Originally Posted by
shugenja_09
The individual is teaching some of his students methods of cutting a human body in half with a Katana right from the get go. We have these methods in our art and I believe they should be taught to the students after they have shown that they are responsible students, and have been training for a long time.
All right, I have to say that you've confused me. Any techniques that you teach a student with a katana are lethal (or should be). A person is dead whether you cut them in two or just nick the right artery, and if a sword technique isn't aimed at a lethal or crippling target, then it probably isn't a legitimate sword technique. While I doubt that this guy's beginner students could successfully split a person in two with a katana, that fact that they are being taught to do so doesn't bother me at all. How is that dangerous? Are they carrying katana around with them all the time, looking for fights?
Now, if he's encouraging his students to carry real swords around in their day-to-day lives, then yes, he's being irresponsible. And is quite likely insane. If he is allowing new students to use shinken instead of bokken or iaito, then that might be a bit questionable-- there are certainly people on this forum who would tell you that he is being irresponsible to do so. I'd have to know more about the situation to give an opinion, personally. And if he is instructing students in "swordsmanship" despite never having studied a legitimate sword art and having no background upon which to build his teachings, then yes, he is being both irresponsible and silly.
But having said all of that, a perfectly legtimate koryu instructor is going to be teaching lethal sword techniques from day one-- that's the nature of the beast. A perfectly illegitimate mcdojo guy will also be teaching his students lethal techniques from day one-- it's just that his will be lethal because one day, someone is going to mess up when cutting that watermelon. It's happened before. Again, the nature of the beast.
David Sims
"Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum." - Terry Pratchet
My opinion is, in all likelihood, worth exactly what you are paying for it.