Editing Japanese sword (section)

==Use==

The ''tachi'' became the primary weapon on the battlefield during the [[Kamakura period]], used by cavalry. The sword was mostly considered as a secondary weapon until then, used in the battlefield only after the bow and polearm were no longer feasible. During the [[Edo period]] samurai went about on foot unarmored, and with much less combat being fought on horseback in open battlefields the need for an effective close quarter weapon resulted in samurai being armed with [[daishō]].

Testing of swords, called ''[[tameshigiri]]'', was practiced on a variety of materials (often the bodies of executed criminals) to test the sword's sharpness and practice cutting techniques.

''[[Kenjutsu]]'' is the [[Japanese martial art]] of using the Japanese swords in combat. The Japanese swords are primarily a cutting weapon, or more specifically, a slicing one. Its moderate curve, however, allowed for effective thrusting as well. The hilt was held with two hands, though a fair amount of one-handed techniques exist. The placement of the right hand was dictated by both the length of the handle and the length of the wielder's arm. Two other martial arts were developed specifically for training to draw the sword and attack in one motion. They are ''[[battōjutsu]]'' and ''[[iaijutsu]]'', which are superficially similar, but do generally differ in training theory and methods.

For cutting, there was a specific technique called "''ten-uchi''." ''Ten-uchi'' refers to an organized motion made by arms and wrist, during a descending strike. As the sword is swung downward, the elbow joint drastically extends at the last instant, popping the sword into place. This motion causes the swordsman's grip to twist slightly and if done correctly, is said to feel like wringing a towel (Thomas Hooper reference). This motion itself caused the sword's blade to impact its target with sharp force, and is used to break initial resistance. From there, fluidly continuing along the motion wrought by ''ten-uchi'', the arms would follow through with the stroke, dragging the sword through its target. Because the Japanese swords slices rather than chops, it is this "dragging" which allows it to do maximum damage, and is thus incorporated into the cutting technique. At full speed, the swing will appear to be full stroke, the sword passing through the targeted object. The segments of the swing are hardly visible, if at all. Assuming that the target is, for example, a human torso, ''ten-uchi'' will break the initial resistance supplied by shoulder muscles and the clavicle. The follow through would continue the slicing motion, through whatever else it would encounter, until the blade inherently exited the body, due to a combination of the motion and its curved shape.
[[File:Koshiate (Sword Hangers).png|thumb|''Koshiate'' (Sword Hangers). There are several varieties, especially of ryo-goshiate (double hangers). All kinds which are attached with cords will be worn in the same way, but there are two kinds which have no cords and are therefore worn differently. Swords may be carried without hangers by putting them between the folds of the obi.]]
Nearly all styles of ''kenjutsu'' share the same five basic guard postures. They are as follows; ''[[chūdan-no-kamae]]'' (middle posture), ''[[jōdan-no-kamae]]'' (high posture), ''[[gedan-no-kamae]]'' (low posture), ''[[hassō-no-kamae]]'' (eight-sided posture), and ''[[waki-gamae]]'' (side posture).

The Japanese swords razor-edge was so hard that upon hitting an equally hard or harder object, such as another sword's edge, chipping became a definite risk. As such, blocking an oncoming blow blade-to-blade was generally avoided. In fact, evasive body maneuvers were preferred over blade contact by most, but, if such was not possible, the flat or the back of the blade was used for defense in many styles, rather than the precious edge. A popular method for defeating descending slashes was to simply beat the sword aside. In some instances, an "umbrella block", positioning the blade overhead, diagonally (point towards the ground, pommel towards the sky), would create an effective shield against a descending strike. If the angle of the block was drastic enough, the curve of the Japanese swords blade would cause the attacker's blade to slide along its counter and off to the side.<ref name="soul" />

=== Carrying ===
Japanese swords were carried in several different ways, varying throughout [[Japanese history]]. The style most commonly seen in "samurai" movies is called ''buke-zukuri'', with the katana (and ''wakizashi'', if also present) carried edge up, with the sheath thrust through the ''obi'' (sash).

The sword would be carried in a sheath and tucked into the samurai's belt. Originally, they would carry the sword with the blade turned down. This was a more comfortable way for the armored samurai to carry his very long sword or to draw while mounted. The bulk of the samurai armor made it difficult to draw the sword from any other place on his body. When unarmored, samurai would carry their sword with the blade facing up. This made it possible to draw the sword and strike in one quick motion. In one such method of drawing the sword, the samurai would turn the sheath downward ninety degrees and pull it out of his sash just a bit with his left hand, then gripping the hilt with his right hand he would slide it out while sliding the sheath back to its original position.
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