I respond to the entire mailing list in this post not because I didn't
read the author's comments about discussing finer points of iai and
bujutsu via private mail, but because I'd like to express my views on
swords for other people's sakes. Of course, I always run the risk of
being wrong, but hey, gotta try. ^_^
As for ninja and samurai, as far as I know, there's no such thing as >a
'ninja-to'. The 'ninja-blade' is a lot more a misconception based >on
the fact that ninjas and their lore as almost all lore and not >much
fact. Most people would assert that the 'ninja-to' was actually >a
katana or a wakazashi.
Hmm. First off, there -is- such thing as a Ninja-to, which translates
literally as "Ninja sword." And the Ninja -did- use swords, so that's
case in point. But aside from the literal aspect of the word, the Ninja
(which did and still do exist to some extent) had blades of their own. I
quote from Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi's (the 34th Grandmaster of the Togakure
Ryu of Ninjitsu) "Ninjutsu: History and Tradition". This is has been
edited for smoother reading:
~*~
Ninja ken or shinobi-gatana (Ninja Sword)
The ninja-ken, sometimes referred to as shinobi-gatana, or short sword,
was an important tool in Japan's historical art of ninjutsu. However,
when compared with the beautiful tachi or katana blades of the samurai,
which were often masterpieces of swordmaking art, the ninja sword
appears to be little more than a utilitarian bush knife.
Ninja swords were much shorter than the samurai blades in order to
facilitate fighting in close quarters and moving quickly and silently
down narrow corridors and crawl spaces. The blades were often straight
slabs of steel with a single ground edge; many ninja either had no
access to or could not afford the work of expert swordmakers, and
resorted to forging their own blades in home shops.
~*~
In response comment that most people would assert that a Ninja-to was
merely a wakizashi, there might be some truth to merit. Ninja were
supposed to be very resourceful and had to make the best of any
situation. What better way to blend in the 'society' than to have a
wakizashi on hand? It'd be a lot less suspicious than having a straight
edged (gasp) blade which looked like a fast midnight job. The ninja used
many different weapons, and in the area of blades, also employed great
usage of sword canes (mostly straight edged, but a few curved) since you
could use them in disguises: monks, water carriers, medicine peddlers,
and blind masseurs. *grin*
In my opinion, based on what I've learned and the books/people I've
read/spoke to, there's no such thing as a 'ninja-to' in the strictest
sense of the word.
May I direct your literary attention to the aforementioned book by Dr.
Massaki Hatsumi (ISBN 0-86568-027-2), and another one written by his
student, Shidoshi Stephen K. Hayes -- Hatsumi's sole American disciple
-- who is now a grandmaster and head of the Togakure-ryu training in the
USA, entitled "The Ninja and their secret fighting art" (ISBN
0-8048-1656-5). Of course, there are other texts on the matter, possibly
more devoted or more corrupt to the subject, but I recommend these.
Not necessarily true. A common misconception about the katana was
that you could cut through something like ten men with a single
strike. True, a master swordsman could most likely cut a man in two,
but when it came down to duels, one strike was not necessarily >enough.
True, it could be, but not all the time, and particularly >not with
armor on. The possibility is there, but I think it'd take >more when it
comes down to two skilled swordsmen. Again, a >subjective point.
Hmmm.. Yes, that is true to a point. Master swordsman could do amazing
feats with a well-made blade. Sword testers, too, were skilled in
test-cutting upon criminals. I think the highest was cutting through 7
bodies in one stroke. Then again, that was by one master swordsman using
a really damned good sword, so no, it is a misconception that things
like this are a common occurance. On the battlefield, though, one could
not stop to see if you killed your opponent; you had to strike, slash,
and go on to the next or else you were left vulnerable. Example taken
from Toshishiro Obata's "Crimson Steel" (ISBN 0-946062-19-6). Edited for
smooth reading:
~*~
One of hte most famous exponents of the difficult upward cut was Yagyu
Munenori, of the renowned line of Yagyu School swordsmen that served the
Tokugawa Shoguns for almost three centuries.
At the battle of Bosaka Castle in 1616 (Natsu no Jin), he was the
military strategist and personal bodyguard Tokugawa Ieyasu (Matamoto).
During battle, a furious onslaught of enemy Samurai broke the ranks of
the close retainers surrounding Ieyasu, and would have killed the lord
if it hadn't been for Yagyu, his trusted retainer. The bodyguard killed
eight armoured samurai by striking up at them from below with 'kiri-age'
(upwards diagonal cut). This technique was especially effective on the
battlefield because Samraui armour was designed to defeat attacks from
above, such as straight or diagonal downward attacks. As a result of
this, and in order to save weight and maximise the wearer's mobility,
the undersurfaces were only lightly armored.
~*~
In the subject of duels, however, it could go anywhere from one slice
to a trading of up to 7 blows. It depends on the two combatants, their
skill level, etc. Between two master swordsman, well, the duel could
have gone on for a few attacks. I think the reason why people believe in
the 'one-hit' kill is due to romanticization via movies and stories. You
have to take these with a grain of salt. I mean, how many foreigners
come to America looking for decendants of Paul Bunyan, or decide to buy
a baby blue ox? *grin*
Not to say that the one-hit death isn't totally unrealistic. In the
modern sport of Kendou, that's what it's all about. Ki-ken-tai-ichi
(Spirit, sword, body all in one) and *wham*: one strike to your opponent
and that's the point. You can't go off like a lunatic and swing wildly,
'cause even if you hit, it's bad form. It's no longer Kendou. That's
gang warfare ala baseball bat.
~Linna
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