Japanese (刀) for sword. Can also refer to a specific long sword used by the Japanese Samurai, sometimes accompanied by a shorter sword or wakisashi. The Katana is a "to" Pronounced TOE that a sword that is is slightly curved with a sharp edge in only one side. it also tends to be used loosly for Tsugari that is "Ken" straight double edged blades such as the broadsword. there is properly no word that encompasses both weapon types. It is primarily used for slashing, and can be wielded one or two handed (the second being the most common mode). The art of drawing the katana is most frequently called iaido?, and other martial art principly related to the katana are kendo, and kenjutsu?. However as one of the principle weapon of the samuraipractically all japaneses arts concern themselves with it to a greater or lesser extent. |
"Katana" (pronounced KAH TAH NAH) is the kun-yomi? (Japanese reading) of the kanji? 刀; the on-yomi? (Chinese reading) is "to" (pronounced (TOH). It refers to a specific type of curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by the Japanese samurai. |
It is primarily used for slashing, and can be wielded one- or two-handed (the second being the most common mode). The art of drawing the katana is iaido?, and other martial arts related to the katana are kendo and kenjutsu?. |
See also tsurugi, tachi?, wakizashi. |
It is primarily used for slashing, and can be wielded one- or two-handed (the second being the most common mode). The art of drawing the katana is iaido?, and other martial arts related to the katana are kendo and kenjutsu?.
See also tsurugi, tachi?, wakizashi.
The distinctive curvature of the katana is partly due to the differential [heat treating]? it is subjected to. Unlike swords produced in many other locations, Japanese smiths did not harden the entire blade, but only the cutting edge. The hardening process will make the edge part of the blade contract less than the untreated steel when cooling down, forcing the blade to curve. The combination of hard edge and soft back of a katana and other Japanese blades is what cause them to be resilient and yet retain a good cutting edge.