Samurai Swords: Evolution and Overview 

Small correction at 10:49 the Menuki is actually a decorative fitting while the actual peg simply called Mekugi.

The Honjo Masamune is probably sitting in some American’s basement who’s great grandpa smuggled it back home and doesn’t even know what it is

Remeber, switching to your secondary is faster than reloading your bow.

Thanks for this video. If anyone is interested in researching the classical schools (koryu) of swordmanship, mentioned at 8:08 , some of the oldest schools (ryu-ha) from the Muromachi period are Nen-ryu, Kage-ryu, Kukishin-ryu and Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu. They are the ancestor schools of many other fighting styles that developed later in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is fascinating that some of these schools survived through direct transmission. Katori Shinto-ryu is still practiced and taught today. Kukishin-ryu survived through different branches. These were sogo bujutsu schools - a comprehensive martial systems that taught not only the use of various weapons like yari, naginata, sword, jutte, sticks of different lengths, concealed weapons (kakushi buki) and unarmed fighting, but also tactics and strategy (hyoho), information gathering, espionage and other esoteric knowledge.

the US: BAN THE SWOOOOORDS! Kurosawa: Yo check out these badass movies I made lmao The US: GIMME THE SWOOOOORDS!

What a great content about the samurai sword. I'm very amazed by the fact when you mention about the Gunka song Battotai lyrics. I also think that it's quite ironic for Hideyoshi to initiate the sword hunt policy whilst he is not originally from the samurai class when he rose to power. Haha.

Technically Jin Sakai shouldn't be using a Katana but a Tachi..

Personally, the swords of Japan is significant in a way that due to it's history, the process of how to make it and the artistic value of the sword itself makes it a sword above all swords. The legends passed down about it, the knowledge that one's ancestors weilded one into battle and/or the idea of holding a piece of ancient times makes it special.

I absolutely loved this video thank you for providing so much incredible detail! I can really tell how much passion you have for this subject and sharing it with the world :) thank you for your channel, incredibly glad i found it! the quality is truly amazing ❤

Amazing channel coming from a person that's been studying Japanese martial arts from the age of 5, and what I like most about this channel is that it's hands down the most accurate channel for this topic on youtube.....Metatron should come and listen to these before going to his channel to make people that know something about nihonto or Japan cringe to their maximum and roll their eyes out of their skull. Shogun-sama, keep at it, we love it !

They look beautiful. I feel like the simpler the design, the more elegant it is. I did practice Iaido, and I intend to try Kendo once this damn plague is over (I really miss sports).

Such a great,well put together,and narrated video. this channel needs many many more subscribers!

Thank you for this. A lot of people think Katana were made of only crappy pig iron, but rich Samurai had swords made of quality European steel.

The samurai are fascinating culture. And the sword is legendary.

Another day, another video by The Shogunate! ngl these videos are sooo well produced! Hoping for more samurai content in the future! Keep up the good work!!!

I read that the Yumi and Ya accounted the 70% of the kills , 20% from the Yari and remaining 10% attributed to the other weapons like katana. Would you do a video about this specifically? Btw I'm new to your channel, great work there ! Would be great if you could do a video about the evolution of the yumi too!

Amazing video, as a kenjutsu & battojutsu trainee i found this video really interesting and helpful, cheers from Mexico.

Fantastic video ! It is important to understand history in order to understand where we are today. How things have changed and grown...and in some ways not grown. Such a great video for martial artists or anyone that loves history. Thanks so much - Martial Arts Life Style 🇨🇦

Japan did not have access to better steel unlike other countries, hence their swordsmiths had to come up with another way to make swords. It's truly ingenious how they use tamahagane to create a steel that is similar to modern high carbon steel, then use differential hardening to bring out a sharp edge to cut, but a soft spine to absorb shock. It was more likely to bend than break which made it easier for a swordsmith to repair. The arduous craftsmanship and intricate beauty of the katana makes it a real work of art.

Despite its mythical-defying flaws, this sword in my subjective taste is the most beautiful, awe-inducing sword in the world.

Very interesting, it's cool that you included the origins of Kenjutsu and Kendo as well. I didn't initially know what era Kendo originated from, which I probably should've because I practition it 🤔

Great narration and very informative, thank you

An excellent informative and well presented educational, thank you! 👍👌

Thoroughly enjoyed many thanks

It may not be the perfect sword, but its imperfections are what make it beautiful.

If anyone knows the name of the ukiyo-e pieces used in this video, can you please tell me? Awesome video by the way! Very informative for my story writing and art!

Great explanation of the history of Japanese weapons and the evolution of the Japanese sword. And thank you for dispelling the myth that the quality of Japanese blades was the best in the world and was far superior to European blades. The truth is that European blades were significantly superior, but not in terms of craftsmanship or design, rather it was because Europe had access to far superior iron while the only iron available to Japan was low quality iron sand. European swordsmiths would have thrown thrown Japanese iron into the waste bin but Japanese swordsmiths made the best with what materials they had available. It is a true testament to there skill and ingenuity to have produced such high quality blades from such low quality material.

the emblem in bottom right is the same as my dojo, know ill spell this wrong but my teacher was ishido senior ,the emperors bodyguard one of the last samurai. just love ur vids xxxxxxxxx

I was honored to visit with Masamune ( 26th ? 24th?) in Kamakura. Very nice man. Had seen him on a US tv show. He still forged blades there. I bought a kitchen knife and honor it.

Liked and subscribed for a very interesting documentary on a subject that has fascinated me since I was a child.

The habaki is the metal collar for the blade.

Japan never lost it's sword culture hence the the reputation the Katana has. Europe lost its sword culture due to the rise of firearms if they hadn't you'd see that European blade while different were just as effective for their designed uses.

It's a great video!! Based on accurate information.

Very informative! Thank you Sir!

as a blacksmith who is practicing in working with bloomery steel, you kind of need to fold it at least 4 times to draw it out into a bar without cracking

Thanks I’ve learned a lot 🙏🏾

There's a compiled translation of all the Japanese Fencing manuals released for training from the 1870s to 1915. It is mostly the same style of sabre fighting you'd see in Britain or France. But the focus on sparring to teach the men is interesting and at odds with my experience of Karate. Japan had much heavier blades on their sabres than most of Europe. I've seen a Gunto, with a partial basket sabre hilt with a katana blade. It felt very heavy when swinging, but felt good to do it. It didn't curve in the hand like some sabres so.

That was awesome !!! Thank u !!! Do u train in Budo ? You have such a passion for the Samurai,like I do.

forgot to mention that the sword was not allowed to be carried into the tea cerimony and due to the new law in the edo period which forced samuria to display their blades they built new fake swords to maintain the image.

Japanese iron manufacturing method uses iron sand and charcoal as materials. Iron sand in Japan is ilmenite iron sand contained in granite made by weathering magma, and it is called masasatetsu and contains titanium. Iron sand weathered from basalt is called Akomesatetsu and contains titanium. This iron sand is low in phosphorus and sulfur, impurities that make steel brittle, and high in vanadium, which strengthens steel. Iron ore and coal are high in phosphorus and sulfur and do not contain vanadium. Vanadium has been detected in ironware from around the 3rd century in surveys of Japanese archaeological sites. Around the 3rd century, Japan changed the material for iron production from iron ore to iron sand. Since Japan has many volcanoes and a large amount of iron sand could be extracted from the mountains, the former sites became terraced rice fields. In Europe, iron ore was used to make iron, and blast furnaces melted the phosphorus and sulfur without removing them. European iron ore has a high phosphorus and sulfur content, so European iron ore could not be used in the Bessemer converter. In ancient Japan, slag was called noro, and the process of removing slag was called noro dashi or noro shibori. In tatara ironmaking, the iron sand is semi-molten by keeping the furnace at 1300℃, but only phosphorus, sulfur and impurities and slag are melted and discharged. So impurities and slag are removed from the material tamahagane of katana. It is produced using the same tamahagane material as katana, a high-end kitchen knife made in Japan. ru-vid.comTldpPYewaQo The low-temperature reduction method makes the grains of the steel smaller, so the steel has excellent toughness. The high-temperature reduction method makes the steel grains larger, making the steel brittle and lowering its toughness. Vanadium makes the steel malleable and easy to roll, making it easy to fold. By folding, the vanadium is finely dispersed and combined with carbon to form a fine metal structure, so the katana has excellent hardness, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, and toughness, and becomes beautiful when sharpened. Hitting the steel with a hammer removes the carbon with a spark, so the carbon content drops to 0.7%, which is suitable for katana. The approximate amount of carbon can be determined by the shape of the spark. By folding, the steel of katana is in a state where austenite and martensite, which have different hardnesses, are dispersed. When a katana is sharpened with a Japanese sharpening stone, the austenite is removed and martensite remains, so the blade becomes like a microscopic saw. That's why Japanese knives sharpen when cutting. China and Mongolia developed blast furnaces earlier than the West, but from around the 10th century they imported katana from Japan and used it in their armies. China also had swords like longswords and rapiers, but based on katana, Qijiadao, wodao, and miaodao were developed. There are many records of katana in East Asia. Chinese Ming Dynasty military scholar Mao Yuanyi (1594-1640) “The katana is extremely strong and sharp, and the Chinese sword is no match for the katana.'' British adventurer Sir Edward Michelbourne (1562-1609) “The Japons are not suffered to land in any port in India (Asia) with weapons; being accounted for a people so desperate and daring, that they are feared in all places where they come .” Spanish trader Bernardino de Avila Giron (- after 1619)"The quality of Japanese steel crushes European steel at the first blow." Around 1970, Japanese steel company Hitachi Metals analyzed and applied tatara and tamahagane to develop Yasugi Specialty Steel (yasugi hagane) and built a sponge iron plant. Yasugi Steel has the same properties as katana, so it is hard, impact-resistant, and hard to break. This special steel is used for various purposes such as cutlery steel, high-end kitchen knife material, razor material(Gillette,Schick,Wilkinson razor steel), automobile parts material, automobile engine parts, and aircraft engine parts. Japanese knives and zwilling Japanese knives are made from steels such as Blue Steel (Aogami) and White Steel (Shirogami) based on Yasugi Steel. Around the 6th century, high-quality iron sand could be mined in the Yasugi region, so it became a town of iron manufacturing. Yasugi City is currently producing Yasugi Specialty Steel at the Hitachi Metals factory and exporting it to the world. Steelmaking engineers at the Hitachi Metals plant learn the traditional tatara ironmaking process. In the 14th century, katana craftsmen migrated to Seki City and produced katana in large quantities. Seki City still produces katana and knives. German knife maker zwilling parsed tamahagane for katana material. zwilling manufactures high-end kitchen knives made from Japanese steel in its Japanese factory.

Mekugi are the sword pegs menuki are the handle ornaments.

Let's be honest, this weapon is so cool even cutting zombies with Katana is better than smashing with Longsword

Honor die on the beach - Jin Sakai

Generally well done, with the usual problem of english speaking person pronouncing japanese words (shogun, hamon, saya, iaido,...). Valuable summary, really.

I'd never thought about the durability of Japanese swords. But I was starting to when you posted several images of Samurai carrying swords while wielding a third. Why would one carry 2 or 3 swords if only one can do?

Even if the Katana is shrouded in romanticized myths, it is still my favorite style of sword.

Excellent video, very educational...

What a great channel , Arigato gozaimasu Sempai desu , shout out if anyone still playing shogun2 ?

The AOA on the curvature of the blade determines its user...

Interesting, as part of a dear uncles estate, l inherited a Japanese sword, as part of his paratroop war in 1945 Singapore. The grain of the blade was fascinating, it had an army regulation hilt. On valuation at Christie’s it was deemed 18th century, and valued at £250 (early 80s) lt sold for £1500..

Within the Nara National Museum lies a Tang sword which was a gift to the young Japanese emperor back in the days, the katana is based on the Tang sword, however Japanese made it better through out the years, while at mainland China their enemy began to wear heavy armor which resulted the Chinese abandoned the Tang sword design. Therefore the katana is very good at dealing with light armor and cuting flesh, it is very bad when dealing with medium and heavy armor.

Excellent video! Say, where in Japan can one get an authentic sword?

Anime characters often show off their sword techniques to signify their prowess. In the past, a samurai who boasts about his sword skills is tantamount to admitting that he's just really bad with the bow.

What is thee difference between a katana and a uchigatana?

Im curious, Ive played a game almost religiously called "Kengo: Master of Bushido" on Ps2 for yeeears. But is Kengo the same as Kendo?

You deserve way more subs man.

とっても勉強になった

Im here to see if I can figure out some one piece stuff

Playing Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima and Nioh 2 DLC consecutively, and RU-vid give me this.

speaking of blade up or blade down, when you display a katana is it supposed to go blade up or blade down?

I would not call it a "fine" example, rather a cruel example. What Japan (and of course Germany) did during WW2 is beyond words...

Thanks 😊

Thank you my good friend I always wanted to know who made the first blade. My dream came true. can you make a video of Korean sword vs. Japanese sword is there a different .

The reason why the Japanese sword remained so entwined with warrior culture was because Japan was a closed country until the 19th century while western nations modernised industrially and militarily adopting new weapons,tactics and logistics. Medieval European swords were also very expensive items and closely associated with Christianity and the knightly ideal,held point down the hilt represents a crucifix,they are strongly identified with that particular warrior group. You omitted to mention the Hizen school of shinto swordsmiths and similarly the gendaito produced at the Yasukuni shrine and by the Kurihara Akihide group which had a massive influence on post-war Japanese swords,most of those making swords in Japan today draw their lineage from those groups.

11:04 That's why Yasuo say hasaki LOL

modern metallurgy and machine production makes affordable and undeniably effective modern swords possible, as long as you know what you're getting. The historical folding technique was a way of improving an inferior raw material compared to modern steel, and artistic merit aside, modestly priced modern swords can be expected to perform well (again, as long as its not intended to be a cheap wall hanger or cosplay or whatever)

the ONLY way to make iron or steel (until crucible steel) was to fold and weld - invented a thousand years earlier.

The reason samurai swords are so popular with the west is probably due to the fact they were still being carried in ww2. Nobody else was still using swords so it would've made westerners think "there must be a reason that these machine gun wielding japanese soldiers still carried swords, they must be better than the swords we had or why wouldn't they leave them behind like we did". Plus U.S. soldiers probably stole a bunch and showed their friends back home.

Just finished ghost of tsushima so im just watching samurai history now

The oldest swords in Japan's museums are Chinese. There was a huge cultural exchange during the Tang Dynasty including sword design. The single edged Japanese sword is a direct descendant of the Tang Dao, which was straight with a clipped point. The Japanese are very good at "developing and improving" others designs.

that western broadsword might have broken that katana but ive held a few swords in my life including both of those...broadswords are freaking heavy, if i were to swing that thing about 25 times id be tired enough id run the risk of getting killed. when picking a weapon out of any kind thats the 1st thing i consider, how tired will this thing make me between using it, carrying it, and maintaining it..movies and popularity aside realistically id still take the Katana over the western swords...

Nice video :) if anyone would like to hear about the great history polish saber . .... szablotłuk polski

22:44 i don't think that is a real katana made with original matherial (tamahagane)

the samrai also did haraki and would chop of head

Menuki are brass or some other alloy, decorative and semi functional grip embellishments. They can help fit either the finger or palm swell (depending on placement, or be out of way of either hand) and act as a subconscious grip marker as well. Also, the scabbard would be pronounced "sah-yah" not "sei-ya" as that would be something else.

I used to think katanas were like the Apex blade. But after seeing many videos of a katana versus a rapier.. i gata say a rapier is a lot more deadly

ty very informative .I love and collect Katanas

Binge watching some samurai stuffs after playin ghost of tdushima

Wait so the katana can't cut thourgh robots or space and time? Btw: absolutely love this channel!

Lord Shimura sent me here

The evolution of the katana was well detailed, I greatly appreciate.

The Tachi and masamune blades have my total 👍

Don't bring a tachi, in a fight of glockchi

Being used to read and watch lots of bulls**t about the Samurai and the Katana, is truly refreshing to watch a really well documented video, my respects.

Hi, one thing I think you missed talking about is, that besides mass produced "Samurai Swords" made in china in the present, there is also the creation of the Iaito in post WW2 Japanese society. The Iaito being made of an aluminium-zink alloy makes it technically not a weapon and a piece of sports equipment. So it is easily purchasable by the average citizen, and is used for Iaido practice a lot more often that a steel sword. (mostly for Kata, for Tamashigiri you still need a steel sword) Also If you wish to travel with an Iaito you need the proper paperwork showing it is an Iaito and not a steel sword when boarding a flight. (I've had to go through this extra security headache several times.)

This is a great video! Thanks for your work, I just finished watching Akira Kurosawa’s films Ran and Yojimbo. I was confused as to why some of the swords worn by the Samurai looked different, however this video helped me understand that some of the samurais in the movie were wearing tachi and not katanas. I did notice that mainly cavalry and other mounted samurai were wearing tachis.

I remember about wearing the blade up or down also depends where you go to, for example when being an emissary or visiting a friend, having the blade tip pointed down mean you come in peace (as it is harder to pull the sword out). Kamiizumi Nobutsuna kind of renewed the interest of Kenjutsu in the early Sengoku period and inspired various swordsman at the time to learn their own sword style, like Yagyu clan and then later on Musashi Miyamoto. I often wonder during Sengoku period, with the famous generals, did they use these cheap mass produced blade during their skirmish while their highly priced swords were left at home and only carried during peace time or as a investment. Although after Imagawa Yoshimoto got killed by Oda Nobunaga, they did find his priced Soza Samonji on his corpse which Nobunaga claimed as his personal sword. I heard that the Showato or Shingunto as it is called from WW2 has been disowned by the Japanese katana society as they view it as an "Evil blade" who committed alot of atrocities during WW2.

@The Shogunate: what you're displaying in your video as Kendo is acutally Gekiken, which is the predecessor of Kendo and was taught along kenjutsu as acutal sparring training. Also Iaido is the wrong term for the older periods. The correct term would be iai-jutsu or even batto-jutsu which were taught also along kenjutsu. In modern times (starting ca. 1920) these two teachings were seperated as sole arts called Iaido and Kendo.

I would very much love for you to do an extended video of the nodachi and lesser known nagamaki.

A common misconception is that the lesson of the Mongol invasion in the 13th century gave rise to Katana. In the Mongol invasion, the innovative forging method of the Soshu school appeared. Katana has appeared since the 15th century. This mistake is in Katana, Masamune. Many of them were cut at their roots and converted into katana after the 15th century. In other words, the swords Masamune forged is not Katana but Tachi.

Mongolian scholar Zheng Si-xiao (1241-1318)."The Japanese are brutal and not afraid of death. Even if ten Japanese people encounter 100 enemies, they will fight against them. If they don't win, they all fight until they die.If they do not die in the war, they will be killed by the king's hand when they return.Japanese women are also very temperamental, don't rape them.katana is extremely sharp. Mongolian scholar Wang Yun (1228-1304)"Japanese soldiers are equipped with bows, katana, and armor.There was no spear. The cavalry are united.katana is long and extremely sharp. All the soldiers are brave and do not seem to be afraid of death. " Chinese Ming Dynasty General Qi Jiguang (1528-1588) "This was the first time I knew this when a Japanese samurai attacked China. They moved like a dance, and the forward rushing force seemed to flash light, and our Ming soldiers were just distracted. The Japanese are very active and move about 3m at a time. Since the length of katana is 1.6m, it will be attacked even at a distance of 4.8m. It is difficult to approach with my soldier's sword, it is too late with a spear, and if we encounter them, everyone will be cut off and killed. This is because their weapons are sharp and they are free to use powerful and heavy swords that can be swung with both hands. " "For Japanese, a fowling gun from a distance is effective. But the Japanese have absolutely no fear and charge at point blank range where they can attack or stab. It also takes time while our gunners load their bullets, That's why Our soldiers often allow them to approach. We cannot stop their momentum. Japanese swordsmanship is light and long, Our gunners move too slowly after allowing them to approach. Our swords are not effective weapons for throwing away guns and responding immediately. Therefore, we should equip ourselves with Japanese-style long swords." "Japanese arrows are heavy and bows are powerful. Anyone shot by this will die. They approached us and shot an arrow, which always hit a man. Chinese were just afraid of this and couldn't use its characteristic bow and arrow. " Chinese Ming Dynasty Martial Artist Cheng Zongyou (1561-1636) "We call that Japanese weapon dandao. Use a swinging sword with both hands. This is a technique unique to Japanese people. The technique is well trained, precise and solid. Japanese swords are easy to handle, and each one makes sense, including the handle and scabbard. No other sword can match the Japanese sword. A well-polished Japanese sword reflects the light of the sun and hits our eyes. The light makes our hearts cold. In Japanese swordsmanship, the change from side to side is strange and mysterious, and it is not predictable to ordinary people. Therefore, even if you use a long-handled weapon such as a spear, you will always lose to the Japanese sword. " Chinese Ming Dynasty Poet Qu Dajun (1630-1696) "When the Japanese move with all their might, they move like the wind. They always enter enemy territory in small numbers, and even a large number of soldiers cannot resist. Their katana usage is to defend with the long katana and stab the enemy to death with the short katana. They move low as if crouching and never back down. They will be treated no matter how many people there are. It is a special technique only for those of the Japanese archipelago. ” Chinese Ming Dynasty military strategist Heliang chen "The Japanese thief's attack is only hit twice or three times with katana, Often I can't prevent it. You should know the ingenuity of their katana sword technique. " Spanish missionary Alessandro Valignano (1539- 1606)" Alessandro Valignano told the Philippine Governor that it was impossible to conquer Japan because the Japanese were very brave and always received military training.” Dutch merchant Jacques Specx (1585 - 1652) "For the execution [of the assault on Manila] we can get great help from Japan, because the Japanese soldiers are as good as ours and the emperor [shogun] has given us his promise that we can take out as many people as we can get hold of.” British soldier and explorer Sir Edward Michelbourne (1562-1609) "The Japanese seem to have been feared throughout Asia." "The Japons are not suffered to land in any port in India (Asia) with weapons; being accounted for a people so desperate and daring, that they are feared in all places where they come." Thomas Cowen” At some of the forts men fought at close quarters, bayonet to bayonet, and it was once again shown that, though the Russians have the advantage of size and weight, they are no match for the quicker and more skilful Japanese” Spanish trader Bernardino de Avila Giron (- 1619) "I say again that they are very warlike and use very cruel and cutting weapons, made of such refined steel that they cut through iron with ease." "The quality of its steel shatters European steel with the first blow." Portuguese Catholic priest Luis Frois (1532 - 1597) "Western swords have a one-handed handle and are the size of a fist, but Japanese swords are two-handed." British physician and diplomat Sir Rutherford Alcock (1809 - 1897). "I have seen many a battlefield," "but of sabre wounds I never saw any so horrible. One man had his skull shorn clean through from the back and half the head sliced off to the spine, while his limbs only hung together by shreds." "They have attained the climax of dexterity. The sword is always carried at the side, and adepts in the use of it wound the moment it is drawn." "The fatal stroke, upwards, is given in the act of drawing. Hence, placing the hand on the hilt is equivalent to presenting a cocked revolver, and if the assailant is not disabled in the act it is too late for defence." Dutch missionary Arnoldus Montanus (1625-1683) "Their arms, besides Guns, Bows and Arrows, are Faulchions(katana) and Daggers(wakizashi), which they begin to wear and exercise at twelve years of age ! Their Faulchions or Scimeters are so well wrought and excellently temper'd, that they will cut our European Blades asunder". British researcher Basil Hall Chamberlain（1850 - 1935） "Japanese swords excel even the vaunted products of Damascus and Toledo. To cut through a pile of copper coins without nicking the blade is, or was, a common feat."

A wonderfully informative video. you cover all aspects regarding the swords of Nippon. It was refreshing to hear the kodachi mentioned and placed in its importance as part of sword developement. Also, I was impressed that your closing comments point to the important relationship of Nihonto and Samurai culture. Well done Sir.

I would love to see a video about all the other weapons that the Samurai used, that weren't the 'samurai sword'.

Excellent video. , I started cosplaying in mid 2000 and I was into characters who wields the katana and of course you can’t carry a real one cosplaying . So I disassembled a real but cheapo katana and learned the parts and remade them with plywood and other materials. I used the real tsuba and made sure it slides out well . Silly way to learn katana isn’t it lol .But I practiced the correct etiquette even with my plywood katana😉 because At that time I was studying aikido with kenjutsu as well.

Excellent video!! Only a minor correction. At 10:49, the sword peg is called mekugi, while menuki are two decorative fittings wrapped in the tsuka, one being (normally) near the fuchi and the other near the kashira.

Would it have hurt to run the words through Google translate to figure out the proper pronunciation? Hearing them being said in a stereotypical Japanese accent while screwing up nearly every single vowel sound is really cringe-inducing.

Light sabers and Jedi had to be strongly inspired by this.

Peace and Mabuhay from the Philippines! As a Martial Artist and History enthusiast, I'm really loving your content so far. You definitely earned a subscription from me. 🙏 You're definitely right about the Samurai being intrinsically linked to the Katana in a way many other Warrior cultures do not with their weapons of choice. You really can't say the same for our warriors here in the Philippines using the bolo or something similar in a way that it's linked to their "spirit as Warriors", sadly. However, they are definitely (not the only ones) to share that distinction. I.E.) The Szabla (Sabre) is very much intrinsically linked to the mighty Winged Hussars of Poland and Polish culture/history overall..

Katana are a thing of beauty. Thats why I collect them. I fascinated in there craftsmanship. The wrap, the rayskin, and that shinny blade with a nice hamon line. Love em.

日本は奇跡の島。 もう少し中国に近ければ併呑されてたし。遠すぎてれば、中国の文明が入って来なかった。 本当絶妙な位置に島が出来たもんだw