Anatomy of a Samurai Sword. Appreciating a Katana

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  • čas přidán 23. 01. 2021
  • Looking at a real Nihonto Katana - hand forged in Japan.
    Miike Domain (三池藩, Miike-han) was a Japanese domain of the Edo period. It was associated with Chikugo Province in modern-day Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu.
    Background Music by Riley Lee - "Dimante Lapis". A shakuhachi piece composed around 1150, recorded during the Sunday service in the Dome at Sunrise Ranch, Loveland, Colorado
    Presenter:
    Todd Ryotoshi Norcross
    Stream Sword Basics on Viemo:
    vimeo.com/ondemand/katanabasics
    Advanced Battlefield Sword Techniques:
    vimeo.com/ondemand/advancedsword
    Instructional Martial Arts Downloads:
    www.thedojoinc.com/download.html
    Martial Art DVD's:
    www.ebay.com/sch/thedojomarti...

Komentáře • 263

  • @michaelstordeur5177
    @michaelstordeur5177 Před rokem +11

    Love this, my guard has 4 extra pieces on my katana. I was told that the village where it was constructed does not exist anymore.

    • @daniellapiz3719
      @daniellapiz3719 Před 7 měsíci +1

      really? that's sad to hear because bladesmiths in japan decreasing by year passed

  • @kevinstachovak8842
    @kevinstachovak8842 Před rokem +7

    I adore good Nihonto. The beauty of the hamon, on a crane-neck katana (unokubi zakura), is a lovely thing. All of my katana can be broken down into constituent parts

  • @thomasboully6545
    @thomasboully6545 Před rokem +4

    A fitting name would be Scud, a name for a low flying cloud.

  • @mattnobrega6621
    @mattnobrega6621 Před rokem +10

    That's a really beautiful sword especially for handmade and such a recent time and not an ancient time. I would love to own a Hand Forged real katana but they're too expensive maybe one day I'll be able to.

  • @leequesada439
    @leequesada439 Před rokem +4

    Beautiful Katana friend.

  • @cooldaddyfunk
    @cooldaddyfunk Před rokem +6

    I have a very similar Kunitada! Mine is from 6/2000. Different koshirae, but very similar blade and Hamon, can visually tell they are sisters. I'm in contact with a dude in Japan with a Kunitada from 2008, very similar as well. Imagine 4gen consistency!!

  • @RainyDayForge
    @RainyDayForge Před 8 měsíci +5

    Oh! The hammer marks on the tsuba are likely there because of a loose fit around the nakago. It’s a way of spreading the material to make it tighter instead of restarting the guard.

  • @guloguloguy
    @guloguloguy Před 2 lety +4

    ....WOW!!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT EXPLANATION, AND DEMONSTRATION!!!
    FYI: THOSE STRONG HAMMER MARKS, ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE TSUBA, ARE DONE, TO HELP TO ADJUST THE CONSTRICTION AS NEEDED, TO FIT IT MORE TIGHTLY AGAINST THE CROSS-SECTION OF THE BLADE, WHERE THEY MEET.

  • @oltatersalad4744
    @oltatersalad4744 Před 2 lety +5

    Another great video of in-depth explanation. Thank you so much for making these!

  • @youen1821
    @youen1821 Před 3 měsíci +1

    Amazing. Really like your story telling style. Just starting to learn about these pieces.

  • @hectormariocarrizo9405
    @hectormariocarrizo9405 Před 2 lety +3

    definitivamente las KATANAS son las armas mas bellas del MUNDO, forma, detalles y terminaciones delicadamente diseñadas, en verdad hermosas

  • @dkhooeh
    @dkhooeh Před 2 lety +18

    Thank you, that's sure an interesting and educational talk through for the katana.
    I was a bit nervous seeing you pointing and dragging the metallic pen / object on the blade.

  • @Katana-Karl
    @Katana-Karl Před rokem +1

    The hammer marks on the tsuba is where they deformed the iron so it would fit tight to the blade.

  • @nejqa3834
    @nejqa3834 Před rokem +1

    The music at the back is Anatolian NEY sound so perfect. Thank you

  • @jaketheasianguy3307
    @jaketheasianguy3307 Před 3 lety +2

    Very beautiful piece of artwork, mr. Norcross

  • @ldpp5697
    @ldpp5697 Před 3 lety +3

    This was awesome Sensei. Please do more of these

  • @georgiamade892
    @georgiamade892 Před rokem

    Such an underrated channel you've started me on my journey for self betterment through martial arts....I wish your channel could get the recognition it deserves bc it's truly warranted...just wanna say thank you and I know in the beginning having a CZcams channel is a challenge but I hope and pray opportunities and avenues open up for you so it doesn't become a struggle in anyway....I truly am thankful for ppl like yourself and the knowledge transfer thank you again

  • @RainyDayForge
    @RainyDayForge Před 8 měsíci +1

    Thank you for making this video! I appreciated learning the vocabulary of all the pieces and the dimension. I’m about to start my first katana build and this has helped me a lot.

  • @mattnobrega6621
    @mattnobrega6621 Před rokem +5

    "Akuma o taiji suru mono" should be the name of your sword. That's what I looks like to me😎👍

  • @knightingalesaid
    @knightingalesaid Před rokem +1

    Thanks for sharing! It’s beautiful!!

  • @miyan0908
    @miyan0908 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Hello from Japan. This sword was made in 1992 by a swordsmith [Miike-ju Kunitada] in Kyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture. It is a good investment that will surely appreciate in value in the future.

  • @jamescarr1467
    @jamescarr1467 Před 2 lety +6

    I too was a collector and I never handled a sword without wearing gloves. I only collected old swords but I did have a Suisinshi Masahide which came from the Imperial Palace. About 1900, so fairly recent.

    • @thedojomartialarts
      @thedojomartialarts  Před 2 lety +6

      Aluminum pen cannot hurt the steel. It is 2.5 times less dense. Harmless to it.

    • @wilfriedvomacka1783
      @wilfriedvomacka1783 Před 2 lety

      You mean you didn't cut bottles and tree branches in forest and slicing sausages with THAT sword and then sharpening it on good old arkansas? Never? 😂 I am just kidding. I want to start collecting swords too, but I am in studying phase now, need to learn many things. I really admire beauty of japanesse swords and no way i would touch authentic ancient sword without gloves.

    • @craigthescott5074
      @craigthescott5074 Před rokem +1

      This sword would not be considered ancient. Even swords from WW2 are not considered ancient.

  • @franklinrodriguez4267
    @franklinrodriguez4267 Před 2 lety +1

    Beautiful peace of art.

  • @soniadeguzman790
    @soniadeguzman790 Před rokem +2

    Thank you sir 😊 from Pozorrubio pangasinan Philippines

  • @thedarquibus
    @thedarquibus Před 3 lety +7

    Awesome, lucky to own such a treasure.

  • @ninjamonkeyfpv8855
    @ninjamonkeyfpv8855 Před 3 lety +2

    Absolutely beautiful..

  • @SenseiEmmett
    @SenseiEmmett Před 3 lety +8

    Amazing Todd, Thank you for sharing this, as you know I'm fascinated by the katana, this was an awesome explanation of an incredible weapon.

  • @Paul-rc1pk
    @Paul-rc1pk Před 2 lety

    Nicely done. like the history lesson behind it!

  • @hakanushinito2489
    @hakanushinito2489 Před 3 lety +2

    Quite the beautiful video

  • @direstknight6697
    @direstknight6697 Před 2 lety

    Simply beautiful 🙏🏻

  • @sniper001353
    @sniper001353 Před 2 lety +1

    Love your videos also,very informative 👍

  • @MartialArtsLifeStyle
    @MartialArtsLifeStyle Před 2 lety

    FANTASTIC VIDEO !

  • @blakmajk3512
    @blakmajk3512 Před 2 lety +2

    Excellent content! 👍🏼👍🏼

  • @dominik1023
    @dominik1023 Před 2 lety +1

    One small point, and this is so that we remain respectful to the Japanese culture and language, when we say Tsuba, the "t" is not silent.

  • @alisha75006
    @alisha75006 Před 2 lety +1

    Dear sensei,
    Thank you for this information. I happen to have similar characteristic effects on my sword, that wooden dowel ,and diamond pattern woven and guard has round dragon plus at very end of the sword as well. Again I really appreciate your content and wish you the very best. ⚔
    Thank you for putting out this info, I happen to have same characteristic of sword that you just showed specially that handle area where woolen like clothes wrapped as they were weaving the diamond shaped flower I believe as you've described in this clip

  • @musicalevangelist5907

    Love your videos

  • @tommygun6028
    @tommygun6028 Před 2 lety +1

    Excellent review 🤝👍😎

  • @danielvargas3850
    @danielvargas3850 Před 2 lety +3

    Not bad for demonstration video you did a find job there was a couple mistakes but not to many people can talk about sword quite like you did I applaud you well done 👍 I belong to San Francisco sword Society . Like I said not too many people have the knowledge of the sword you seem like a nice and decent person stay safe Like to see more videos

  • @hopebroken6986
    @hopebroken6986 Před 2 lety +1

    such a beauty

  • @miftahabidin2504
    @miftahabidin2504 Před 2 lety +1

    beautiful

  • @nonsononessunooko4066
    @nonsononessunooko4066 Před 3 lety +3

    beatiful

  • @mauigio
    @mauigio Před 2 lety

    Love this lesson

  • @Endivero
    @Endivero Před 3 lety +1

    Incredible

  • @supinewarrior2133
    @supinewarrior2133 Před 3 lety +2

    I love how you have so much knowledge about swords

  • @rotherthies
    @rotherthies Před 2 lety +1

    The hammer marks on the handle side serve a simular function of a gem setting in jewelry. However it is to center the guard on the blade. Or the channel was filed to far and an adjustment was needed.

  • @lrforgelaguna8918
    @lrforgelaguna8918 Před 2 lety +3

    Mostly the 作-tsukuri is read when there is katakana or hiragana on the on the first next of it here is the readibg for the signature
    三池住國忠作之-Miike jū Kunitada Kore o Saku(This was made by Kunitada resident of Miike)
    平成四年九月吉日-Heisei yon nen kyū gatsu kichi jitsu(Lucky day of September 1992)

    • @tigerimschlamm3670
      @tigerimschlamm3670 Před 2 lety +1

      三池住乃姓,国忠乃名,作之,古汉语文雅用法。

  • @ChanChan-gq6hq
    @ChanChan-gq6hq Před 2 lety

    Sir,you said not historian,but you explain very well like a samurai maker expert.

  • @mymartialartacademy2343
    @mymartialartacademy2343 Před 3 lety +2

    Amazing Sir!!
    Oss!!!
    Respect from Pakistan Peshawar

  • @arlenburgin2392
    @arlenburgin2392 Před 2 lety +1

    Phenomenal blade! Any truly forged japanese sword is of high value these days..

  • @bladerstorm
    @bladerstorm Před rokem

    Soo beautiful

  • @sandman17100
    @sandman17100 Před 2 lety +1

    Nice Nihonto

  • @edikiswanto1822
    @edikiswanto1822 Před 2 lety +1

    Very beautyful..I like katana.from japan

  • @vladimirkovacevic1656
    @vladimirkovacevic1656 Před 2 lety +1

    Awesome hamon and koshirae

  • @imarock.7662
    @imarock.7662 Před 5 měsíci +2

    I know im 2 years late but, I recommend the name "Jinran Maru" for the sword, if you haven't already picked a name for it.
    It is a name from a game, but I feel like its appropriate for this sword considering its speed.

  • @hachimanjiro
    @hachimanjiro Před 2 lety +1

    Sir that is truly a piece of art,thank you for this beautiful video, ( remember don't clean the nakago - tang! Let it turn black)shinogi zukuri (you can see the yokote it has a chu kissaki, it's probably a kobuse, that will be a very fast sword! 🏯🇯🇵

  • @bchan3333
    @bchan3333 Před 7 měsíci +1

    So cool🥺

  • @tonyhoodlass1846
    @tonyhoodlass1846 Před rokem +1

    I collect swords mostly samurai my favourite but do own some wilkinsons dress swords as a Black belt in Shotokan karate that was involved in a motor accident i cant train so this is my interest this video is Great

  • @Full_Otto_Bismarck
    @Full_Otto_Bismarck Před 3 lety +2

    Thanks for showing us your nihonto, I aspire to someday own such a work of art myself.

  • @carsemonkey1
    @carsemonkey1 Před 2 lety +1

    I have a katana that I bought some years back. After watching this video I decided to take a look at the tang. I was surprised to see it only had writing on one side.

    • @wilfriedvomacka1783
      @wilfriedvomacka1783 Před 2 lety

      I think that is common. It is even common to have completely unsigned tang.

  • @denwest339
    @denwest339 Před 2 lety +1

    Your nihonto is a beautiful sword.

  • @jeffroggy2083
    @jeffroggy2083 Před 2 lety

    Strength, danger and beauty. Three combinations in one sword.

  • @leungtakkai
    @leungtakkai Před 2 lety +1

    Art work

  • @gf2390
    @gf2390 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Nice video

  • @EGM-TV
    @EGM-TV Před 2 lety

    Stunning, keren...👍👍👍

  • @WAFFENAMT1
    @WAFFENAMT1 Před 2 lety

    You named it yourself...Swings Like There is No Tomorrow.

  • @herohamza1196
    @herohamza1196 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Good video

  • @alunrogers464
    @alunrogers464 Před 3 lety +1

    Great.

  • @manuelchavez3431
    @manuelchavez3431 Před 2 lety +1

    I've got a sword like this,don't know much about it,I've translated 1906 is when it was made,two signatures on it with a date and place,made in the beginning of the showa period

    • @user-qy7td3mv2s
      @user-qy7td3mv2s Před 2 lety

      素晴らしい。その刀はおよそ90年前に作られた日本刀です

  • @piti89100
    @piti89100 Před 3 lety +1

    thatss awesomeee

  • @KageNoTora74
    @KageNoTora74 Před 2 lety +1

    O-Yoroi Doshi are a specific class of nihonto made to pierce O-Yoroi, or great armor. Size can range from tanto or aikuchi length to large wakizashi and have exceptionally wide blades along the unsharpened spine, giving sufficient stiffness and durability for their task. The head of the Japanese Communist Party was assassinated with an O-Yoroi Doshi in the sixties by a Nationalist aligned student who rushed the podium, managing to stab the politician once in the abdomen and was tackled as he attempted a follow-up stab.

  • @SuperHyee
    @SuperHyee Před 2 lety

    Thanks !

  • @gauchoronin
    @gauchoronin Před 3 lety

    Excelent!!!! 🥋🙇🏻‍♂️

  • @deschan2246
    @deschan2246 Před 2 lety +1

    Pretty new blade

  • @christosmilonas7986
    @christosmilonas7986 Před 2 lety

    Great videos! Thank You for sharing so much knowledge! Would You dare to use this sword to cut something like tamati mats or will it scratch?

  • @Leman.Russ.6thLegion
    @Leman.Russ.6thLegion Před rokem

    The guard is dented around the blade hole to fit it tighter to the blade. It's like a staking that prevents rattles. They used a punch to peen it.

  • @commendatori1
    @commendatori1 Před 2 lety

    Beautiful sword, the blade looks very similar to my Hanwei practical plus XL light..

  • @adam5words688
    @adam5words688 Před 3 lety +7

    Love it when you "nerd out", us nerds can watch for hours! I don't know how to translate into Japanese, not sure if that's how you name your swords, but how about "Petite Elegence" ? Love your collection and love the comment "I don't keep it at the dojo so you can't come break in and steal it" Haa!

  • @kygent508
    @kygent508 Před 2 lety +1

    Wish there was sword experts in my area so I could go to as I have many questions.

  • @williammitchell1864
    @williammitchell1864 Před 3 lety +3

    Knowing 50 konji is pretty damn good! Knowing that many phrases is quite a lot!👍

  • @PaulC086
    @PaulC086 Před rokem +1

    Mine is a 400yr old kunihiro fujiwara Edo forged katana. Rated tokubetsu hozon. My other is a very short wakizashi made by kagehira fujiwara which is around 300 years old, rated hozon.

  • @fsamejim
    @fsamejim Před 2 lety

    Great show!!! Could you possibly let us know how can we buy such real sword made in Japan?

  • @neilcastro836
    @neilcastro836 Před 2 lety +1

    Have you tried to collect a sword from Yoshihara Yoshindo?? He's a world class master swordsmith and his famous sword is will known and on the museum. What a beautiful blade work, man it's so mesmerizing to see the Hamon, ok also recommend you to watch Ford Hallam's Tsuba metal works.

  • @Zatracenec
    @Zatracenec Před 2 lety +10

    Very relaxing video. It's great to see some more detailed video about particular sword. I self-study japanese blades (very amateur) and it's difficult to find similar video especially with real nihonto. One question,....what is that different part of steel on ura side. It's perpendicular to ha and it appears on 10:19 . Is it a steel flaw or the blade just wasn't wiped yet? It almost has the color of hamon, but going from ha up to bo hi. Thank You. Subscribed. :)

  • @holyorthodoxchurch7935
    @holyorthodoxchurch7935 Před 2 lety +1

    ❤️👍ENJOYED THE VIDEO, VERY NICE KATANA AND HISTORY. “SABATHIEL”

  • @HomeIoT-vn9dh
    @HomeIoT-vn9dh Před rokem

    Where did you get the nice sword racks on the wall?

  • @micahcampa
    @micahcampa Před 3 lety +3

    very nice showa period katana allthough i own a kanbun era wakizashi that was ranked as a wazamono also like yours and i own a boshin war sword also i dont own any modern ones though the bo-hi was used to take weight out of the blade the hammer marks on the tsuba were to tighten it against the blade it Smashes out the metal so it fits better not a flaw a lot of them have that and the Blade that goes saya the kogatana was used like a utility knife never used for fighting and the blade you have in a shinogi zukuri not a hira zukuri like you said all your fittings are made from brass silver the only iron i see is the tsuba very nice katana thanks for sharing.Micah

  • @slaughterlord13
    @slaughterlord13 Před rokem

    I have two antique katana one is in full matching koshirae made during Kanbun Era early Edo (1660s) made by the bungo Takada school and the other one is in shirasaya made during Oei era early muromachi period by the Uda school

  • @ritz5102
    @ritz5102 Před 5 měsíci +1

    吉日 reads as kichijitsu or kichinichi meaning one of good/fortunate days define in the calendar. You do anything you think important like marriage on a ‘lucky’ day if you care about 縁起, an ancient concept from India that has been Incorporated in Japanese lifestyle.

  • @simonkormendy849
    @simonkormendy849 Před 2 lety +1

    I read/heard somewhere that the Habaki was also supposed to reinforce the blade where it went through the Tsuba (hand guard).

    • @1down4upworkshop61
      @1down4upworkshop61 Před 2 lety

      I read that it was sort of a wear item on the sword. It was designed to take the shock of being used. The weakest part being that point where the blade and tang meet. Look up Ilya Alekseyev and watch him forge a few katana from tamahagane, or Japanese bloom steel.

  • @way2dumb
    @way2dumb Před 2 lety

    What is that huuge mark half way down the sword? is that a snap repair?

  • @owenahmu
    @owenahmu Před 2 lety +1

    AMEN BROTHER 🙏🙏🙏

  • @qaidikramuddin
    @qaidikramuddin Před 6 měsíci +1

    Notice how the bo-hi carries on right through to the nakago. This is traditional. Modern production katana don't do this; the only company I know that does that also is Huawei Swords.

  • @Peekingduck
    @Peekingduck Před 2 lety +2

    Nice sword.
    The Nakago (tang) of the sword you are holding says it was made on a "lucky day" in kugatsu (September), Heisei 4 (1992).
    The present era is known as Reiwa.
    Might be good to make a difference between "blade " and the edge. when you are talking about how the sword sits on the hip.
    The edge is what cuts, the blade the steel that goes in your says (scabbard)

    • @joevaughn7919
      @joevaughn7919 Před rokem

      Can I send you a picture of mine. I have no idea what it reads

  • @gregf8167
    @gregf8167 Před 2 lety

    Its a very nice sword to own but looks like its been used instead of preserved so will need a polish which removes metal and cost a lot when done properly by a traditionally trained togishi which is what this sword deserves.
    Choji hamon is clove leaf.
    I like the tsuba too. The hammer marks on the tsuba are to reduce the size of the hole so it fits the blade better.

  • @rogueart9100
    @rogueart9100 Před 3 lety +1

    I used to just keep my japanese blades as a colletion but recently i decided to use one and test out these legendary swords true abilties . I cut some cucumber and through a few oranges into the air and sliced em in half . It was really fun . The sword is always stained afterward and I did oil it but at the kissaki there is a tiny tiny bit of rust so I am going to do my best to remove it and stop cutting fruit . I do not have access to any tameshigiri mats so what do you reccomend I cut . I beleve the blade is 1045 so harder targets might make it bend but never the less that sword is trully epic you showed today .
    I tried taking apart my sword as well but I got both mekugi's out and was scared to hammer the tsuba off lol so I just put the pins back in . Do i need to take apart my sword ?

    • @micahcampa
      @micahcampa Před 3 lety

      it is not Necessary to take apart a sword unless you cut something and it gets in the handle

    • @jaketheasianguy3307
      @jaketheasianguy3307 Před 3 lety

      Old newspaper soaked in water is a very good cutting target but they are not for beginner tho since they are harder to cut through than traditional tatami mats. You could always start at water bottles, they didn't represent anything on human body and very easy to cut through even with bad technique but at least you could practice your edge alignement on them (good cut, the bottle stay on the holder. Bad cut, the bottle will fly 4 5 meters across the yard)
      Leaving the sword inside the koshirae is actually bad for it, that's why samurai when they didn't need to use their sword in a long period of time took it apart and put on a plain wooden handle and scabbard called Shirasaya for maintenance purpose

    • @windigo1592
      @windigo1592 Před 3 lety

      You used sword the right way don't feel bad it's a weapon not some peace of glass

  • @vumo2422
    @vumo2422 Před 8 měsíci +1

    Blade name: Tamashī no heddā (meaning soul be-header)

  • @sniper001353
    @sniper001353 Před 2 lety

    My son inlaw found a strange old looking sword with a even stanger white ivory looking sheath with demons carved on it,,it brought ALOT of problems to his household till he threw it away,,we believed it was cursed,,i saw it once but it was gone before i could get it from him i believed it was a VERY special sword

  • @JS-ed2hg
    @JS-ed2hg Před 2 měsíci

    The samurai never used that cleaning kit it actually came out way after the cleaning kit it's kind of a gimmick in a way except for the The Uchiko Ball which is used to strip oil off the blade. May I ask where you got that sword from? Very beautiful

  • @michaelelbert5798
    @michaelelbert5798 Před 2 lety +1

    I just realized why those dents on the guard. Most likely put there to tighten any fitting.

  • @mudpawsvoom6132
    @mudpawsvoom6132 Před 2 lety

    Um I think it's very bad luck to stealing a samurai sword , and that is a very beautiful sword you have , thank you for showing us it.

    • @aleisterlavey9716
      @aleisterlavey9716 Před 4 měsíci

      Indeed. I grew up with the tradition that you don't gift a blade to someone you like, because that would cut the friendship (except from father to son). Always exchanging it for a coin or so in return, so you symbolically buy the blade.