There's a small knob on the side of the sheathe, called kurigata, that helps keep it from slipping through the sash, but since it's as black as the rest it's rather hard to see here.
And then there's Shin Muso Hayashizaki Ryu, who apparently specialises in doing that kind of thing with the least suitable sword they could find for the job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWtEBW8cmAo
Sure, if you have one on you. If not, you better know how to work the space. It is pretty cool seeing the skills in action. It gives me serious Tenchu flashbacks.
Many do, even ZNKR kendo includes it both as an offhand weapon for sparring and on its own in a few kata ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYUokDawBww ). It might be easy to miss at a cursory search though, as they usually call it by the more general term "shoto" instead of "wakizashi" when talking about these.
Which is why you had to sit in seiza for a while before meetings with someone significantly higher up -- numb legs make it much harder to attack suddenly. Over time it became a symbol of obedience.
It's a bunch of warlords with varying degrees of independence, forcing them to surrender their weapons would mean that they were subjects, and that is politically untenable. I'm sure the reasoning that would've been given would be much more elaborate, but the core of it would come down to just that - their right to be armed is directly linked to their independence.
And that's why the only time they would disarm was when they would be in the presence of the Emperor.
But historically there was also a lot of people being betrayed by their own soldiers. And a lot of rivalries that got out of hand. So it was mainly done as a form of insurance against betrayal of people getting too heated in an argument.
Almost all of these iai techniques we see are from the Edo period, so after the warlords had been tamed. Also these warlords were never a large percentage of the people seeking training in fighting arts, just like counts and dukes were never a large percentage of soldiers in Europe. And of top of that the styles we have preserved are rarely the "house styles" of various fiefs, but from more or less independent schools catering to lower ranks.
The comment I was replying to was wondering why all the trouble with certain rituals and architectural design and political protocol when you could just have people surrender their weapons. So the provenance of the techniques isn't really relevant
You wouldn't be wearing your katana indoors in anything resembling polite company. And you're likely not sitting like that outdoors. Let's just say there's a lot of fanciful romantics, advertising, and long-post-fact justifications floating around when it comes to seated daito iai techniques.
IIRC you might expect a katanakake by the door for a more basic samurai home, and a servant to take care of your sword if you're visiting a bigwig. If the latter isn't acceptable then you probably aren’t going to come inside anyway, because you're apparently expecting to be ambushed, and if social pressure means you have to then that includes giving up your daito as well.
Yeah, I'd be cautious with sources like that- Flashy, eye-cathing youtube production in itself is rarely a good sign, and when someone talks about "real" ninjato without simply telling they're an invention of modern(ish) pop culture then he either doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about or intentionally peddling bullshit for the views ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GVHTa8rE2o ). Also, the leg-numbing part of seiza largely fades away as you get used to it.
Cyggscyr
Anyone got that video of the dude knifin his frig?
rockmanx853000
I works have stabbed my kidneys resting either one of those unsheathe from the hip movements
AmericanDreamIsDead
the few; the prowd; the guy who can actually properly sheath a sword
duktayp
https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTZjMDliOTUycGI3cXp6cDQwM29yM3ExbDRneDRlbGR4Ynl5ZGd3eGszb3BhanYxdCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/26gJAqHaKAuONsx4k/giphy.gif
mxcory
He made beautiful sandwiches.
jamiedBreaker
How does the sheath stay on his hip?
nemocares
There's a small knob on the side of the sheathe, called kurigata, that helps keep it from slipping through the sash, but since it's as black as the rest it's rather hard to see here.
Stumpkiller
I have made peace with all my walls and will not fight them.
ItHappenedInThe20thCentury
The walls have forgiven me, and I live in their benevolent protection now.
4thwalled
HeywouldJablowme
There's always cracks me up no matter what
CaptCrobar
Someone should do this with a cowboy and his draw technic.
TheLeanWolf
seems to be plenty of space behind him..
sircowdog
Do NOT f*** with an old warrior. They lived that long for a good reason.
Googlhupf
Speaking of which... When will there be more Blue Eye Samurai?
MelonFarmerMike
2027 before you get more peaches...
AtmaDarkwolf
is this guy in films? Cuz he should be.
nemocares
And then there's Shin Muso Hayashizaki Ryu, who apparently specialises in doing that kind of thing with the least suitable sword they could find for the job: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWtEBW8cmAo
hoopsnek
grayone64
AgamemnonsMemes
I know its just practice but i'd be scared of cutting my thumb.
nemocares
That's most likely not a sharp sword.
AgamemnonsMemes
Sure but they do this when Cutting as well, so damn...
nemocares
Plenty of practice with a dull one before you try it with a sharp. And few get this acrobatic about it when doing tameshigiri.
xxPaulCPxx
His father later: Godammit Tanjiki, get in here!
DaisyfromDownunder
Tight is fine by me.
ZeroLyfe
Beware the closet ninja.
Meetgeorgejetson4510
I’d be a no fingered one eared samurai for sure
Wapusk
This kills the damage deposit.
Ttoften
Poor wall
TupacAintDead
Bro, I can’t even get up like that, never mind the sword stuff.
urusername2
Great skilz. Love the wink!
Bytencoder
One word: wakizashi.
alu21
Tanto.
4etherling
Sure, if you have one on you. If not, you better know how to work the space. It is pretty cool seeing the skills in action. It gives me serious Tenchu flashbacks.
mcglirkymeow
Gesundheit
helyx
God bless you
HarryDresdenIsMySpiritAnimal
Gesundheit
redtruck
MyPseudoIsAlduinSkyrimStoleItFromMe
If it's even tighter space Tanto
adamlstf9
Not sure how a sidekick is going to help.
hyptosis
zortroz
The indoor sword.
VodkaReindeer
all swords are just indoor spears
MulleH
Unagi!
malakit
Eel slapping?
GhostofCharlieKirk
Turns out no one currently teaches techniques for it anymore.
nemocares
Many do, even ZNKR kendo includes it both as an offhand weapon for sparring and on its own in a few kata ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYUokDawBww ). It might be easy to miss at a cursory search though, as they usually call it by the more general term "shoto" instead of "wakizashi" when talking about these.
Doismellbacon
That nod at the end
ripstripsart
For the ronin, paying respect and flirting are one and the same.
hoopsnek
Doismellbacon
Legend
TsubakiTragic
That last one was gorgeous.
slimvictor
Damn, living in Japan, as I do, I should learn those tricks! They would be useful for the many sword battles I have to fight in my daily life.
Dannyalcatraz
Getting a Tanaka Ken from The Yakuza (1974) vibe.
CheeseCoffeeChests
if he would leave some personal space to tbat wall he dosnt have to treaten it with a sword
randomwalrus
The wall knows what it did to lose his trust, and what it has to do to re-earn it.
IntelligentLake
That wall has done nothing wrong! It's an upstanding part of the room.
randomwalrus
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
Which is why you had to sit in seiza for a while before meetings with someone significantly higher up -- numb legs make it much harder to attack suddenly. Over time it became a symbol of obedience.
Sensiblyinteresting
Although not killing, you shouldn't underestimate a strong jab to the face with the back of the sword while you reposition yourself
Targe0
It's also why they all had to sit so far apart.
So that no one was within a sword length of space.
Which is why the audience rooms were all so long and wide.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
it's interesting that they didn't just surrender their weapons before the meeting - perhaps because they were deemed too personal
ElbowDeepInAPoliceState
It's a bunch of warlords with varying degrees of independence, forcing them to surrender their weapons would mean that they were subjects, and that is politically untenable. I'm sure the reasoning that would've been given would be much more elaborate, but the core of it would come down to just that - their right to be armed is directly linked to their independence.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
yes, there has to be some mutual recognition in the procedure, and being disarmed is an affront
Targe0
They would only be disarmed if they were in the presence of the Emperor.
Targe0
And that's why the only time they would disarm was when they would be in the presence of the Emperor.
But historically there was also a lot of people being betrayed by their own soldiers.
And a lot of rivalries that got out of hand.
So it was mainly done as a form of insurance against betrayal of people getting too heated in an argument.
nemocares
Almost all of these iai techniques we see are from the Edo period, so after the warlords had been tamed. Also these warlords were never a large percentage of the people seeking training in fighting arts, just like counts and dukes were never a large percentage of soldiers in Europe. And of top of that the styles we have preserved are rarely the "house styles" of various fiefs, but from more or less independent schools catering to lower ranks.
ElbowDeepInAPoliceState
The comment I was replying to was wondering why all the trouble with certain rituals and architectural design and political protocol when you could just have people surrender their weapons. So the provenance of the techniques isn't really relevant
nemocares
You wouldn't be wearing your katana indoors in anything resembling polite company. And you're likely not sitting like that outdoors. Let's just say there's a lot of fanciful romantics, advertising, and long-post-fact justifications floating around when it comes to seated daito iai techniques.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
so they did remove them? at the very least I'd expect them to have them visible, like standing against a wall
of course seiza is something you only do willingly on tatami -- otherwise you're something like a captured enemy or a presumptive criminal being tried
nemocares
IIRC you might expect a katanakake by the door for a more basic samurai home, and a servant to take care of your sword if you're visiting a bigwig. If the latter isn't acceptable then you probably aren’t going to come inside anyway, because you're apparently expecting to be ambushed, and if social pressure means you have to then that includes giving up your daito as well.
ByThePowerOfSCIENCE
btw this is the first place where I heard about seiza for security reasons: https://youtube.com/watch?v=HIib41eOkZA
nemocares
Yeah, I'd be cautious with sources like that- Flashy, eye-cathing youtube production in itself is rarely a good sign, and when someone talks about "real" ninjato without simply telling they're an invention of modern(ish) pop culture then he either doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about or intentionally peddling bullshit for the views ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GVHTa8rE2o ). Also, the leg-numbing part of seiza largely fades away as you get used to it.