Gents I feel you have hit the nail on the head ......respect the weapon learn from an experienced instructor and be careful...
I always like to say "The moment you stop respecting a weapon is the second it reminds you of why you fear it."
an excellently written article dave, thanks for taking the time to write it. i noted the story of you cutting yourself, just after showing someone how to avoid cutting themsleves. I've done exactly the same, in a non-MA related area, but the message is the same. I was working as a commis chef at the time, in my teens, and had received the standard instruction on how to use a large chef's knife, the key point being to fold the knuckles and protect the finger tips. I was round my mates house and his sister was cutting some potatoes, with her fingers fully extended and I cringed as I saw the potential danger and showed her what I had been shown. I was so intent on illustrating the technique for protecting the fingers, i didn't tuck in the thumb and drew the knife accross it, opening it up. Needless to say, she was less than impressed with my attempt to show her how to use a knife without cutting herself. I was so keen to show the new skill i'd learnt, that i lost the focus to actually make sure i was doing things the correct way. You only make a mistake like that once. Fortunately, in my case, it was a minor cut. Mistakes with katanas have a far greater potential for more serious consequences.
You're welcome mate. I've replied to your post in the Ninjutsu forum. The fact is no one is immune to the risks of injury when your using a bladed weapon, especially the size of a nihonto but, the risks are quite easy to manage. Problem is, unless you actually know the risks and acutely understand where those risks are during what you do (both to one's self and others) accidents happen and will continue to do so. Regards
With all this in mind, would it be fair to say that cutting watermelons on people's stomachs, or cucumbers on throats, is not a terribly good idea?
So what have we learned here? Sharp things can hurt you if you're not careful. Sharp swords cut things as if they were designed for it. Don't be careless with dangerous tools. This applies to chainsaws and automobiles as much as it does to swords. The only difference is that you don't put on funny clothes to cut down trees or drive to work.
I've had this done to me - with a blunt sword that could still go through the watermelon but not break skin. The crowd went wild...
For me Scott, it just isn't about the safety issue, IMHO this type of demonstration has fek all to do with the promotion of koryu budo, it's showboating to a crowd and that doesn't float my hakama at all. Add into that equation the fact that we do see friggin' eejits using shinken or those 440 stainless wall hanging pieces of crap and... Regards
Actually the demo was not koryu budo, nor could it ever be construed as such. The group who put on the demo are a Gatka group - Indian martial arts. Their demos are very flashy and a lot of fun - very different to their private practice which I was allowed to attend some time ago. On a side note, I knew his kirpan (curved sabre) wasn't sharp, but my missus didn't and she was crapping herself...
Again Scott thanks for the clarification As we all know however there are the pillocks supposedly in JSA who perform these stupid demos and that's what I was being specific too, I just wrongly assumed (Knowing of your JSA involvement and the theme of this thread) that was what you were intimating. Regards
Before I learned martial arts I had a woodworking instructor who taught me the dangers of playing with sharp toys. His advice was simple, always have someone show you how to use a new tool. Then he told me that there are two very dangerous periods in your life when using power tools, when you first learn and when you become an expert. He then showed me his reconstructed finger that he bandsawed up to the second knuckle, and said "never lose respect for the tool". He was so confortable with the tool that he adjusted it while it was on. That was 27 years ago, and I will never forget it. I think the same advice goes for swords. I've been using a sword for about 20 years and they still scare me death.
I think that you hve to have a good intructor, but you can't always practice with dull blades or boken. I've seen several injuries happen when people are used to training with dull swords and try to demonstrate with a live blade. They got lazy and used to being able to touch the blade with out being cut. Like my Instructor said when I started and was nervous of a live blade, If you are going to teach someone to shoot a riffle, you don't have him shoot blanks. Sword practitioners are training to use a deadly weapon and should never forget that, but if you are to scared to use a live blade then you should prbably not be training with a sword at all.
What scares me silly is at my sons JJJ class the adults train with live swords the other side of a curtain from footballers/badminton players. One day.
If you don't mind me asking, where (and what) exactly is this class that trains with live swords while other people are running around?