13 replies to this topic

[Saru]

Superhuman samurai

Click here to watch video - 02:58s

A modern samurai demonstrates his ability to slice a pellet in half as it is being fired at him.

[Vasuvicci]

I wonder how many tries it took them, even then...wow

[aquatus1]

Awesome.  But I do agree with the doctor that this is less of a single sensory processing thing, and more a the synergistic result of multiple training practices.

[The Silver Thong]

they were aiming at a small target behind him so he knew the path of the pellet he just had to get the timing right.

[Englishgent]

I agree with the above posts. Practice and timing. Good skills but nothng supernatural.
I know I am nit-picking here but it wasn't sliced in half. He just nicked a fraction off the top edge of it

[Simbi Laveau]

You guys obviously dont watch Tak Sakaguchi movies.
Its magic......at least when he does it ,it is....especially if hes only wearing a rag around his waist....
There's that one scene in death trance.......and hes like rolling on the ground,in his little rag.....*eyes glaze over*

What was I saying ?
Oh yeah,magic...

[None of the above]

The Samurai were no better swordsmen that many other trained warriors. However, his timing and cut are perfect!

[Simbi Laveau]

Atlantia, on 24 March 2012 - 03:54 PM, said:

The Samurai were no better swordsmen that many other trained warriors. However, his timing and cut are perfect!

Ummmm,I might beg to differ on one point.
Miyamoto Musashi was the samurai,I believe he was mostly a ronin,who began using 2 swords at one time.

So he was bi laterally armed,which completely outmatched his opponents.
fencing ,the swords used by knights and dueling men,would have been completely outmatched .
They also practiced more than most other types of swordsmen.
Hours and hours in a dojo.All being devoted to one style or another.
Then let's not forget the Japanese blind swordsmen.
Sensationalized in movies etc,but they did exist.

Eehhh,I'm biased here so,just my 2,cents.

Edited by missymoo999, 28 March 2012 - 04:16 AM.

[Simbi Laveau]

He's quite famous in Japan.He hold a Guinness world record for fatality mat cuts.

[Simbi Laveau]

I am also partial to katana.

[None of the above]

Simbi Laveau, on 28 March 2012 - 04:15 AM, said:

Ummmm,I might beg to differ on one point.
Miyamoto Musashi was the samurai,I believe he was mostly a ronin,who began using 2 swords at one time.

So he was bi laterally armed,which completely outmatched his opponents.
fencing ,the swords used by knights and dueling men,would have been completely outmatched .
They also practiced more than most other types of swordsmen.
Hours and hours in a dojo.All being devoted to one style or another.
Then let's not forget the Japanese blind swordsmen.
Sensationalized in movies etc,but they did exist.

Eehhh,I'm biased here so,just my 2,cents.

The Samurai were at the top of their game for the warrior class of their own insular culture.
That's about all you can say really.
The technology used to make nihontō is interesting but by European standards was somewhat anacronistic even at it's height.
Japanese 'fencing' techniques are interesting and in many ways are developed around the limitations, strengths and obvious weaknesses of the nihonto.

If you compare the 'samurai' with the equivilent 'knight' of Europe then there are parralels that can be drawn.
Both were trained from youth, by masters. Both practiced until they were absolutely proficient.  
Would an average Samurai have 'completely outmatched' an average knight or later period fencing master? No of course not.
It is more likely that given a similar skill level the decisive differences would have simply been due to technique, luck or the exploiation of weapons technology and limitations.

We all tend to favour the style we are familiar with for sure, but I'd suggest that for a taste of how skillfull European swordsmen were, you take your Japanese martial arts background down to your local sport-fencing club for a lesson or two and see if you can score a few points off of someone of competition standard. Not some master, just someone who is 'reasonable'.
Many, many years ago, I had a few lessons from a little old lady who was part of the british ladies olympic fencing team in the 1950s. She attempted to teach me when she was in her late 60s and I was an uber-fit 21-22 year old.
She would swat my attacks away as easily as shooing away a butterfly! I'm 5'11" and she was about 5'2" and hadn't trained properly for 30+ years.
In a few minutes, she'd reduce me to an exhuasted lumbering wreck and then she'd say something like 'well done you nearly got me'.
Sport fencing shares much with 'real' sword techniques used in the past for rapier, smallsword, sabre etc. Sport fencing is a disciplin every bit as difficult as Kendo or any other weapon based martial art and a lot more physically demanding than many.
Long after the sword was no longer the soldiers 'primary' weapon in Europe and armour became increasingly obsolete, fencing with progressively lighter swords developed into a state of the art deadly dueling technique.
Fencing whether with a sabre or rapier of even just a smallsword or sport foil requires a grace and deadly economy of movement that would have impressed even the most rigid Smaurai master.
Have a look at these boys training in the 1930s! Love the 'P.T prep'



But let's remember that just as in duels between Samurai with Katana, often in duels or fights on the battlefield between opponents with rapiers, sabres etc, the 'action' would be fairly short lived as the first mistake would result in a mortal wound for the loser.
Watch these ladies and gentlemen (especially the ladies at the start). Their technique is excellent, without some of the more modern 'trainer wearing' jumping about like Ali
Imagine if that was a duel with smallswords, a little more circling and back and forth then a split second of contact and someone makes a mistake.

Edited by Atlantia, 07 April 2012 - 10:52 AM.

[None of the above]

Simbi Laveau, on 28 March 2012 - 04:43 AM, said:

I am also partial to katana.

It's a fun but 'apples and pears' test.
The fact of the matter is that if you swung a Katana against plate edge-on you'd chip it at best and whilst it would possibly pierce light plate with it's point, it would probobly chip and damage the point. If the armour were medium or heavy guage, the Katana's inflexible edge would be irrepairbaly damaged.

The youtube viedo isn't a fair test for either sword. It's like me testing them for flexibility, ease of sharpening, durability etc, seeing the broadsword win hands down and concluding that makes it the 'winner'.

[Simbi Laveau]

I tried fencing once.With all my martial arts training,the guy,who I think had competed in the olympics ? Forget his name ...he was like,what's with this tai chi foot work.

I couldn't even contemplate learning another set of mechanics.
I stuck with martial arts.
And well the samurai had armour,but nothing like European armour.
There are actually 6 weak spots on a samurai armour,where there's a functional hole,or weakness ,where an arrow or sword can penetrate.
I had a nutty teacher once,who trained us to fight as if we were fighting armour wearing samurai.
He lived in Osaka a long time,he couldn't help it.

Edited by Simbi Laveau, 07 April 2012 - 09:36 PM.

[didymusclairvoyant]

Wow.. that was pretty amazing, my jaw dropped. That takes talent.