Quote:
Robert M Watson Jr wrote:
I was thinking more about the change in ones attitude when facing a live blade as opposed to the mechanical issues. Facing someone intent on cutting you who is well equipped is completely different then playing with wooden replicas.
I can tell you from first hand experience that years of training in the dojo with wooden weapons and even live knife blades did not compare to being attacked by a drug crazed person with an 8 inch chefs knife.
|
Yes that is true
And one could almost believe that shinai and bokken where created so that you could be attacked with love and passion so that facing a live blade would not be so psychologically traumatic.
It just happen that the aiki-ken I practice (paint brush type of cut) is the way to cut when you rely on tip velocity to cut i.e. a chop as opposed to the more commonly known chop-slice.
You see a katana is really similar to a medieval Messer if you use it one handed and a gross Messer if you use it two handed, Chopping is the way to cut in my style of medieval fencing.
And amazingly enough, the technique we do in aiki ken are found in medieval long sword and the jo technique are found in half-swording.
Yes we do miss things to be a fully fledge sword style, but really after we start from the cross, if it does not work or there is hole in it, it is because it is not done right.
Phil