New CBD article.

http://cbd.atspace.com/articles.html

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

And what is your take on it?

Kirk wrote the article.

This may be a stupid question, but what are "cut five" and "cut six"?

That's something you don't see very often. Very cool, thanks.

This may be a stupid question, but what are "cut five" and "cut six"?Horizontal cuts right and left. Saber tradition.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

And what is your take on it?
Well, as DdlR points out, as the author I think it's freaking awesome!

I also think that I'm a terrible self-editor. :P After re-reading it I don't know how many times, I've found I don't know how many misspellings and wonky sentences after posting it up.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

About a year ago I hung a pork shoulder from a rope and sliced it with my bowie knife. I cut the the meat with ease but my bowie got stuck in the bone. I wonder if I used a saber if I would of cut through the bone too. Either way it gave me faith in my blade. Seems to me to be a good way to test cut. Thanks for the article.

About a year ago I hung a pork shoulder from a rope and sliced it with my bowie knife. I cut the the meat with ease but my bowie got stuck in the bone. I wonder if I used a saber if I would of cut through the bone too. Either way it gave me faith in my blade. Seems to me to be a good way to test cut. Thanks for the article.

I've always wondered about that; in battle, having one's weapon stuck in the body of your enemy is never a good thing, and I wonder how much of an issue it really was.

In any case, great article, Kirk! Definitely covers the pros and cons for test cutting in excellent detail.
But I do wonder about the first "con" to test cutting; it's true that non-moving targets or tatami mats are unrealistic training mediums, but at the same time today it's impossible (well, legally) to test actual cutting against other humans the only "realistic" training medium. As a result my impression was that test-cutting was also intended as an "inevitable substitute" for live combat experience with bladed weapons.

Again, great article! Thanks for sharing!

I've always wondered about that; in battle, having one's weapon stuck in the body of your enemy is never a good thing, and I wonder how much of an issue it really was.

Enough of an issue that the British cavalry dropped the vertical cut from their sabre training - too many men being dragged from their saddle, after lodging their sword in their opposite number's skull.

In any case, great article, Kirk! Definitely covers the pros and cons for test cutting in excellent detail.
But I do wonder about the first "con" to test cutting; it's true that non-moving targets or tatami mats are unrealistic training mediums, but at the same time today it's impossible (well, legally) to test actual cutting against other humans the only "realistic" training medium. As a result my impression was that test-cutting was also intended as an "inevitable substitute" for live combat experience with bladed weapons. My personal opinion (nothing more right now) is that tatami was chosen because it was the closest they could get to animal flesh & bone without being animal flesh & bone within the constraints of the technology. There may be a bit of Buddhistic vegetarianism/pacifism behind the selection too (or maybe not).

But, yeah. If you're gonna learn how to cut right, you gotta cut SOMETHING. Perhaps I communicated it poorly in the article (more than likely), but I agree that if you want to improve your martial technique, you must cut something, that anything that isn't a human is doomed to have "flaws," and that, therefore, the student needs to understand what those shortcomings are and learn to work around them.

Or am I misunderstanding your point?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

Or am I misunderstanding your point?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

I think you got it right on; I was just pondering at some of the statements critics of testcutting have made and wondering what alternatives they actually have.
If I recall correctly Hugh Knight criticized meat-cutting as being non-historical training for the medieval/renaissance period, and not so much because it distorted technique or whatever.

But your article was very clear--sorry if it seemed like I was suggesting otherwise.

Enough of an issue that the British cavalry dropped the vertical cut from their sabre training - too many men being dragged from their saddle, after lodging their sword in their opposite number's skull.

Yeah, that's pretty serious.

I wonder if that also had to do with sword geometry.

If I recall correctly Hugh Knight criticized meat-cutting as being non-historical training for the medieval/renaissance period, and not so much because it distorted technique or whatever.
That's an interesting and difficult to defend position. <shrug>

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

I remember reading of a excavation in japan of a large battle, I dont remember which, taht examined bodies of sword kills. Apparently, most killing cuts with the sword were deliverd to the left collar bone, but not as deep as the back ribs or spine. The collar bone and front ribs were all cut, most likely opening the heart as well. I assume that depth of cut would help the tip of the sword slide free easily.

I remember reading of a excavation in japan of a large battle, I dont remember which, taht examined bodies of sword kills. Apparently, most killing cuts with the sword were deliverd to the left collar bone, but not as deep as the back ribs or spine. The collar bone and front ribs were all cut, most likely opening the heart as well. I assume that depth of cut would help the tip of the sword slide free easily.

Oo, now that is cool info. Left collar bone cuts are probably a result from the simple diagonal cut from the high guard, which leaves me to wonder if armor was designed specifically to handle sword cuts of that direction for those who could afford it.

I'd imagine that the more pronounced wedge-shape of the katana edge might help split the flesh and bone more than a British cavalry sabre, thus enabling the blade to be pulled out easier?
Someone who knows more about that can correct me on this.