Because in its heart it's a Japanese media. It may have western name and western element but at the end of the day FromSoftware is a Japanese entertainment software development studio
It may have something to do with the devs being Japanese and feeling as though it would be similar to just calling every European style sword a long sword just because it’s the most well known term, also I believe in the first ds there are 3 non unique katana type swords and they probably wanted them each to have their own unique and specific sounding name for the job they do
And Nioh 1&2 take it to the next level, you have both the tachi and uchigatana in either single and dual swords sets, and even the large odachi, you have some with more curve than others, and they scale differently. On dual sword sets, the one that is wielded on the off-hand is shorter than the one wielded on the strong hand, and even so, the longer of the two is generally shorter than a single tachi or uchigatana set. It makes sence if you are going to dual wield, a shorter uchigatana or tachi is more easy to wield with one hand. Tachis, whether singel or dual, not only are more visibly curved, but also oftentimes have a loop on the buttcap and a tassel hanging from it, which is correct, and I believe that the tassel was used as a lanyard when wielding the tachi single handed while on horseback, so it doesn't fall from your hands. Same reason why a lot of old pistols and revolvers have a lanyard loop. On the, sort off, bad side, they tachis in-game are worn with the edge facing up. It would have been very nice to have them edge facing down.
The tachi was used primarily when the Samurai were mounted archers. It was worn in a way that was more accommodating to riding on horseback. The uchigatana was a foot soldiers weapon at its inception. The Edo period is where the uchigatana became the ubiquitous sword due to mounted warfare being pretty much a thing of the past, and a law dictating what swords a Samurai was required to carry as a mark of their class.
Legend has it the first Uchigatanas were forged as a response to the changing warfare conditions of the Mongol invasions, which saw a lot of siege and, more importantly, naval boardings, in which the longer Tachi was often too unwieldy to be useful in the confined spaces inside castles and below the decks of a ship. Some accounts even refer to some Samurai sawing the tips off their Tachis and filing the blade into a new, and shorter, point as ad hoc solutions to that problem before Uchigatanas were created. While I can't say whether that's true or not it reinforces the change towards the Katana we know today may have been driven by a drastic change in how warfare war conducted in ancient Japan.
That’s about right! It’s important to note though that during the warring states period samurai shifted from heavy mounted archers to heavy cavalry, trading their bows for spears (Yari). These mounted samurai still used tachi along with high ranking officers and generals, even if they were on foot. The tachi was only completely phased out from around 1590-1600 for the uchigatana.
@@leonardomarquesbellini it is indeed mostly legend. The change happen gradually through about a hundred years, the mongol invasion were a very localized event and did not effect warfare in Japan as much as some may think. The tachi worked well at the time but it did go through some changes as you said warfare became more grounded, more sieges, naval battles, etc. the early tachi was a lot different from the tachi you see robin with, so changes in the sword did happen just not immediately to the uchigatana.
From my reading on the topic, that shift also points to the endurance of katana supplanting uchigatana in vocabulary. When the need to distinguish smaller sword from longer sword vanishes, it all becomes sword.
@@hugom2418 it’s very funny, because pretty quickly swords started getting a lot longer, I think that’s about when terms like ono-dachi (if I’m getting it right) started applying because some of the swords were getting so long.
Yes, you got that right. But more info: - Tachi were longer - Tachi were used primarily by cavalry - Uchigatana were used primarily by infantry - Bladesmith markings on the tang always face outward when worn and outward depends on wearing blade edge up vs edge down
Then there's historical Katana, which did reach Tachi lengths. Then that all changed during the Edo period where the overall length of a sword was forbidden to exceed 84cm. *The overall length...*
I really like your style of content for the shorts. Not flashy or hyper stylized, but also not super watered down. You present yourself professionally and it comes across regardless of the topic you cover. Always enjoy learning about gear, tactics, or history when I see you in my feed!
My favorite hidden difference is also where the swordsmith's signature is. If worn properly, it should be pointing outwards regardless of which one you're talking about.
The only thing not brought up is that their are even more misconceptions because their are tachi made to look like uchi-gatana, and vice versa depending on the style and period that samurai lived in. A Handachi is a Tachi that is less curved and worn downward, same size as the uchi-gatana but used the same way as a tachi or, vice versa. Something I've noticed among weapons with the samurai is that people should never forget their way when it comes to the weapons they use in battle, Musashi always made the emphasis of "always carry the weapons you need, nothing less nothing more" or something along those lines. I imagine this was a way for the warring period samurai to adapt to the more peaceful times while still keeping their traditional style of fighting.
Some warriors still insert Uchigatana like tachi but not hanging now. They use Koshiate to make blade downward if it's Uchigatana.('cuz of without two hanging sticks, gravity and sword's balance make it rotate). So yeah, there's no clear gap between thoz actually...
@@tearsintherain6311 ? Clearly, "warrior" doesn't make confuse and perplex... to "samurai". But "sword"?... No way ppl wud know it as "Uchigatana". So...
I like to think that when he says he's been "repeatedly educated on the subject" he means Bruce has told him, _many times._ Thanks for sharing this knowledge with us Clark 😀
The uchikatana is a bit straighter due to its main usage in dueling between individuals of the samurai class. The dueling style of sword fighting which evolved into modern kendo emphasizes the technique of thrusting and the mutual confrontation of the 'middle form'. If the sword is mounted blade up, the 'middle form' is a natural posture when pulled out. The Tachi is more curved, and mounted blade down for the ease of deployment in horseback combat during warfare. And when pulled out the tachi goes into the 'upper form', which is a more aggressive form that emphasizes high impact slashing on armored enemies instead of guarding and thrusting of the 'middle form'.
Seems all the comments have served you well haha! Well done overall! Only thing I would add is that your tachi is a later period (16th century) version around the time the uchigatana was prevalent. Around this time the differences in the sword was mainly the mountings/fittings as the length was essentially the same and curvature varies with all swords but tachi tend to have their curve lower down (closer to the hilt) on the blade while uchigatana were more curved at the end. Early Tachi (11th-13th century) was quite different. Generally lighter and thinner as it is a single arm cavalry sword that had more of a taper and curved more near the hilt of the blade. Some had a pronounced curved but many were nearly straight at the blade. They likely descend from a weapon of the Emishi people called a Warabiteto. Sorry I’m sure you get a lot of comments trying to “correct” you but I’m just trying to help spread more information for the sake of knowledge! Good stuff (Edit: Misspellings)
@@dehydratedair The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:19 If someone decide to return to Christ that man will be righteous like him. And righteousness brings suffering because we reject the offer of this world which is to sin. And because the Bible teach us to be righteous and be like Jesus, Christ suffered too righteous man share the same suffering as Jesus had.
@@dehydratedair The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. Psalm 34:19 If someone decide to return to Christ that man will be righteous like him. And because the Bible teach us to be righteous like Jesus, Christ suffered too a righteous man share the same suffering Jesus had. A righteous man suffer because he reject the offer of our world which is to sin.
Tachi used primarily by the cavalry. The fact that Tachi has to be hanged curve facing downward is to prevent the tip of the scabbard hitting the back side of the horse. If something hit the back side of the horse, it could panicking the horse or unintentionally triggering it to run faster.
Tachi: Longer, more taper, koshi-zori (curve near hilt), often smaller point, usually signed on the side that faces out when worn edge down. Uchigatana: Shorter, less taper, torii-zori/saki-zori (curve near of the middle/tip), tipically at least a medium-size point, usually signed on the side that faces out when worn edge up.
Another key distinguishing factor is the handles, Tachi handles have a more pronounced end cap with the ability to mount a sword knot. Katana end caps are less pronounce and can't mount an end cap. It's useful to categorise the swords by their handles, because you also have the Handachi, a tachi that's worn like a Uchigatana with the appropriate mountings. This is also why Japanese military swords are based on 13th Century Japanese sword than swords during the more recent Edo Period.
Thank you for the content! If I can add something I know, katana does not have to be worn upwards. That’s called Ronin zashi(sashi=wearing)/Otoshi zashi(otoshi=dropping), and it’s how lower class samurai or ronin would wear it and could be without wakizashi(the smaller katana), I heard. In Edo period it was the way to wear it in the city. (i don’t know about when they visit somebody higher because i also read somewhere that otoshi zashi was not considered formal.) maybe it depends on where and when. When they go into a castle, they probably had to leave their uchi gatana to the worker in the castle at the entrance, and they go in with their wakizashi, changing the position of it(more forward to make it easier to be seen if you dear to take the sword out). I googled a lot but there are a lot of theories and idk what’s right. But yeah. At least there are ways to wear katana.
You can also easily tell which a sword is by where the signature is. The signature on the tang will always face outward so whichever way the signature faces away from you on the left is the correct way to wear the sword
Something important to remember when classifying swords (at least European ones, but I think it's similar for everywhere) is that they were made to serve a function first and foremost and not to fit a definition, many terms we use for swords nowadays were only invented a good while after the swords had stopped being used, if you asked the people at the time most likely they'd just call it a sword. My point is that the definitions aren't law.
Tachi was used by samurai in older periods of Japan, when the combat in battlefields were more frequent. The fact that the curve hangs upwards was due to the efficiency into drawing while mounting a horse.
My understanding of the subject has always been that the tachi predated the more modernized uchikatana and the uchikatana is the result of alterations designed to meet the changing needs of the battlefield and the eventual use of it as a "gentleman's sidearm", as it became a sign of station and combat with a sword became closer and more necessary for thrusting instead of sweeping strokes.
Great explanation of an every murky subject, sword classifications can be very generalized with a *lot* of grey area between “neighboring” classifications at times.
Also, a great way to tell historical examples apart just from the blade itself would be the smith's signature on the tang that was generally facing outward from the way it was meant to be worn. While it wasn't always the case as the Japanese were known to shorten blades and covert Tachi into Uchigatana or even use them on pole arms as a way to recycle the blade you can tell what a blade originally was based off this method.
You're correct. There's also something of a maker's mark on the tang or blade. The sword is meant to be worn so this mark faces out. It is worth noting that this isn't a hard and fast rule as many tachi were reforged shorter to be converted into uchigatana towards the early years of the uchigatana's inception.
Wow. Here I thought sekiro was being odd by some of the bosses having them wear the blade down. I knew they did it for a reason but it didn't make sense with the limited knowledge I had. Now i know. Thanks
Yeah actually for most of Japanese history katana were worn blade side down, but the popularized version of the katana came from the Edo-period where it was worn blade side up. Double-edged swords and straight swords (whether single or double-edged) were not uncommon either and there were eras where the swords were so large you needed an attendant to help you draw the sword, along with exchanging your various weapons (polearm, most likely a naginata or chinese warblade during that period, bow, and sword).
usually the blades down mountings are integrated to the armor. the blade up way of wearing the sword is a work around to carry a sword without having those prerequisites
The reason the Tachi is worn sharp side up is because it was meant for horseback. If worn blade down you risk cutting your horse. An Uchigatana is slightly shorter and is worn blade down so that you can pull it out and immediately strike at your opponent. Some Tachi were shortened to Uchigatana length when horseback fighting became less prominent.
This is one of the most fact-right short videos about the said swords. Tachi predates Katana ( in this case Uchigatana ). In some sources tachi is said to be traced to the 7th century, but archeological traces date to the 9th, but most commonly to the 11th century, while the Uchigatana, or katana dates only to the 16th century, so I have a saying that " the Katana is the youngest Japanese sword ". However, both swords belong to the family of " Japanese swords " or the " Nihonto " in which the word " To " means a curved, single edged sword. Before the " Nihonto " family came along, Japanese used a double edged straight sword called " Tsurugi-ken ". So in this manner, we can difference the words " To " and " Ken " in which the word " To " means a singled edged curved sword, and the word " Ken " means a doubled edged straight sword. Another point is that Samurai-san in 11th century used to be horsemen with bows and arrows, and a Tachi as a backup weapon, so Tachi commonly has a more curved blade, because it is easier to use and cut in swings from horseback. It could be said that Tachi is equivalent to a European saber. Kacem sensei is very good at explaining and showing the technique. Look him up. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3x0JbDXXDhU.html
The Tachi was designed to be on one's waist while mounted. It was typically longer and was one of the earlier iterations of the Katana. Later, mainly after the Sengoku period, it became more ritualized to have smaller katana in the obi. (belt)
Specifically you can also look at the fittings on the tsuba and Kashira. Tachi tend to have two seppa on either side of the tsuba (where uchigatana usually only have one seppa on either side) a larger kashira with a ring through it that fits to the tsuka itself (where uchigatana usually just have a cap fastened by the tsuka maki) and can have two habaki, usually with the outer one made of silver (ive seen this more on tachi but is not too uncommon in uchigatana). Less definitively tachi tend to have more floral patterns for their fittings, where as uchigatana tend to not have a specified theme. Tachi can also forgo samegawa (the ray skin under the wrappings) often times lacquering the wood beneath with pretty colors, OR they can forgo tsuka maki (the wrappings over the ray skin) leaving only the ray skin and fittings visible, neither of these are often done with Uchigatana or Wakizashi but are seen in both Tanto and Tachi.
To my knowledge, for every rule to distinguish between tachi and uchigatana, there is a historical example that violates that rule. It's more of a sliding scale from tachi to uchigatana than a hard cutoff. What do you call a sword with a tachi blade and uchigatana mountings? Or vice versa?
@@SnakebitSTI I do not know of a name for a tachi bladle fitted with Uchigatana fittings but I know it has been done, however, an Uchigatana fitted with Tachi fittings were called Handachi.
Another difference is the curvature itself. Uchigatana have a more symmetric curvature at the center of the blade. The tachi’s curve is closer to the hilt, which leads to a more pronounced curve in the hilt.
Whoa, not a lot of people know that katana actually means one sided blade. Kata (片) means "one side" (or "part of a set") and na (な) here means "edge" (or blade). Good stuff!
@@maximilian2843 the actual word is pronounced "to" as in nihonto or "japanese sword" i guess in their grammar you cant independently use that pronouciation. so the pronouciation katana was used
as others already indicated, the word is used for any single edged swords, regardless of length. when refering to double edged ones, they use the term tsurugi or ken
@@xianfa1708 Katana (Native Japanese reading) and Tō (Chinese Sound Reading, like the sound of sword in chinese "Dao") are both correct, but if its single Kanji (刀) its usually pronounce as "Katana", unless its paired with other kanji like the Word Nihontō u just mentioned...but sometimes its change to gatana like in word Uchigatana
@@xianfa1708 there are two pronunciation for kanji. Onyomi (based on Chinese) and kunyomi (based on Japanese). Both are correct, so saying the "actually word is pronounced tō" is not true. Which one is generally used varies by word, but in the case of 「刀」 it is typically read as "katana" Edit: forget the ō
Also worth noting the difference of use and when. The tachi is longer and was more used in the 700-1100 roughly when samurai was more on horseback. After that however samurai’s became more on foot and then the uchigatana was more commonly used.
Tachi were used at a period where warmen used horse a lot, so this is why the curve, the handle and the bigger size often. The other at a peace period where warmen were mainly maintaining order and status. Like in people, in war there is a selective evolution
From memory you might also be able to tell the difference by looking at the Tsuka, the handle, if the blade is furnished: On Tachi the handle tends to continue following the same curve of the blade, whilst on Uchigatana it tends more straight. Probably not a hard and fast rule but certainly looks true for the two examples in the video.
You're really right. The Tachi was used in battle on horse. It was warn edge down to be easaly draw with one hand to slice while riding. Thats the reason for edge down and more curvature.
So as long as its a curved single edged blade its basically determined on how the maker decided to mark the tang and how you choose to wear it rather than any hard defined physical characteristic if I understand correctly Unless specifically longer and more curved which seems to be somewhat subjective
Tachi is a war sword that samurai actually used in battle. Katana is a dress sword that you carry with you to show your status, and for self defense. Shorter, lighter, more comfortable for everyday carrying. But a lot less deadly and suited to a battlefield. And during the centuries without big wars after Tokugawa won katana became the main sword that everybody used.
From what I was told, katanas and how they sit on their masters side has to do with times of war. Having the blade up means at peace, while blade down signifies a time of war
I know there are subtle differences in size and weight, also usage. But the overall process in the creation of these masterpieces is pure genius and the pinnacle of sword manufacture in himan history. No other weapon ever made can match the beauty, strength and durability of the Japanese Katana. If there was ever a Zombie apocalypse and there is no more ammo I would want a good bow not an Umi and a Katana.
Tachi where older style swords. The form eventually went out of fashion and many where reshaped into the modern katana forms. Several items in the British Museum started life as tachis, but with the passage of time, they got modified.
Tachi is the earlier cavalry sword and katana is the more refined version, but it’s more like the sidearm than the primary weapon and is mostly for looks/status.
All good info EXCEPT you missed the other crucial difference which is the facing of the bladesmiths name on the tang. Which, if anything is the most determining factor as that determines which way the sword is worn (facing up or down). In general blade shape they are so diverse it's not really possible to define them by that alone.
It is good to recognize though that to pre-Edo Japanese (even samurai)…and also during and after the Edo period, a sword was just a sword fit for your needs, and named as you pleased according to your purpose. A wakizashi no kodachi 脇差の小太刀 (shortsword) to one may have been a tachi 太刀 / katana 刀 (longsword) to another depending on their respective body size. Sword naming was VERY individual-arbitrary up until modern times when someone felt that a naming standard had to get established…rather arbitrarily.
From what I can recall reading, Uchigatana were practically Tachi that later had to be cut shorter into Katana lengths due to the change in laws that prohibited carrying swords longer than the regular length we see on katana. You are supposed to tell the difference by looking at the tang, because the signature of the smith is on different spots between a katana and a tachi (which would be indistinguishable from a katana once it has been turned into an uchigatana). The word uchi might mean "strike", as in "striking sword", but it seems to me like the more plausible literary meaning is "struck/hammered/smithed sword" as the Uchigatana is a Tachi that had to be smithed again to be shortened into size. This tells the buyer/user of the general quality of the sword, in that it was an existing piece essentially "cut and reforged", instead of a product that was made as-is. I recall a famous daimyou owning a famous sword that came from another famous daimyou and it was one of these "shortened" swords in classification. I just can't recall the names since it was way back then when I read about it.
it's called a striking sword because when they modified the tachi to be worn without the mountings, they are also able to integrate sword drawing into a strike.
Shadowversity did a good video about this recently. There is also the udi-techi, or the udachi. His points were 1- people are different sizes, so their swords can be too. 2- it really depends on how they are used, not their characteristics. Katana are warn by samurai exclusively and is of a more everyday symbol of status. Tachi are warn in battles. The tachi's most distinct difference is not only the blades curve and length, but the hilt was often "off center" as in that it angles away from the rest of the sword. Think count duko's dealing Saber. I would assume this was to make for stronger slashes. Probobly more common for mounted combat
Tachi are usually longer and used for war, a katana is usually shorter and used for self defense. It’s like the difference between a rifle and a pistol.
The reason for the Tachi and Uchigatana being so different has their reasons. Tachi: Was a bit heavier, was a chavalry sword, most of the time had slightly thicker blades (to slice'n dice better through light armor) and the length and wider curve was what a samurai riding a horse wanted. Uchigatana: At some point, samurai realized that riding a horse with a pointy stick rather than a sword stick or a sword was much better than just the sword. So they took older designs (back when they still used one handed, double-edged straight swords [Tsurugi]) and made the tachi smaller, thinner and less curved. Now you have a sword that you can just carry around in public.
The difference is not only in the way to carry two swords. But in also who was to use them. Tachi was used by elite samurai, nobles and generals, while uchigatana by ordinary samurai. Tachi was heavy and with proper skill you could make bigger damage to the opponent.
There is a practical reason for the different sheathing too. With the blade up, you can draw and strike in one motion, which is the core of iai. The tachi you generally need to unsheathe first in a separate motion, like most swords.
There is another handy distinction - tantō measures less than 1 shaku (1/3 meter, 12 inches), wakizashi between 1 and 2, katana between 2 and 3, and more than 3 shaku is dai-katana/tachi.
Tachi is fancy ceremonial old sword serving more as a badge for the officers, uchigatana is the functional and modern sword _you still wouldn't prefer resorting to fight with if_ you have a spear or a bow and enough distance to use them.
Also, the tachi has a curved tang and the katana has a straight tang. And each has a maker's mark on the grip that faces out from the body of the wearer, on the left for the katana and on the right for the tachi.
There was this fantasy game called Arkona. It was set in the X century. Slavic nations vs Catholics. You could play as one of those fractions. Magic was based on Slavic and catholic beliefs. All monsters where from folklore. Equipment was only from that time period. Pretty neat game tbh
Seems like other pretty much gave all the tips. two things i may add that could be useful: the taper with the tachi is stronger, the point could be quite small and it could have more meat/niku compared to edo period katanas etc. purpose of the niku was to protect the edge bit more. iirc from what research i have done the its true the tachi was mostly worn edge down however so was the katana in war times. Iirc edge up was reserved for peace times , edge down for feuds and war. To wear a tachi/katana edge down in peace time could mean someone planned on doing blood shed in a warlike manner. Not an expert on kanji and japanese esoterism but the kanji or sign for wearing the sword edge upward is similar to peace or luck , wearing it edge down was similar to kanji of war or death iirc. Something along those lines.
Woah that’s a neat fact I always forget until I hear it again lol, I haven’t drawn a katana blade down I wonder if it changes the mechanics of the draw or dulls the blade just a bit as it’s coming out? Or maybe it would just be turned blade up as it’s drawn I’m not sure, might be an interesting subject to talk about if your reading @robinswords nice video btw!
More or less, there was no strict way on which to wear your sword. Most wore it how they wanted it and it really wouldn’t affect or mean anything aside from how easy it is to pull out the sword. On horseback and because of its size, edge down is easier for tachi. Uchigatana were historically tied or just pushed into the sash/belt since we see this a lot in historical art, writings, evidence in armor, etc. the difference being that when you’re outside of armor you’re not going to be wearing the ropes and other attachments to hang the sword edge side down so just putting it in the belt/sash is far more convenient. Nonetheless you still see tachi being wore edge down outside of armor in earlier times but that’s aside the point since it was a different time
@@yeahey5947 as far as i can gather drawing the sword with the edge down is the practical way for drawing the sword especially if armoured i assume. The edge getting blunted is no concern since in wartimes you would maintain your weapon all the time. However when in peacetime you walk around a lot yes it would kind of getting dulled over time and always maintaining it would be a hassle. Imo from demonstrations i feel its also the quicker way wich allows you to cut in the same motion with a rising blow protecting your body while doing so. SImilar to what Monte advices with arming/longswords.
@@hugom2418 Later textes state that it was important in what kind of fashion you wore your sword since it could mean serious affront. But during war times it was either jindachi zukuri mountings when riding or simply being richer and agree we see tachis, uchigatana, katans etc being simply put in the sashi, egde down. There were occasions where you did wear jindachi zukuri mountings outside war/being in armor and that is court. They did that even as late as 19th century iirc. Fancy swords often with gold inlays etc.Not really intended for war etc which why they were named hosodachi, the sword for the court. Im not sure if everyone was allowed to wear their sword how they wanted at least the textes i saw and what some people told me there were rules regarding this where you could be punished for not doing this or that. Or when being high ranked being shamed for doing it. However no clue how tightly they followed those rules regarding edge up egde down etc. But personally i wouldnt want to carry a tachi/katan edge up in war.
That was pretty good, although Samurai rarely tied thier Uchigatana using the sagio according to historical documents and texts, on a daily basis. Mostly due to it being very inconvenient as they had to remove thier sword when entering a dwelling ect, while also offering little benefit.
meanwhile in Indonesia, a lot of people still call all those Japanese sword as "samurai" 😅🤣 it even officially added in KBBI (official Indonesian Language Dictionary). although the term "katana" are starting to be widely recognizable too.
The tachi was usually made longer than the katana, and tapered off more intensely towards the tip. This length and thinner tip made the tachi more effective on the battlefield than the katana. The katana was made afterwards and was modeled after the needs of self defense rather than during war.
