On the Katana and it's wielder.

[The Stonker]

Show me a nerd who can wield a claymore!

I'd say it's probably because the katana is far easier to handle than a huge european sword due to lesser weight and smaller form. I agree that in direct combat against a european broadsword the katana would most likely be fucked.

You're on motherfucka!
*Insert awesome picture*

But I've trained with both a katana and a claymore and I have to say that I win most of the time with the claymore against well, most of the students.
The thing is that if you put enough strength behind a claymore and the samurai decides to block it, then you WILL break the sword, (plus where you hit it).
And I would say that vikings could slaughter samurais any day. Even in a 1 on 1 combat.

But I'm a fan of the Chinese polearms, so beautiful yet so deadly.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Eastern sword: Sharp, pretty.
Western sword: A club with a slight edge.

Katanas are easily deflected by armour, but can slice flesh into ribbons.
Broadswords cripple whatever it hits. Zweihanders especially.

 

[tehroc]

Finally, have you ever heard of the huns or the Golden Horde (Ghangis Khan and all them?)? They were from a Mongolian (read: Chinese) empire that to this day held more land than any empire before or sense.

Slight correction, The English Empire was the largest empire ever know on Earth in both mass and population, though Mongolia was the largest continuous stretch of empire.

 

[kypsilon]

I personally think the katana is over-used, but thanks to anime it has endeared itself to a rather wide audience of people who really don't know any better. Most of its attraction comes from the mysticism built up around the weapons themselves, they are a cultural icon in Japan, and with all the little Japanophiles running around you can see why they'd be the first thing people think about when someone says sword. Honestly, you can't beat a gladius for versatility, but I've always been a fan of the longsword. A rapier is awesome too, but way too specialized for anything other than dueling. As far as martial mastery over weapons go, I'd have to give it to the Persians both for technique and weapon design. A single Persian warrior is far more trouble than a samurai.

 

[tehroc]

I think it has more to do with the honor and the culture behind it, samurai were supposed to be reserved and humble unlike what i picture of knights. I guess its the idea behind the samurai and katana more than anything, and i mean you have to admit, it is a little bad ass.

They were of no such caliber. Most Samurais were just as much drunks and braggarts as their western counterparts.

 

[faspxina]

It's elegant and you don't need to be super strong just to pick it up. Plus, samurais are cool. xD

Even so, I think Chinese weapons (and respective fighting styles) make for much more spectacular choreographys.

 

[KissofKetchup]

I'd personally much rather have a naginata than a Katana. Longer reach, same size blade, what's not to like!?

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

I like the way everyone here has instantly become a historian, martial artist and weapons expert.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

Eastern sword: Sharp, pretty.
Western sword: A club with a slight edge.

Katanas are easily deflected by armour, but can slice flesh into ribbons.
Broadswords cripple whatever it hits. Zweihanders especially.

This.
It's exactly this. They're both the products of their respective battlefields.

 

[jamesworkshop]

Eastern sword: Sharp, pretty.
Western sword: A club with a slight edge.

Katanas are easily deflected by armour, but can slice flesh into ribbons.
Broadswords cripple whatever it hits. Zweihanders especially.

This.
It's exactly this. They're both the products of their respective battlefields.

Makes me wonder why anyone even cares when swords have been totally irrelevant as military weapons for centuries.

No living tradition of western sword fighting exists.

Weapons are not judged on a 1.1 basis spears, daggers, axes, maces, flails, poleaxes, halberds, pikes, lances, platemail, chainmail, shields, cavalry, infantry. etc
Weapons and armour are made to face all manner of threats not just swords vs other swords, a single battle could involve tens of thousands of people leading to a diverse range of threats.

 

[Scout Tactical]

Dave Strider wields a katana ironically, and it turns out to be a "piece of shit" (direct quote) and breaks immediately.

 

[A random person]

They have good construction to compensate for the poor steel available in feudal Japan, and they deserve respect for that at the very least. The romanticism probably comes from the exotic status of Japan and Samurai (something from well before the anime boom, I might add) and that western combat seemed more based on having better equipment (the knight succeeding in blocking a katana with their shield would be a simple matter of having tougher equipment).

Personally I'd go for a Claymore, though, since it fits my mentality and Celtic heritage better.

Edit: Despite the above, from what I know, actual Samurai used a range of different weapons in actual combat (they used a much bigger kind of sword when fighting on horseback, for example).

 

[Shock and Awe]

It probably has something to do with it's inherent aesthetic appeal. The Samurai and Katana look very cool and if you do not know anything about them you still think its badass. The medieval knight on the other hand wielding a straight blade longsword does not have the same appeal, or implied grace. I personally find European swords to look amazing myself.

 

[Novur]

*snip*

*snip*

You can block with a katana as well, and YES you can block with it WITHOUT breaking the sword. It's just that you don't parry with the edge but rather the sides of the blade.

Just to clarify for others:

Yes and no. A direct block between Katanas is perfectly viable, although a true master wouldn't need to block.

Against a heavier European sword, a redirection would serve more purpose than a parry. Given a simple downward stroke, one would guide their opponent's weapon to the side, opening their defenses to counter-attack, and reducing possible damage to the Katana. Similar tactics can be deployed against other attacks.

 

[Dygen Entreri]

actually that is a lie. the long sword can be a very graceful yet powerful weapon. two edges plus teh abiltiy to thrust, held be a guy wearing a custom built armour, and knights could do quite a bit in full plate. the long sword granted wasnt made purely for slashing it was very utilitarian and in the proper hands could work just as well as any katana

plus you can block with a long sword and not have to worry about anything. but why would you want to... you also have shield which in itself can be used as a weapon...

You do thrusts with a katana as well. I don't know where you've gotten the idea that katanas aren't used for thrusting.

You can block with a katana as well, and YES you can block with it WITHOUT breaking the sword. It's just that you don't parry with the edge but rather the sides of the blade.

Also a longsword would have it's edge ruined if you used it to block with.

As for your other points, yes shields are useful defensive weapons. But if you hold a shield then you have to use the sword with one hand. This will reduce control of the weapon, as opposed to the katana wielder who is trained to use both hands, giving superior control.

Do note that if you will try to rebuke by lecturing me, do take note that I have a few years of actual training with these weapons. (I never was much into martial arts focussed on hand to hand combat so swords, polearms and chain weapons seemed a lot more interesting)

Who told you that people block with a longsword's edge? Yes that would ruin the blade, that's why you are only supposed to block with the flat.

And with a shield, you wouldn't be using a sword that is designed for two hands like the katana, they would be using a slightly shorter sword, unless they were just really strong. But a knight wearing armor and using a shield wouldn't be as worried about having superior control, as they would only use the sword for attack, and wouldn't need to control it as well, as blocking is where control plays the greatest part when fighting with a slashing weapon.

 

[TheMetalGuy]

Show me a nerd who can wield a claymore!

The hugest of claymores only weights like 25-35lbs and that's not if you have recived prober training.
I don't practice the way of the sword, but I didn't find it hard swing it around.
(I tried it during a trip to Belgium)

 

[Dygen Entreri]

Yes it is overused, but if you know a popular martial art that doesn't use the katana for swordsmanship training (if it has such training) please tell me.

It's called fencing, and yes it is a martial art. And don't even try and say that it doesn't count as popular, as it is an Olympic sport. We use the foil, epee, and saber style blades, each with differences in fighting style and target areas, although experts can still pit different weapons against each other. In no way has a katana or a training equivilant ever been used, unless the class was showing off other styles of swordfighting.