Katana Mistake in Equilibrium??

[ebime]

Hello all,
I'm new here and I decided to come in after reading many of your discussions. I won't be in often, but will keep checking from time to time.

That being said, the entire problem of the sword's edge being worn up or down has brought many good points, but you guys forgot one VERY important point regarding the sword being worn edge down while on horseback : the horse's head! If the sword was worn edge up, you couldn't draw it without hitting your horse's head...

With the sword being worn edge down, you could draw and hit on the other side immediatly.

This is historical fact btw. And, no offense, but kendo being nothing but a sport and a way to search for enlightenment which was developped to be safe, doesn't have much in common with real kenjutsu anymore. Just like Judo is a sport from which everything really dangerous was taken out after studying the moves of Jujitsu. It is perfectly alright to practice kendo and love it, but remember that as soon as any "martial art" has rules, it is nothing more than a sport which needs to be safe.

I know I'm stepping on a lot of toes with my first post, but I felt this should be said after reading the numerous posts on how "real" fighting should be constructed around karate, kendo or other "martial arts. These are combat sports and have as much in common with the real thing as soccer. Granted, they take after real martial arts, but the real thing was outlawed and very few real fighting techniques still exist today.

In case you think I'm just tossing crap here, I've been in combat sports and martial arts for over 20 years now and I have been involved in combat, with or without weapons. I am not assuming I am all-knowing in the least, but I want to help others by giving the correct information as I know it to be and prevent injuries/problems for those who could get a big head from their practice. Real combat is nothing fun and luck does have a hand in it.

I know I may have gotten out of topic and I hope you'll forgive me for it. I have been reading the posts in here for about 2 hours before I decided to write, so I may be touching several different threads.

No offense intended on anyone.

[Guest]

Jutsu means military, Do means way, as in civillian.

[gunnut]

Military?
Who told you that and what was he smoking?

[Xaio]

I think he was trying to say vaguely that jutsu is more for an aggressive style, whilst do is for a defensive style. The jutsu styles are also generally (I'm pretty sure) more the original ones, whilst the 'do' style are a more recent invetion, particularly with the advent of martial arts as a sport.

I might be a little off in the exact meanings, but I think thats the general gist.

[ebime]

Justu means literally : technique, and yes, it did come first. The "Do" variations are a rather recent invention. The mistake of "jutsu" meaning military (no offense) comes from the fact that the term is used almost exclusively for martial arts or war matters. Then again, there are a lot of translation mistakes from japanese to english which are held as gospel since they have been there for a few generations.

Always remember, the first westerners who learned karate, uudo and such learned true translators who were not necessarily that good and, if it wasn't bad enough, asians use words as images and not precise definitions like we do. Case in point, if you talk about a choke, for an asian, it could mean a strong grip on the leg, forearm, etc. as well as on the neck.

Also, the japanese language has changed enormously since the last World War and it's forced opening to the world. When I was first learning japanese, I did from a book written by a japanese for US offiers so they could interrogate prisonners. Whe I went to university to further my language skills, my teacher was very surprised that I was using words that "dated from at least 50 years ago". Sometimes, a few letters change and often, the enitire word, so the same word may have different meanings over a period of time.It is thus very hard to get the original meanings.

[Witcher Wolf]

Interesting, but remember. in Equilibrium they are Clerics not Samurai, which means the code of Bushido and everything associated with it is null and void. This is why its actually not a mistake in the movie at all Wimmer just likes 'cool' so basically Katana = Cool to him

[ebime]

Agreed there!

[Witcher Wolf]

It is one of the things that tends to bug me, folks assume that if you have a Katana in a movie...especially one like EQ you must be Samurai or have a knowledge of Bushido etc to use it.

The Clerics would have developed their own style/combat techniques for all of the weapons at their disposal.

[Budootaku]

Samurai did wear katana or tachi (longer swords usually used from horseback) blade down before the Edo period in Japan (1500-1868). During the Edo period, Iai or quickdraw was more in fashion so the Daisho (paired swords) were worn blade up tp facilitate a quicker more diverse draw followed by an immediate cut. After the Edo period wearing the Daisho was outlawed by the Meiji government with the dissolution of the Samurai class. As an internationally licenced intructor in Toyama-ryu Iaido and Aikido, as well as a member of the Detroit Kendo club, I'm supposed to know this stuff. Just thought I'd share with those interested.

[JenGe]

Very, very interesting. Thank you!!

[Witcher Wolf]

Interesting information indeed.

[ebime]

Thanks for the information budootaku. Much appreciated!

[simon]

Hey guys, I need photos of the sword fight in the inner sanctum!

I need AS MANY AS POSIBLE for a project!

If you could be botherd to send some to this link it would be greatly appreciated!

[e-mail]

THANKS HEAPS!