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Japanese sabre is the symbol of the Samurai or Bushi. In fact, BUSHI is
the strict reading of characters that can be translated by warrior. Samourai
is literally " the one who serves ". It is therefore an employee/employer
relationship, suzerain to vassal. Thus a samourai " without master
" is called by another name and becomes a RONIN (literally man of the
wave). Every samourai carries at his belt, on the left side, two sabres, one long and one shorter. The long one or DAITO (literally long sabre) is a KATANA. The shorter or SHOTO (literally short sabre) is a wakizachi. The pair of these two sabres is called a DAISHO, abbreviation of DAITO and SHOTO. The long sabre shall be more than 2 shaku long, that is more than 60 cm, length taken between the tip and the munemachi (unhooking of the back of the sabre which separates the blade (HA) on one side, from the tang (nagako) on the other).
A short sabre shall be 1 to 2 shaku long, therefore 30 to 60 cm. As for the dagger (TANTO), its blade shall be less than a shaku long.
Another long sabre : the TACHI. Anterior to the Katana, the TACHI was traditionally a long sabre, more curved than the Katana, which was carried suspended on the left side by two knots, cutting edge towards the bottom, whenever you were riding a horse and wearing an armour. That way, it is much easier to use than if it were carried at the belt, which is complicated to do in any case with an armour. Following the change in the form of combats (fewer fights among armoured horsemen) during the MUROMACHI period, the UCHIGATANA (the gripping sabre) is created, which is carried at the belt, edge towards the top, therefore easier to unsheath. But a Katana can very well be carried in TACHI. The first Katanas were very curved at the top of the blade to increase the cutting efficiency of the edge.
For long, only the samourai was allowed to carry a sabre. During the EDO period (TOKUGAWA shoguns), the merchant class obtained the right to carry a sabre, but not the DAISHO, which remained the apanage of the samourai. It is only in 1876 that a new law forbade the carrying of sabre, ending the remaining traditions of the medieval period. From then, only soldiers were allowed to carry a sabre, which explains why many warriors transferred into the army.
Three
terms are used to designate the sabre : TO, TACHI, and KEN. TO and TACHI
are two ways to read the same Japanese character. It can be translated by
"sabre". Yet, KEN is another character, and is rather translated
by " sword ". As nothing is simple in Japan, KEN-JUTSU is practised
with a sabre and we performed KAMAE TO (sabre at guard) and NO TO (sheathing).
When it is made out of wood, the sabre becomes a BOKEN or a BOKUTO.
Depending on when it was fabricated, and therefore on the techniques involved, the Japanese sabre is given different names:
Before
1600, it is a KOTO (literally ancient sabre, not small sabre). Between
1600 and 1780 (approx.), it is a SHINTO (literally new sabre : nothing to
do with the shinto religion or way of the gods). Between
1780 and 1876, it is a SHINSHINTO (literally new new sabre). Between
1876 and 1945, it is called a GENDAITO (modern sabre). For
sabres manufactured in series for soldiers during the wars of the 20th century,
the term GUNTO (war sabre is used). Finally,
for contemporary sabres, we use the term SHINKEN (new sword) or SHINSAKUTO
(newly manufactured sabre).Most of the sabres were signed (MEI) by the blacksmith. He sometimes added characteristics such as "cut through three bodies tied together…" and dates or locations.
orging
a sabre was a ritual act, implying purification and asceticism for the master
blacksmith. There were many schools of forging in Japan. The most famous
blacksmiths are MASAMUNE and MURAMASA.. Masamune lived at the beginning of the 14th century. History (or legend) tells that he was an upright, honest and good man, and that his blades brought serenity to the holder. On the contrary, his pupil, MURAMASA, who also had a perfect forging technique, was considered a violent man. Thus his evil aura impregnated his blades, which always caused great harms and spilled great amounts of blood.
It is said that to differentiate those perfect blades, it was as simple as sticking them in the bed of a river, edge directed upstream. Leaves brought by the current were neatly sliced by Muramasa's blade, whereas they strangely avoided Masamune's and went their way. The old masters used to teach that it was what the spirit of the warrior should be, which enforces peace by its own presence, without unsheathing the sabre. But after all, the real meaning of the character BU (which is found in BUSHI but also in BUDO and therefore in AIKIBUDO) is to stop the spear, and not to fight.
