Cutting

A Cutting Good Time!

I just finished a batch of new photography for James Williams at Bugei Trading Co. James showed up here in Dallas with several new blades including a new Wave Style daisho for me. Really nice blades. Forge folded w/bohi. Excellent balance, very nice furniture and elegant curve. I was very impressed! For the money, an absolute bargain!

But the best was yet to come.

We spent a whole day shooting high speed photography of cutting tatami omote and beach mats with one of the new powdered steel "Samurai Style" blades and one of Howard Clark's L6 "Super Katana's. It was a blast!
The new "Samurai Style" katana cut like a laser and is the least expensive of the line from Bugei. The L6 was simply incredible. IN-CRED-IB-LE! Howard Clark deserves bigtime praise for producing these marvels of metallurgy. I cut through 8 mats with the L6 like they weren't even there. James did a cut through 12 mats with the "Samurai Style" katana and the top/cut section didn't even move. (At first I thought he missed!) Wow!

Needles to say, the old days of making due with gunto for tamishirigiri are over. James Williams, Howard Clark, Ted Tenold, & several others are producing products of amazing quality for the dollar. We are all reaping the potential benefits with this. Thanks Guys!

BTW, Whoever received the blade donated by Bugei Trading Co. at Bob Elders recent Toyama ryu competition in Florida got a great cutter.

Toby Threadgill

[bob elder]

I hope I am not to sauced to put this here. The Bugei katana was won by Bob Lampp, a nidan in our class. He has trained 9 years now and has competed twice in Japan, placing second in nidan/sandan cutting at the first tai kai he entered which was in Yokohama 2 years ago. One of the Sword armory swords was won by Ms. Leslee Williams of Tallahasse Fl for coming in first in shodan and under kata. And dig this, her husband came in second! What's the chances? they were both in different rings and came together in the finals. Raymond ( the husband) could have won but he couldn't keep the shit eating smile off his face! Wow, talk about weird karma. BTW Ms. Williams is the S.E rep for the so. Cal. Naginata association under the beautiful Helen Nakano Sensei. She and her crew also did a demo at our tai kai. It was cool. She is available for seminars anywhere in Fla and I can vouch that she is damn good. Also placing in first place but in shodan and under tameshi-giri was John Schmidt, from Palm Bay fl who won a Sword Armory katana in shira saya. John has a distinctive "Japanese" look to his cutting and a burned out shoulder. But he persevered and did great. the way cool helmet was donated by Sword armory was won by Tom Smyth for winning nidan/sandan cutting. Tom has been training 5 yrs and placed first in 3 events and second in another. I forgot what they are, but maybe someone does and will post it. We were all so happy that the sponsors went so far out of their way to give these awards. Thanks to Mr. Tony Alvarez and Russel McCartney Sensei for making the presentations. Well, 4 of us are off to te NABAtai kai in Seattle next month. We'll see if it's stacked against us there! No, just kidding. Bob Elder the drunk

[Walker]

Toby -
The American Society of Silly Budo Morality (aka ASS BM) has become alarmed at the effect of your photographs on impressionable young budoka. They feel that soon everyone will want one of those samurai swords and go around cutting stuff. Obviously this glorification of swords as cutting tools has got to stop. Legal action to follow.
You have been warned.
:p

[Animo]

Bob,

Tom Smyth placed first in Nidan/Sandan Kata, Kumitachi, and Dotan cutting. He also placed third in Nidan/Sandan cutting. I should know since he beat me in the final round in both kata and cutting. At least I had the sense to team with him for Kumitachi. If he had managed to find a cutting wakizashi, he probably would have beaten me for fourth 1st place in wakizashi cutting. Tom was really on fire!

[glad2bhere]

Dear Mr Threadgill:

Having only trained in Guem-do a couple of years I am a relative neo-phyte to the world of cutting competition. Could you recommend how I could become better involved (read also better informed) regarding events and participants. Are there precedents which would allow a Korean practitioner to participate in these events? You comments would be sincerely appreciated.

Best Wishes,
Bruce W Sims
http://www.midwesthapkido.com