Katana Sword Lessons

The way an edged weapon works is always determined by function and form. In function you look at the primary use of the weapon: Is it meant to thrust first or slash? Is it heavy-bladed and used to crash through things or is it razor-thin and meant to cut with precision? In form you look at its shape and edge. Is it curved or is it straight? Is it a long weapon meant to be used to outfight or a short one that needs your opponent to be within grappling distance? Does it have one edge which requires deft handling when changing directions or two? Is it designed to be used with one hand or does it require both? The combination of all this determines style, technique, power, speed and efficiency when faced by one or more opponents. The katana, in keeping with most swords is just over a kilogram in weight (just over a bag of sugar) which doesn’t sound like it’s very much and yet it is sufficient to generate the force necessary to slice through most things. A katana is a weapon with a history that dates back almost a thousand years and there is a deep tradition that inevitably has grown around its use. Whether you are a practitioner of the purer, formal kata techniques found in Kenjutsu or the more modern style of Kendo or belong to any of the literary hundreds of modern styles of Japanese swordsmanship that came into popularity in the 20th century there are two things which are the same: A. The use of the katana, in its basics, differs very little from what the ancient Samurai would have practiced and B. The weapon, without the body is useless. There are some things you need to know to make your swordplay sizzle. A. Grips – a katana traditionally is a double-handed weapon. A lot of the sword’s power comes from the push-pull action between two hands on the sword’s hilt. The two-handed grip drives the primary motion of the weapon that is then followed through by the arms, shoulders and the rest of the body. B. Footwork – Like everything else in martial arts the primary power cell of the armed war machine you become when you hold a katana, is your own body. The positioning of your legs adds power or lends speed to the execution of the technique you are performing. There are two primary stances: walking stance and L-stance and each can be shallow or deep depending on style. C. Wrists – A katana is powered, partially by your wrist movements. Swordsmen always have strong, supple wrists and a strong grip. This allows them to change the way they hold the sword on the fly, so they can launch unexpected attacks from angles that are hard to defend against. D. Improvisation - The key thing to using a weapon like the katana is to experiment. If it was a real weapon and you were locked in a life-and-death combat all that would really matter would be your ability to get rid of your opponent and stay alive. want to know more? for further information and details, download this now and grab what you want. please enjoy this application and give us any feedback.