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Thread: Looking for Good Sowrd maker of excellent rep.

  1. #61
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    Default Expected attendance

    This year they are expecting 70,000 people. The Mizu HI Kobukai is currently trying to also get on the list to do a Shin Shin Sekiguchi Ryu demo. This looks to be a very fun event.
    Dan Keupp

  2. #62
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    Lightbulb

    Well, then, I heartily encourage any practitioners of Korean arts to attend and get an eyeful. I wish it every possible success.

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
    Bruce W Sims
    www.midwesthapkido.com

  3. #63
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    WOW,

    I never thought that Id have, so many people posting on any thread I ever started. This is great, I hope to match the Ninpo and Naginata demos. I hope to be able to see as much as possible.

    P.S.

    I am enlightened from all the posts, I have become wiser from everyone's posts. Thanks to everyone at E-Budo.
    “To every man there comes a in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing unique to him and fitted to his talent; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”
    Sir Winston Churchill


    Matthew Gehrke

  4. #64
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    Default welcome

    Your welcome Matt, thanks for joining us here.
    Gary MacMullen
    MJER Jikishinkai
    Big Green Drum Japanese Martial Arts
    (Formerly Aikido of West Florida)

    Mi ni tanoshimi o takamazu - Musashi
    Fortes Fortuna Juvat

  5. #65
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    hey, I am truly uneducated in these matters, I shall continue my learning of sword arts.
    “To every man there comes a in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing unique to him and fitted to his talent; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”
    Sir Winston Churchill


    Matthew Gehrke

  6. #66
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    Im going to the matsuri, by me. I guess this thread is a dead one to. Oh well, It was nice to see the replies.
    “To every man there comes a in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing unique to him and fitted to his talent; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”
    Sir Winston Churchill


    Matthew Gehrke

  7. #67
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    Default Matsuri Festival FEb 26 and 27

    Monroe Street Stage

    11:30 Bujikan Budo Taijutsu(Arizona Bujinkan Ninpo&Budo Kai)
    12:00 Shotokan Karate(Arizona karate Association)
    12:30 Japanese Sword(International Shinkendo Fed.)
    1:00 Aikido(Arizona Aikido)
    1:30 Kendo(Phoenix Kendo Kai)
    2:00 Iaido & Kenbu(Japanese Swordmanship Society)
    2:30 Shotokan Karate(Arizona Shotokan Karate)
    3:00 Shin Shin Sekiguchi Ryu(Mizu Hi Kobukai)
    3:30 Naginata(Southern California Naginata Federation)


    Hope to see everyone there, fellow e-budoites come up and say "Hi".
    Dan Keupp

  8. #68
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    Thanks for the schedule.
    “To every man there comes a in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing unique to him and fitted to his talent; what a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which would be his finest hour.”
    Sir Winston Churchill


    Matthew Gehrke

  9. #69
    Smart Alex Guest

    Default everyone starts somewhere

    There is nothing wrong with not knowing. It is not asking questions that is truly bad.

    As far as a good Beginer blade goes, the best bet for the buck is a Paul Chen Practical Katana.

    While most experienced Swordsmen will say that this blade is not "good enough" it really depends on what you are looking for.
    For a beginner who is truly just begining this blade will do all that you ask for and more! (I've cut 2x4's with one)
    Admittedly when you become a more advanced swordsman you will undoubtedly want to invest in something more but until then $200 for a Practical Katana is a good price and a good place to start.

  10. #70
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    While most experienced Swordsmen will say that this blade is not "good enough" it really depends on what you are looking for.
    For a beginner who is truly just begining this blade will do all that you ask for and more! (I've cut 2x4's with one)
    Admittedly when you become a more advanced swordsman you will undoubtedly want to invest in something more but until then $200 for a Practical Katana is a good price and a good place to start.
    Mr. Shore,
    Most experienced swordsmen won't allow this blade in their dojo. It depends upon whether someone is looking to learn a Japanese sword art (this is the Koryu Bujutsu Sword Arts forum after all) or is just looking to play with a Japanese style sword. If you're looking to play with swords (and cut two by fours?) then by all means purchase this sword and try not to hurt yourself. If you are looking to learn a Japanese sword art, then you'll buy the sword that your sensei recommends, and it most likely won't be a Practical Katana.
    Paul Smith
    "Always keep the sharp side and the pointy end between you and your opponent"

  11. #71
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    Dear Paul:

    Not to discount your thread for its message but it strikes me that you (inadvertantly?) raised an interesting question.

    With as many threads I have seen extolling the virtues of this sword-making and that, and of the role of the Iai-To in training I find myself wondering the following. At what point is it cost-effective to purchase an inexpensive shin gum ("live blade") as opposed to an expensive Iai-To, perhaps, even one of those much-touted "Iai-To that cuts"?

    Knowing how the Human mind tends to organize things and seek out patterns, I find myself wondering if one can draw a relationship between one item or the other in any meaningful way? In the art that I practice, there is no actual role for Batto-jutsu, so we tend to move from the Mok Gum (J. Bok Ken) directly to a Ye-Do. There is no transitional place for an intermediary form which approximates a steel blade. How do you practitioners of Japanese sword relate this item to the rest of your training? Though I have enjoyed this string, still I find that nobody has raised this point to the originator of the discussion. Was this an oversight or is there something I missed that is understood among Japanese art practitioners. Any comments would be appreciated.

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
    Bruce W Sims
    www.midwesthapkido.com

  12. #72
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    Default

    Interesting question Bruce, and one that I have thought on and asked about in the past. There are several reasons usually given for using an alloy blade iaito rather than a shinken (sharp steel sword).

    Safety is one reason. Very few schools allow beginners to practice with a live blade. Those that do, require the beginner to practice the very basics slowly and carefully for quite a long time. Not many people are willing to do this in today's society. Therefore, using an unsharpened iaito is a way to progress in your training without the worry about dropping fingers on the floor. It is also considered quite rude for students to accidently lop the arm off of the person next to them because they got a little too close.

    Cost is another reason. While the availability of decent sharp swords has drastically increased in the last 7 or 8 years, the quality is still not quite the same. For $500US you can get a good quality iaito made in Japan by people that have been trained traditionally in the proper ways to wrap handles and balance blades etc... For twice that price, you can get a compromise in a sharp steel blade. You either have handles and blades made by Chinese workers, who are getting better by the way but still aren't there, or you have Japanese made handles and fittings that are shimmed onto Chinese made blades. Either way you give up something. I've yet to find a production sword that is balanced as well or feels as good over time as a good quality iaito.

    Your only other choice in this area is to go custom, or order a martial arts grade shinken from Japan. Either one of these options is putting you into the 6 to 7 thousand dollar range. However, either of these will feel better and work better for a longer time than all but the highest tier of iaito. As they should for the price.

    I regularly practice with both a mid-level Swordstore iaito, and a Swordstore steel-iaito-that-cuts (silly name!). While they both come from the same company, my iaito still feels better after 9 years of use than the steel iaito does after just two. I like the steel blade, and it cuts well, but the blade is just not shaped and balanced as well. The wrapping is not as tight, and it just doesn't feel as solid overall. Besides that, it makes me a little nervous using my shinken in a crowded class whith new people that I don't entirely trust not to move the wrong way. Those that have been there a while know not to move when I show them something or correct something. New people have a tendency to move around and I'd hate to open one of them up inadvertently.

    So, those are the reasons for using iaito as I know them. Hope that answers your question and doesn't just add confusion. I'm good at adding confusion!
    Paul Smith
    "Always keep the sharp side and the pointy end between you and your opponent"

  13. #73
    Smart Alex Guest

    Default

    Good points on using Iai-to. I agree whole heartedly. Safety First!
    You are also correct that most Knowledgable Sensei will not allow the Practical Katana in their classes. I merely suggested it for beginers who want something that they can cut things with, swing around, and have a good time for not a lot of money. A serious student will require something more.

    As to cutting 2x4's, I have a bad habit of wanting to see just what things are capable of. So I tend to take things far beyond their intended uses to the point of destruction. Knowing that you can whack a 2x4 with a sword and not destroy it is a pretty good indicator of the blade's durability and toughness. Which is really all a recreational sword fan needs. Again a serious practitioner will definately need something more.

    Have you tried some of the higher end Paul Chen swords? They tend to be a fairly economical option for the serious student. The Bugei guys use Paul Chen Blades as do the Shinkendo Federation guys. Admittedly they do use custom pieces, but the blades are very similar to the $800 swords that are available en-masse.

  14. #74
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    Dear Paul:

    Excellent. Exactly what I was thinking about. Only missed one point and that was because--- well--- I forgot to ask.

    I get the impression that most people could go quite a long time before ever buying a live sword. I also hear that people could use an Iai-To for quite a while before buying a live sword. I also hear that Japanese traditions use cutting of targets. With all this understood would it be possible to follow ones' career in Japanese sword without ever actually buying a live sword? By this I mean that it sounds as though cutting targets is not always done or is not done until much later in training. Might a person practice a Japanese tradition and never actually be required to cut a target (kind of the way breaking boards in Karate and TKD is not "always" manditory)? Might a person buy a particularly fine Iai-To and be set for the balance of his career, or is there a purchase of a live sword in ones' future regardless of the tradition? Thoughts?

    Best Wishes,

    Bruce
    Bruce W Sims
    www.midwesthapkido.com

  15. #75
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    Hi Bruce,
    Actually, there aren't all that many Japanese sword traditions that practice cutting on a regular basis. It is getting more and more popular though, and many schools are putting it into their regular practice. Nakamura Taizaburo was a big proponent of test cutting, and he had a very large influence in making it as popular as it is today. Most schools will expect their senior people to use a shinken in their practice eventually, even if they don't cut anything. Of course this may not come for 10 to 15 years in some schools. Even after that, there are many instances where an iaito would be used instead.

    Off hand, I can't think of any tradition where you wouldn't eventually need to get a shinken. Bear in mind though that we are talking about iaido/batto/kenjutsu/etc ... Kendo (or kumdo )doesn't require the use of real swords as far as I know.
    Paul Smith
    "Always keep the sharp side and the pointy end between you and your opponent"

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