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Lil Dave
15th July 2000, 01:02
I'm new to the whole sword arts thing, so I would like to ask a few questions. What are the advantages of a long handle, and the advantages of short one? How is blade length selected? In Yoshikawa's "Musashi", he speaks of a sword being just the right size for a particualar man. How would I determine how big is right for me? Thak you for any assistance you can give.

Dave Buck

hyaku
15th July 2000, 09:43
Originally posted by Lil Dave
I'm new to the whole sword arts thing, so I would like to ask a few questions. What are the advantages of a long handle, and the advantages of short one? How is blade length selected? In Yoshikawa's "Musashi", he speaks of a sword being just the right size for a particualar man. How would I determine how big is right for me? Thak you for any assistance you can give.

Dave Buck

The Tokugawa Shogunate standardized the length of longswords to 2 Shaku 3 sun or Jo-sun written as Teisun (standard length) The majority of styles of swordsmanship have gone along with this and their forms are for that length of weapon. On the other hand this is the length for your average height Japanese. A bit like a toothpick in the hands of a big westerner. If you are going to study the sword you will of course want to practice an established school rather than make something up. Therefore you could say the school dictates the length you will be using. The Tsuka is going to be a minimum one quarter of the entire length. It stands to reason that you get very little leverage to cut with the mono-uchi with a Tsuka that is too short. Also one must take into account how the tsuka is held. Some schools prefer holding the end of the Tsuka with the left hand. Others with the hands closer togther as the Nakago is shorter that the length of the tsuka. Also any excess length will counter balance a long blade in cutting with one hand. I do a lot of one handed cuts and in trying to use a shorter Tsuka maximum hip rotation was needed to effect a good technique (isn't it always). I did really feel like a little too much effort was required rather than using the lengthof the blade as a natural extention of the body.

Miyamoto's length was actualy slightly longer than average and has a very shallow sori. His blade is in Shimada Museum in Kumamoto. I did get the chance to handle it some years ago.

Contrary to this his style is for close quarter combat. He maintained that a combat decision was reached within 1 shaku. If I remeber Imai Sensei told me Yagyu Shinkage Ryu was even shorter (8 Sun).

After techniques are completed you are "very" close to the opponent and the hands are drawn back very close to the body. Miyamoto maintained that if the opponent was to move backwards it was very easy to stretch out the arms and keep control over the situation.

Hope this helps

Hyakutake Colin http://www.bunbun.ne.jp/~sword