Toby Threadgill

Hello,

After reading thru this thread I have little to say beyond this:

Aikiken is what it is. It is intended to improve ones aikido but it is not swordsmanship. It is not intended to be swordsmanship so it is unfair to saddle it with such a purpose.

Trying to make the case that we in koryu kenjutsu don't know what happens in sword combat, demonstrates simple ignorance of the subject. If you want to learn what happens in combat with a Japanese sword, join a koryu kenjutsu school. After about 5 years of training, trust me, you'll have changed your mind. ...The stories I could tell......

Anyone who ever met Takamura Sensei face to face, immediately noticed the scars all over his body and face from fighting with sharp swords. He died in 2000 at age 74. Back in my fencing days I knew a very scarred up group of old Hungarian and Italian swordsman that still fought with sharp rapiers and epee's. The last I heard two had been run clear thru accidently but did not receive a life threatening injury.

So, although uncommon, there are people who still really fight with sharp swords and some of us do know what flesh looks like after even a light encounter with sharp steel. Some people also understand the psychological stresses of real combat with a blade.

Let me emphasize, this is not some macho pissing contest. I'm saying that just because you don't know something directly, doesn't mean you should make the assumption that others don't. It's a far crazier world out there than many realize.

Toby Threadgill / TSYR