swords on the right hip

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 4:51am

The best justification for right-handed Fascism in this regard was "battlefield"

A dense block of 500 warriors charging into battle drawing their swords right handed, a couple in the middle draw left handed... limbs flying everywhere.

Has some merit I guess.

Well done choosing the Terry Ezra course BTW. (Though last time I attended one he walked away from me mid instruction, looking appalled and disappointed, lol.)

**realjanuary** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 5:15am

When I do solo bokken exercises I do them both right and left handed, otherwise what's the point in saying it informs your empty handed work? Much of what we do in aikido with a bokken is explicitly not what you'd do with a sword if you wanted to cut someone and not get cut, that's one reason why a lot of aikidoka look outside aikido for their weapons training (TSKSR and KSR derivitives are popular).
I've heard from some sword users that the mounting on the Japanese style blade is done with a right handed cut in mind. Also the two handed grip and more square on style gives less of an advantage to being left handed than single handed styles like Olympic fencing.

I haven't met these Persian guys and don't know what they're like. I'm sure that they enjoy what they do but I'm not sure what it's ment to be.
Is it self defence (intelligent self defence samurai is their organisation)? There's more sensible options for that.
Is it pure gymnastics and exhibition? I'd go XMA or gymnastics instead and not dress it up like something Japanese.
Is it TMA? I'd go straight to the source.
Is it role playing? I tried that and didn't like it (although I still practise aikido!).
Is it physical conditioning (they look to be in good shape)? That's fine but why dress it up as something else.

I'll ask the guys who were at the seminar but I doubt I'll be going over to any foreign training courses run by theat umbrella organisation if this is the type of instructor they bring in.

**realjanuary** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 5:28am

@Ignorami
It was eye opening, and a very crowded mat. I got to take ukemi once or twice and I was impressed.
There was one break where he pointed out a specific mistake a lot of use were making (bringing the bokken back too far in men uchi). I then continued to make the same mistake, until he came over to me and asked me if I'd been listening *facepalm*.

edit: here's a link to piece with more reasons why the left handed carry isn't popular: http://www.aikiweb.com/weapons/rock4.html
I can testify to point to about it catching on the clothing, even with a tsuba-less bokken.

**Evilenzo** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 6:16am

Yeah, i do that mistake all the time...

Thanks for the link realjanuary!

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 11:39am

Originally Posted by Ignorami

The best justification for right-handed Fascism in this regard was "battlefield"

A dense block of 500 warriors charging into battle drawing their swords right handed, a couple in the middle draw left handed... limbs flying everywhere.

Has some merit I guess.

Obvious solution would be to create a Linkenkommando (aka. Operation Get Behind The Lefties).

I'm curious now. Do left-handed soldiers in the present day (say in the US military, for the sake of argument) generally get issued with left-handed rifles?

**frenchie88** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 11:43am

Originally Posted by Larus marinus

Obvious solution would be to create a Linkenkommando (aka. Operation Get Behind The Lefties).

I'm curious now. Do left-handed soldiers in the present day (say in the US military, for the sake of argument) generally get issued with left-handed rifles?

Not in the US(unless for some reason they decided to regress). When I got out in '96, the M16A2 had a brass deflector so the spent casings wouldn't hit you in the face if you were left handed. Last I remember in the British Military, all the troops had to shoot right handed, as their bullpup rifle wasn't designed to be used by lefty's

**SilverGlove** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 12:00pm

Us lefties always get the short end of the stick (or bokken)

first with swords, then guns and dont get me started on the goddamn scissors

on topic though the video didnt seem so bad, it was a demo to atract students

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 12:08pm

Heh, after reading the link realjanuary posted, I'm having visions of a movie called 'Left-handed Outcast Samurai'...

**frenchie88** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 12:19pm

The only thing I've seen worn on the right side of the obi is a tessen. I can ask my sensei next time I see him. As to the left handed samurai, , they may have been left handed swordsmen, but they still would have worn the daisho on the left due to that being culturally acceptable. As a lefty myself, the strange this is that I naturally hold the long sword conventionally, but I want to hold the short sword in my left hand.

**DCS** · Posted On: 6/29/2011 1:10pm

Originally Posted by Ignorami

The best justification for right-handed Fascism in this regard was "battlefield"

A dense block of 500 warriors charging into battle drawing their swords right handed, a couple in the middle draw left handed... limbs flying everywhere.

Has some merit I guess.

Not much merit considering the sword was not the main weapon in japanese warfare.

BTW, the left handed chanbara video is not as bad as:

http://youtu.be/wBBenOYTwhc