Interview with Tozando Suzaku Iaito Sword Craftsmen
Tozando’s new Iaito sword with verse of Buddhist gatha
Gemon is buddhist gatha and this Gemon Koshirae features the verse of gatha that Buddha once said to his principle disciple Mahakasyap. It reads “HO WA MOTO HO TO SHITE MUO NARI, MUHO MO HO TO SHITE MATA HO NARI“, literally meaning that the laws of Dharma were initially not Read More
The Relevance of Budo in Modern Life
by Nicholas Wilson “From youth my heart has been inclined towards (swordsmanship).” –Miyamoto Musashi For as long as I can remember, swords have fascinated me. If there was a movie to watch, a book to read, or a game to play where swords were involved, you had my attention. Martial Read More
The Last Samurai: Martial Arts in the Age of Cultural Appropriation, or the Tom Cruise Dilemma
I asked my friend Chelsea to measure my height. She asked me why. I didn’t want to tell her. I didn’t want to say, “I want you to measure me in inches, so that I can convert that number to shaku, and figure out how long my first iaito should Read More
Gansaku: The Fake Japanese Sword
Fake swords apparently started being made around the Kamakura period. In the Muromachi period there was already a “certificate of authenticity” which included an inscription on the tang of the words and a description of the blade. In the Edo period fake swords “developed” further, and all sorts of fakes Read More
The Five Schools of the Japanese Sword – This will help you know the History of the Japanese Sword
The Japanese sword is divided based on the period of era it was made. Kotō (old sword) refers to the sword made before the Keicho era (just before the Edo period) and Shintō (new sword) refers to swords made between the Keicho and the beginning of the Meiwa era (1764). Read More
The Japanese Sword and the Japanese Idioms Part 4
There are even more sword-related Japanese idioms we would like to introduce to you. “Tsukeyaki-ba” (Blade forged and stuck on) When a sword loses its sharpness, sometimes swordsmiths will stick on a tempered blade made of steel. This is called Tsukeyaki-ba, but such a blade very quickly loses its cutting Read More