Ancient Edge Bastard Sword Cutting Demo (Tameshigiri)

James Williams demonstrating that his European-styled hand-and-a-half sword can withstand many of the same cutting rigors traditionally accustomed to the Japanese sword. Williams designed this bastard sword for manufacturing at the Hanwei (Paul Chen) forge to sell at Ancient Edge, a subsidiary of his parent Bugei corporation.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• bastard
• sword
• cutting
• tameshigiri

[aspie101]

No, unlike stupid anime geeks, I know how swords work. I just hate those people who believe all the overhpe of katanas.

[ZarlanTheGreen]

"Gist of the post, straight-blades were typically specialized. Whereas, curved blades were effective on a range of enemies and therefore, more common."

I'm sorry, but that it utter and pure nonsense.

Curved swords are specialized at cutting.

Straight blades can thrust a lot better, whilst not being that much worse at cutting (the thin rapier aside), AND they could cut with the back edge.

There is no sword more versatile than the medieval longsword.

[MoonLancer]

@ekjudo Actually i did just walk up and join a European martial arts group, and as for gaps we filled them in using Renaissance techniques which did in fact survive the age of the gun, and are very well documented. However we try and stay to the core of the medieval fight books as much as possible. I would be very surprised if any Asian martial art goes back further then the 1600s. Most eastern martial arts surfer from Mcdojo syndrome, I highly respect the ones that are not.

[Charlizard777]

That was wonderful!

[TripAClaymore]

Geez. Up until now I though I knew what fast mat cutting was, but I have never seen that kind of quick follow up on the falling pieces. Bravo!!!

[EvilxMerlin]

@ekjudo

No, they are not dead. HEMA, ARMA and several other organizations have seen to that. No they didn't get the start from asian arts, they started from period fight books (Fechtbücher in German) which allowed for an accurate recreation of the Martial Art. SOME aspects of the asian arts made there way into the art to fill in SOME of the blanks. You have a very strange view of the European Martial Arts. While you seem to have some of the understanding its backwards in a lot of circumstances

[EvilxMerlin]

@colddrake80

No sorry, I have not. German Longsword, a little bit of sword work (single handed sword) but nothing curved.

[colddrake80]

@EvilxMerlin Have you ever studied any the curved European swords? I curious to hear if their are any similarities between sabres and the katana.

[EvilxMerlin]

@Arb1ter

Thats because the availablity of GOOD iron was bad for both the Celts and Japanese....

[EvilxMerlin]

@colddrake80

This. I've been doing WMA for several years now. Before that I studied both Kempo Karate and Kenjutsu. The similarities are striking. The swords are used quite differently (two edges and an accute point and typically MUCH longer than a katana), but the grappling side of things is nearly identical.

[colddrake80]

@Ranziel1 Very true. As a related aside I was looking through a PDF of a Renaissance fight book and showed it to a friend with a background in judo. A lot the wrestling/unarmed techniques were the same. With the human body as a constant A LOT of techniques will come out the same. Their is no way around it.