The 3 Surprising Differences Between Katana and Ninja Swords
Vložit
- čas přidán 17. 05. 2024
- When you imagine a katana, the Japanese sword, you would probably imagine a samurai wielding it. However, there is one more famous icon that seems to have used the katana too. They are the ninja.
But when you take a look at katana held by the samurai and ninja, you can understand that they have different figures, and are carried differently too. But how are they actually different?
So today, as a Japanese katana sword trainee, I will explain the three main differences between samurai katana and ninja swords. At the end of the video, I will introduce an interesting theory about the ninja swords that might go against all of today’s story.
And before I start, please understand that because ninja were spies in the past, there is not too much concrete historical evidence about them. Looks like they've completed their jobs really neatly… So what I’m going to be talking about today is just one theory.
●The katana online shop 大文字 Daimonji
daimonji-kk.jp/best_zs_sword/...
▼The BEST online katana shop for martial arts (Iaido, Kendo, etc.): Tozando▼
tozandoshop.com/letsaskshogo *This is my affiliate link!
Everything I use for my katana training is bought at this shop! I still use the first training katana I bought in 2016, and it is still in good shape!
▼The recommended online katana shop for decorations and cosplay: Mini Katana▼
minikatana.com/SHOGO
*Get 15% OFF off all their products by purchasing through my affiliate link
[Time codes]
0:00 Let's START!
1:46 1. Different types of katana
3:37 2. Different form
6:59 3. Different usage
11:21 Ninja swords didn’t exist?!
13:02 Today’s conclusion
15:18 “Omake” talk
▼Who is Shogo? What is this channel about?▼
• WILL YOU HELP ME?
▼Related videos in this channel▼
-What are the differences between Ninja & Shinobi? The 600 years of history!
• What Are The Differenc...
-Can you answer the 3 differences between Samurai & Ninja? Who is stronger; Samurai or Ninja?
• What are the 3 differe...
-What are the differences between Katana & Tachi? About naginata, tanto, wakizashi, ＆ odachi!
• What are the Differenc...
▼[For YOU traveling to Kyoto] Check out the "Kyoto Hidden Gems" that we introduce▼
• Playlist
▼Instagram▼
/ lets_ask_shogo
*Please ask me questions through the DM here!（⚠️I do not use e-mail）
▼MY DREAM▼
“To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true,
by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in”
▼Shogo’s profile▼
Hello everyone, and thank you for watching my videos!
I’m Shogo, a Kyoto born & Hiroshima raised Japanese, that grew up in Michigan USA for 6 years, and studied Mandarin in Beijing university for a year!
I live in Kyoto now, as I train in Iaido(katana), Sado(tea ceremony), and Noh theatre(traditional stage art).
In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips on traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan.
So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content!
If you enjoyed this video, please hit the LIKE button, and share with your friends and family!
My goal is “to achieve 100,000 subscribers by January 2022”, so your help would mean a lot!
▼Special thanks to…▼
Kazumasa Ito: My best friend who also spent his childhood in America. Thank you for always checking my English as a professional translator.
Harumi Shin: A talented web designer and my better half. Your video editing skills and creative thumbnails are essential for this channel.
Hinata Yamaguchi: Energetic and always happy, but a little bit shy. Having a daughter like you, makes me the happiest person on Earth.
♪Music♪
おとわび
otowabi.com/category/material...
H/MIX GALLERY
www.hmix.net/music_gallery/ima...
♪Sound effects♪
効果音ラボ
soundeffect-lab.info/
♪Pictures♪
かわいいフリー素材屋 いらすとや
www.irasutoya.com/
#ninjato #ninjatosword #ninjatovskatana #katanavsninjato #ninjatohistory - Zábava
As a spy, one of your first goals would be to blend in and go unnoticed. Having a weapon which is specific to being a Ninja would definitely draw attention towards yourself. It's far more likely that a ninja would have used a Katana which was modified for their purpose. Re: having a blade shortened to better use in tight quarters and having a modified handguard which was slightly larger. Doing such would still give the appearance of a standard Katana so long as the blade was sheathed. The idea of Ninjas skulking around in black pajamas may have roots in facts, but it's far more likely they looked like the average population as they went about whatever mission they were sent on.
more likely dark colours other than black, black clothes dye was hard to get hold of.
@@LtTrog historically it would have been dark blue. The natural night sky isn't black, that's just an effect of light pollution.
The image of the ninja was often created by their enemies as propaganda. Demons that enter your homes, steal your babies, etc
Suppose it would depend on the mission, obviously spying in broad daylight in a ninja-yoroi carrying an non samurai weapon would cause you to stand out like a sore thumb. However, for night time tactical entry and assassinations, the dark clothing and described ninja sword would work better in that case. Likely, ninja looked like wolf from Sekiro during day missions and donned the yoroi and Ninja sword at night, but that's my theory.
Yeah I remember reading somewhere that historical references cite that ninja's swords are modified to be shorter than a katana and can be used in tight quarters and is easier to hide.
I'd love to hear about the difference between the Iga and Koga Ninja
ahaha, if that isn't another fellow D2 Player
@@flarbo9612 shhhhhh
I have stayed in Koga, now known as Koka. It is my “sister-city”. They have a “ninja house” museum there. The last original building I believe. The mayor also has occasional competitions against the Iga mayor. He let me wear his prize vest when I met him, which was a great honor as no one was allowed to wear it before.
@@revbladez5773 Not the other way around?
It depends the kind of anime you watch😉
In the 80's when I was going to high school, ninja was the single most talked about thing. We watched the movies, read the books, played role playing games, and tried to make the weapons in metal work class! Some time after that I found an excellent book that outlined some of the suspected tactics and history and much of it matches with what you said here. One of the theories about the sword was that it was small and straight to make it easier to conceal inside a robe. Even though I am (obviously) a lot older now, I still find these aspects of Japanese culture and history fascinating and your videos are very well presented. Arigatoo gozaimasu, sensei.
Metal work class in high school?! At my high school, there was no such thing as metalwork or blacksmithing classes.
Mind the sword, imagine being so good of a spy/assassin that there are barely any historical documents.
We never were there....
the greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing the world he didn't exist.
@@windhelmguard5295👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀
The existence of ninja swords is doubtful because no spy or assassin wants to carry an item that identifies them as such.
Yeah they pick weapon depending on the mission. If its infiltrate then no sword. If its like killing a daimyo in the dark maybe then. But even there it is easier to to send a kunoichi as prostitude with a knife.
Well said.
But they did carry one lol. Maybe it wasn’t as important to ninja but they did have one.
yeah, i agree, but they could carry any weapon that fit their mission
for example if a ninja had to inflitrate enemy troops, they can pose as a samurai and obviously wear their cloths and their katana
but about training, i'm not sure if actual ninja had to fight like a samurai to assassinate or only to gather Intel
As shogo said, maybe it's just some who used it regularly while others didn't?
As I understand it, a ninja can use just about anything as a weapon. Any sword could potentially be a ninja sword.
I’ve heard the same. To my understanding, many of the ninja used modified farming implements as weapons.
The shinobi were mostly spies and sometimes assassins. Usually if ashinobi had to fight it meant they had fucked up. They were all about getting in and out quick and quiet without being caught.
Yes. Anything is a weapon if you are brave enough.
@@joebloggs5318 and yet if it serious situation thing will it going be kill or be killed.
@@deathchikorng1276 Yeah absolutely a shinobi would think nothing of killing if they had to, but they'd also try and avoid it because dead bodies with fresh sword wounds tend to attract attention which is the last thing a spy or assassin wants. They want to do their job quick and quiet then get away before anyone realises what's happened.
Your explanations express one of the virtues of a Samurai: Humble.
My respects to you 🙏🏻
That's not a virtue of a samurai. Most were pos human beings without a bone of courage or respect in their body.
Bushido was as arbitrarily defined and practiced about as much as knightly chivalry...which was practically never. That nonsense was romanticized in the modern era. The real ones were just scumbags betraying people left and right and murdering unarmed civilians in the dead of night because they could.
@@thelocust619 sí gringo, sí, vete a una guerra, anda.
ironically samurai were known to be arrogant. and there are even stories of them testing the sharpness of their swords on passerby people i.e slashing at them.
@@shashankdevineni6969 like the Americans "Gringos" in all their wars and in all their schools??? I don't think so.
It is natural for a people of authority to loose sight of responsibility and lean towards authority and self appeasement. Gringo or Samurai.
Shogo Sensei explains everything in a such a simple yet detailed manner. I really wish my teachers in school could teach like this.
From what I understand, shinobi/ninja was more of a function on the battlefield, that focused on scouting, espionage and diversion. Both samurai and ashigaru could act as shinobi, and the "ninja clans" that are often mentioned were simply minor samurai clans that specialised in shinobi tactics.
correct, actual ninja scrolls found and translated make no mention of assassination, or combat they make mention of nothing but spywork
You're right. I always thought they must have been samurai special forces or something, like the American black ops.
true, they were sort of like the secret police
Makes sense, specially when you consider they came to prominence during a time of civil war.
That said, there's evidence they assumed a role of "special police" of sorts during early Edo period/Tokugawa shogunate, though. But it's hard to say if they already had some expertise in this field or simply adapted to a new role.
Shinobi, as Hayes once clarified (and not just from the title of his book), simply means "teacher of the warrior ways of enlightenment".
I remember when I studied "Ninjutsu" 26 years ago a couple of Sensei arguing about the existence of the Ninja-to. If they did exist there may be some reasons why they disappeared. 1)The quality of a Ninja-to would have been substandard and the rusted remains would have been recycled due to a shortage of metal. 2) No swordsmith would put his stamp on an assassin's weapon and it's legality would make it something to be disposed of. 3) Quality Katanas were treasured and passed down through generations with the Honjo Masamune being like "Excalibur". 4) Ninja-to would have been used as evidence and therefore disposable. 500 years from now there may be a museum housing guns and bayonets but I doubt anyone will keep an old zip-gun or shank.
Funny you should say that because the royal armoury museum does have various examples of zip guns and other homemade firearms. Shanks are also often preserved as an example of improvised weaponry in adversities like prisons or POW.
Also, for sure most of these ninjato would've rusted away since they wouldn't have been cared for like katana, but just think about how many katanas have been found hidden away in attics, and why haven't there been even a single example of a ninjato like there are shuriken and kusarigama and etc? Given that the shuriken are even more disposable than a short sword, and are often intentionally rusted to induce tetanus in the victims, it's a wonder that there exists no ninjato to be found when shurikens are.
I’m surprised he didn’t theorize or bring up the “possibility” that ninjas might’ve broken down their swords when they weren’t used anymore to repurpose the materials for other things they might’ve needed at the time. Probably countered from other things that stuck around but repurposing gear would be believable.
Well kunai are basically a gardening tool or a metal trowel. When in combat it fair to say they went from plowshares to swords.
I think they would take their targets swords and use them as their weapon and as proof of kill!
@@Punisher_MrWick well now you’re just making stuff up
@@mkv2718 actually most of the time they would take the head as proof! Ninja would be noticed if they did that! Also no katana is the same! They are actually all unique and designed around the person that it is built for! Unlike in today's world!
SuperMan stomps Goku
I was always under the impression that ninja primarily used a modified wakizashi that has a katana handle. The shorter wakizashi allows for close quarters use, and equipped with a longer katana handle it provides more power, better balance, and leverage.
Love your way of explaining things. Your daughters are lucky to have a dad who can explain stuff so clearly👍
Shogo... Some historians believe that the shinobigatana was a mix between the Daisho. So you take the longer tsuka and saya from a uchigatana and place than into the shorterblade of wakizashi. So you have a saya that is long enough to carry medicine and blinding or burning powder a longer handle to make it more stable and a shorter blade usefull in assassination and CQB and to trick enemies in 1-on-1 combat.
There is no such a thing as Shinobigatana nor Gatana. It’s called Katana. Secondly there were no Ninja/Shinobi swords in feudal Japan. Historical fact. Most famous Shinobi’s were Samurais who used their main sidearm Katana in spy missions as in normal service. Please don’t mix up real history with fantasy from some Anime stories and such as a fact.
@@Warjah104 Calm down bro, it was just a comment. But if you have any historical register of everything you're saying, I would like to read it.
@@victorribeiro2431 So you have nothing else to say, heven't you? Didn't those transcripts had enough of "historical register" for you? Or did you really believe on those fairy tail "Anime" info you had? At least a thank for giving you something real to read on would have been respectful to have. Osu!
@@Warjah104 The information they got was probably not from Anime. It’s more likely from a famous unsubstantiated theory.
What they’re describing are the "official" Togakure Ryu blade dimensions. Unfortunately, said school is likely a made-up legend created by Takamatsu Toshitsugu, who claims to be a descendant of a Ninja clan but never provided evidence.
In this sense, you are right. This being said, your insistence on attacking that person and assuming something about them without proof whilst making absurd claims was unsightly. You cannot prove that something didn’t exist, and there is no need for contempt nor assumptions.
@@enough_b nicely put. I'll have to re read my many papers hiding away,. From some years ago when I used to practice and study ninjitsu,. Bujinkan I think you and the first person in this comment are very correct. Each trying to keep their own history alive. I believe both sides. And from what I meant,. There were "no ninja sword". They often recovered broken and discarded swords from battle fields,. Ninja were poor,. Couldn't afford to make, buy steel,. So use what was scaffenged
Even if it didn’t properly exist, I think the distinction in attitudes toward the swords is fascinating. The way samurai tie them to faith is something I guess I’ve noticed but haven’t put together until now. Samurai always seemed more careful but I thought it was just for the sake of being a professional. I wonder if some ninja felt there was religious significance but just didn’t have the time to respect it in the middle of a mission. That would be pretty mentally strenuous
The ninja gattana were heavy thick blades meant for chopping and stabbing. They were made, crudely, by blacksmiths who were oriented toward producing farm implements and, many of the weapons associated with ninja were, in fact, farm tools, such as the kama. As you pointed out, most ninja carried katana, most likely taken from samurai they’d slain. These swords were sometimes customized to have shorter blades, making the draw faster, while keeping the length of the saya long to present the illusion of a longer blade.
Leaving this here to help with the algorithm. Love the channel.
Same
FAX
93k Shogo... Really getting there my friend keep up the great work!
I've also heard of a theory that they would keep a short sword (curved like a uchikatana) in a standard size saya, to blend in during espionage and so they have space to effectively hide poisons in the bottom of the saya. There are so many theories and it's all super interesting!
Man, if he became my university professor I would love to take my classes regularly.His explanation was superb.
i found this channel no long ago and i'm absolutely in love.
Your conclusion sound plausible. As an European visitor of your side it is like learning the different ways to look at the history. It is clear that there will be different views like there are different views about European history. Your channel is informative.
I agree. He speaks confidently though his knowledge in this particular area is seriously warped.
Hi shogo,
I find your videos sometimes really entertaining and sometimes real useful,
Thanks for that!!
From all my years of study and attending a Bujinkan Camp as a youth as well as personal book/historical studies. It seems like the Ninja took part in many different roles on the battlefield and warfare throughout Japans history. Very interesting history and the fact that some scholars say their (Ninjutsu) roots also come from china is very fascinating. Great Video! OSU!!!!a
As a side note, everything I have learned stated that the swords we know as Ninjato were made very cheaply because of the fact that they were used as a tool. Its easier to create a straight sword then a curved one such as a katana. I believe that if a "Ninja" had the opportunity to pick up a Katana on the battlefield they would either for Monitory gain or the fact that they perform better in combat. That being said, there is some historical data that some of the smaller Samurai family's from the Iga region actually became what we know today as ninja. And I assume that their family historical Katana's followed suit. But of course their role is so shrouded in hearsay and history. Its hard to be conclusive on some facts and if their is any historical fact or if its fiction
Love the videos. When you have information blocks come up, could you please leave the displayed a bit longer?
I did not know Ninja were related to swords. I thought they just used Shuriken, Nunchaku, small throwing knives and kunai. I quite like the idea of Ninja more than Samurai from anime and video games. Wakizashi reminds me of Yojimbo in FFX
Nunchaku were Okinawan. Ninja did not use them.
Because some people say that a ninja isn't just a samurai or former samurai engaged in syping or guerrilla warfare. Some people say a ninja could be a word used to describe a common person engaged in the same activities, using improvised weapons or civilian tools to take people out/defend themselves against enemies.
Movies
I had a Nintendo Power game guide for Ninja Gaiden 2. The first twenty or so pages were the history of ninja, their weaponry, and the uses of the ninja-to. All of this was outlined in this video, and it was great to revisit childhood memories.
I think sword-canes or something like that sound quite plausible. It would be a big advantage to have a hidden blade in case of emergencies, i think. Something like zatoichi's blade seems like it would be smart use of concealment.
I'm writing a paper for college on Seppuku and your video helped so very much! Thank you! Keep up the amazing videos
It’s so well organized and didactical, awesome work!!
I found your channel on one of your shorts you gain attraction from those yt shorts. Keep up the content👍
Turtles - the most famous katana wielding icon!!!!
Finally got a chance to be the third commenter. Shogo I love your casual way of conveying topics 😍
Wait a minute, am I mistaken? The seven types of katana you mentioned aren't actually katana. They are the weapons of the samurai.
Technically, they are... but also aren't (well except the yari, sorry Shogo but this should be substitued for nodachi or tsurugi). The kanji for katana is present in all of these weapons; they can also be built through some derivation of the katana (naginata is literally katana + pole for example).
Greay video. Would love a video about a few differant katana styles, every time you mention your training i wonder what style you study.
I love your videos. They are so friendly and welcoming. It's such a vibe!
Well I'm watching this in January 2022 and it seems you absolutely smashed that sub goal! Bit late but I've subbed too. Great video, very clear and informative and I will definitely be watching your other content to learn more about Japanese history and culture :)
I really enjoy your coverage of the samurai and ninja. Please do more videos on this topic.
Great content as usual, keep up the good work
This video was actually really cool and informative. I'm subscribed.
Yes, I would like to hear about the origins of both iga and koga! They sound really interesting, and I love how you explain these topics in your show;) I hope you make 1M subs!
These videos are very educational and comprehensive!! It makes learning about Japanese Culture easier and less tedious 😌 Thank you so much
I have discovered you channel recently, thanks to some intricate algorithm mechanism. Although I did not have a particular interest in Japan and Japanese culture, I really enjoy your content. It is well made, informative and aesthetically pleasing. You seem like a genuine and heartfelt person and I hope you get the success you deserve.
Salutes from Italy!
I love the explanations buddy, I've been a fan of Japanese History since I was a kid. This was around the time I watched anime and read Manga based off of Samurai and Ninja and I'm learning alot from your explanations 😁 You should do a movie documentary buddy.
I really enjoyed your video and how you explained things so eloquently.
Only 6.9k subs to go! Sending positive energy to Kyoto.
Modern depictions of "ninja" is purely a creation of 19th/ 20th century entertainment
Jup the real ninja where just sone peasants in the forest who used advance Guerilla tactics until Nobunaga annihilated them with his army
I’m so happy for you and your family, sensei! When I first sub to you, it was 50k something…. Now you almost hit 1M sub!!
I love to get a lot of Japanese‘s history lessons from you, sensei! 😇😇😇
Your videos are very clear. I appreciate them 🙏
Wow! 93k subscribers! Won't be long now bud. Glad I was here early on. It's been awesome watching you grow this channel. Inspirational as well. I started a channel this week myself to showcase my wood work. Grats in advance for hitting 100K! /deep bow
That is like reviewing Viking vs. Rohan swords.
Yeah, the comment section is itching for a sword fight in this debate kinda. But, essentially one is bigger than the other😂
Missed about to mention that some samurai are also ninja. And they commonly used shorter katana (ninjato) on a regular saya as a disguise to walk under the streets, or between other samurai. Great video!
Shogo, I appreciate your balanced approach on any topics I've heard you talk about! Very enjoyable. Here's a thought that I heard once from a martial arts teacher of mine: at certain times in Japanese history, only samurai were allowed to carry katana. If a ninja was not also a samurai (some were), he would have to either steal or scavenge a sword. So he theorized that the idea of straight swords used by ninja came because of scavenging bad quality or failed swords form swordsmiths (who he theorized would have thrown away blades that ended up being straight at the end of forging). It's an interesting theory at least.
The non-curve of the blade is the main thing that makes ninja swords look like fiction
The curve of the katana is a natural byproduct of its forging...
I find it very unlikely that people would develop a new forging process for such a small part of a ninja's kit
If I had to put money on it, i'd say that ninja used normal wakizashi with modified shieths
well, there are many things that were invented by ninjas and not revealed to anyone else, you could call those "ninja technologies" wich they kept to themselves, also straight katana were invented eventually, so its not unreasonable to assume that ninjas might have invented them sooner but not revealed the secret of its production to outsiders.
Ninja swords= Stab, pierce, mostly from behind. Through a paper wall or floor for extra exp.
As always, love the way you present. Keep up the great content.
Well done! Very informative, and enjoyable to watch.
Can you make a video about the 47 Ronin?
The real story is kinda lame
@@dayman161172 indeed. ( Nothing to do with the movie whatsoever)However it makes total sense regarding the ideals of respect and honor.
Oh, and I’d love to see a video about my namesake, Musashi. Maybe about the fictional version of him and his effect on Japanese culture, or perhaps the true story. Kyoto is one of the great places where many of his important life events occured.
This is a brilliant video man, easy to understand and very factual. The most I learned about Samurai n Ninja swords on CZcams.
Scorpion also used a Ninjato in the Mortal Kombat series.
He first wielded an ordinary Ninjato in Deadly Alliance. He wielded a modified version in Deception and Armageddon, with a sharped tsuba and a tiny spike for a pommel. He used 2 Ninjato swords in MK9, they have a similar spike pommel but also with a serrated blade. And in MKX, Scorpion's Ninjato swords adopt an almost European look for the handguard.
The curve of a samurai's sward is imparted during the heat treating process. The differential hardening employed causes the blade to curve. This method of hardening makes for a very complex blade. But it has the down side of causing a higher rejection rate due to warping or cracking. A blade that is not differentially heat treated is easier and less likely to have issues during the heat treatment. This would make a blade that was not differentially hardened much less expensive. It would also make for a blade that isn't as strong or perhaps is as strong but not as sharp or that dulls more quickly. Depending on how the blade was tempered after the heat treatment. So, it isn't just that a straight blade is straight it is about why the blade doesn't curve. I would imagine given the low quality of steel available to smiths in Japan. That both blades would have been made of layers of forge welded steel. Unless a trade route form the main land brought in other steel. I am not an expert in Japanese history or swards but I am a smith.
i take it it is easier to mold a straight blade than a curved katana ...this in itself would give a little credulity to the idea of a straight-bladed 'ninja' weapon ...-make a lot easier for the "peasants" to come by anyway ....
@@krishnan-resurrection714 Swords are not molded they are forged. Molds are used in casting. Casting isn't usually used to make blades. Parts of a weapon are often cast but I don't know of any cast blades.
As far as I know all japanese blades are forged. It isn't about the difficulty of forging a straight blade vs curved. All katanas start their lives as straight blades. It is the differential hardening that imparts a curve to the blade. The differential hardening imparts a Hamon line as well.
If you differentially harden a long blade like a katana. You have a higher risk of warping and cracking the blade. But you get a better quality, more complex blade. The alternative is edge hardening. Where you heat just the cutting edge up and quench it. Edge hardening does not curve the blade.
One advantage to edge quenching is you can have a lower rejection rate due to cracking and bending. I've only made a few blades, about 1 in 3 will crack or twist to the point of being unusable and me having to start over.
Again I don't know why ninja swords were straight. But that is was straight might reveal differences in how it was made. Also that it is straight might come from cost savings from differences in production. But both of those are inferences.
Shogo-san, very nice and informative videos. I like the objectivity, and the fact you destingush the myth from historical fact.
Very informative and entertaining.
Thank you 🙏🏽
I loved this video i understood so much thank you and i’m so happy you have got 100k subs it’s Jan 2022 congratulations
The similarity is that both swords will make me a weeb.
Great video and very informative...
Didn’t exactly know some of those swords were dedicated to God. But, it makes sense in terms of the honor system.
Fascinating stuff! Keep up the great work.
Great work as always. Very valuable information. Thank you
I think you missing out something. There's a long Katana called, Nodachi.
the only example of nodachi that i am aware of was considered to be too unwieldy to use in any sense of combat. it falls under the same issue great swords like claymores fall under. too big to be effective in combat.
@@signolias100 Dude, claymores were effective; moreso than the nodachi.
The nodachi is more a polearm than a sword due to the long size and requirement for a servant assistant to unsheathe it; but it, and variants such as the zhanmadao, did work as options of the field. But of course, the naginata was a better choice overall.
@@blazinkid5178 while I understand that claymore swords varied in length by a great deal and while shorter versions were viable, the longest ones were impractical
The ninja sword that we know today was born in Hollywood in the 1950’s.
How do you know, can you give some examples of this movies ?
@@shredder1799 well my post was based on there are no historical documents on anything but katana swords. There are no documents in Asia that mentioned a straight sword.
Yep, the modern depiction of "ninja" is entirely based in the entertainment industry.
The sneaky ninja all garbed in black, with short straight swords, simply never existed in real history.
Actual Shinobi were just samurai dedicated to scouting/information gathering roles
@@joshballesteros22 In Asia? That is a huge generalisation. Tibetan swords and its offshoots that exist in North-East India are straight swords - called Ryokce or Yoksa.
Read my other post below.
Thank you for your very special kind of explaining things of the historical stories about Japan and Japanese traditional culture. And this in a very good pronunciation....very good to understand for me ;-)...and now I`m a subscriber too. Regards from germany and stay healthy.
Love your channel brother, very informative 👍 👏 👌 😀
Also there are some straight uchigatana in existence today but most of them are like that because of them getting lost in a fire like for example the uchigatana of sakamoto ryouma
did u mean mutsunokami yoshiyuki? / yeh i' m a touken ranbu fans
@@DraceEmpressa yes mutsunokami Yoshiyuki and I am a tourabu fan aswell
I have a lot of historical doubts about this. Historical ninjas pract more yo-nin than in-nin and were dressed like samurai, yamabushi and normal people.
Normally in in-nin the sword was just a kodachi.
Yo-nin and In-nin?
@@brandon2559 there are videos that talk abo it those two
@@whateverwhatever4476 Also, these supposed Japanese martial arts historians you see all over CZcams are complete boneheads. I've come across a ton of historical records (not densho) that refute most of the nonsense they claim. I have studied Takamatsu's claim that all samurai bujutsu traditions stem from the Tendai temples of Shingon Buddhism and it appears to be completely legit. They were called Sohei. These warriors were those mysterious bodyguards that they claim eventually became samurai. I can further break down this history, but it will get very long-winded..
Thanks for making the video informative helpful
Love this channel ❤
I understand that feeling when you start collecting Katanas. Got 7 Katanas, a Wakizashi and a Tanto and I still want to get an Odachi, a Yari, a Naginata and a Kanabo
Great video, I always thought ninja swords were just for killing people now I know they were more like swiss knifes 😄😄
Very informative and interesting. Thank you for your contribution.
Just a note - straight Japanese swords were the norm before 980AD. Straight bladed Japanese swords are referred to as chokutō. There are quite a few ancient blades surviving in the museums and shrines to this day and they look exactly, especially the later ones, as the "ninja sword" blades (not sure about the fittings: guards, sheaths and etc.) Curved bladed swords in Japan did not come into popular use until somewhere around the middle of Kamakura period around 1100s.
A katana, only one particular and quite specific style of a Japanese sword out of many, usually worn tucked in a belt with the edge facing up, is actually quite a late development. It was initially used only by ashigaru (common folk light infantry) and later adopted as a more practical style of sword by samurai class who had mostly used a longer more curved tachi swords, that were worn with the edge facing down suspended from a belt and quite well adapted for horseback fighting but not as practical on foot as a katana.
Japanese spies - historically known as shinobi, probably used whatever they needed and had depending on their class, including samurai. For certain spy jobs you needed an actual samurai for other spying jobs an actual monk, as pretending to be one would not always do, while for others merchants, peasants and prostitutes and even criminals. They were all known as shinobi. Spying was a task not a social class, though some clans like Koga and Iga later started to hyper-specialize in spying task specific skills.
A stereotypical "ninja" character clad all in black is an invention of a Japanese entertainment and popular fiction of Edo period and aesthetically is modelled more on kuroko { 黒衣 }, traditional Japanese stagehands, not the real shinobi.
Theres nothing like ninja sword or any weapon just for ninja its just myth.
Radoslav is correct.
The modern concept of Ninja (Shinobi/Shinobi-no-mono) is a myth while we're at it.
What's the point of having a weapon specially made for undercover spies? In this case ninja🤔... It's just make it obvious that they are spies...
Which is also a solid argument against shuriken. A kunai, however, is plausible because it is more of an agricultural tool.
@@revbladez5773 No one used it. Fantasy weapon. Any “real shinobi” weapons that actually were used in real life, are all improvised farming weapons. But a throwing star is a custom built battlefield weapon. It has no main non combat use like a kunai. So it’s practical existence is not likely
The sword would most likely be for battlefield recon and "surgical strike" missions, rather than undercover espionage.
I honestly didn't even know there were that many differences so this was very informative. I also didn't know that samurai used anything other than katana, that shocked me a but but it's actually really cool. Thank you so much for this video, I really enjoyed it
Very informative especially for someone new to the art of the Japanese sword. Well done!
can you make a video about the seven-branched sword?
From what I understand, the Iga and Koga used samurai swords because that's exactly what they were: samurai. Shinobi weren't a separate "clan" but rather samurai who specialized in espionage and sabotaging etc. Basically Samurai and Shinobi were one and the same so the Iga and Koga were samurai clans that specialized in being Shinobi. Feel free to correct me!
Thank you that was most interesting 👍 very informative insight
Wow Ninja has been part of my life growing up in the 80s .Sho Kosugi still in my head after all these years
First of all: there were NO Ninja swords in feudal Japan period. Historical fact. End of story.
That sword seems too well designed to have existed during the time of the ninja. It's been suggested that the curve of the katana was NOT a design choice, but a byproduct of the cooling process due to the forging options available during the age of their creation. As such, it seems likely that a straight katana for a ninja would be a literal impossibility.
It was always my understanding that ninja used the tools available to them. Things like the kama and sai, while great for farming, were terrible in combat. However, these are what the average peasant had available, and in a time of necessity would surely figure out a way to use it somewhat effectively. That said, it was more guerilla tactics they employed to catch the samurai off guard as that was the best chance they had at defeating them. As such, any katana a ninja had would have been taken off of a samurai, and considering how sacred the katana is to the samurai, it was most likely taken off a dead samurai.
As I understand it, "ninja" basically translates to "spy" which not only suggest they can still be active today (similar to the American CIA or Russian KGB), but even at the time they'd do their best to blend in and look like everyone around them. To this effect, the outfit we associate with the "ninja" did exist, almost. Rather, the "modern ninja garb" is based off of what the ninja wore in the period, which is what everyone else wore around them. If the ninja was the only one wearing that garb (including the face covering) they'd stand out, but if 90% of the populace is wearing the same, then they look like everyone else.
I don't know how much (if any) of the above is true, but it does feel like most of "ninja weapons" are only used by the "modern medieval ninja" which is to say modern weapons optimized for use by feudal "ninja" in anime, manga, and video games.
Nice, glad to see you mentioned the Iga and Koga
I entered a rabbit hole of japanese culture and I'm glad I found your channel
Hello, it's Tristan, I been a martial artist my whole life and been deep into japanese as well as other asian cultures. I believe that the ninjatos would be fine at slashing with no problem, I like seeing leonardo tmnt with ninjatos instead of katana, my favorite sword was johnny's in Surf Ninjas it was a long handled philipino style sword. I'm going to recreate TMNT in my own better style, I want Leonardo to use an average length Ninjato and also have a companion sword, a twin if you will, but with the blade about only slightly less than half the length of the other but with the hilts the same everything, and he will wear bolth sheeths on his back with the smaller on top . Thanks remember NINJATO'S are the future whahahahah
Ninja sword was used the same way the Roman Gladius was used, ie. to stab. The ancient Greek Xiphos was a slightly curved sword that could be used for slashing and stabbing.
Your videos are so unique and awesome.
That you my friend. These videos are just amazing.
I just happen to come across your videos and I am very happy that I did.
Ninja sword never existed
yep
yeah, if they need to use katana, they would just use a regular one.
they do now, and that's all that matters
Ive always thought they used wazkashi
@@jashardwallington They did use wakizashi. And katana.
This is an EXCELLENT explain!!! Thank you!!!
I have it, shinken katana and ninjato as collection. And now from you i can practice about the historical of this weapon. Thank you. Greet from Indonesia.
Absolute loved the video! I will never claim to know as much about katana and other Japanese swords, I have loved the katana since I was a boy and it always surprised me how many people didn't know the difference. Can't wait to watch more!