Will Adamson wrote:BTW, how does one parry with a katana? I had heard somewhere about using what would be our false edge since it is flat on a katana, but that wrist position seems rather akward and weak. I'm thinking that if they have parrying at all it must be done with the flat or counter cutting edge on flat.
This is actually where Japanese swordsmanship displays its most striking similarity to the Western tradition--their paradigm of defense emphasizes attacking first before the enemy could do anything or, failing that, launching a counterattack as quickly as possible while voiding or warding against the enemy's strikes. The relatively short length of the
katana gives somewhat more emphasis on voiding, whether by sidestepping or moving out of range, than on deflecting or parrying the enemy's blade.
It's true that kenjutsu employs the flat and the unsharpened back of the blade to block the enemy's strike in some cases, but these techniques form only a very small subset of the defensive repertoire. Like I said before, most of the defensive techniques I've seen there emphasize voiding instead of blade-to-blade opposition, whether with a simultaneous counterattack or not.
Honestly, I think the
katana is quite like the rapier in this respect--a highly specialized sword designed for use in the confined spaces of urban combat against unarmored foes. Where rapiers emphasize the thrust, the
katana uses its short length to ensure continued effectiveness when fighting in narrow alleys or indoor situations. The numerous
iai (striking on the draw) techniques are obviously designed to get an edge in such urban/indoors combat situations--especially by getting the first strike against the potential opponent. It is worth noting that many
iai techniques start from a sitting/kneeling position, which is just perfect for taking an enemy unawares in the middle of a polite conversation or striking immediately upon the first signs of a brawl developing in a gambling den.
Note the emphasis on "urban." My personal opinion is that the longer reach of the European longsword gives it a considerable advantage over the
katana in open terrain where space is not an issue. In confined spaces, however, the
katana's smaller size, lighter weight, and ability to strike directly on the draw just about counterbalances the longsword's reach and ability to use the false edge, leading to more-or-less an even fight. Note that these speculations assume a fight between two equally skilled fighters, and as we all know such fights practically
don't take place in reality--and in a real fight I'll almost always put my money on the more skilled fighter regardless of the weapon.
Oh, BTW, perhaps you'd like to examine your perception about the maintenance of Japanese swords as well. Even though the handle of a Japanese sword could be removed to expose the tang, the Japanese sword-polishers themselves don't bother to wipe the rust out of the tang; in fact, the extent and color of rust in the tang of a Japanese sword is considered an important determinant of age and hence value. Many clueless Western sword-collectors have ruined the historical value of their Japanese swords by cleaning the rust on their tangs--something they should never ever have done. Note that active red rust is damaging to the metal, but old, hardened black rust actually stabilizes and even protects the blade to some extent. The Europeans probably understood this as well and didn't worry about the rust on the tangs of their swords except if this rust stayed red and steadfastly refused to stabilize into the blackened form.
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