Swords

[Vampyreangel]

OK now I would like to know what type of swords does SHI have? I know they are Samurai swords but there are many different types of them, what kind does SHI use.

Also, her ( I am sorry, I do not know the proper name ) the sword with the long wooden handle, what type is that?

Thanks so much.
Shelly

[Delvie]

Her weapon w/ the somewhat long wooden handle is known as a  naginata. Hers is named fred. Although, you might see some pictures where she is drawn holding a nagamaki This is just because most artists don't know any better. The Naginata has short/wide blade w/ a strong curvature. This was traditionally used by women. The Nagamaki has a much longer thinner blade. It tends to be heavier & traditionally was used by men. I've seen some artists mistake a Yari (spear point) for a naginata. Bad faux pas!

As far as what type of sword she uses... well that also depends on what artist's picture you are looking @. Most artists don't realize that there is a difference between
Nodachi
Chiisagatana
Shoto
Shinogi Zukuri
Shobo Zukuri
Hira Zukuri
Kiriha Zukuri
daito
shoto
katana
tachi

For simplicities sake you can generally say she uses a simple katana & your point will get across. Although, many different artists just take liberties to draw a japanese looking sword unconcerned that Ana must have a hellacious arsenal to own so many different kinds of swords. Sometimes she is drawn using Daisho (Katana/Wakizashi pair), but even this can be wrong at times as they sometimes inaccurately draw the paired swords the same size (which means she is using a pair of katana). At times I've seen her drawn w/ a Ninjato & even sometimes drawn holding a European cut & thrust. (As an odd sideote. As an Iai practicioner... I've never seen her depicted w/ a Iaito. Imagine that.???)

Also of GREAT irony(which literally translates to: "I get bored & think too much about trivial stuff... " ;D) is the fact that Shi wears 6-8 Shuriken (not to be confused w/ Shaken) yet has NEVER used them once. Shuriken are throwing darts, sometimes wood, sometimes metal. for some odd reason, what we know as Shuriken (throwing stars) are not shuriken at all but are known as "Shaken" in Japanese tradition. In many pictures, you'll see them strapped to her Bracer(wristguard). (for more reference: http://aikidoaus.com.au/dojo/shuriken/intro.htm)

Another weapon which I would like to see Shi use more often (hint hint... Billy?)is the Manriki-gusari.


Hope this helps

[Vampyreangel]

OK thanks so much for this information.

Now is the Shuriken those two wooden looking sticks which you mentioned are located on her wrist guard?

Would you say that hers are wood or metal? They do not look metal to me, more like wood.

Thanks so much for all your help.  :)

Shelly

[Delvie]

They look a lot like wood to me as well. Yes, in most pics she wears two on each forearm. However, I've seen some where she has three on each forearm. She sometimes wears them in her hair, also.

Also, as an addendum to the info on "Naginata" & "Nagamaki". Lots of pictures of Shi w/ her "Naginata" are, in fact, not a naginata but the "Nagamaki". Even the new statue has her holding a Nagamaki. What difference does it make? Virtually none, unless you are really really picky & a perfectionist or in my case... just bored a lot & in love w/ the Nagamaki.

;D

[Vampyreangel]

HI Delvie,

Yes I agree that is definately a Nagamaki SHI has in the comic.

Thanks for the info. on the Shuriken as well. Otherwise I would have just thought those were chopsticks she pulled out for a bit to eat. LOL. Hey they could be used for that as well right  ???  hehehe

Delvie, please answer my other message I set you to your mailbox when you get a chance, thanks!

Shelly

[Steve]

Dear Del, was Ninjato a typo?  If not then what is that?  And what about caltrops?  Hmmmm...
Steve

[Delvie]

Dear Del,
was Ninjato a typo?  If not then what is that?  

And what about caltrops?  Hmmmm...
Steve

Yes... a typo. I was sorta writing all that in a hurry. I am moving at the end of the month & have to divide my time between bugging you guys, bugging my girls & packing. I now have 57 boxes packed.

Ninjato as it is oft mispelled is more accurately spelled Ninja To ( not to be confused w/ "Ninja Toes" ;) )or just simply Shinobigatana

I agree w/ the caltrops. I figured we would have atleast seen Tomoe or even Arashi use Tetsubishi (caltrops). Seemed like a good idea. Perhaps in the future, we can have a looooooonnnnggggggg 12-20 issue series where Ana's Nemisis, or better yet.... a long lost enemy of Yoshitora's is a banished successor of a Bushinkan or Ninpo Ryu seeking revenge against Yoshi & his family. Maybe this nemisis has a daughter seeking revenge or just trying to please her "dear daddy the ninja baddy" ;D

This could open up possibilites for all sorts of traditional weapons.
Fukubari
Kakute
Kusarigama
Nekote
Metsubishi
Tekagi
Tekken
etc.

The writer could expirament w/ mudras & other Ninpo traditions. Something of this magnitude would need a writer to do lots of research to ensure accuracy. Just a thought. ;D or a wish... ;D ;D


Hit hint, Billy... up for it? JC? ??? ;D

[BillyTucci]

I'd like to announce in a very sincere but hetero-way, but:
I LOVE YOU DELVIE!

We've got to get you some sort of "Crusade Consultation" position!

[Delvie]

;D

[ITOMARU]

Tachi is a long sword for battle on horseback which was worn with edge down, these were in general used since the Tumulus period to the Muromachi period.

Katana is a long sword which was worn with edge up, these were in general used since the Muromachi period. The length of a blade of a common katana is 69.7cm, it is called daitou.

Wakizashi(a.k.a. shoutou or chiisagatana ) is a short sword for cut off an enemy's head or suicide, has the blade between 30cm and 60cm.

In the Edo period, samurai worn a pair of daitou and wakizashi, the pair was called daishou. Then sanusai was commonly called nihonzashi(two swords wearer).

Nodachi is a very long sword, also called oodachi or zanbatou(horse slayer).
http://www.kamakuranet.ne.jp/~sankaido/zanbatou1.htm

Ninjatou/shinobigatana is a complete fiction!
BTW, it's odd that SHI has sai. Sai, ton-fa and nunchaku are weapons of Ryukuan martial arts, neither samurai nor ninja nor souhei used them.

The sticks on her wrist guard are bou-shuriken. Shuriken is made of metal, I hadn't seen wooden shuriken.
http://www.kamakuranet.ne.jp/~sankaido/bsy.htm

The pin which was worn in her hair is kougai. (Japanese women never wear chopsticks in hair!!!)
http://www.n-p-s.net/kodougu3.htm

And, ***zukuri is not the type of swords, but the styles of blades.

BTW, what is Caltrops?

[Delvie]

Tachi is a long sword for battle on horseback which was worn with edge down, these were in general used since the Tumulus period to the Muromachi period.

Katana is a long sword which was worn with edge up, these were in general used since the Muromachi period. The length of a blade of a common katana is 69.7cm, it is called daitou.

Wakizashi(a.k.a. shoutou or chiisagatana ) is a short sword for cut off an enemy's head or suicide, has the blade between 30cm and 60cm.

In the Edo period, samurai worn a pair of daitou and wakizashi, the pair was called daishou. Then sanusai was commonly called nihonzashi(two swords wearer).

Nodachi is a very long sword, also called oodachi or zanbatou(horse slayer).
http://www.kamakuranet.ne.jp/~sankaido/zanbatou1.htm

The sticks on her wrist guard are bou-shuriken. Shuriken is made of metal, I hadn't seen wooden shuriken.
http://www.kamakuranet.ne.jp/~sankaido/bsy.htm

Yah... what he said... good show chap.  ;D

The pin which was worn in her hair is kougai. (Japanese women never wear chopsticks in hair!!!)
http://www.n-p-s.net/kodougu3.htm

They wore forks... ;D

And, ***zukuri is not the type of swords, but the styles of blades.

Was just using in a descriptive manner

BTW, what is Caltrops?

Caltrops were used through out Europe from the middle ages clear up until.... well... whenever... ;D (I'll try to find a link later to show what they look like. I have to leave soon to catch a flight to Seattle & won't be back til Sunday.) They were 3 to 6 sided metal thorns or spurs thrown on the ground to aid in retreat or cheat in combat. When the caltrops landed, they always landed w/ a point sticking up. These points would get lodge in a  horses hoof causing much pain. Japanese (maybe asian also) versions (known as tetsubishi) were quite small in comparison & were used against people as much (if not more so) than horses.

[Steve]

All you had to say was "spiked balls", Delvie. ;D

[Weldon]

All you had to say was "spiked balls", Delvie. ;D

No no...  please... DON'T say 'spiked balls'...
It reminds me of a painful Volleyball incident....   :-X
---Wel

[Delvie]

All you had to say was "spiked balls", Delvie. ;D

Too True... ;D, but then I wouldn't have been talking about Tetsubishi

To deepen the discussion... let's introduce
Makabishi & Igadama (The other white meat... errr.... caltrop)
The shape of tetsubishi more closely resembled the jacks from the game Jacks (Jax? sp?). They were the most widely used as they were easy to make, could also be found in nature & didn't hurt as bad when reaching into a pouch to grab them (as opposed to the "spiked balls")

Here is a picture of 2 diff kinds of tetsubishi shaped caltrops w/ makabishi in the middle:



Originally, the tetsubishi were Water Chestnut Seed casings


Tetsubishi shaped Caltrops were used by the CIA as well http://www.cia.gov/cia/information/artifacts/caltrop.htm

More modern mass produced & sold in store tetsubishi are simply made of twisted metal.



The balls w/ spikes are known as Igadama & look like:


they had an identical purpose, however, unlike the tetsubishi , they also served very well as a thrown objects.

An item called makabishi were also used.... they were shaped like pyramids & can be seen in the picture below at the bottom right:



Hope this helps.  :)

Live well

[ITOMARU]

Thanks.

[Delvie]

Any time

 ::)

[Weldon]

And as any Gamer who has walked around his house barefoot knows...
4-sided dice work just as well!   ;D

[BillyTucci]

This is an excellent message board.  Special thanks to Delvie and Itomaru!  Thanks for starting it VampyreAngel!

[Delvie]

And as any Gamer who has walked around his house barefoot knows...
4-sided dice work just as well!   ;D

LOL    TOO FUNNY!
Actually, one of the websites that I was looking @ said that her Ryu uses marbles for training purposes.


:o


& thanx for the compliments Billy

[Delvie]

Japanese Sword Auction Terminology "True" Meanings

• "slight stains on blade" = [/color](the blade is more rust than steel)
  
  • "light rust spots" = [/color](the blade is rusted beyond recognition)
    
    • "rare" = [/color](it's the only one I have at the moment)
      
      • "scabbard slightly dented" = [/color](it looks like a train ran over it)
        
        • "some minor pitting" = [/color](you can see light thru the rust holes)
          
          • "blade has small nicks in edge" = [/color](you could use it as a saw)
            
            • "good sword for martial arts" = [/color](no collector would buy it)
              
              • "blade could use a light polish" = [/color](it will only cost $2000 to restore this jewel)
                
                • "missing tsuba" = [/color](sold the tsuba for big bucks, but the blade is junk)
                  
                  • "it's a mumei gendaito blade" = [/color](got some ocean front property in Utah if you want it too)
                    
                    • "sword needs some restoration" = [/color](it will cost $5000 and two years work to save this dog)
                      
                      • "sword just came out of the woodwork" = [/color](it's been in the back of my closet for years)
                        
                        • "handle wrap somewhat frayed" = [/color](the handle looks like it went through a shredder)
                          
                          • "selling this sword with no reserve" = [/color](I'll take anything to get rid of this loser)
                            
                            • "blade is unsigned" = [/color](the maker was too embarassed to sign it)
                              
                              • "blade has minor flaws" = [/color](the steel is peeling off in chunks)
                                
                                • "a good study sword" = [/color](blade is damaged beyond repair)
                                  
                                  • "blade is slightly bent" = [/color](it looks like a cork screw)

[suryanijan]

Delvie, since I do not want to barf in the other pest-infested kitchen .. just wanted to say thanks!  And you are totally right.  ::)

[BillyTucci]

I want to thank you too Delvie.

Excellent Intel!

[jsniderfamily]

Delvie,
Does that mean that SHI's weapons are
SHAKEN but not stirred?
-Joe

[Delvie]

Or rather Shuriken, not Shaken.

[jsniderfamily]

Also of GREAT irony(which literally translates to: "I get bored & think too much about trivial stuff... " ) is the fact that Shi wears 6-8 Shuriken (not to be confused w/ Shaken) yet has NEVER used them once

Take a look at Queen's Gambit when SHI and Vampirella are fighting with swords.  SHI uses 2 Shuriken I believe and Vampirella uses the sword to deflect.  This is the only time I remember their use.
<Humble submission>