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Old 07-04-2007, 09:07 PM   #12
cguzik
Location: Tulsa, OK
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 166
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Re: Need some advice to order a katana

So, in considering what you want to buy, you have to ask yourself: what is it I will be learning?

Different arts require different characteristics of their swords. Some tend towards longer blades, some shorter. Some prefer longer tsuka (handles), some shorter. There are specific reasons for these preferences, because each art has certain things that they are teaching and specific attributes of the sword you use will lend themselves to learning those specific things.

If you are not training in a certain sword art, then you have a blank slate so to speak. This is actually a disadvantage unfortunately. If your aikido sensei has experience with iai or kenjutsu then I would seek his advice.

Really, if you are not learning in a structured way from a teacher who has been trained in an actual sword art (as opposed to aiki ken), there is no point (but there is danger) in trying to teach yourself anything with a real sword. And even with an iaito, by trying to learn on your own you are more likely to teach yourself bad habits than to gain anything.
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