Your Guide to Sword Cutting
Sword fighting moves look so swift and so simple in movies but the case isn’t exactly the same in real life. You might want to do some research before training on how to bust sword fighting moves of your own. The best way to correct the edge angle and focus intent in sword moves is by training in cutting techniques against targets with the use of a sharp blade.
Be careful with sharp blades.
You probably know how fast it is to cut yourself with a kitchen knife when chopping vegetables or slicing meat. Consider the grave consequences when handling swords. It is a million times sharper compared to a home kitchen. In the event when you accidentally cut yourself, you might not even be aware until you see a finger on the ground and blood starts to appear. No pain is felt in the first few seconds so you may not realize that you already hurt yourself. Don’t fool around with untrained sword cutting. An extra sharp blade cut on a target can even leave a piece of bamboo standing in exactly the same position as it was before the cut. Let someone who is trained in sword cutting supervise you. As beginners, you may want to be trained in working with wooden or blunt steel swords before you start working with sharp sword blades.
Training proper
Sword cutting isn’t a common skill to be learned without plenty of prior training. Accidents are more likely to happen when you don’t equip yourself with tons of research and training. Make a rule for yourself to never brush up on your cutting skills alone. Let somebody know that you are going to starting to master the skill of cutting with a sword.
If you have spectators in this learning session, make sure everyone is not chatting and moving about. They should be concentrating and keep one’s eyes peeled if a blade suddenly breaks or flies out of someone’s hands. They need to see it and avoid any mishaps form taking place. Always give your 101% focus during training. The fewer distractions, the better it is for you.
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Designate someone you know as a “guard” or “marshall”. No one is allowed to enter the training area without his or her consent. Draw a line to keep bystanders at a safe distance. Keep the area dry to avoid making it slippery. It would also help if cutters are trained in how to manipulate swords like handing over, at rest among others before any attempts on cutting with the swords.
Safety eye glasses and soft leather gloves are must-have equipments. The safety glasses serve as a protection against flying fragment. Soft leather gloves will prevent hand cuts from accidentally touching the blade. Do yourself a favor: Never try to swing a sword not until you have a good control with a non-sharpened training sword.
Decide on the kinds of cuts you want to learn, work on and improve as time pass. It’s better to work on a single type of cut or two then learn them in repetition. Don’t let embarrassment or disappointment. When you failed to do learn how to do the last cut, you can either master it well or move on to the next cut. Be conscious of the body mechanics you need to work on. Your sword technique should follow the correct principles much more when using a sword for cutting. Don’t let your technique go to waste by simply swing wildly. Did you follow through? Did you control your cut so it stops in a position which lets you make a second cut? Check your grip on the sword. Are you holding it properly? When the angle of the edge is not correct then even a soft plastic bottle will bounce or tear upon impact.
Know your target.
Try varieties of targets. If you start out with soft plastic bottles and end up cutting them with ease then try rigid plastic such as soda bottles. Also try small branches as well as fruit and vegetables in between targets. For advanced sword cutting, opt for bamboo or bamboo wrapped in rush mats, so on. Be open to constructive criticism from experts. In this way you can pick up tips and comments on how you performed.
Secure the right equipments
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A good or high quality sword
Don’t even think of taking your fantasy movie sword off your wall o r the Katana you bought at the markets to try to cut with it. It may have a sharp blade but doesn’t quite fit as a real sword. Some of those swords have a thin piece of steel welded onto the blade, under the handle called a “rat tail” tang. The “rat tail” tang isn’t strong enough and can easily snap. When you start to cut your target, the blade that looked sharp enough for sword cutting, flies through the air then cuts the wrong thing possibly your leg, your car window or even the dog. Another possibility is the blade might not break instead will bend for being too soft. Let swords as decorations to function to look pretty hung on the wall, and get a real sword.
Safety glasses or fencing mask
Buy yourself a safety glass that won’t easily shatter. The last thing you need is safety glasses that act as an accessory to injuries. Squash glasses are good for Australians. Raquetball glasses are available in America.
Soft leather gloves
Gloves aren’t required but offer added protection from accidentally cutting a finger when wiping down the blade between cuts.
Cutting materials as targets
Prepare a collection of cutting materials neatly stacked out of the way of the cutting area. If it’s recyclable such as plastic bottles or cans then recycle it after the session.
Cutting stands
Expect for some repairs on your cutting stands even if they’re made of sturdy platform. There may instances that someone, or yourself might miss the target and cut straight through the thick wood. You can also hang targets from a branch; have someone toss them for you, or other methods.
A handy dandy camera
A camera is one of the non-compulsory items but can be fun and useful especially if it’s video. You can view and play back later to evaluate your sword cutting. An effective way to review and evaluate your training is to capture your form and watch the results to make improvement.
You can learn to do cut with your sword responsibly with respect for your blade. Good luck on your sword training!
April 06 2009 10:39 am | antique swords
Linda Heenan on 15 Apr 2009 at 7:59 pm #
Well, it’s nice to see someone agrees with me :). I wrote most of that here about a month ago http://www.chinese-swords-guide.com/sword-cutting.html
I’m glad the sensible information is getting out there and you’re most welcome to it. A link to the original would be nice though, so I gave you one here. Also, there’s a really nice video on the page of sword cutting with Chinese swords. Have fun, and always be careful with sharp blades.
Linda