Myth of the Sword

The Myth of the Invincible Sword Nearly all				impact when parrying and can be prone to
cultures throughout history have been subject to				breaking. Many styles of the sword offered little
the myth of the all-powerful sword. China's history				hand protection and so the hand of a swordsman
is filled with legendary swords and swordsmen				was a primary target. To counter this, some
some of whom even rose to the levels of gods.				swords were built with elaborate basket-like
The Japanese have the legendary Samurai with				guards to protect the hand. There are accounts
their world famous katana, often referred to as				of the basket-hilt broadsword of Scottish
the Samurai sword. Cossack, Moor, and other				highlander fame having to be pried off of the
Muslim cultures are often remembered as				Highlander's hand after battle due to its collapsing
mounted, saber-wielding warriors. In Western				under the pressure of enemy blows. The sword is
Europe the medieval knights were in no way an				complicated to learn, time consuming to make,
exception to the sword culture. The sword's				and generally an expensive arm. In medieval
symbolic connection to the heraldic nobility remains				Europe, a single-handed broadsword could cost as
to this day, although in ceremonial form only. For				much as 25,000 dollars by today's standards. The
most cultures around the world, the sword still				Japanese katana was, in its own fashion, an
holds a position of reverence. I have dueled and				equally high-priced weapon. One can see the
sparred with and against swords for many years				obvious reasons why, during Eastern and Western
and yet I am still amazed when the first words				sword histories, the weapon was really more of a
out of almost every new student are, 'I want to				class and power symbol than a mainstream
learn how to fight with a sword.' I explain that				weapon for war. There is a Japanese house code
unless your armored and riding a horse whenever				that states "Do not yearn for katanas and tantos
the sword is pitted against nearly any other				created by famous masters. A katana or tanto
ancient weapon of equal length or longer				worth 10,000 pieces can be defeated by 100 yari
inevitability it comes up wanting. However, the				(spears) each costing a 100 pieces. It is better to
invincible sword myth is so deeply ingrained in				purchase 100 spears and arm 100 spearmen, in
human culture that such warnings are rarely				this way you can defended yourself in time of
heeded, and predictably, the sword becomes				war." (Toshikage Jushichikajo, 1480) Today the
most students' first focus. The sword's true				sword and Samurai have nearly become the
combat nature can only be revealed through the				same word. Yet during the height of the age of
handling of the real thing, authentic replicas, and				the Samurai, the bow, naginata, and spear were
precise training weapons that are meticulously				the main focus for war. The bow is found in the
designed for proper accuracy and use. With the				earliest history of Samurai warfare and the
aide of such training tools the myth of the sword				Yari-Samurai, elite spearmen, mounted or on foot,
can be unlocked, not just from a historical				were among the highest valued warriors in a
approach but from a hands-on approach as well.				warlord's army. The katana was more often used
Sadly, often schools do not follow an accuracy				as a backup weapon and for personal ritualized
policy with training weapons or when sparring with				dueling. In most cultures during the age of
weapons. This is one reason why there are so				battlefield dueling, duels were fought on horseback
many misconceptions about genuine sword				with bows or lances. If the warrior lost either of
combat. The Japanese sport of kendo is				those weapons, he then used his sword as a last
commonly believed to be a martial art based on				ditch effort to save or take his life. Around the
dueling with katanas. Nothing could be further				same time the drafted peasant soldier of the late
from the truth. The two are as different as				nineteenth century came into full force, the
kickball and baseball. The kendo sparring sword				sword, due to its impractical functions on the
called a shinai is a straight sparring sword meant				battlefield, was eventually reduced to an
to be a safe representation of the katana. This				ornamental symbol of authority. During the
very light weapon averages anywhere from 35"				Second World War the ancient Samurai sword
to 47" in length and is made of several straight				that was made using the secrets of a holy
strips of bamboo bound together with leather.				swordsmith still remained among the upper class,
With the exception of the lengths, the balance				but the sword for the average officer was a
and design of this sparring tool from its tip to				1933 mass-produced weapon. This 1933 version
handle holds absolutely nothing in common with				was designed so that the older traditional katana
the Samurai's curved katana. The shinai blade is				blade could fit into the handle and replace the
straight and its handle is long, round, and wrapped				standard contemporary blade. Because of the
in a soft leather sheath. The katana blade is				entertainment industry from ancient times to the
curved and its handle is long and somewhat egg				present, the myth of the swordsman's abilities
shaped but a little more flat along the sides, and it				has always been far beyond any true feat of real
is braided. The hits and points scored in sport				swordsmanship. The western broadsword has
kendo have more in common with European				followed the same path as the eastern swords,
cudgel play or fencing than with a katana duel.				only it has been even further reduced into a
Points are most often scored with snapping hits				simplistic, shining hip-hanger used only for parade.
as opposed to the drawing cuts that come				The Chinese straight sword has not escaped this
naturally with a curved blade. Though snap cuts				symbolism either. It has been reduced to a
are also a part of the katana's arsenal they are				lightweight flimsy show piece far more suitable for
not a staple of attack as in kendo. A closer				fast acrobatic Wu-Su routines then actual combat.
representation would be sparring with curved				What the general public has been led to believe
wooden bokkens, which are considerably more				almost entirely through the media is that the
accurate reproductions of the katana and were				sword was the most powerful dueling weapon of
the traditional training weapon of the classical				all times. There are many reasons why the sword
Bushi. The bokken offers a close though not				could not actually hold this title. First as mentioned
completely accurate representation of a bladed				is reach; second, arch versus thrust; third and
katana duel and was often used for dueling as a				most important, exposure. To better explain the
replacement for real swords. Miyamoto Musashi,				realities of sword combat and the troubles a
arguably one of the greatest swordsmen in				swordsman would have, consider facing a
Japanese history, by his own account won several				spearman with a sword. To start the
duels against katanas with a bokken. As with				swordsman's troubles, the spearman need only
shinais, the same problem arises from modern				keep the swordsman the distance of a spear
and the ancient western forms of cudgel play.				thrust away. In doing so, the swordsman is put in
The rattan or other wooden forms of				danger of spear attacks while his target, the
broadswords are bulkier, unbalanced, poorly				spearman, remains out of reach. Being out of
weighted, and often have no obvious flat side to				reach of the attacks of his opponent, the
parry with. Because of these design flaws cudgel				spearman has many advantages added to his
play can only be considered a sport not a form of				hopes of self-preservation. A spear, or even a
combat. One should not compare these				lance of ten feet or less, can both cut and thrust
sport-related styles of combat to the real thing. A				like a sword and so deliver a variety of attacks
comparison cannot accurately be made if for no				without fear of immediate counterattack. For the
other reason than the sparring weapons are so				swordsman to survive, he needs to close the
dramatically removed in weight, shape, and design				distance on his opponent while trying to ward off
from the weapons they are supposed to replicate.				thrusts and cuts from the attacking spear. The
When a student reaches a high enough sword skill				spearman need only keep attacking while
to spar against other types of weapons, the				retreating or circling a few steps if necessary.
design flaws of the sword as a singly competitive				This is comparable to a man with an empty
weapon become painfully obvious. It is not long				eighteenth-century musket fighting a ten-pace
after this realization that the sword student fades				duel against a man with a colt revolver. Unless an
out of the picture along with dreams of becoming				act of God occurs, the musketeer is in for hard
an invincible swordsman. The few persistent				times. The next problem is the issue of arch
sword students who remain quickly find the value				versus thrust. Everyone has seen a movie where
of an added weapon to their free hand. Shields,				the hapless spearman comes charging in with a
maces, flails, daggers, or other swords become				stiff-armed thrust at the hero, who is always a
the new order of training. With a little more				swordsman, who jumps to the side and chops
sparring, the student begins to see the ultimate				the oncoming spear in two. This is a perfect
truth behind the myth of the sword. Even with				example of the mythological power of the arching
the aid of another weapon, it is a very difficult				sword stroke in its full absurdity. If the
task for a swordsman to defeat longer-reaching				swordsman were to attempt a wasted motion
weapons. When a swordsman is matched up				like trying to cut the assaulting spear in two, it
against a weapon that is longer and therefore				would be an ill-fated move for two reasons: it
holds greater reach capabilities that swordsman's				seriously exposes the swordsman to a
chance of survival drops dramatically. Without the				counterattack, and it is an almost impossible cut
aid of a companion weapon, even a highly skilled				to make. It is one thing to cut in two a shaft
swordsman finds it difficult to defeat lesser skilled				stuck firmly in the ground, it is another thing
opponents with longer- reaching weapons. The				entirely to try and cut in two a free-floating shaft
sword master Miyamoto Musashi, victor of sixty				that deflects on impact. Try hanging a spear-like
life-and-death encounters, was in a famous duel of				shaft in the air by attaching a rope to the butt of
record against the long-swordsman, Sasaki Kojiro.				the shaft and attaching another rope at a halfway
Kojiro called his sword 'clothes pole' because of its				point. Then try to chop that shaft in two with a
unique design: a long, straight, blade quite the				single or several strokes. When you are through
contrary to its contemporary, the curved katana.				shaking your head, all those great movies will be
When Musashi dueled Kojiro, he was not wielding a				ruined forever. The easily imagined results of this
curved katana of his own or even using his				simple test are exactly like the real results of
famous two-sword style. Instead he wisely used				such a cut. The reader can see just how unlikely
a large, carved boat oar to defeat his opponent.				performing that cut actually is. Some Arthurian
This boat oar gave Musashi two very important				legends claimed the sword, Excalibur, could cut a
advantages: first he did not have to concern				boulder in two as though the rock was made of
himself with the angles of his cuts, and second, he				butter. Strangely, no sword culture can deny
did not have to worry about parrying with his				having myths of an equal nature to that of
sword and having it destroyed by a big boat oar.				Excalibur's. There is also a Japanese legend of a
It is no mystery why Musashi won this duel.				katana so sharp that when it was left stuck in a
When two duelers meet and are equal or even				stream, floating leaves were not sliced in-two by
close to equal in skills, the odds go to the dueler				it but actually purposely avoided the sword's edge.
with the technological advantage. I know the				Legends of this nature have always led the
entertainment industry would have us believe				populous into believing that in the realm of edged
otherwise, but when it comes to sparring or				weapons, the sword holds full royalties on slicing
dueling with weapons, you can't change the math				and chopping abilities. This is simply not true
behind the design of the weapon, techniques, and				regarding personal combat. All of the elite
the movement the weapon's nature requires.				warrior-based cultures knew and used the
George Silver, an accomplished dueler and				advantages of thrusting and slicing with a spear as
prizefighter who wrote two treatises on combat				well as other long-reaching weapons. The
in 1599, Brief Instructions and Paradoxes of				difficulties of getting past that deadly reaching
Defense pointed out in his works, and I				spear would be no small task for a swordsman. In
paraphrase, "He who moves in the least amount				addition to this reach advantage, even a
of space and time, moves ahead of his opponent				moderately skilled spear fighter can deliver several
and so stays out of harm while being able to				thrusts or cuts to an oncoming swordsman
inflect harm." To make Silver's point consider the				before that sword can reach its target. History
story of David and Goliath. Goliath is unrivaled on				has shown us that one of those many spear cuts
the battlefield and no Israelite can stand against				would be to either to the swordsman's lead knee,
him in single combat. He holds several advantages				hand, arm, or foot. A good hit to any of these
over his opponents: he is stronger and so can				areas would end the swordsman's attack
attack and defend with more power than his				promptly. A common misjudgment is that a large
opponent; he is taller which gives him the ability to				portion of a weapon's edge needs to strike the
both outreach and outstride his opponents; and he				surface to do any real damage. An edge need
is undefeated, which gives him a psychological				only penetrate the depth of three fingers in the
advantage over his opponents. Goliath would likely				right areas of the human anatomy to be a fatal
have been armored and have the contemporary				hit or lead to one. Though the stroke to the knee
weapons of the times, bronze or leather armor, a				is not a fatal blow, worldwide archaeological finds
bronze or wicker shield, spear, and according to				from battle sites involving ancient weapons have
legend a great sword. On the other side of the				consistently shown that such a wound led to a
dueling scale is the boy, David. David is a mere				final lethal blow. In these archaeological digs, large
sheep-herding child, not even a warrior in the				percentages of the fallen were first struck at the
traditional sense. David's only weapon is a sling. It				bend of the knee, or other exposed appendages,
would appear that the scales tip heavily in favor				and then delivered a fatal blow while they lay
of Goliath, but a more detailed look reveals the				prostrate from the first injury. By studying the
opposite. The sling is a formidable weapon in this				results of many years of full-contact dueling with
realm of single combat, especially single combat				training and blunted weapons, I have rarely found
on an open battlefield that offers room to				this cut to a charging opponent's knee, ankle or
maneuver. Bearing in mind the nature of the				foot to fail. An equally successful tactic is thrusting
ground in the Middle East, David also had plenty of				into the opponent's oncoming feet. When infantry
rocks to choose from while maneuvering. Out of				used swords and shields against lance-carrying
necessity as a sheepherder, he would have been				cavalry, the results nearly always ended in
a well-practiced slinger and skilled at keeping				disaster for the foot soldier. When foot soldiers
predators away from the herd with endless days				replaced swords with spears and lances, the
to spend flinging rocks with his sling to pass the				disaster fell on the heavy cavalry. It was so
time away. With those skills he could have				effective that infantry pike units became the
continually launched a rock at Goliath for every				standard for hundreds of years. Pike units were
other step Goliath did or did not take, all the while				not removed from the battlefield until the advent
staying out of reach of Goliath's weapons; thus				of efficient firearms sporting bayonets, which was
fulfilling Silvers' recipe for victory. Due to its				not the demise of the pole weapon but rather a
translation through time, the story has led us to				merger of pike and gun. When the sword is pitted
believe that David's sling was both laughable and				against a spear, the swordsman also has to
ultimately a shock to Goliath. Neither would be				overcome the issue of too much exposure.
true, the sling has been around for a long time				Combat manuscripts of old break the sword
and was a commonplace weapon in early biblical				down into sections depending on the type of
warfare. It is reasonable to believe that Goliath				sword. The first third of the blade from its tip
was defeated because of the nature of the				down was for cutting, the next third was for soft
weapon's reach, the terrain conditions, and the				parries, and the final third above the hand guard
psychological effects of the whole scheme of				was for heavy parries and coming to grips with
things, i.e., the undefeated war giant versus a				your opponent. The old masters from the East
sheep-herding boy with everybody watching. How				and West also wrote that the preferred method
much time would Goliath spend hiding behind his				of defense with a sword was simply to avoid
shield from a boy while the Philistine and Israeli				your opponent's attacks physically and through
armies watched? Let us assume that Goliath, like				footwork. This method was preferred over
every other solider during biblical warfare, has				jeopardizing your sword's cutting edge and its
seen a sling in action before, as opposed to the				structural integrity by using it to fend off blows
common belief that he thought it laughable and fell				from other weapons. With exceptions, the sword
victim to his overconfidence. Goliath could hide				length averages from 20 to 42 inches. On the
behind his shield and try to close within sword				contrary, the smallest battlefield spear is around
range, but in order to hit David he has to be able				six feet in length with a shaft designed for
to see him. When Goliath exposes his face to				warding off blows from other weapons. The
look, David only needs to time his next rock for				swordsman must also overcome the limited range
impact into that exposed moment. It is nearly				of his defense, referring not only to the sword's
impossible to successfully time a parry against a				reach but also the axis with which one can parry
missile weapon launched at close range. The				and so defend the body. Take into account the
smaller the projectile, David's rock, the more				mechanics of the human body and the length,
difficult it is to see, calculate its speed, and				manner, and design of the weapon being used.
accurately react to defending the target area of				The nature of the sword creates a problem when
its destination. Also added to David's advantages				defending above or below the waist. The problem
is he can launch his rocks continually. With the sling				is to defend one's body above or below one
David can follow a familiar formula: he can attack				must, by the nature of the sword, expose the
repeatedly while remaining out of reach of his				opposite of what is defended. This is true with all
opponent's assaults. At best Goliath would have				weapons but to a higher degree with sword and
had the opportunity for one spear throw at				similar weapons. The pole arm offers considerably
David, but again at the cost of over exposing				more options. By tipping the weapon vertically,
himself to David's faster sling attacks. After that				horizontally, or diagonally out from the body, one
spear throw its back to sword range. Whatever				can readily defend and strike from any axis of
tactic Goliath used we all know the result of it.				the body. The pole arm fighter does not even
Musashi used a similar technique to David's against				have to resort to this guard until the swordsman
the chain and sickle fighter Shishido Baiken. Again,				gets in close enough to be a threat. The
rather than use his sword and face the extra				swordsman, on trying to close, has to defend too
challenges that comes with it, Musashi opts to				much exposed area and so is subject to attack
make a close range throw of his tanto, a				at several areas on his body. To a large degree
Japanese dagger which hits and kills his				this is why the shield was developed. In most
unsuspecting opponent. In the West, one seldom				cultures, the shield was developed for war and
hears of duels pitting a sword against another				not dueling. The shield was designed to be part of
type of weapon. In Europe it was considered an				a wall of shields used as a defensive battle tactic
unfair advantage to mix weapons during duels.				as demonstrated by the front lines of a Greek
The European duel was as often a matter of				phalanx, the Roman turtle formation, and the
righting wrongs and maintaining honor as it was				Viking shield wall. In a duel or single combat, the
about issues of martial skills. In the East reasons				shield is used in a considerably different manner
for dueling ranged from matters of honor to				than in a melee or mass melee. Regardless of
testing martial skills. One dueled with whatever				how it is used, the shield can only effectively
weapon one specialized in, and it was believed if				protect one side of the body during a charge and
you were a warrior you should be able to defend				so forces the wielder to defend his opposite side
yourself with your weapon regardless of what				with the sword. Because of the leverage that can
your opponent was using, the only true rule was				be placed behind a thrusting or sweeping pole
to win. This is a much harder test of skills than to				attack, the sword and its wielding arm cannot
be protected by the equality of weapons.				compete with the impact of an oncoming pole
Knowing this, one must question why dueling with				weapon As mentioned earlier, this is especially
the katana did not reach its peak until after the				true when a sweeping spear cut or a thrust is
age of elite Samurai warriors. After the				delivered to the swordsman's stressed knee,
dismantling of the Samurai class, an action that				ankle, or foot. Such an attack forces the
turned the once proud warrior class into living				swordsman to bring the tip of his sword down;
archives of an age gone for good. During this later				the arm position would be the equivalent of
era, most Japanese field weapons became				completely emptying a drinking mug gripped in
obsolete and where impractical to carry in public.				your hand. Doing this simple motion the reader
With a major decline in the use of most battlefield				can see how the position is both awkward and
weapons, the time for the sword to shine was at				weak; furthermore, the position also exposes the
hand. The katana became the Samurai's last				upper torso. The lower guard that could be used
symbolic hold on an ancient warrior system soon				exposes even more of the swordsman's body. A
to be completely outdated by cheaper and more				high or low, well-timed thrust or cut to this weak
efficient guns. The replacement of the elite				side will put an end to the charging swordsman.
warrior class by the gun was not a phenomenon				Though I have used the spear here as the
known only to the Japanese. The gun in its own				swordsman's nemesis, one can see that any
time systematically brought about the dismantling				weapon of greater length or weight would prove
of the elite warrior classes worldwide. The				technologically superior. It becomes obvious why
Chinese Boxers, the Scots Highlanders, the Zulu,				the swordsman's survival is so unlikely. The sword
the Aborigines, and the American Indians were				has come to stand on a solid throne where its
among the last holdouts of the warrior elite, and				powers are more mythical than the
they all fell victim to the gun. For most of these				sword-wielding heroes themselves. We have
warrior cultures the sword became a symbolic				come to believe the sword and its powers as the
relic of an age far more romantic then it actually				staple of all the classical warrior societies. Swords
was. Since the end of the elite warrior classes the				have been given names and positions of power;
facts regarding the sword and its value as a				some were even believed to be magical. The right
weapon have been exaggerated far and away				person with the right sword could smite injustice,
beyond its real functions as an instrument of war.				slay the wicked, and restore kingdoms, assuming
The sword has several weaknesses as a combat				that is no one else shows up with a spear,
weapon. Due to its limited reach or in the case of				halberd, pole-flail, rake, pitchfork, or sling. The
the great sword, excessive length; one has less				entertainment industry may keep the sword on a
time for reaction to an opponent's attack. The				throne of power and awe, but for those who
sword's edge is fragile and easily damaged so				have fought with and against the sword in all its
parries need to be made with the flat of the				manifestations, it's a translucent and mythological
blade, making defense both complicated and				throne. By Larry L Andrews Find much more at
cumbersome. The tang of the sword, the blade's				spearduel.
extension into the handle, receives most of the

Ehcg

Myth of the Sword

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