

Consider the impact a beautiful sword makes during a demonstration. Don't shy away from requiring a certain level of refinement and style. That means the Japanese sword is a symbol of strength, beauty and control. Its tools are instruments of war and destruction, but they also represent an elite social class of fighters. Samurai-style fighting is an ancient discipline. It's perfectly acceptable to let the look of a sword influence your decision.

Experience with the balance of a metal sword is key to mastery of this technique, so most practitioners of iaido own an iai-to for training purposes. One prominent example is iaido, a discipline focused on unsheathing the sword quickly and delivering precise strikes.

However, some schools often use metal swords during training. Wooden, bamboo and foam equipment are enough for most practice situations. In contrast, metal swords are usually displayed in the training area, only taken out to demonstrate mastery of solo forms. Foam weapons are also a popular modern option. This traditional training equipment is safer than real metal swords, making them ideal for paired sparring sessions or routine form practice. Learning a samurai fighting style is usually accomplished through practice with wooden or bamboo swords called bokken and shinai, respectively. In this case, the first number refers to the blade length and the second is the total from tip to butt end. One example would be the ProForce daito mentioned earlier: The large size is listed as 29 inches by 40 inches. While you're looking through the AWMA online catalog, you might come across some items with two numbers for the same sword. The blade of a typical 40-inch katana is usually between 27 and 29 inches. The length of the blade itself is sometimes listed as well. These sizes refer to the total length of the sword, measured as a straight line from end to end. However, some schools require a specific length or combination of lengths due to the practical applications of the forms, such as fighting indoors or disarming aggressors. The standard contemporary katana size is around 40 inches. If you aspire to perfect the skills of his Niten Ichiryu school or if you want to wear historically accurate samurai gear, you need both a long and a short sword. One of the most famous swordsmen in history, Miyamoto Musashi, was known for using a one-handed grip that allowed him to wield two swords at once. Therefore, you should be able to progress with many fighting styles by purchasing a full-size katana option like the ProForce® Extreme Demo daito. However, they typically only fought with the longer sword: The smaller was mostly regarded as a ceremonial sidearm. How many samurai swords do you need? Throughout most of the samurai period, the warrior class carried two swords.
KATANA LENGTH IN INCHES PROFESSIONAL
Finally, look for finished or lacquered wood scabbards to maintain a professional appearance while protecting the blade. Durable handle wrap materials are always nice, but you can also make your own customized wrap after you receive the sword. Look for sturdy construction in the handle and guard.

The material should be a high-quality, lightweight alloy, such as aluminum or carbon steel. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you buy samurai swords online from the AWMA catalog.Įxamine the blade first when you're choosing a sword online. You can make the selection process as easy as possible on yourself by focusing on construction and material quality, practical concerns and appearance. Some are good for starting a collection while others are best as training aids or for use during form demonstrations. However, the choice of the size of the blade is more related to the practice as with Iaido for example.Each samurai sword has its own advantage. Indeed, this gives two different measurements and therefore also modifies the balance point.īelow you can find a table to help you choose the size of your blade according to your own size!įor most of our blades we offer 28" cm, but you can make a custom request for a larger or smaller blade. It is imperative to take this measurement from the mune-machi and not from the Tsuba as some vendors may do. The blade of the Katana must be at least 2 Shaku or more than 28". As with many measurements the tradition uses the Shaku to measure ( 11.9"). We start the measurement from the back of the Habaki to the tip of the blade in a straight line. The Nagasa describes the length of the Katana blade.
