become consistent. For some martial arts, it gets to the point that almost everything is reactionary or non-conscious. How you throw a punch, pivot for a kick, align a strike, all of it is automatic, a result of practice and repetition. This extends to many other things in everyday life; typing, driving, walking, and other habits all slowly get wired into us as we do them more and more. The most interesting part is, it's a natural phenomenon. While we can overwrite bad habits by repeatedly doing things properly, our bodies are always creating these new connections and making it easier to repeat tasks. I'm curious if we'll reach a point technologically where we can artificially create these neural pathways and basically go full Matrix of downloading various skills directly into our bodies. More importantly, I wonder if we will be able to apply these techniques to other creatures, such are rodents or reptiles, that way we could finally have the Real Ninja Turtles.

[@geobukseon9645]

I'm so glad that you vocally appreciate the sword styles of many different cultures. As someone who does like Japanese swordsmanship, it is exhausting feeling like I have to defend it all the time.

[@Giagantus]

Well HEMA guys have gone to the extreme end of things. Its extremely silly, ingnorant and immature. In short some or many HEMA guys act like bullies with poor confidence. They need to push others down so the can stand taller.

[@ProudVet-Russ]

i like both kinds of sword. but i really only want/need 1 katana. might pick up maybe like 1 chinese sword too, but the european swords just have so many that i like, i guess it's a bit more diverse. but that's the problem with comparing one or two countries against a dozen or more.

[@weavelcow9596]

This is nice to see friends hanging out just cutting mats with difficult cuts and laughing about it. The amount of empathy in this video was such a nice change from the "Is a katana a good sword" discussions that happen, just respecting someone and the time they put into their own sword techniques.

[@LouseGrouse]

There's something super wholesome about this video. Just peeps supportin each other. Makin my eyes watery :')

[@-RONNIE]

I think all real swordsman have the same problem every once in a while. No one is perfect but we can always try to improve are technique & ourselves as close to it as possible.

[@jaketheasianguy3307]

Every martial artist have this kind of problem. We have all have low and high points in life where our skills are either terrible or very well performed

[@ApothecaryTerry]

I also have this problem, but have no sword- trying to cut leeks like tatami mats with a cheap kitchen knife is surprisingly tricky though!

[@kommissarkillemall2848]

@@jaketheasianguy3307 so very true, even after practicing Judo for 39 years, and JiuJitsu for 10..some days the simplest basic throw will just go wrong, terribly wrong and everything inbetween.. then you just step away, do some pushups, cool down and call it a day. XD

[@Siddtastic]

Those wider Katana are specially designed for competitive Tatami cutting. They are sometimes referred to as Goza Cutters. Its usually something that has to be special ordered, but there are a few of the Longqaun swordsmiths that will do them. I know for example JKoo will make them.

[@arcticbanana66]

Really, the best sword is... whichever sword is best suited for the situation. A katana is a fine choice for cutting but not so great for thrusts, a rapier is the opposite. There's such a huge variety of swords because there's such a huge variety of things people needed swords for. But of course, if you need a sword, any sword is better than no sword.

[@SilverforceX]

These days if you actually NEED a sword, you're gonna be in a world of hurt regardless and if you do survive, you'll need a good lawyer.

[@jameskazd9951]

if you need a sword, use a gun instead. the only purpose i can see swords filling beyond recreation today is a machete or kukri for clearing brush

[@andrebaxter4023]

@@jameskazd9951, facts. I train swordsmanship for fun, keep a pistol for if something real is about to go down.

[@jeremiahbell6129]

Hey Skal, in response to your questions about wide katanas: They're called "hataya kotetsu", and they are specifically made for tatami cutting. They're super expensive, and the majority of them are made in Thailand at the moment.

[@SaltedFishing]

Not Kotetsu. The Hataya "Kotetsu" are pretty beefy and wide, but this is a product name. Hataya sensei called them "Kotetsu" after Nagasone Okisato Kotetsu, an exceptionally good Shinto period smith. He produced blades rated as Saijo O-wazamono (highest wazamono rank of four), or as having supreme cutting ability. He was a smith famous for his robust cutting blades. Calling all wide blades Kotetsu would be like calling all mid engine cars Lamborghini. These are specialty katana with wide mihaba for tameshigiri, but do not have a classification beyond that.

[@Necrodermis]

@@SaltedFishing shinto period? I think you mean Edo Period. Shinto is a religion native to Japan.

[@SaltedFishing]

@@Necrodermis The swordsmithing periods are different from the ruling era. Jokoto, koto, shinto, shinshinto, gendaito. The Edo period encompasses most of the shinto period and all of shinshinto.

[@MStryker40]

@@SaltedFishing dang I'd love to learn Japanese history from you if you were a teacher lmao

[@mikestavisky8009]

As others have stated, Cheness made a very affordable "SGC" (specialized goza cutter) line. And dont confuse affordable with garbage. I dont know what it was about their 9260 steel and their heat treat but I owned (at one time) basically every model Cheness made except the lower end 1045/60steel swords and the bujinkan-ryu (probably butchered that ha) model as it was made for a specific school/dojo it was sort of like a ko-kat in a longer than "necessary" saya. Yes their handles could have been waisted or bellied better but the blade was what you paid for, and the fittings were perfectly useable and serviceable. A custom tsuka would have made them pretty perfect. But for under 400 USD, and quality steel and iron furniture, and that amazing 9260 they had, they are hard to beat if that's what you are looking for. 🤙🤙

[@Mephistolomaniac]

damn, those perfect 5-fold cuts are amazing to watch. respect

[@Mecha82]

Skallagrim, one of most sensible HEMA youtubers.

[@lukew8971]

achieving this type of mindset shows how wise you've gotten skall

[@caseydubois3645]

All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks Better run, better run, outrun my falchion All the other kids with the pumped-up kicks Better run, better run, faster than my pommel

[@hennerzz3460]

'faster than my pommel'!!!!! amazing!!! :)

[@hisnotsolonely2961]

End them rightly haha

[@gregajohnson1985]

gun range boys: $0.75 a bullet is getting too expensive to practice... sword boys be like: i cut up like $300 worth of matts, but only got 3 good cuts.

[@oneedgyboi606]

Gun boys: I put 3000 rounds through my rifle for fun.

[@propyro85]

Puts into perspective how restrictive having both of these hobbies can be.

[@gregajohnson1985]

@@propyro85 i primarily do archery. i make my own arrows, they cost about $7 each. breaking one/losing one in the marsh is painful.

[@propyro85]

@@gregajohnson1985 I've lost and broken a number of carbon arrows, thankfully with nothing more pricey than a field point. But it still sucks to loose an arrow, probably more so when you made them yourself.

[@caseyb1346]

@@propyro85 it sucks even more when an arrow you made breaks, because then not only do you lose an arrow, you question your craftmanship.

[@iJakku]

That's where exaggerations come into play. Like in anime's where an enemy gets cut so well he didn't realized he's already been cut in half....

[@gunchar06]

Pffft amateurs, learn Ikeda Asaemon's(Gintama) Kimoarai-technique(so absurd that it's actually hilarious) to become truly enlightened XD.

[@SkyTowerKurogane]

It's also super interesting how, once you see the failed attempts, it no longer looks effortless. Really good video Skall.

[@alarson1799]

I really appreciate how you break down the cuts while acknowledging the skill of the user and never demeaning them. It seems to me that the key to any of the quick followup cuts, especially the midair cuts, is to commit to it beforehand and follow through no matter what. Like you said, if there's hesitation, it may just be too late even if you could have done it.

[@hardfugoo1]

I really like the technique of the woman cutting multiple mats. Her doing a pronounced and almost dragging slice really does seem like the only way to pull it off since she doesn’t have the inherent power or height of the men. I’m genuinely impressed.

[@tbonbrad]

And this is why females in sports is still interesting. Also I think 5:18 should count as successful, albeit... Half way. 🤪

[@wren7195]

As a girl in HEMA, yeah I really appreciate seeing ladies in Japanese sword because it's more prominent than here in the States, although it's usually through families. There are a lot of women into HEMA here but it's not as widely accepted, and then there's the confusing aspect of "can women use the same sword techniques as men?" thingie. So yeah, she was blasting through that with pure technique and alignment, so that's really cool, and very cool that you noticed it too hardfugoo! Be safe everybody, and always be well

[@tbonbrad]

@@wren7195 “can women use the same sword techniques as men?”. I’m torn between hoping women can and hoping they can’t. If they can then rah, rah girl power. But if they can’t, it will force female athletes to be creative in order to compete and is an opportunity for us to learn from and expand our understanding of not only female athletics, but athleticism as a whole. To be honest I’m forcing myself to be torn for the sake of being a decent person. I really hope it’s the latter, please forgive me. Rest assured I hate myself enough for the both of us.

[@wren7195]

@@tbonbrad LOL Don't hate yourself :P I hope you were just being facetious when you say that. As for the topic, all I meant was that a lot of the more chauvinistic HEMA types argue that women simply can't use swords the same way a man does, and for the most part that's just not true. It does land somewhere between what you said latter (about adjusting for what we might not be able to power through) and more simply "yeah rah rah girl power" girls can do the same things. One of the great things about HEMA is very few swords are actually so large or heavy as to require a ton of strength and stamina to wield. My favourite longsword is just barely over three pounds and is balanced so well that it feels lighter than some other two pound swords. Mostly the techniques in longsword are alll about leverage and control. There's a level of athleticism required, something my body is giving out in due to illness, but it's more control than raw power. Sorry, I'm babbling I just woke up lol Be safe brad, be good to yourself :) It's ggreat to meet you :D

[@tbonbrad]

One on one and solo sports are where female athletes really shine because teamwork is equally impressive and men have the advantage of male physicality. But when it’s one on one or solo, it doesn’t matter, people get excited. Tennis, ice skating, track, weightlifting, MMA, people don’t see genders, they see different games with the same rules.

[@yukiminsan]

hesitation is defeat despite the fail compilation warakiri battousai is actually really good check out his channel

[@EbefrenRevo]

Done !

[@kennantjessavi7648]

hey you know him too

[@Kondo87]

It's really good 😊

[@Espectador666]

I've been suscribed to them/him for years now

[@nigelft]

@@Espectador666 Found him when I first got into battojutsu ... ... just have to patiently wait until I can go back to my dojo ...

[@bvoyelr]

Good to see a discussion on how hard cutting is. My first time I could barely manage an oberhau, and a friend of mine is constantly opining at how much he sucks at the horizontal cut. Also: anybody jelly of the beautiful gyms they have over there? We in the Americas are in basketball courts while Europeans are sword fighting on castle battlements and the Japanese are fighting in elegant wooden pieces of art.

[@Skallagrim]

Yeah, you can tell that it's a well established tradition in Japan.

[@Snek762]

It makes me so happy that your taking a look at wakiri battosai, he actually lead me too you in my journey of learning too cut tatami.

[@sanyadek]

I actually love these vids, because they show handling a sword is not magic, mistakes happen, nothing is flawless, and that's okay. Mistakes and faliures are a part of getting better, no matter what sword you use - or what you do, as this is true for not just martial arts.

[@colonelkenpachi5009]

I feel like Skall is the Boss fight within the castle that will let you go if you just don't enter his chamber.

[@Lo-tf6qt]

More like the boss who's chill and unlike the stereotypes (cough) Parthurnax (cough)

[@colonelkenpachi5009]

@@Lo-tf6qt lol

[@Predator20357]

“Ah hello there adventurer, I don’t know how you survived this death trap of a castle but I’m glad you did”

[@Eric-dt7bt]

Before the pandemic I went to Japan and participated in a Tameshigiri experience programme opened for oversea visitors. There were people of different builds, from 200cm muscular guys to young ladies. The Tameshigiri went quite out of expectation. The Kanata felt a bit heavier than I imagined, probably because of its forward-heavy nature. I knew a bit about how to wield a katana, so I made successful cuts; but all other big guys had at least one unsuccessful cut, since they used too much brute force in a wrong angle, causing the tatami to be blown off the stand while stayed in one unscratched piece (basically like a blow with hammer lol). To my surprise, all ladies managed to cut very well: their pure strength could not hold the sword stable, but they attacked at correct angle, and the gravity did the work for them. So in general I think skill is more of a thing than strength in Tameshigiri, but to be a real swordsman you probably need more bodily power to make quick moves or deep cut.

[@DaKdawg]

I'm not sure if there was a hierarchy, but generally the ones with the light green bottoms were more skilled with their cuts and more successful in their attempts from that video. Fascinating to watch. I really relish that the western world longs to attain its lost sword arts.

[@KoRNeRd]

This is due to school uniform, I guess.

[@mRibbons]

A few months ago, I really fell down the rabbit hole watching tatami cutting videos. It's so much better with commentary.

[@neoburst1]

from a google search those wide bladed katana might be a variant called a "Hataya Kotetsu" an almost dedicated cutting blade from what I can see (very possible im wrong with that just what google told me)

[@Malakith]

I think they're using custom made blades for this. Cheness makes them as well for a more affordable price these days under the name of Specialized Goza Cutters.

[@katyungodly]

Kotetsu is the right word!

[@DC2022]

But as far as I could find Hataya Kotetsu, or the SGC katanas are not that wider than regular katanas. Not like thos sabers they use in the video. It was funny to search and find the detail because I found the explication of why they're better at cutting very related to the video Skal made about the sharpness of the blades.

[@SaltedFishing]

Not Kotetsu. The Hataya "Kotetsu" are pretty beefy and wide, but this is a product name. Hataya sensei called them "Kotetsu" after Nagasone Okisato Kotetsu, an exceptionally good Shinto period smith. He produced blades rated as Saijo O-wazamono (highest wazamono rank of four), or as having supreme cutting ability. He was a smith famous for his robust cutting blades. Calling all wide blades Kotetsu would be like calling all mid engine cars Lamborghini. These are specialty katana with wide mihaba for tameshigiri, but do not have a classification beyond that.

[@qaidikramuddin]

The most difficult cut for me and the majority of the Bujutsu students in our dojo was the yoko giri (horizontal cut). We all had this idea that it would be the easiest cut but it wasn't. The easiest was the kesa giri (collar cut) but even easier than that for me was the joho giri (upwards diagonal cut). The mistake we make when doing the yoko giri is that we slash instead of slice. You also have to rotate the torso properly.

[@Hellsinger667]

Just a tip to get to a specific point in a video on youtube more easy to analyse it: If you pause a vbideo you can use the "," and the "." keys to move forward and backward in single frame steps.

[@firstconsul7286]

That's really cool. I think Skall knows that because he's done that on a couple of videos like the Forged in Fire video. But I didn't and its good to know, so thanks!

[@flipsi9949]

I just ordered my first sword

[@goreobsessed2308]

Horizontal cuts are actually harder. The material is bending inwards so it's gripping it have you ever got a saw trapped in a piece of wood same concept

[@antoniobautista6718]

It's nice to see you making vids like these Skall, there's lots of people on the Internet arguing about which sword is "better", when we should instead just nerd out and love swords together 🤣

[@SamDy99]

0:54 Now that's called SKILL.

[@adamtennant4936]

Yup. That was insanely impressive.

[@badwolf7367]

I don't know what it is about these Tameshigiri videos, but watching them is relaxing.

[@benzu1993]

what i thought it would be *Skalla:* _For the thousandth time, I will tell you the katanas are not magic_ What it really is: *Skalla:* _I know that feel bro_

[@trapperscout2046]

Press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A to unlock the Albion Principe.

[@johnangelotenorio]

The "corpses" are piling up on the lower left...

[@VMC_Boy]

I wonder what they do with the cut ones. Could get expensive buying mats constantly.

[@underpaidmook]

@@VMC_Boy I don't think you can glue it back together and these mats seems unable to be recycled.

[@VMC_Boy]

@@underpaidmook Thanks for replying. Had a feeling that was the case. I feel for whoever makes them only to see them cut apart in one tenth of a second.

[@hisnotsolonely2961]

The village might have a under population problem

[@thedukeofskull1383]

If anyone can have fun with others cutting it is you. You have already had fun with your mistakes long ago. That is one of the reasons that I like your videos. 👍

[@planescaped]

The only people who tribally band behind weapons are either A: Very young and ill-informed neophytes. B: Extremely misinformed laymen, having gained all their knowledge from Hollywood, video games and anime C: Being facetious/comical Anyone who has any real knowledge of weapons knows things aren't so simple.

[@drawapretzel6003]

The true intellectual knows that 3.5 has stats for every sword, but a d6 is a d6 no matter how much flavor.

[@c.o7993]

Different swords for Different purposes.

[@Mtonazzi]

I tend to fall onto C to a point of saying, when a katana was involved, stuff like "imagine if they actually had a weapon". But after all jokes and games, if a weapon was used for so long, it's not because it was trash.

[@OkurkaBinLadin]

"The only people" you just descrbied 95% of humanity is "the only people" good job, man.

[@TaoistSwordsman]

During the intro I laughed. Wasn't Skall technincally an "A" close to a decade ago? How times change haha

[@Valterius87]

Your point about people with swords and skill I agree with. Put any sword in a skill swordsmans hands, they'll be able to fight with it, provided it's weighted pretty much the same. Love your stuff man, been watching for years.

[@Alphqwe]

Remind me to treat the young lady with GREAT respect!

[@KumaBones]

dude this was pretty amazing. Some of those people have such amazing form.

[@Mephistolomaniac]

as awesome as it is to see a really good tatami cut... seeing someone smoothly slice through a whole set of mats like that is surprisingly satisfying. That's one hell of an amazing skill

[@Yagirlsecretlyhuman]

as someone currently stationed in japan, as it was explained to me the wide blade is most commonly used by people who do a lot of cutting because the longer bevel makes it cleaner.

[@bathorimikihorsemanship]

11:50 the samurai grosmesser. Daimesser? Btw, it's just satisfying to see a cut so well execcuted that it makes the tatami cutting look like air cutting.

[@Super33Saiyan]

The sound of cutting is so satisfying 😄

[@ApothecaryTerry]

I hate that analysis videos have to be called "reaction" for the almighty algorithm...almost as much as I hate that watching good videos like this fills my suggestions with "irritating moron pulls stupid faces at something they've clearly seen before" since KZbin thinks I actually like "reaction" videos. /rant off- and I get that it's necessary for the algorithm, it's the system that's stupid (and the popularity of those "reaction" videos). This was entertaining though.

[@loaeterna2384]

Whenever i watch a video here i always end up watching like 10 lol! Your videos are super relaxing to watch, i like your voice!

[@DATA-qt3nb]

Yeah, its way too subjective and honestly pointless to compare thousands of types of swords from completely different times/cultures just to say one is "Excalibur" lol

[@drawapretzel6003]

They all have different use cases they excel at and different formative factors that led to their creation, the ultimate sword is not made of steel, but made of the mind.

[@DATA-qt3nb]

@@drawapretzel6003 Very true;o

[@drawapretzel6003]

God some of those multi mat cuts with the wide blades were positively orgasmic, that's how crisp they were. After a whole video of fails it's so nice to see success like that, even the not as great aligned ones were still great form, great cuts

[@wizzard2766]

WhiIe watching this video I got an idea for a fantasy setting: "perfect edge alignment always" enchantment!

[@rohanmurray-carrington2907]

Also I really liked this video people forget the human aspect to studying, like how much you mess up, how many times you drop your sword, how many time you fall over for almost no reason. Great stuff!

[@gwennblei]

"It's a thick-nifigant blade !"

[@Olav_Hansen]

The difficult part of a horizontal cut is that it has to do with the shoulder, elbow and wrist at the same time. The chance of bending the wrist while the other 2 joints are moving is just way bigger.

[@rihghz]

"I wonder how common these wider blades are in Japan" Metatron would know it. :D

[@sylaconnocalys8443]

Lol methatron

[@Vyrlokar]

Well, you say it makes it look easy to the untrained eye, but I never handled a sword, and when I see someone do a cut and it glides through the mad as if it wasn't there, and it remains there, I marvel at the skill required. I once thought that that was only possible in anime and with film trickery, but seeing it being done is actually really impressive. Also, seeing the fails, specially the almost rights that go horribly ring makes it even more impressive when it's done right

[@makatadaito1351]

Warakiri was now a good cutter so its quite nice to see him on his younger times with hair

[@eyeballpapercut4400]

miss the key by a bit and you'll typo into *good nutter*

[@williamheinbuch]

The shaved head guy, I’ve been watching his vids for some time. He uploaded fail videos for the longest time and slowly you could see him and a few of the people from his club slowly start to grow in skill which has been really satisfying to watch. You should try to do a collab with him or try to find out about the wide bladed katana from him. I think he only speaks Japanese though, so communicating may be difficult.

[@marblemarble7113]

4:16 csgo death noise lol

[@DaveN80]

The katana design that is wide like that are called Dotanuki. They are wider and designed specifically for sharpness, strength and cutting ability. These blades were tested on human bodies and were also used in kobuto-wari. Or the act of “splitting helmets” of the softer iron kabuto. Dotanuki means “blade that cuts through torsos”. The cold steel Chisa katana is a dotanuki blade but you can find them. Hopefully this helps.

[@jlan7844]

I remember seeing a tatami cutting demonstration in person one time, and having to duck when one of the guys sent a piece of the mat flying into the crowd. He did however manage to get some impressive air on that thing. Of course the kid in the back row who caught it with his face wasn't all that impressed though.

[@yurisierra9030]

Someone knows how it's called the "wider" katana?

[@MrHat.]

I think they're called kotesu katana

[@Malakith]

I believe they're sold under the name of Specialized Goza Cutter (SGC) katana's. I don't know if there is an official Japanese name for this type of blade though.

[@franknbeanz147]

@@Malakith While wider than a normal katana still not as wide as these he's shown us, but still nice looking sword might have to get one in the near future

[@franknbeanz147]

well I guess not, sold out -_-

[@Malakith]

@@franknbeanz147 I think theirs are custom made but that's really expensive for swords, these were just the more commercial ones I know. Hopefully they'll make them soon again!

[@gibbeldon]

I love those guys for putting up their failed attempts.

[@TresTrefusis]

Any Eastern Martial art is as much about controlling yourself and your emotions as it is achieving skill in whatever physical motions that art teaches. I imagine the Sensei of that school put these videos up to keep his students humble and aware of the fact that they are not perfect, a big ego erodes the mind, but looking back at your failures shows you how far you have truly come and gives confidence. Before you ever are given a sharp sword to cut mats with you spend many many hundreds of hours practicing cutting air with an Iaito or a replica made of aluminum to get your form just right. These students in having their sharpened swords are already near the top end of their art, so this is likely a little nudge from their Master saying "don't forget who you are and where you have come from".

[@Harshhaze]

Respectfully disagree. The bow and arrow is the superior sword

[@razzaus1570]

I dunno a grandma with a rolling pin is also a formidable opponent.

[@aboutthegiggins4236]

Fucking camper

[@jhkock6212]

This really highlites the concept of force direction colinear with edge alignment for most efficient cut.

[@SovereignAUS]

Not gonna lie, it's kind of a turn on to see a woman that knows how to swing a sword.

[@ElliWoelfin]

Or you could just appreciate the skill, but I guess that's asking a lot.

[@hennerzz3460]

yeah thedeplorabologist!!! how dare you find women aesthetically appealing, or dare i say it, sexually appealing!!! for shame

[@SovereignAUS]

@@ElliWoelfin that was already implied in "knows how to swing a sword"

[@Joe___R]

Horizontal cuts can be more difficult because it is a less natural motion to swing a sword so it is much harder to have a blade perfectly horizontal. The other reason is because horizontal cuts rarely have any drawing motion, it is just a straight push through the target.

[@fettmaneiii4439]

Blades made in Japan always seem wider from edge to spine than reproduction "katanas" made in other countries like China for example.

[@SkyTowerKurogane]

This video is really good. Really shows how skilled you have to be and how skilled you can be. That guy in the begining doing so many fast and consecutive cuts. Impressive.

[@danijelandroid]

"Tribal Warfare" What's the point of having swords if you can't do tribal warfare, even just word sparring. :-)

[@DeafBlindMan]

The ultra wide katana are made specifically for cutting tatami and are usually thinner than normal blades. You can find something similar from Cheness cutlery in the SGC (specialized goza cutter) series, if you can find one.

[@Nemioke]

Those are cutting competition blades. Sometimes regarded as "cheat blades". They cut quite a bit like a falchion and make the edge alignment easier. However, they're fun to cut with and, especially on those multi-roll cuts, they give an opportunity to experience the "deep cut" and then go with a more historically accurate tô.

[@arthanor9631]

Love those commentary videos. I don't have the knowledge to analyze them myself, so it's good to have someone with more experience to comment.

[@Cyromantik]

RE: horizontal cuts, I think it's because diagonal cuts go with the grain whilst horizontal cuts are going straight across it, so the tatami weave has maximum resistance.

[@r.matthews594]

If you don't _feel_ some of these, you haven't done enough cutting practice. And we can all get along, we're all sword geeks.

[@tbonbrad]

I feel these and I’ve never held a sword.

[@BlackHeart1216]

Skall the wide katana is called a Hataya kotetsu, they're dedicated mat cutters basically.

[@MeppoWHITE]

Concerning the thing with the horizontal cutting: there is a therapy concept in physiotherapy called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), used for treating stroke or MS patients. It is based on the assumption that physiological human extremity movement in its purity consists mainly of diagonal moves centered at the proximal joints (hip,shoulder). I have no idea wether that has anything to do with horizontal cuts being harder to achieve properly but the two issues might be connected to each other. Also I am a big fan of your Videos and find them very informative :)

[@justinkashtock333]

The "which sword is better" debate - the answer is whatever sword you are most comfortable with as a user. I like katanas and rapiers, but get a bit of cross-use from a sabre due to how it benefits from knowing how to use the other 2. While I like the look of a broadsword, I'm definitely more clumsy with one.

[@Thinkafurr]

ahhh I haven't seen a skallagrim upload in such a long while. Very happy to see a solid video on cutting form! Also yes. Wider blade profile is something more common than you would think. Im more concerned about the taper, its POB and weighting in the hands, how quickly it can change direction... on first observation: comparatively...well they appear fairly similar although its clear the time in a committed swing is a bit longer. Also The wide blade katana are from what I understood as, essentially a form of katana designed for the specific use of practicing Tamashigiri more easily.

[@CrimsonFox36]

This is eye opening for me

[@MindofOneness]

Frustration is universal, well said sir.

[@jorgeaura2890]

That tatami video is gold.

[@pascoett]

The Japanese Tatami matte industry will not die so soon!

[@geraltofrivia7823]

The cut that transcends space and time, FRUSTRATION CUT!

[@fudufy7676]

Is no one talking about that HELLA CLEAN cut at 0:51?? Like the mat barely MOVED

[@Cpcp9696]

I remember this line after watching this.. "..this sword's broken not because it's bad but because you're not good enough "