The Sword Symphony

[shepdiesel505]

awesome its amazing how much control you have over that Katana

[Kurowaltsu2]

Very nice. i'd love to see this done with a live blade to see how the weight balance and sharpness changes the flow

[amyxxsutcliffe]

My friend just told me he does it an didnt know how to explain it and i looked on here its amazing you so good im inlove with it <3<3 xx

[xReverseRoundHousex]

champloo 

[bestkid2323]

wow mr roach your the best i freestlye swordman i ever seen!! man your good .....your biggst fan justin :)

[dasmonkeyman]

@TPRoach im sure you get this question alot but where did you learn that stuff? :)

[tobbis54]

Nice video m8 :) I'm training in kenvert aswell but i havent actuly a trainer near where i am living, i've used youtube videos this far, could you advice some webpage or a book or something that gives a bit of a better guidance? :)

[WileyTDog1]

AMAZING what kind of katanas do you use?

[TheNinjahdog]

awesome m8;) i'd love to have some kind of bokken fight with u, try 2 make a vid soon, similar style to ur 1H one, without throwings:) can get many inspiration frm ur vids, GZ:)

[TPRoach]

@TheNinjahdog thanks mate

[davidlopan123]

i admire your performance and spirit keep up the good work.

[TPRoach]

@davidlopan123 thank you

[pupskannake]

I just love your vids!

How long u trained to become good like that?

[TPRoach]

@pupskannake thanks, been training in general since i was young, over 10 years

[mcroik]

Can you answer me a question please? I want to make my own sword video and I'd like to know how to do that white-motion-shadow effect ?? It'S so cool... just name of the effect should be enough, I'll find the rest! thank you!

[bobizking1]

KENVERT RULES!!!!

[christycowart61]

I enjoy seeing someone who loves the blade as much as I do. Thank you for your inspiration from someone who trains alone. CC

[dam0e]

Great video! The song makes it more powerfull! 5 Stars by my side ;)

[unruhMMA]

a really good clip...

Tom Roach, my greatings and respect...

the martial art is a way...

a symphonie...

sometimes 2 ways are similar, but ever individual...

a master can teach you to begin the way...

but you have to walk...

[TPRoach]

obokuri Eeumi (or more correctly, Obokuri-Ee Umi) by Ikune Asazaki.

The song means 'obtain bearing' i think.

[walking1way]

i wouldnt underestimate a INDIVIDUAL trained for the sword no matter how good i think i am.. i learned my lesson for that awhile ago.. peace and many greetings.

your style of fighting maybe different than mine, but like dogs, and cats.. the only difference is that one bites, while the other tends to scratch, both like all have a heart, and spirit, even like a sword..when one cant see it.. i hope you continue to respect your sword, by tributing yourself to show your skill.

[KraljCorvin]

i think the best way to learn the use of a sword is to learn it by yourself .... i'm training martial arts since im 12 years old , armed and not armed techniques .... and the best skills that i've learned where the skills that i teached myself ....... tom roach youre great ....

[tacityrn]

roach is the best vertist!

[tacityrn]

toms sword symphony moved my heart in such a way that almost makes me want to put away the sword. if you watch through his movements he always drops back to a defensive stance but what u dont realize is within that defensive stance comes even more power

[ninjasixsixsix]

How did you do this white shadow effect??? PM me plz Great video and nice form =P

[SoldierCyfix]

where did you learn how to use a sword. i cant find a dojo that teaches sword mastery. just TKD and judo

[P4TrickeR]

fucking nice o.O

and those effects are great..good choice, they match with the music and the whole atmosphere in the vid :)

what program did you use for them?

[wepntech]

amazing video man im tryna find somethin that couls use improvment or somethin but cant beutiful swordplay

[dasmonkeyman]

what ''official'' martial arts training did you have? and are there many sword/katana dojos in south east england?

last question what is the name of the song.

dont need to tell you how good the vid is :D

[rubelcool]

the song is Obokuri Eumi by Ikue Asazaki ...its a track from the ost of "Samurai Champloo" anime.

[tarth74]

I wish I could do stunts like that!

[deathmetal44]

realy cool vid.

[LoneBootPro]

That's beautiful.

[iSax4Lyfe]

The effects at 1:33 are awesome

[zombiedog66]

Damm you got some skills.

[stiLLa2000]

am i wrong or ist there no tsuba? i like that very much, the tsuba distorts me while handling the sword, i like it plane, like a stick! nice video anyway, your skill is awesome, keep going m8!

[stiLLa2000]

well, now im pretty sure that there is no tsuba, a so called shirasaya-katana, meaning "white scabbard-katana" if so is interested ;)

[TPRoach]

hey :) ..yeah no tsuba. Usually use common katana's which do though.

[jenshap76]

Very nice.

[JVic1992]

That's a nice dance

[LaSwagga]

Fantastic choice of music!

Asazaki Ikue's Utabautayun was a brilliant CD and obokuri eeumi was a perfect song! Seriously amazing choice.

[Radiiio]

Please, never delete this video!

It is so inspiring and skilled, thanks for posting this quite a while ago, much respect.

[Asaki2000]

i want this song can you send it to me?

[pimidorka]

You reminds me of my best friend...He was a very great person,as great as you,but well...

He is turn out a traitor...

Never be the one and good luck!

[EvangelionFan]

Very elegant and beautiful i wish i was this good

[savage007300]

there`s no Kendo, more Iaido like and some mixed stuff like Capoeira + some streetfight elements + some theatrical&impractical. But still kick ass. Good exhibition. 5/5 Thanx

[metallicamonkey]

hey didnt u or a friend have an old vid like this, it was talking about kenvert, cause i really want to c that again

[TPRoach]

yeps its gone.. got too much of a ramming

[metallicamonkey]

aw dang,that was a cool one oh well, nice stuff, u actually learn it in a school, i can do most of the stuff but i learnt by watching waaaaay to many star wars movies. :)

[taeboamped]

o shyt. is that a real sword? i wish i could do that.

[Myxale]

Great stuff! Elegant and precise! Wish more people would do such old-school hobbies!

Cheers!

[angelsflying]

wow good stuff.. wish people were more interested in hobbies like these that require discipline its a good trait. :)

[bladesofsorrow]

What art would this be? I would love to learn it.

[TKswitch]

Kenvert, as it's commonly called.

It's a variant of kendo, I believe.

[SherubiGashes]

I want to be that elegant with my kata like him.

Just amazing to watch. Make more of these please.

[EvangelionFan]

completly agree, my kattas loose though more swaying leaf style i guess, so his style wont mesh im jealous haha

[PlatinumJester]

It's a Tanto

[BladefulArt]

Excellent exhibition swordmanship. Elegant, graceful, beatiful, but yet still can be lethal if a person was foolish enough to get close unprepared.

That sword throw at the 2 minute and something mark was insane, I'd slice my hand if I was to try it.

[sbishop1]

BladefulArt

This is a very striking and beautifully artistic video but please remember that this is a dance...don't get carried away how "lethal" it may or may not be; to me that detracts from the art being presented.

[shinoto]

If you ever delete this video I WILL find you and kick your ass :) best video ever dude I've loved it ever since you upload it. Reminds me of how much I love doing this. Keep it up :) - Jin

[SoulReaperBloodStorm]

Maybe next time in the dark scenes you could use a reflector blade? Just so the sword is more visible to those who are not familiar with dark scene viewing... XP Just a suggestion and also it makes the moves look cool some times =^,..,^= lol

[GRMLASGS]

Man lovin' the throw at 02:47!

[littleshahada]

The song is "obokuri Eeumi" by asazaki Ikue

[Stijnn]

Can someone Please tell me What song is Played On this amazing Video?

[Blacksnyder]

Wow ,dude is quick.

[Eminem287]

man i do the sword in compention and i look up to u alot.... your rly amazing...lol im only 14 and a national champ in my divison with the sword in the AKA......i kik but

[soulreaverdoug]

amazing keep going..........sugoiiii neee

me gusto mucho tambien la cancion de fondo

[ShoDaBrave]

Here's to KenVert...May it flourish and thrive for many years to come. OSU!!!

[ninjadude9]

beautiful

[noelkirc]

I appreciate your talents fellow artist. i'm wondering what kind of video camera you used here and what mega pixel... anyway, looking forward. keep it up!

[werle00]

That was so impressive! Your awesome! ^_^

[axonian]

amaxing work-and movements- T roach is the expression of thought creation! love it!

max

[jtwolf85]

where is that quote in the description from??

[TPRoach]

Its a small part of a much longer poem i wrote a while back.. the idea of being 'shrouded' all the time by a unknown and uncontrollable feeling or desire was inspired by a line in a Terry Brooks novel i once read. so cred' goes to him.

[fireaminal]

dude!!! i keep comming back to this vid every so often, and everytime i do i notice another something that makes me think wow! like the bit right at the start, you seem to go in time with the traffic lights behind you. you really inspire me tom, please keep makin vids and ignore the haters. they are just jellous lol.

[fireaminal]

you rock man, thanks for making me take more intrest in my swordwork **bows**

also, your ittention to where the camera is, what angles you film from, and the effects are very profesional dude. youtube needs more ppl like you on it

peace, love, happyness and respect dude.

[rastapasta250]

grats on looking cool ... but i just wear sunglasses at night to pull that off

[Godlovesyou234]

great job! your doing fantastic tom.

[gf7szega]

Keep it up man, youre skills are good sow are youre reflexes, good to see some talented people:) ...

[DJBF2007]

nice video tom, keep on your work and improve it...

[xDaYWaLKeR]

And any nerd can reply like this. If you like your cage fighting. Go watch that. It's an ART! You're not going to tell a painter like "That painting wont safe your life in a real fight". Any nerd can fight. Although cage fighters have a "bit" more experience lol

[seph351]

Its funny every time I see some like you post on here I just laugh at how close minded some people are. Self expression is a form of art. Maybe you and your comment bashing buddies should learn that.

[seph351]

Obviously you didnt read the comment, "Sword martial arts and stunts.Blade dancer sword roach. A musical sword form. Mix of xma with kenjutsu." Do you see in there it saying this is how you fight? I dont, but "flipping, twirling, etc etc etc." are useful for training considering they help build better control and precision techniques.

[iLiketoSayRawr]

is he self taught, if not where did you learn?

[KaiKuro]

wow really smooth technique dude, where did you learn your stuff? Im a sword instrctor at my dojo and i wana learn as  much as i can

[foolishgenius89]

I really really want to know what that ghost affect was! youre skill is awesome!

[donovanredwing]

Everything in the is just so inspiring!! Your spirit, the music, the style, it's just great! I have one question: Do you study any particular art or are you self taught?

[musiv]

where did u download this song, its from samurai champloo right?

love the song

[gthx1138y]

"...ho...ha...guard...perry...­turn...twist...thrust...!" aha, Porky took your staff again!

[TheDarkWall]

interesting video I always thought you xma types were just a bunch of punk teenagers who did tricks but you changed my perspective

[wuxia76]

Haha...great comment.

[zeppygorrila]

UR SO JAP

[zigeunerjack]

nice video, but I think the best part is the beginning - the background fits wonderful and the soundtrack is great, too.

[NightIllidan]

really awesome stuff but the music doesen't fit near the end where there is a lot of fast movements, and the beginning was great , waht i would've liked though was a ''gi'' or somethin of that art at the beginning, but a great vid none the less

[cooluke]

I know this is debatable. He's fast and all but his style...ineffucient and all glamor. One cut one kill

[Phantomsbreath]

Holy hell. This man fights like I do, like liquid mercury, never quite staying in one place. My weapon is the rapier. Trust me. Most people teach lunge then slash. I was taught that the rapier was a slashing weapon first. But this guy makes anyone who's ever learned to kick ass with a sword and look good too (like me) look bad. Hell, I'm nothin compared to you man.

[animeswordman]

wow....some day....i will be that good

[Bunnypiss]

nice skills. I like the video and I LOVE that song in samurai champloo, although, they do not suit each other, the solo swordplay clashes with the mood of the song.

[Ferociouslint]

Ya know if he wasn't so damn good at it, this would be Star Wars Kid funny.

[DeLac86]

damn.... i'm 20 yrs.... how many years i should spend to learn as you the sword!!! i'm already subscrived at aikido..

[ookibaka]

Dude, even though it looks staged, this guy is very good, in atleast two or three martial arts, and besides Akido, once you get good enough, can disarm anyone, or very nearly.

[lemsp]

WOw. It's always great to see the real stuff after doing all the TV/Film stuff we do. Great work.

[abcdswo]

I´m again, my organization of duel celebrates a international tournament in this year probably, if you can travell to spain, contact whit me.

[Volkolak]

Nice ballet dance.

[ava1on]

awsome. i wonder how many retakes there were...

[Gatorlaid]

I wisht I could do that

[mtmcas]

very cool kenjutsu freestyle and a good song for this

[shishikokoro]

Your good. Not all that is seen here is simply for show. He goes through some scenes in true kenjutsu form. You can identify these by the lack of frills and straight-to-the-point cuts. One thing: Remove the gloves. I understand that a lot of this is flair, and out of love for the art of combative movement, but you have the potential to live up to the way of the warrior. So I say remove the gloves and be proud of the callouses that will come.

[theuppercut]

this would be 10 times as cool if you wore a ninja outfit when you did this.. lol <3

[abcdswo]

Not bad.. your a good kenjutsu freestyler and you got spirit.. but I didn´t see the true determination of great masters, and your horitzontal strikes are weak for little desviations of your strike tecnique. (sorry for my bad english, I´m the president of spanish association of duel arts)

[onmitsu9]

Kendo dance.

[Zeke323]

Cool, wery good, but as excalibur had mentioned its inly ment for show, fighting style like this would defenetly be defeated by kenjutsu or with a pair of dao's =

), tho I gots to admit, those moves ROCK FOR SHOW!!!

[bushou]

Right, because the chance of anone being involved

in a life and death swordfight with him or anyone

eslse is what????

[Excalibur01]

very good form, but only meant for showing, not meant for real fights

[AarounMichaelPierce]

I love this video...TRoach is very skilled and by his own admission, still has a long way to go. But to all you out there who like to post "he is not this...not effective...not in true form..." etc/etc. I say this to you...put up or shut up. At least he is doing something artful and has the courage to display it to the rest of the world. Ever wonder how many great painting and songs have ended up in the trash because the artist thought it wasn't good enough to please the audience?

[narutochunin]

hey wuts the name of the effects u used in this 1 i must know o and good job

[Kensuke]

The song's called Obtain Bearing by Asazaki Ikue, from Samurai Champloo no less.

[swordsmanfabian18]

I want to know hwo you did the blurring effect. THAT was awesome, as was the rest of the vid. And I agree KaosuVolt, a jian would be particularly beautiful in your hands, but the katana didn't betray you either. A simply mezmorizing video.

[Sakuranovo]

Beautiful, The music is so nice, It almost like he is cutting away at the tension that the music has gathered

[looneysolidsnake]

hmmm it isn't allowed to play with katanas on open streets. somebody could get hurt...

[MetalGearSolidRaiden]

Awesome...This guy will become a great swordmaster !!!

[Trunks2404]

awesome. really great

[KaosuVolt]

I bet you'd feel even more at home using a jian.

Nice XMAing, seriously.

[Yorgat]

This guy is not in the tradition of the iai-do, but sure he is prodigious. With experience and lot of work on himselfy, he will become a sword master, in artistic form, celerity and accuracy. Impressive !

[DrAlbino]

very appropriate

[thaartofdez]

how did you get the cool video effects?

[Sadoos]

T_T Sugeeeei. Those moves, the blurry efect, music from Samurai Champloo. Man you're my sensei T_T

[BlueFrodo]

He adds xma moves for the flashy effect. I hear some xma instructor guy in the US sent him a black belt as a gift for his work. He could do the xma weapons forms no prob.

[pablopagues]

Awesome vid! I wonder how you did that kind of video fx and what edit program did you use?

[BigMilan]

i wanna see instructions! i love practicing a bit at home, and i wanna try some of this stuff but it's just too fast

[GeneralHanSolo]

Roach, good stuff. I would recommend you applying for northern shaolin sword fighting, than kenjutsu. You have the natural fluidility of chinese sword fighting than Japanese.

[RoninHawk]

Agreed, his rhythms coincide more with saolin or wushu, and the like.

[TehMole]

To be perfectly honest, this is what Obata Kaiso would call "Circus Swordsmanship". You seem to be much more focused on tricks and flashy moves than the actual facets of swordsmanship. I do not, however, mean you any offence by what I have just said. It is very impressive to be able to do all of those moves, and I commend you for your perserverence.

I must ask;

Is that a shinken or an iaito/mogito?

[UncleBubba]

That music works far better than the rock shite that people insist on putting all over this sort of thing usually.

Sword forms are a thing of beauty, and the music should reflect that.

[PablobodoM]

very incredible

yeah man!!

[vitbit]

the first part matches exactly but after you go into the other stuff it dosent fit at all.

either way big fan.

keep on

[Crimsonblade80]

I love prodigy, and the pace of the music certianly fits your style! But the opening 40 seconds is slower movements and the slower music fits well there. Maybe break up the music? ;) You inspire the hell out of me, man! keep it up! awesome work!

[wolf359au]

Another awesome vid, mate.

[BlueFrodo]

Beautiful!

[redfire389]

nice. Wich program do u use?