The Katana - Japanese Sword

THE CULTURE
The J apanese sword is considered to have virtually no parallel in any other form of art made of iron. In
the sword, we can see the aesthetic and racial spirit of the J apanese ancestry. The belief that each sword
was an extension of its owner, that each blade held a soul that was linked to its owner in some spiritual
way, is apparent in how the swords owner cared for its upkeep. And how it served and protected him in
combat.

THE LEGEND
J apanese mythology has it that the deities of heaven presented to Amaterasu Omikami, the sun goddess,
the three Imperial Regalia. These regalia consisted of curved jewels, a holy mirror and the sacred
sword. This sword had been removed from the tail of the dragon Yamata No Orochi by Amaterasus
brother, Susanoo No Mikito and presented to his sister with the name of Kusanagi. Amaterasu entrusted
the Imperial Regalia to her grandson when he descended to the J apanese Islands. These Imperial
Regalia are said to have passed from emperor to emperor until the 9th century when replica were made
for the Emperor to keep in his possession and the originals were placed at various shrines. [Note: the
complete name of the Imperial sword is Kusanagi No Tsurugi which means grass parting two-edged
straight blade. The original sword was lost in the Battle of Dannoura (1185) and was shortly thereafter
replaced.]

THE CRAFT
The J apanese swordsmiths sought to instil three attributes in the crafting of there weapons:
unsnappability, rigidity, and cutting power. This presented somewhat of dilemma: In a sword
unsnappability requires soft iron, rigidity requires a harder iron as does cutting power. If the iron is soft
it will not cut well and if it is hard is will break easily. The combination of these three contradictory
elements seemed almost impossible. The fact that the J apanese smiths were able to overcome these
great obstacles and forge some of the most unique swords ever is a credit to their genius. Its interesting
to know that most notable swordsmiths had personal methods and secret traditions regarding the
processes of crafting these great weapons. The methods employed by most smiths began with the
wrapping of the outer skin by folding and hammering the metal over and over again. This process aids
in the elimination of various impurities and also produces many layers of metal of differing structure. A
softer inner core would be formed because of this process of folding by using a steel of lower carbon
content, and then the harder skin was wrapped around it. Finally, a temper-line (along the edge) was
formed by covering the entire length of the blade in a clay containing charcoal ash which was then
scraped away in a desired pattern just prior to heating. The varying thickness of the clay result in
causing the blade to cool at a different rate which in turn creates a variety of crystalline compounds of
iron and carbon along its surface.

THE DEVELOPMENT
In the J okoto (Ancient times) period we find the earliest remnants of the J apanese prototype swords.
These had no curvature and were quite similar to the Chinese or Korean swords used during these
times. About the Late Heian (c. 9
th
century) period we begin to see the origins of the curved blades that
are familiar to us. In the mid- Kamakura (c. 12 century) periodas the Samurai class came into
beingthe blades become thicker, less tapering toward the point and had ample convex curvature.
Also, Tanto were manufactured in great numbers.

During the late Nanbokucho to early Muromachi (c.14th century) many kinds of Kodachi and Tanto
came into use and were produced to emulate their Katana or Tachi counterparts. In the late Muromachi
(mid-16th century) period there were great battles being fought throughout J apan and a larger sword
called the Uchi-Gatana, worn edge down, came into great use. When the Momoyama (16th century)
arrived there was use of foreign metals in some of the swordsmiths works. It is from the Edo period on
that a flamboyant style of temper-line came into design. This is mostly due to the peace-prevalent
atmosphere of J apanese society.

At the beginning of the Meiji (1868) era and the arrival of modern times and modern warfare (the gun),
there is an Imperial decree to prohibit the wearing of swords. Thus, we find swordsmiths deprived of
their professions. In 1906, the Imperial government appointed two contemporary master swordsmiths to
the positions of Imperial Arts and Imperial Crafts Artisans to insure the survival of the technology of
J apanese swordmaking.

THE ARTS

Batto jutsukata that stress the art of drawing and cutting
Iaidokata that stress the drawing and cutting of the sword
Iaijutsukata that stress drawing and cutting actual targets
Kendospirited point-based sport training using the shinai.
Kenjutsusword methods that stress two-person forms, timing, distancing and cutting. Also, strategy
is most often discussed.

THE CUTS
The most important J apanese terms for applying a cut are listed:

a. Shomen GiriA downward vertical cut. This strikes onto the head or the forehead cutting in a
descending motion.

b. TsukiA thrust. Usually aimed at the stomach area, the solar plexus or the throat.

c. Kiri Sage (Kesa Giri)A downward diagonal cut. Aimed at shoulder to hip or breast to waist area.

d. Kiri Age (Gyaku Kesa Giri)An upward diagonal cut. Aimed at the waist to shoulder area. Can
also be used to cut upward at descending wrists.

e. Do Giri or Kubi GiriHorizontal cuts that travel either to right or left and attack torso or neck,
respectively. Can also be used to attack face, hips, knees, etc.

THE POSTURES
The main kamae, or postures, that are important in Kenjutsu for Kihon training are:

1. J odan no kamae(upper level posture) holding the sword overhead at a 45 angle.

2. Seigan no kamae(true eyes posture) the sword handle is at hip level with the tip aiming at your
adversarys eyes.

3. Hasso no kamaeholding the sword at your side in a manner similar to a baseball bat.

4. Gedan no kamaeholding the sword handle at hip height so the tip aims towards the opponents
feet.

THE TRAINING
In the Bujinkan we learn 16 kata (each with about 3 variations) that are mostly derived from Kukishin
Ryu. These are the fundamentals of our lessons in Kenjutsu. While several of the other Ryuha
(Togakure Ryu, Shinden Fudo Ryu, Takagi Yoshin Ryu, etc.) have sword training theirs is not as well
rounded as the Kenjutsu Kihon of Kukishin Ryu.


THE PARTS
The J apanese terms for various basic parts of the sword, as well as their locations, are listed below:

Kissaki (the sword tip)
Mune (the back of the blade)
Ha (the edge),
Hamon (the temper line)
Mekugiana (the securing hole)
Mekugi (the securing peg)
Nakago (the tang)
Kojiri (the sheaths sealed end)
Saya (the swords sheath)
Sageo (the tying cord)
Tsuba (the guard)
Tsuka (the handle)
Kashira (the pommel or butt end).

The mekugi should be checked, cleaned and replaced (when necessary) each time the Katana is used.
Should the Mekugi rot and not be replaced the sword (even an aluminium replica) could come free of
the mounting and hurt someone.