Using a Wakizashi-The Basics [Tutorial]
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- čas přidán 19. 05. 2024
- Sword-T10 clay tempered wakizashi blade length 55cm
In this video I touch on the basics of using a wakizashi as I was taught them. I hope you find this video educational and it helps with your one handed sword practice. If you are interested in training in swords but have never tried, I recommend getting a bokken and training at home learning to swing them and have proper form before using a live sharpened blade. Sorry sound quality isn't fantastic.
Topics
0:00 Intro
0:13 Differences between a wakizashi and western swords
0:58 Why use a wakizashi?
1:51 Safety first!
2:41 Unsheathing the blade
3:48 Edge alignment
5:19 Slicing vs Hacking
6:54 Resheathing the blade
Always be aware of your surroundings and minimise harm to yourself, others and your environment. Never use weapons when intoxicated or upset or for any act of violence.
If you would like to support the channel you can buy me a coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/justabug Thanks to everyone who has supported the channel, your coffees are much appreciated!
Check out my Instagram at just_a_bug_swordsman for more content.
For messages and reaching out to the channel email me at justabug.yt@outlook.com - Sport
![Draw Cutting-March 2020 [Tameshigiri Practice]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8_PK0E3bbjo/mqdefault.jpg)
![Draw Cutting-March 2020 [Tameshigiri Practice]](/img/tr.png)
![Using a wakizashi - Levels of motion when cutting [Tutorial]](/img/n.gif)
Nice tutorial. Makes me want to consider a wakisashi to complement my AR15.
A wakizashi with the carbine, a katana with the rifle.
Short barrel rifle + Wakizashi is actually a pretty good set for modern combats (mostly urban area) and apocalyptic scenarios (moving and scavenging a lot).
I recommend have Self Def insurance if ever user those two weapons for defence at home or other def. Legal Issues in America
@@fuzzball7972 tanto for an AR pistol
@@tolkien6384 what insurance issues in the USA? Where do live ? NYC #bullshit
Was a maths major in university; loving the math diagrams!
Wow, you even filled us in on the stats of traditional sizes and balance focus differences of blades.
They didn't teach me these subtle important facts when I was in Aikido, learning several weapons.
Really love the fact of Wakizashi being so strong like you mention. It truly is the better cramped space, with two hand ability and more frontal stability for
jamming attacks and intercepting.
That's why I want to get 2 wakizashi for duel-wielding
My favorite sword to practice with is my cold steel kokatana. Its shorter than a katana but longer than a wakazashi. Its got a handle length close to a katana so theres plenty of space for two hands but is absolutely perfect for one handed practice. Weight and balance is perfect as well with this particular sword. Its perfect for indoors as well.
He`s like "I`ll do my math first then I`ll cut you later". HAHA great vid
Pretty much
@@JustaBug what sword did you use for this video
A wakizashi I bought from a Chinese seller on eBay. Sorry I don't really have a better answer, you can see the material and length of all the swords that I use in my videos in the description
@@JustaBug oh alright thanks man do you have any recommendations for a beginner?
Post on the Reddit swords sub. Depending on your area and postage they can give good recommendations at different price ranges. Just say what your budget it, where you are and what you want to do with the sword and they'll help you out. Hope that helps!
Brilliant tutorial, looked it up because my wooden katana broke in practice and is now a short sword
Got to make do with what you've got. Best of luck with your training!
@@JustaBug which wood was it made off? Sometimes the wrong wood could lead to injuries, stay safe and good luck
This happened to me too
Bro same, I was distracted and accidentally hit the floor and it snapped
If a metal one was used, worse case the tip would be crooked if not dulled. Made into poking damage not stabbing anymore😂
Just stumbled on your channel. Really enjoyed your straight forward no nonsense demonstration. Im sure to watch more. Thanks
Thank you. I just ordered a "tactical wakizashi" and need this instruction.
Not sure if tactical wakizashi are built the same way as normal wakizashi as many do not have the same fittings and profile but either way hope the tips help with your training. Stay safe and train hard!
My wakizashi arrived today and I am looking forward to follow your instruction!
Great tutorial
Great video! Stumbled upon this one because you can never have too much knowledge!
Thanks! Indeed, it's a learning pathway that never ends
Brilliant indoor use and excellent defense
I am very thankful for you teaching me about the cutting angle. I learned something new! 😌
Glad it helped!
I just watched your channel and I already really like it a lot
Thanks for the video! i really have problem with unsheathing and resheathing! thise video helped me a lot
Thanks for sharing this, awesome info.
Clear and concise, all good info's!
Thanks!!!
Nice Video, I have a Bokken Wakizashi and I've been meaning to learn how to use it better and your tutorials help
Thanks! Best of luck with your training
@@JustaBug Thank you
Nice video. Straightforward explanations. Subscribed:)
That is one brilliant looking blade!! You must take good care of it. Awesome!!
You're doing amazing stuff!
Thanks for the support!
Appreciate the knowledge
Thank you for the video.
I just took up lessons from a guy who is a black belt in both karate and aikido and has training in the wakizashi as well! It’s an amazing skill to learn and is extremely beneficial. Thanks for this video. Just subscribed.
Glad to hear! Good luck with your training!
I'm getting a lot of solid information from you .. thank you for your videos.
Thanks for the support! I'm glad my videos are useful!
OUTSTANDING!!!
I love the wakazashi blades true ninja blades great vid man
Nice vid, I dont usually sub to a lot of people but your just that good thanks man
Thanks and thanks for the sub!
I really enjoyed your video. Your knowledge of the blade is impressive .you now have one more subscriber. Cheers
Glad you liked it! Thanks for the support
@@JustaBug I have modern tactical wakizashi that is battle ready. Suuuuuper sharp. I love this blade...but while going through the techniques you've shown me , on the proper way to draw the sword,and the the draw and strike techn. I realize as you said, I need a practice sword. Can you recommend a quality practice blade and sheath that is moderately priced. I dont mind paying a bit , but not a fortune. id like your opinion, please. also ..I recognized th e foam used but what was the other item you cut. Rolled up paper?
For a practice blade I recommend a cheap bokken. They're cheap and not for striking anything so they shouldn't break. I got my bokken off eBay for about $20.
Rolled newspaper that's been soaked like tatami mats. I have a video on how to make them.
@@JustaBug I appreciate the advice on boken. I have had them in the past, and they are great. But I am needing to practice and perfect the draw techniques. without my razor sharp wakizashi removing a part of me. I do not want to do that, I am pretty attached to all my body parts. so I was hoping you knew of some replicas that are blunt ,but have the proper weight and durability. Thank you for taking the time to enlighten me. I hope your day has been going great.
If you want a sword with the correct weight I'd recommend ordering a cheap wakizashi made from steel and specifically ask for it to be unsharpened with a rounded edge. I did that with my katana from a chinese ebay seller for roughly $140 as a solid training weapon that had a safety edge. As long as it is a carbon steel blade that has a full tang it should be safe to use. Be wary of stainless steel replicas and rat tail tangs from chinese sellers, but there's a lot of decent chinese sellers in the market.
An iaito is commonly used in Japan. They're a safe training sword that all the Japanese and Korean schools use because of weapon laws over there. A good seller is tozando, however, iaito are a zinc aluminium alloy and weigh considerably lighter than a steel sword but still more than a bokken.
I'm sorry my previous reply was not helpful. Hopefully this helps. Best of luck training!
Respect. OSS! 🙏
thank you
I’m really late on this video, but thank you. I’m thinkin of a weapon for my MC in my own comic and I’ve been thinking of dual wielding wakazashi. Your insight is very informative you earned my sub✊🏾
Glad to hear my video helped! Check out ssanggeom for a cool Korean dual wielding sword form
Bravo... good vid
Just got a ronin katana and wakizashi. Good video!
Thanks for the info bro my hands are already getting blisters from practicing I love it!!!!!
Glad it helped! Keep training hard
thanks bro
This is a good show.
Thank you
Got this put in my recommended right when the Wacozashi (sorry for the spelling) came out in Cold War
the spelling is literally in the title haha
awesome wakizashi
I didn't know people used exclusively wakizashi, I'd always seen them paired with another, larger swords. I'm glad since I have some difficulty holding a regular katana/two handed sword 😅
Love the video, thank you. One improve though, consider an on body microphone, or better microphone setup.
Dual Wakizashi ftw!
Easy answer for why to use a wakizashi over a western sword, the wakizashi looks more badass
Katana and Wakazashi are used to cut bamboo, western swords are used to cut ballistic gel. So a direct comparison is not possible. Although in combat, the Wakazashi was more versatile as it could be used against root vegetables and silk sheets.
@@rikcunningham6029 I disagree with that statement, a katana isn’t used only for bamboo cutting it’s used(or was) for war and combat, same with western swords so there can be a comparison, and katanas have also been tested on ballistic gel so?
It was a flippant reply...... I do not think a direct comparison can be made, as the techniques and technologies of western and eastern warfare evolved along different lines. Both swords were however, the pinnacle of their respective engineering and designed perfectly to do the job at hand.
@@ethancadle937 Katana + Wakizashi was originally designed for self-defense in peace time, not for war. Tachi (longer, more curvature) is what was used at war as a secondary weapon/back up sidearm.
I personally love the Katana and Wakizashi more than the Longsword/Bastard sword because those Japanese swords are even more practical to use in modern contexts compared to the European counterparts.
With their thicc blade and compact design, they are good for carrying around, bushcrafting in survival situation, scavenging in the apocalypse, quick-drawing for self-defense, heavy cutting for zombie's heads and for bad guys not in full plate armor, obviously.
@@vumanhtung “Historians believe that Japanese swordsmiths invented the katana out of need for better weapons to use against the invading Mongol forces” -from google , the tachi was the predecessor to the katana, but the Katana wasn’t made solely for self defense, it’s main purpose was just to be more reliable than the tachi
please recreate the "unsheathing the sword" meme in your Advanced Wakizashi video, this is what the fans want!
Not quite sure which meme you're talking about. If you link it I'll give it my best shot when I've got time
Bro great video dude I like how you added alchohol and emotions. Emotion is a big part of controlling your sword. Calm and steady is deadly
Yep agree with that comment to great video
I was talking to someone else about this who has had training with multiple swords, including the wakizashi, and according to them, when striking with the wakizashi you're supposed to hack and then pull, not pull through the attack. Now I'm very confused. You seem quite knowledgeable about this but this person is also very knowledgeable so I don't know who's correct.
I think the best view is that there's more than one correct answer. Just because this is how I was taught doesn't mean every other way is wrong. Also different ways are right for different people depending on your body and muscle distribution. So try a few different things and see what works best for you.
I find throwing the blade forward with my wrist and then pulling through with the range of movement of the shoulder works best for me. Not sure if that made sense but you can watch some of my other training videos to see. Because the wakizashi is shorter the tip doesn't reach the same speed as the katana so pulling through aids the cutting ability. But that's not the only way to do it so have a play around and see what works and what doesn't. Hope that helps!
@@JustaBug Thanks for the advice!
The use of the wakizashi is determined by the distance of the opponent. When it gets even closer, the dagger is preferred.
really good video man, how long is the handle?
Thanks! It's a 20cm handle
Just a Bug thankyou good to know
thats a nice looking Waki. The blade looks thick. Is that from Ronin Katana?
Thanks! It's about 7mm thick. I got it as a beater from a Chinese seller
Very respectable shortsword used like a Western Cutlass.
Could you recommend any affordable Wakizashi
czcams.com/video/k1ofjOw5k8w/video.html
Check out this video for more information
About that free hand, where can I find someone using both a wakizashi and ANY type of shield? I've looked on youtube, but only things I find are "Western Sword and Buckler", "Wakizashi and Katana" and your channel. There not a lot of content on eastern swords with shields, and even less on the wakizashi. Do you know of any?
In Japanese texts I think there's very little. You might have better luck looking at the Korean dungpae manuscript in muyedobotongji. Hope that helps!
@Just a Bug bro when you draw your swords get into the habit of right before you draw as well as extending to the moment before sheathing. As you go to unsheath with the hand holding the sheath pull the sheath away from the body pointing it straight out toward opponent just like 6 inches from original position and as you pull the sword out you pull the sheath back in to your side. With sheathing you meet the sword half way with the sheath straight out same as before and then when fully sheathed bring it in fully to your side original position, your doing this as a way to mirror the unsheathing. Try this for a little and you will see why. Im not saying this to you trying to be condensending just helping a fellow practitioner out. Ive been at it for more than half my life.
I am well aware of the practice of sayabiki. I don't think it's useful with a wakizashi though. I have a background in mostly Korean swordsmanship but even in Japanese swordsmanship I don't believe sayabiki was done with a wakizashi historically due to it being the inner of the two swords. Thanks for your comment though
@@JustaBug very true, good catch. I tend to do it with both but obviously not under your previous stated situation were two swords are on belt.
I think in modern times a few sword schools practice in that manner who supposedly have lineages focusing on the wakizashi or kokatana. It's just a difference in swordsmanship backgrounds. Hope to hear more of your input in future!
@@JustaBug i started on a typical sized katana but as I got more in musashis method i switched to kokatana and wakazashi and use the regular katana when I want more weight to practice with. For some context I dont practice with any particular style or lineage. I self taught myself and practiced doing things the proper way through studying Sword methodology and strategy, and a whole lot of practice. I dont practice as much as Id like too these days but still train none the less. My first 10 years was just obsessive 4-6 hours a day on top of work schedule. I am currently working on something that is like a deciphering of codex within the book of five rings applied to the raw basics of sword practice being stance guard cut block and maneuver. I noticed a pattern within the book that isnt initially noticable first few reads but becomes noticable once you fully understand and master the raw basics within sword methodology. Im really not certain if it was intended by Musashi but it is there nonetheless. In short what it is, is close to a key to being able to go it alone with no teacher and simplifies certain things as well as creating an understanding of synergie between other certain concepts and brings it all together into a connected blending practice. Its hard to explain but ever since I came across it my skill level has improved so much. Its along the lines of like how they say attacking is same as blocking, with this if you pay attention to cuts they quite literally are the same as blocks just the different intention creates the block rather than a cut. Same goes for the guards if you make a list say of your typical sword guards that are used and then go through the list almost like a guard set/kata with that list, as your goin through switching from one guard into the next you will notice your just doing your cuts/blocks. Thats just the tip of the ice berg too. I also translated alot of the raw basics into a comprehensive english system. Im working fleshing out the blending and intermingling of things and plan on extending into technique and strategy
Can you tell us what katana are you using and what steel is it equipped with?
T10 clay tempered wakizashi. I include the blade type and material of any swords appearing in my videos in the description
All good valid advice, but all swords should have a hard material like bull horn on the Koiguchi for safety reasons so you can't accidentally cut through the Saya onto your hand, can't be emphasized enough
Definitely agree that its nice to have but also on the budget range many swords don't have this so I hoped teaching technique to avoid injury would help out more people with swords in this range
@@JustaBug I personally wouldn't buy any sword without that bull horn protection on the saya....but yes I do understand the purpose of your video and I respect how you emphasize safety 👏
Where did you get your katana and Wakizashi?
Got them off a cheap Chinese eBay seller. Sorry I can't remember the name
ps looks like you caught your pants a few times , one point unsheathing , push your saya backwards while drawing your wakizashi .with a sidewards stance ( your a slimmer target )
Definitely didn't catch my pants haha. The saya does move backwards when I unsheathe, my whole hip moves backwards. For a shorter weapon like a wakizashi that movement doesn't need to be exaggerated and depending on the stance you do your cutting from a sideways stance may be an advantage or a disadvantage. There's many different styles of use for the wakizashi and one stance may be hugely advantageous to one style and less so for another
Out of curiosity, is it ok to touch the side of the blade with your fingers? Because I’ve heard that the oils on our hands can wear out or rust the blade. Is that a concern?
Skin oils absolutely can corrode the blade. So clean your blades regularly and keep them oiled with your oil of choice. If you do that then the blade won't rust. At some point during your training you'll probably have to touch your blade so its good to get into a cleaning and oiling habit early
@@JustaBug cool, thanks a lot!
Where did you get the Wakizashi? :D
These are off eBay from a Chinese seller
Where/how did you learn all of this?
Learnt the basics from my old taekwondo school many years ago
Any recommendations on a good sword?
Depends on your country, price range and purpose. If you go on the swords subreddit and give that info as well as what type of sword you're looking for and the type of training you do they can give you a good recommendation
Is there any specific way I can take rust off my wakizashi? My dad found it originally while construction
Depends on how bad it is. If you post a picture and ask on the swords Reddit they'll be able to give you good advice depending on the level of damage to the blade. Hope that helps! Also never try and remove the rust from the tang of the blade, that helps with gauging quality and age of the blade.
Just a Bug okay thank you!
Hey I'm looking for help what do you think about a 1095 carbon steel blade
1095 is a decent sword steel. It's very high carbon so it's really hard but also a bit more brittle than lower carbon steels so as long as your blade won't flex too much you won't have any issues
@@JustaBug so what is your personal preference if you don't mind me asking
T10 for modern steels. But after using my tamahagane byeolungeom there's something really pretty about it. But if I were on a budget definitely stick with t10
@@JustaBug I really appreciate the info thank you
Best of luck with training!
Nice vid bro
Wow Choi what an insincere comment. Hahahaha thanks for watching mate
What is a good price for a good and sharp wakizashi?
That's a hard question to answer. A "good" wakizashi varies greatly. A cheap Chinese made beater that's functional but not great quality can range from $60 to 300 depending on fit and finish. From other more reputable sellers they can go up to around $500. A Japanese made one would start in the thousands for a used one and probably sit at ten thousand plus for a new one.
So it depends what you're looking for in the sword. If you send a post to the swords subreddit with more info about what you want in the wakizashi and your country they can give good recommendations at your budget. Hope that helps!
What is the best size for beginners? Because I want to buy one but i never used one before
It's pretty hard to have a too long wakizashi given that they're a short sword. The usual length is around 55cm blade length. Though you should consider the weight as well. I have one that is 7mm thick and one that is 6mm thick and the weight difference is noticeable after the tenth swing or so.
If you're looking at katanas though that's a different story. There are length to height charts floating around on the internet that give a good starting length for a two handed blade. Hope that helps!
Thank :) And clay tempered is important right?
This is the one I was looking at: www.truekatana.com/products/hand-forged-carbon-steel-dragonfly-brown-wood-saya-real-wakizashi-samurai-swords. But i never had one of them in my hand so maybe I should start with a wooden one
Short answer, not really.
Clay tempering creates a difference in edge and spine hardness. So you have a very hard edge and a softer spine. It used to be important with traditional steel with lots of impurities because then the soft spine could absorb shock while the edge stayed extremely hard. However, with modern steels non clay tempered blades can work very well and due to low impurity levels in modern steel, sword breakage is very rare unless you are doing something ridiculous like trying to shatter bricks
Yes, I'd recommend a wooden one first. Bokken are quite cheap and strengthen the wrists and shoulders. Safety first!
That one you linked has a 25cm handle, standard is around 20cm. Usually doesn't make much difference and makes two handed work easier but it's just something to keep in mind
Where buy this talwar please reply
I am also buy this talwar
I bought this wakizashi off eBay quite a long time ago
Just a bug = aku cuma serangga -bpr (malay 90s rock song)
🤟🤟
He just threw that math like its common sense.
Twilight Samurai was pretty good.
Where can we get one?
First check the legal status of owning a wakizashi and import laws in your area. Then just have a look online. Depending on your price range there's lots of places to buy them. I personally use eBay because most sellers also sell through eBay but there are also many eBay sellers selling poorly made ones. If you go on subreddit katanas there are a few threads about where to buy katanas and wakizashi with people who are very knowledgeable posting.
Hope that helps!
Can you use a wakazaki as a machete?
The weight distribution and edge profiles are quite different. They can be interchangeably used if you really needed to but they each excel at different things
the short answer to that is wakizashi's were for soldiers 5 foot 5 up to 5 foot 10 . most soldiers fell into this category . longer swords were for taller soldiers with the leverage to use them ballanced ,
Wakizashi were often used as backup swords that never left the samurai's side even when they slept and ate, unlike their katana which was longer. In some countries such as Korea your statement is true with most soldiers using wakizashi length blades until after the Imjin war, but I don't think it holds true for Japan where the katana was well adopted since the 1400s with a secondary wakizashi as a self defence or backup sword, often used indoors. So depending on your country there isn't really a clear cut short answer regarding wakizashi worldwide but thanks for your comment
Ikorose, Shinsou
Close quarters shorter blades are much easier to use
Wakizashi + Tanto + reverse grip dual wield = cool anime character
It would be a cool anime character to watch. Not the most practical combo but it's worth it for the coolness points!
You right
It is short sword and use in inside combat.
Daisho sword:
Wakizashi
What happened to knee
Long standing injury from martial arts
My weapon has 53cm, the blade has 28cm. Is it a wakizashi or a tanto?
That's a tanto. Blade length less than 1 shaku is a tanto, less than 2 is wakizashi, less than 3 is katana, over 3 is nodachi. 1 shaku is 30.303 cm
@@JustaBug tnks! can i cut an arm with it? For exemple, obviusly uheuhaeueueh Can you do a tutorial on how to use a Tanto, please?
Firstly, the channel does not condone violence of any sort, especially not armed. Now thats out of the way, to answer your question then it would be very difficult to cut off an arm with a tanto. A tanto lends more towards knife fighting than swordsmanship and they do handle differently. Is it possible? Yes, if you had perfect edge alignment and were particularly strong or went through a vulnerable area like a joint.
I can't do a video on how to use a tanto because I'm not very proficient with knife fighting. Sorry. In traditional use, a tanto was used more for self defence by women or carried by samurai to commit ritual suicide and it was not really a primary weapon of choice, however, there are some schools that do teach its use.
U have to go see how the cold steel channel guys cut with a wakazashi...lmao
I have seen their channel. Never really been a fan of their Asian blades. In the few times I've had the opportunity to handle them they feel less nimble than an Asian blade should, with a heavy focus on cutting ability. Can't say I've handled that many cold steel blades though so it's not the most accurate judgement
Guys, I think he bought the Wakazashi for 1000 CoD points
Call of Duty Cold War
Are you Australian?
Yes I am indeed
There isn't much different from a katana same technique of noto, and same principal of swinging on every bladed weapon which is face the blade side correctly even using kitchen knives. A wakishasi is Just a bit shorter, unless you specially costum made a shortest length katana and longest length wakishasi together based on the standard minimum maximum length which is dope😂 coz usually the products being made is the mid standard length....
Make sure your safe (dont be piss drunk)
I’m here from cold war
me too. Its crazy for nuketown
cringe
Cod is doing wrong
All you did was talk but I'm not a hater so yea😑
This is basically a scam💀
ok but tbh we only wanna see fruit ninja.
Before you teach, start to learn.....
Sure mate! Any specifics? More than one way to skin a cat so I'm always keen to learn alternative ways of doing things.
CZcams's a great place where we can all learn from each other so please drop the snarky vague comments
The best way to learn is to re teach what you learned...keep it up my friend, I am learning a lot from this page! Respect. OSS! As a former military instructor and one who has trained in martial arts since age 6, you are doing an excellent job!
Thank you so much for your kind words. It's nice to have some encouragement for the channel. Glad you got something out of my training!