On the Katana and it's wielder.
- Thread starter Jazzyjazz2323
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ME!Quaxar said:
No really, I can use a medieval longsword, which primarily used as a two-handed weapon, contrary to many games (I'm looking at you, Oblivion!). In fact, longswords aren't heavy compared to other medieval melee weapons, and they require more skill then strength to use, and aren't swung in massive arcs, but are used in a type of style that is more defensive than offensive, more focused on blocking attacks and "winding" (moving the blade in a specific way that keeps your opponent's blade away from you and attacking unprotected areas with precision jabs and slices) and tactics involving using your opponents strength against him (such as "sliding off" where you yield your blade when your opponent is putting alot of pressure on it, having his blade slide of yours, giving you a chance to attack him.) The only really aggressive fighting style is armored combat, which is focused more on dealing alot of pain than tissue damage, such as grinding your opponents chainmail into his armpit, or tripping him attacking him in a weak point in the armor.
The reason the katana is held in such high regard is (I think) because Samurai were a sort of officer class. Knights in europe (correct me if I'm wrong) were very common. Armies consisted almost entirely of armored soldiers. The Samurai were elite warriors with years of training, who carried weapons specifically crafted for that Samurai.
Actually the Knights of Europe were the officer class of European armies. They were some of the only professional soldiers of the time. Most soldiers were called up from a levy in times of war. While many soldiers were light armor very few wore the heavy armor of knights.Ulixes Dimon said:
Simple answer is that we're nerds and we like things that aren't particularly mainstream. If it looks like it's from an obscure part of the world - which the far east is over here - then it sells better. Also, it doesn't feel like a fairy tale. A story about brave and noble knights, but a story about a brave and noble samurai doesn't. I don't quite get why there's a massive debate over the whole "samurai vs knight" thing, it just smacks of "pirates vs ninjas", in that it's an amusing little argument you can have with absolutely no correct answer.
A far more interesting thing to discuss would be the swordfighting techniques used in Star Wars. Surely with such light blades, pinwheel moves would be impractical since the bade won't have any weight behind it - why not fencing-style moves?
A far more interesting thing to discuss would be the swordfighting techniques used in Star Wars. Surely with such light blades, pinwheel moves would be impractical since the bade won't have any weight behind it - why not fencing-style moves?
Seeing as everyone is discussing Knights vs. Samurai I would like to point out that utilizing the drawing/cutting technique a Samurai COULD potentially cut down a Knight say through the gap between the helmet and chest at the beginning of the fight. Not in any way saying the Knight is inferior and in fact if that failed the Samurai's chances of victory would likely exponentially decline... Though the fatigue a Knight experiences wearing such heavy armor could reduce his effectiveness in a long one on one... So interesting stuff.
I would like to point out that Europe also had a very brave, honnour or death mentality too. The idea that Europeans were more easily frightened than the Japanese is bollocks. When it came down to it, it usually depended on who was fighting and what happened on the day.Kheapathic said:
In addition to this, most people are ignorant of European sword making capabilities. Spanish Steel was renown in the late Middle ages, for example, but is ignored nowadays.
But the simple reason that Katana's are venerated is that the Japanese preserved their martial arts. Westerners also had a lot of martial arts, but these were lost over the ages. There has been an effort to recover documents and instruction manuals in recent years though, so this may change.
This is actually something I've been discussing a lot at uni, having joined the Dark Ages society recently.
What it all comes down to is the wielder of the weapon. Quite frequently, you see western swords (broadswords, hand-and-a-half swords etc.) being used like clubs or baseball bats, which is not at all authentic nor particularly useful (though still very dangerous). Something like a katana CANNOT be used like this, not without being damaged beyond repair, it takes a particular style to wield effectively (no parrying, no blocking etc.), and so the katana is associated with finesse and skill, even though a western style sword can be wielded using just as much skill.
What it all comes down to is the wielder of the weapon. Quite frequently, you see western swords (broadswords, hand-and-a-half swords etc.) being used like clubs or baseball bats, which is not at all authentic nor particularly useful (though still very dangerous). Something like a katana CANNOT be used like this, not without being damaged beyond repair, it takes a particular style to wield effectively (no parrying, no blocking etc.), and so the katana is associated with finesse and skill, even though a western style sword can be wielded using just as much skill.