Interesting site

[Joseph Svinth]

http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/sword

[Tim Atkinson]

The tsuka are very incredibly long! But not unlike the Chen blades and Bujin blades. A very nice site! A have book amrked it of course. Though, not a ryu that I am aware of, does anyone have any more info, maybe Ms Skoss.

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Tim Atkinson

[fowlerl]

Currently Noble House Dojo is in contact with the middle men involved with the Chen swords and are trying to get a more workable blade constructed. They seem to be willing, so maybe in the near future Chen blades will have a more reasonable handle.

lfowler

[Tony Peters]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tim Atkinson:
The tsuka are very incredibly long! But not unlike the Chen blades and Bujin blades. A very nice site! A have book amrked it of course. Though, not a ryu that I am aware of, does anyone have any more info, maybe Ms Skoss.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bujin does not have anything to do with swords (being owned/run by an aikido man) I thing you are refering to Bugei...at least I hope you are. wow talk about a long sword. With that one is certain to win a mine is bigger contest http://216.10.1.92/ubb/biggrin.gif

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Peace
Tony Peters
When Two flashing swords meet there is no place to escape;
Move coolly, like a lotus flower blooming in the midst of
a roaring fire and forcefully pierce the Heavens!

[hyaku]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Tim Atkinson:
The tsuka are very incredibly long!

Long (2 Shaku), but he main reason for this is it balances the length of the blade. If it was any shorter it would make the the sword un-usable. especially for one handed techniques

Though, not a ryu that I am aware of, does anyone have any more info, maybe Ms Skoss.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


Is there anything particular you wanted to know?

Meik Skoss asked me to do an article some time ago which was publshed in Aikido Journal.

The Kage Ryu has been considered for Juyo Mukei Bunkazai (National Cultural Asset).

There are many ryu down in the south of Japan that Westerners are not aware of. There must be at least 6 in Kagoshima.

Lots' of the older ryu see no need in joining an association which usually follows the Dan-i system and do not seek publicity.

I am a member of the Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei (Kyushu Chiku) and sometimes do Hono Embu and Mohan Engi for them but would not consider taking part in national demonstrations.

NHK did a 20 Minute spot on their news which went world-wide. Since then I have refused to do television or newspaper interviews as they just turn it into some kind of melodrama and print all kinds of misinformation.


At least with the Homepage I have some control over things.


www2.saganet.ne.jp/sword

Regards, Hyakutake

[Diane Skoss]

Hi All!

I'll be "reprinting" Colin's article on the Kage-ryu as part of the June Koryu.com update. It should be up around June 5 (at the latest), so check in then for history and details of the Kage-ryu.

Cheers!

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Diane Skoss
Koryu.com (http://Koryu.com)

[Henry Walker]

I am kind of new to the kenjutsu game but I was under the impression that a longer tsuka facilitated a better/smoother/more powerful cut when practicing tamashigiri.

[pboylan]

I'd just like to make one comment. The only "Japanese" sword style I have seen that makes use of those long tsuka is Yanagi Ryu. I know of no style practiced in Japan that makes use of a weapon with a tsuka to blade ratio like those in Yanagi Ryu. If you look at the ratio of tsuka lenght to blade length for the weapons of Kage Ryu, you'll discover that they use roughly the same blade to tsuka ratio as other iai styles (and for two man forms, like all ryuha, they use bokuto).

Peter Boylan http://budogu.com

[hyaku]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Henry Walker:
I am kind of new to the kenjutsu game but I was under the impression that a longer tsuka facilitated a better/smoother/more powerful cut when practicing tamashigiri.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

As part of a competition we sometimes all do tameshigiri with one chosen blade. For me, I end up with something resembling a toothpick with a Tsuka so small I can't get two hands on it.

When ordering a sword one should most definately order one to suit your own physical requirments,height, size of the hands, age etc. Compared with westerners the average Japanese is small in comparison.Therefore a tall westerner with a say a 2.3 is rather unbalanced.

The Tsuka on the Kage Ryu blades are not long. They simply balance the overall length of the weapon.

When being fitted, the person who makes the fittings balaces these things with the weight, curve, length of the blade.

I think one also has to bear in mind that there are no Shomen giri cuts as they were not practical and of little use. As there were not surgeons in the past anyone cut would eventually bleed to death or die from infection etc.
A pathologist who has examined bones from the Sekigahara battle found no evidence of wounds to the skull area.

A lot of cuts are made to vulnerable areas and areas not covered by armour or clothing. For example an upward cuts between the legs destroy the opponents balance leading to a diagonal kirioroshi to the carotid artery.

Regards, Hyakutake
http://www2.saganet.ne.jp/sword

Three more pages added to Tosa Eishin Ryu yesterday to start a 30 page explanation of Seiza Ipponme.

[Stéphan Thériault]

Hey guys!

Here is another school with pretty large swords: http://koryu.com/photos/rshinmuso.html