GREAT POST I am REALLY IMPRESSED with your knowledge of fighting style hey, can you find out anything on Isshinryu? YOUR POST ROCKS!

Well Chrome,I've already done Zi Ran Men and Chou Jaio and I've got info on a few of your styles and some others.Kuo Shou will be coming next.I do think we should do weapons but I doubt we'd ever run out of unarmed styles.One question,have you done anything on Pak Mei(Bak Mei) yet?

White eyebrow (Pak Mei)? Sure but i had little info on it. It is extremely rare.
Ok, about the weapons I shall introduce a few medieval weapons and then go straight to oriental-MK weapons.
By the way, I advise you to look after Baranta.

Medieval and classical swords, long swords, short swords, broad swords
History of the Sword
Preeminent hand weapon through a long period of history, consisting of a metal blade varying in length, breadth, and configuration, but longer than a dagger, and fitted with a handle or hilt usually equipped with a guard. The sword became differentiated from the dagger during the Bronze Age (c. 3000 BC), when copper and bronze weapons were produced with long, leaf-shaped blades and with hilts consisting of an extension of the blade in handle form. By Roman times the hilt was distinct from the short, flat blade, and by the European Middle Ages the weapon had acquired its main basic forms. The heavy sword of medieval chivalry had a large hilt, often designed to be gripped in both hands, with a large protective guard or pommel at the top. The blade was straight, double-edged, and pointed; it was fabricated by repeated firing and hammering, a process that converted the iron into mild steel by the addition of a small amount of carbon. Blades were also made of laminated strips of iron, which were hammered together. Damascus was a renowned center of the craft.
Toledan steel and particularly swords have long been famous, being mentioned as early as the 1st century BC in the Cynegetica of Grattius "Faliscus." There is an important National Factory of Arms and workshops for damask and engraving, which produce metalwork decorated in the Mudéjar tradition.
The changes in warfare associated with the introduction of firearms did not eliminate the sword but rather proliferated its types. The discarding of body armour made it necessary for the swordsman to be able to parry with his weapon, and the thrust-and-parry rapier came into use.
The advantage of a curved blade for cutting was early appreciated in Asia, where it was long used by the Indians, Persians, and others before its introduction to Europe by the Turks. The Turkish scimitar was modified in the West to the cavalry saber. At the other extreme of Asia, the Japanese developed a long-bladed, slightly curved version with a two-handed grip, with which an elaborate dueling cult, as well as ancestor worship, became associated.
The introduction of repeating firearms virtually ended the value of the sword as a military weapon, though isolated instances of its use continued in 20th-century wars. As it declined in its military usefulness, the sword gained a new role in the duel, especially in Europe, out of which practice emerged the modern sport of fencing.
Basic Sword Parts
Blade - The length of steel that forms the sword.
Back - The part of the blade opposite the edge. Double-edged sword has no back.
Cross - The typically straight bar or "guard" of a Medieval sword, also called a "cross-guard". A Renaissance term for the straight or curved cross-guard was the quillons (possibly from an old French or Latin term for a type of reed).
Edge - This is the sharpened portion of the blade. A sword may be single or double-edged. For example, a Japanese katana has a single edge but a Scottish claymore is sharpened on both sides.
Hilt - The lower portion of a sword consisting of the cross-guard, handle/grip, and pommel (most Medieval swords have a straight cross or cruciform-hilt).
Quillions - A Renaissance term for the two cross-guards (forward and back) whether straight or curved. It is likely from an old French or Latin term for a reed. On Medieval swords the cross guard may be called simply the "cross", or just the "guard".
Forte' - A Renaissance term for the lower portion on a sword blade which has more control and strength and which does most of the parrying. Also called prime or fort.
Foible - A Renaissance term for the upper portion on a sword blade which is weaker (or "feeble") but has more agility and speed and which does most of the attacking.
Fuller - A shallow central-groove or channel on a blade which lightens it as well as improves strength and flex. Sometimes mistakenly called a "blood-run" or "blood-groove", it has nothing to do with blood flow, cutting power, or a blade sticking. A sword might have one, none, or several fullers running a portion of its length, on either one or both sides. Narrow deep fullers are also sometimes referred to as flukes. The opposite of a fuller is a riser, which improves rigidity. The fullers function is analogous to the spine of the human body. When a fuller is forged onto a blade it repacks the crystalline structure and forms it into a flexible spine that reduces weight and gives the sword both strength and flexibility.
Grip - The handle of a sword, usually made of leather, wire, wood, bone, horn, or ivory (also, a term for the method of holding the sword).
Lower end - the tip portion of a Medieval sword
Pommel - Latin for "little apple", the counter-weight which secures the hilt to the blade and allows the hand to either rest on it or grip it. Sometimes it includes a small rivet (capstan rivet) called a pommel nut, pommel bolt, or tang nut. On some Medieval swords the pommel may be partially or fully gripped and handled.
Ricasso - The dull portion of a blade just above the hilt. It is intended for wrapping the index finger around to give greater tip control (called "fingering"). Not all sword forms had ricasso. They can be found on many Bastard-swords, most cut & thrust swords and later rapiers. Those on Two-Handed swords are sometimes called a "false-grip", and usually allow the entire second hand to grip and hold on. The origin of the term is obscure.
Shoulder - The corner portion of a sword separating the blade from the tang.
Tang - The un-edged hidden portion or ("tongue") of a blade running through the handle and to which the pommel is attached. The place where the tang connects to the blade is called the "shoulder". A sword's tang is sometimes of a different temper than the blade itself. A full tang is preferred in European swords, while a partial tang is best for Japanese swords.
Upper end - The hilt portion of a Medieval sword
Waisted-grip - A specially shaped handle on some bastard or hand-and-a-half swords, consisting of a slightly wider middle and tapering towards the pommel.
Tip - The end of the sword furthest away from the hilt. Most swords taper to a point at the tip, but some blade lines are straight until the very tip. A few swords, such as a U.S. Civil War saber, are curved along their length.
Annellet / Finger-Ring - The small loops extending toward the blade from the quillions intended to protect a finger wrapped over the guard. They developed in the middle-ages and can be found on many styles of Late-Medieval swords. They are common on Renaissance cut & thrust swords and rapiers they and also small-swords. For some time they have been incorrectly called the "pas d`ane".
Compound-Hilt / Complex-Guard - A term used for the various forms of hilt found on Renaissance and some late-Medieval swords. They consist typically of finger-rings, side-rings or ports, a knuckle-bar, and counter-guard or back-guard. Swept-hilts, ring-hilts, cage-hilts, and some basket-hilts are forms of complex-guard.
Analisys (forget the highlander series, this is for real)
While the first sword type ever to be created in history was the shotr sword had a flourishing period from the beginning of Sumeria to the decline of Rome, the long sword was introduced only after the the beginning of the roman Empire under the rule of caesars (emperors). The classic long sword is the thin, straight bladed gothic sword. Broad swords showed the most potential in surviving and alongside with loong swords they survived even the 20. century as symbols.
Short swords were designed mainly for stabbing, while the roman gladius was sharp on the edges, and was useful for cutting and slicing too.
Broad swords in the early archaic period of greece were mainly chopping weapons, and they survived as heacy hand-held weaponsaagainst armor and as executional instruments.
Long swords are the most reknown and the most variable swords. The lenght, the width, and the style divides long swords into many-many categories, but all have one in common, they were usually the brand of knights or militia leaders. The long sword has the most combative nature.
Two handed swords and claymores-theese wweapons are feared, though their weight greatly disadvantages the wielder in combat. Usually used by panzered knights in 35-40 kilogram heavy plate armors and by the swiss mercenary bands, theese weapons could strike through any armor that was known in history. A claymore could be from 1,5 meters to 2,5 meters long (the 2,5 meter long giants were used by swiss infantry mercenaries in groups who moved in perfect syncron to stop chaerguing cavalry).
The best two handed swords had (and have) such power, that they can strike through a kevlar bulletproof west or an automobile hull easily.
The bastard sword was designed to be both a one handed and a two handed weapon. They had the advantage of allowing the carrying of a shield, while they had tremendous striking power. Also, they were the trademark of the later infantry knights, who disbanded light infantry within minutes when they used this weapon accordingly (shielding against archers, and when they clashed, they throwed away the shields to use the two handed striking power)
the word claymore comes from a celtic word clamhormhormen (or similar to that) what means "great sword".

Japanese sword history
On the 6th August 1945, the day of the black rain and the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, the Japanese sword finally lost all claims to being a decisive weapon of war. A long and glorious history of sword making for practical use on the battlefield, ended in a mushroom cloud. After the Japanese surrender, a ban on sword production was strictly enforced by the occupying forces and Japanese swords were systematically hunted down and destroyed.
Similarly, it was thought that the Hito-rei edict of 1876 (banning the wearing of the Japanese sword by the Samurai) if less dramatically and cruelly, would also effectively finish the manufacturing of the traditional Japanese sword. However, the Japanese sword, in its ever evolving styles, has proved durable in the face of both interfering bureaucracy and thermo-nuclear fission.
Japanese swords of the 20th century have indeed had a chequered history. In the very early years very few swordsmiths could earn a living exclusively forging blades, and the few that did usually made copies of Koto (old swords) for the collectors of the time. Although the Emperor Meiji was a patron of the sword and appointed Gassan Sadakazu (the 1st generation) and Miyamoto Kanenori to the status of 'Teishitsu Gigei' (the equivalent of todays Ningen Kokuho - Living National Treasure) few orders for swords were made until the militarists began to take hold of Japan in the Taisho and Showa period. It was then that the Gunto (army sword) whose dimensions were generally regulated to about 2 Shaku 2 Sun, was popularised. The swords of the Nihon To Tanren Kai of the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo, together with the swords of the Denshusho and those of Horii Toshihide of Muroran, are among the best and most representative of the pre-Pacific War Showa period i.e. 1926-41. Such traditionally forged and water quenched blades are known as Gendai-to (modern swords).
Also in this period and throughout the Pacific War, poor quality swords were mass-produced as weapons for the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy. All officers were required to carry a sword as part of their uniform and to inspire them with a sense of Bushido, but as always in Japanese history, when there had been a massive demand for swords, quality was the first casualty. These swords were often made by hastily recruited blacksmiths who had but a rudimentary knowledge of sword making and who appeared "like the sprouting of bamboo shoots after the rain". Unlike the previously mentioned Gendai-to, such swords have little or no artistic merit. They often carry a stamp with the kanji 'SHO', from Showa, or the kanji 'SEKI' after one of the main production centres. The significance of these stamps seem to be the object of much interest and interminable discussion amongst some Western collectors. Such blades are usually signed in a very loose and unattractive manner and the nakago are generally poorly finished.
On these blades a hamon (hardened edge) may seem to be present. However, on Showa-to it is produced by quenching the blade in oil rather than in the traditional manner, which is in water. The use of oil means that the quenching process may be carried out at a much lower temperature, thus avoiding the risk of flaws such as hagiri (edge cracks) appearing (or, indeed of nie appearing!). The 'hamon' thus produced is not a true or real hamon but only an imitation. With the lack of proper materials and short cuts in the forging process, it is difficult to call these blades, known as Showa-to, true Japanese swords. Such swords are often collected by those whose interest lies in Japanese militaria and the military history of this period.
When the occupying forces came to the Japanese homeland in 1945, the making of Japanese swords as well as the practice of the martial arts was banned in order to democratise Japan and remove the militaristic influences of the recent past. Many outstanding and important swords were either looted by the occupation forces or destroyed at this time. No distinction between those swords with artistic and historical merit and Showa-to were made and so valuable and historic swords were lost forever by ignorance.
It was not until several years later (1949) that there was any easing of this ban. The occasion was a special dedication to the Ise Grand Shrine which takes place every twenty five years and had done so for the preceding one thousand years. For this ceremony about sixty swords by selected smiths were required to be made and permission was granted for this to be done. These swords were not the normal curved sword but of the ancient style known as Kiriha-zukuri Chokuto and some measured from 80 to 96 centimetres in length. It was, of course, a great honour for the swordsmiths who were allowed to resume their craft for this special occasion. They included Miyaguchi Toshihiro, Takahashi Sadatsugu and Miyari Akihira (the latter two were subsequently made 'Living National Treasures') as well as Ishi Akifusa, Nigara Kunitoshi, Endo Mitsuiki and Sakai Shigemasa. Sato Kanzan Sensei stated that the 1949 ceremony was the first important stimulus given to the swordsmiths of Japan in the post-war period.
In 1953, a new law allowed the resumption of sword making and the Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai (The Japanese Art Sword Preservation Society - known as the NBTHK) was formed in 1960. Thhe crisis had passed and the Japanese sword was saved from complete destruction. Today the NBTHK does much important work, which includes the operation of a smelter, or tatara that produces the raw material (called tamahagane) for forging a sword, the running of the Japanese Sword Museum in Tokyo and the organising of the various artisan's annual competitions. It is also considered that another important function of the NBTHK is to foster communication between various artisans of the Japanese sword. This is quite different from earlier times when schools of swordsmiths jealously guarded their manufacturing secrets, but after World War II virtually an entire generation of swordsmiths was lost and the survivors had to communicate with each other in order for the arts to survive. In Showa 30th year (1955) the first post-war competition and exhibition of Shinsaku-to was held. Apparently the quality of pieces submitted was, understandably, not particularly good at this time.
The annual contest that is organised by the NBTHK covers many aspects of the arts of the Japanese sword, including sword making, blade polishing, scabbard making and metalworking. These competitions as well as giving swordsmiths something to strive for, serve to give the Japanese collector or customer for a sword, the confidence of having instant provenance from a recognised and successful artist. This is somewhat different to Western appreciation, where we tend to like an object more for its own sake rather than mainly because the creator has a certain placing in a competition. I think we are more prepared to back our own opinion, with less reliance being placed on certification, as regards style, quality and authentication of a blade, than are many of the Japanese 'investors' in Japanese swords.
When blades are entered for the annual competition they are all ranked from the top to the bottom. This ranking is very important as it gives relative values to each smith's work for the next year. When a swordsmith has consistently ranked in the top few, he is awarded the rank of 'Mukansa'. This means that a Mukansa's work, although entered into the competition is not subject to being judged. Above the rank of Mukansa is the rank of Ningen Kokuho (Living National Treasure). Currently two swordsmiths who were previously Mukansa hold this rank, Gassan Sadakazu and Sumitani Masamine (examples of the latter's work and several Mukansa swordsmiths are in the present exhibition).
As previously stated, now that the nuclear age had dawned, the Japanese sword had lost all its reason as a weapon of war. Consequently its artistic rather than practical properties, which had always been appreciated by the knowledgeable and educated Japanese, now began to be even more emphasised. However, most of the properties of a good sword may be traced back to the sword's traditional role as a weapon. A sword must be of good shape and balance, be made of good steel, have flexibility and a sharp edge, as well as being attractive to look at in detail. The annual competitions, as well as shows put on by various commercial and retail outlets, such as Ohnishi Token, have helped to greatly improve the standard of Shinsaku-to since 1954.
Swordsmiths are licensed by the government and allowed to make no more than two long swords per month. This number was arrived at by observing the swordsmith Akihira Miyari who apparently was a slow and methodical worker who would only produce two good swords per month. Many swordsmiths and artisans that I have spoken to believe that this is a very low figure and many present day swordsmiths would be quite capable of producing more than two swords per month. This rule is also designed to prevent the manufacture of cheap weapons with no artistic value. The rules, which are still in effect are:
1 ) Only a licensed swordsmith can produce a Japanese sword (any cutting instrument with a blade over 6 inches, a hamon, and a rivet hole in the tang. Edged weapons less that 6 inches in length and lacking a rivet hole are considered knives, or ko-gatana, and are not subject to regulation). A licence may be obtained only by serving an apprenticeship under a licensed swordsmith for a minimum of five years.
2) A licensed swordsmith may produce a maximum of two long swords (over 2 feet) or three short swords (under 2 feet) per month.
3) All swords must be registered with the Agency of Cultural Affairs.
Today, most newly made swords (Shinaskuto) are sent straight to the polisher, habaki maker and shira-saya maker, although some are mounted in modern koshirae. Many swords are now made in the Bizen style which is popular with the Japanese collectors. Members will remember seeing Sumitani Masamine's Ichimonji-utsushi in London a couple of years ago. This sword had a very flamboyant choji midare hamon in the style of the Kamakura period Fukuoka Ichimonji school and it may be that this 'National Treasure' swordsmith's skill in Bizen Den has influenced many other younger swordsmiths. When looking at such swords we may search for and sometimes actually see utsuri. It seems that in the challenge to equal the swords of bygone days, the quest to reproduce utsuri is very important. Although a kind of utsuri may sometimes be found, to me this resembles the shirake utsuri of Muromachi period Kaga or Sue Seki blades and I have not seen a convincing Bizen midare utsuri, for instance. There is much work still to be done!
This post war period has been compared to the renaissance of Japanese swords that heralded the advent of the Shinshinto period in the late 18th century. There are I guess, some valid comparisons. Both periods followed a decline in Japanese sword production and both periods seek to recapture past glorious ages of the Japanese sword as well as innovating great changes in production methods. I think the current changes in sword making are at least as drastic as these earlier changes and possibly more significant. I hope they will not be accompanied by the same eventual decline and that today's artists manage to train sufficiently skilful students who are able to preserve and continue the arts.
I believe that the Japanese sword establishment is still a very conservative body. I think that many of the older generation believe it is impossible for foreigners to really appreciate the Japanese sword, as it is a peculiarly Japanese cultural asset. When I started collecting swords in the mid 1960's very little information was available to non-Japanese reading foreigners. There was also a feeling that those few who had any knowledge would jealously guard it and not pass it on. I have never been sure of whether this was because they were never really sure of their facts and did not wish to tee 'exposed', or whether it was considered commercially sensitive information. Either way, it was an unhealthy and secretive attitude that pervaded.
Fortunately today, within the younger generation of sword people from Japan, many of whom have travelled abroad and been exposed to Western collectors, there is a far less conservative attitude, as well as a great deal of information available through useful and informative translations. The present exhibition is an example of genuine Japanese friends co-operating with foreigners to bring the beauty of the Japanese sword to a wider audience.
I wonder how Western interest in Japanese swords may eventually effect their production. At least one Westerner has already become a qualified swordsmith after a Japanese apprenticeship and I am sure that it cannot be too long before some Gaikokujin is entering the annual sword-making competitions. A foreigner who becomes a Mukansa swordsmith is no more far fetched than one becoming a Yokozuna in another very conservative and traditional Japanese area - Sumo. It would certainly be most interesting to be around in 100 years time to see how today's Shinsaku-to are regarded and the place they have found within the global history of the Japanese sword.
I personally find it amazing that the Japanese sword provides such inspiration to so many non-Japanese. Apart from those collectors and students of the Japanese sword in Japan, I believe there must now be thousands outside of the country. When it is considered that nowadays as well as non-Japanese collectors there are English artisans submitting tsuba to the annual competitions in Japan, that there are thriving polishing businesses both in Europe and USA, that expert lacquer work may also be done in Europe, as well as Habaki making, shirasaya making and tsukamaki and not to mention the number of sword dealers and Kendo/Iai dojo that abound, the amount of people involved with the Japanese sword is staggering. It is a truly amazing thing and I know of no art form that is also an effective and awesome weapon, that transcends so many cultural barriers and effects so many different people in this manner, providing them with such sustained personal motivation.
Finally, a word about so-called Shin-ken. These are the modern swords that are made for lai practice and are sold complete with koshirae. As I have pointed out above, a swordsmith must be registered and is only allowed to make two swords per month. Such a limited production level means that blades by the top swordsmiths (Mukansa level and above) are in limited supply and high demand and consequently very expensive, easily costing in excess of œ 20,000 for a blade (koshirae extra). Of the few Shinken that I have seen, most are not particularly attractive from a visual point of view as they tend to be crudely forged by semi-professionals or amateurs. They have poor ji-hada and the nie (martinsite crystals which make up the hamon) are coarse, dark and untidy and often the configuration of the hamon lacks form and control, whilst any activities seem to be unnatural or forced. The koshirae have poor quality metal mounts and often cheap cast tsuba, whilst the saya are seldom properly lacquered. Having said that, they are perfectly adequate for the purpose for which they were bought, but it would be unwise to consider them as art swords. In Iai-do, with the blade being constantly handled and at risk from damage, there is no requirement to have a good and expensive blade, but I would have my doubts for their survival should any actual cutting be attempted. Please remember that in the international Japanese sword market, œ3,000 - œ4,000 is a cheap price (although a lot of money for us mere mortals) to pay for a fully mounted katana with a modern forged blade and you can only expect to get what you pay for.
Japanese sword fighting, what is kendo?
What is the kendo technique of Japanese sword fighting? Fully armoured knights attack in a flurry, bamboo swords cracking on polished leather.
Learn more about this popular sport.
From a nearby gymnasium comes the sound of a loud cry and the crack of bamboo hitting leather. A stranger peeking into the room could be forgiven for thinking they had entered some science fiction movie set with a race of masked and armoured aliens. In fact, what they see is the traditional, protective clothing of kendo.
What is kendo?
Kendo is based on traditional Japanese fighting forms called bujutsu which were designed to practice the most efficient ways of attack and counter attack in sword fighting. While these forms are no longer appropriate as fighting with swords is no longer the standard, kendo has adapted them into a sport similar to fencing where points are given according to where on the body you hit someone with a bamboo stick.
The history of kendo
The 12th to 14th centuries saw sword fighting come to the fore with skills being gradually honed and talented individuals being seen as teachers. Until the beginning of the 15th century, many teaching schools were formed and fatal fights were common between students who were convinced their own teacher’s way of doing things was the best.
At last, teachers began to notice that the most successful sword fighters (ie. those that lived) had something in addition to skill, the ability to remain calm under pressure. It was then that Zen became an integral part of the training through ritual and philosophic thought like it has in many other martial arts.
The look and feel of modern kendo was developed during the seventeenth century where the shinai (bamboo stick) and armour were introduced and this was perfected in the late eighteenth century. The same items continue to be used today.
In 1868, for nearly 30 years, a government ban on swords was in place meaning that kendo fell by the wayside but the end of the ban sparked a renewed interest in the sport. This continued until post-war Japan when another ban was imposed and kendo was not reintroduced until 1957.
Kendo has been undergoing a revival in recent years. While it originated as a form of sword fighting self-defence, it is now taught in both junior and senior high schools to develop self-discipline and also included as part of the police-training program.
The clothing
Kendo armour is deep blue in colour and made from hard leather and bamboo. It includes a shirt, skirt, waist protector, chest protector, headscarf, head/ shoulders/ chest protector and padded gloves as well as the bamboo shinai or stick. In many ways the costume resembles ancient Japanese armour which you can see on dolls and in museums.
The sport of kendo
In kendo, points are allocated for hits with the shinai on certain target areas of the head and body, the Japanese name for which must be called out as you aim for it. There are five areas:
-dead center on top of the head protector
-slightly left or right on top of the head protector
-throat thrust
-the right wrist
-the chest protector, just under the right arm
The fight lasts for a specified period and is won either when someone reaches two points from hits to the appropriate areas or when the time ends and someone is leading 1-0. The match is declared a draw if the time ends with both players on the same score or the match can be continued until one player scores.
Despite the formality of the bouts, kendo is more than just a sport. It sustains traditions and encourages mental as well as physical strength and dexterity. Clubs are springing up around the world, fascinated with the skill and glamour of this ancient art.

Japanese swords
Japanese swords include the sword of the Samurai, the Ninja, and the Shogun. Some may be very ornate and others very minimal. The evolution of the Japanese Sword has moved lock step with the ever changing history of Japan.
The Japanese sword has been idolized, worshipped, collected and deified. The collection of Japanese swords include the Katana, the Wakizashi, the Tanto, the Daisho, the Kogatana, and the Tachi.
The swords forged by the 14th and 15th century master craftsman are considered to be priceless national treasures. The Japanese sword is one of the finest edged blades crafted anywhere.
The Japanese sword is forged out of steel, fire and water. The oldest sword recorded in Japanese history is the present sent from China to queen Himeko during the Wei Dynasty in 240 AD. In 280 AD many more iron swords were imported from China to Japan.
It is believed that the art of forging a steel sword came soon after from China and Korea, but the details are unknown. We do know that in the 5th century steel swords were already made in Japan. These were of the straight, single-edged type called chokuto. The method of hardening the steel that is so typical of Japanese swords was first used in 6th century.
The era of the straight sword lasted untill the 8th century. Then the predominant style of warfare changed from fighting on foot to fighting on horseback. To accomodate horseback fighting the swords became curved. These long, curved single-edged swords were called tachi. There were many intermediate forms between chokuto and tachi. The most common of these were kogarasumaru (a curved, two-edged sword) and kenukigatatachi. The term Nipponto or Nihonto (literally 'Japanese sword') is usually reserved to swords with curvature
PERIODS IN THE JAPANESE SWORD HISTORY
Early History to Muromachi Period
The earliest Japanese steel blades known were recovered from ancient tombs dating back to the 4th or 5th century A.D. These blades, called chokuto are broad, straight, and single edged and show a clear Chinese influence. Scholars of early Japanese history believe that some of the blades were made in China and that migrating swordsmiths taught the craft of steel and ironworking to the ancient Japanese.
The early Japanese bladesmiths adapted and improved the imported techniques and by the Heian period (794 - 1185) had made great strides in their craft and were producing their own unique blades. The first examples of what we now identify as 'samurai swords', with a slender, gracefully curving blade appeared during this period. The blades of this period are called tachi, and were about 3 feet in length, worn edge-down, slung from the waist. Warriors of this period usually fought from horseback and so had a need for a slashing rather than thrusting weapon. For this application a curved sword was more effective than a straight one, as its shape causes the edge to drag through a wound, increasing the depth of a slash or cut.
Swordsmiths of this period belonged to guilds attached to shrines and temples. These guilds had the exclusive right to produce swords, and smiths were expected to participate in religious affairs and ceremonies. This reflects the influence of the yamabushi (warrior-priests) of the period, as well as the traditional connection between the swordsmith and religious worship in Japan. The connection continues even to present times, both in the form of purification ceremonies undertaken before forging and in the manufacture of new swords for the consecration of religious sites. Many of the traditional blade engravings or horimono found on Japanese blades are derived from Buddhist religious motifs.
The warrior class of the Samurai were firmly established by the Kamakura period (1185-1333) and this period could be called the golden age of the Japanese sword. By this period, the craft of the bladesmith had reached new heights in terms of construction and skill. Until this period, swords had been forged of a single piece of steel. While fine swords could be made from this method, the smiths of this period learnt that inserting a softer core into a blade heightened its flexibility significantly. Such a sword could stand up to the impact of heavy blows on the armour of the period without breaking. Much of the new advances in blademaking techiques were encouraged by the interest and support of the craft from the retired emperor Gotoba (1180-1239), who is said to have been a practicing bladesmith.
As a nation constantly at war throughout much of its history, practical experience provided much feedback to the development of the sword. The two failed Mongol invasions in the late 1200s also influenced sword development as it was the first time dissimilar armies had engaged in hand-to-hand fighting on Japanese soil. Battlefield experience soon prompted the carrying of a backup weapon to the sword. For the tachi, this was the tanto, a foot-long short sword forged using the same techniques as the longer blade. As more substantial armour protection became available, tachi blades became wider, thicker and heavier.
By the Nanbokucho period (1333-1392), the many traditions of swordmaking had coalesced into five main schools , named for the provinces they were located in. The five schools were collectively known as Gokaden (the Five Traditions): the Soshu school in Kamakura; the Bizen school in what is now Okayama; the Yamashiro school in Kyoto; the Yamato school near Nara; and the Mino school in Gifu. During this period and for the next several hundred years, most swords made in Japan were classified as belonging to one of these five traditions or its offshoots.
The Muromachi period (1392-1568) saw continued wars throughout the country which led to mass production of swords and as a result, a significant decline in the quality of the finished blades. The intensity of warfare also led to the development of the uchigatana, a companion blade of about 24 inches long, and strongly curved. These swords were worn edge-up so as to enable drawing and slashing in a single movement. The shorter length also made them more practical than the fullsize tachi for indoor fighting. The uchigatana eventually evolved into the wakizashi in later periods.
Momoyama Period to Meiji Restoration
The Muromachi period (1568-1603) was notable for the introduction of the famed daisho (big-small) pairing of the katana and wakizashi. The katana, the longer of the two was anywhere from 24 to 36 inches long. Its shorter companion blade, the wakizashi was about 18 inches long. Only the warrior class - the samurai - was allowed to wear the two swords which remained a custom for the next several hundred years until abolished in the 19th century.
This period also saw the first successful unification of Japan when Toyotomi Hideyoshi conquered or won over the feuding warlords, effectively ending the almost constant state of civil war that existed until then. With the country at peace, the sword declined in importance as a battlefield weapon and became more of a status symbol or at most a dueling weapon. As swords were now less likely to be used against armoured opponents, blades became lighter and thinner. Hilts were also shortened for easier carrying. The era of the sword was coming to an end with the introduction of guns for the first time by European traders.
The Edo period (1603 - 1853) saw the establishment of the Shogunate by Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of Hideyoshi's generals who suceeded him. This period was one of strict regulation and control and the sword further declined in importance. In 1868, the Meiji Restoration and the 1876 edicts banning the carrying of swords in public effectively abolished the samurai class. This was a time of great difficulty for the bladesmithing families and many were forced to abandon the craft that they had faithfully practiced for generations. Swords now became works of art, revered but unused relics of the past.
Modern Swords
The coming of the Second World War saw the mass production of swords again for the first time in nearly a century for the Japanese Imperial Army. However, these weapons were poor examples of the bladesmith's craft, being cheaply made from simple foundry steel and lacking the hard-forged perfection of traditional blades. Today, the Japanese government forbids registration of these swords and require that any such blades found be destroyed.
After the war, the Americans prohibited sword possession and manufacture until 1953. In an attempt to return to the traditions of the past, the government imposed strict registrations which are still in effect to the present day. In short, these restrictions prohibit the manufacture of swords (defined as any bladed instrument over 6 inches) except by licensed swordsmiths. To become a licensed smith, one had to serve a minimum of 5 years as an apprentice of a licensed swordsmith. Furthermore, all swords had to be registered with the police.
To promote and foster understanding of the craft, the Society for the Presevation of Japanese Art Swords (Nihon Bijutsu Token Hozon Kyokai or NBTHK) was formed in 1960 in Tokyo. To assist the bladesmiths in rediscovering the craft of their forefathers, the NBHTK organizes studies and contests. More importantly, the society also operates the only large-scale traditional smelter in Japan, producing tama-hagane, the traditional sword steel from iron ore.
The yearly NBTHK contest for swordsmiths, polishers, and scabbard carvers is probably the highlight of its activities. Each licensed swordsmith is allowed to enter one blade for the contest and all blades are appraised by a select group of sword experts and ranked from first to last. To allow less established smiths to make an impact, smiths who repeatedly place first are given the title of mukansa which means the smith is ranked above contest-level. Mukansa may still enter their blades in the contest but these are not judged. With the increasing number of accomplished swordsmiths and fine blades, the society has began a new era of the Japanese sword. Apart from the staunch traditionalists, most knowledgable craftsmen and kendoka generally agree that the new blades produced today are as good or better than the revered ancient blades of the samurai.
The katana was the main blade of the samurai, when he was in civil duty.
The katana therefore was an everyday wear for the medieval japanese knight, and a respected member of his "civil" Daiso (pair of swords, the set of swords). The civil daisho consists from the katana and the wakizashi, what were worn during piece.
Archaeological evidence indicates that swords have existed in Japan for its entire historical period. Short straight swords imported from China and Korea are among the earliest weapons found in historical sites around Japan. After 2000 B.C., when these swords first appeared, the Japanese began making their own swords.
According to tradition the first Japanese sword blade was made by the swordsmith Amakuni Yasutsuna about the year 700. Amakuni, his son Amakura and a number of other smiths were employed by the emperor to make weapons for his warriors. One day the emperor and his warriors passed by Amakuni’s forge as they returned from battle, and instead of greeting Amakuni as he usually did, the emperor totally ignored Amakuni and all the swordsmiths. As the warriors straggled back Amakuni noticed that many of them were carrying broken swords; the weapons he had forged had snapped in the heat of battle. He closely examined the weapons and swore an oath to make a sword that would not break and so regain the emperors favour.
Amakuni and his son locked themselves in their forge and prayed to the Shinto gods for seven days and nights. Then they set to work, refining the metal of the blade and applying all their knowledge to make the perfect sword. After a month of work they emerged with a sword that curved slightly and had only one edge. Pleased with their first effort they refined the process, and when the warriors returned from their battles the following year, none were broken.
The methods followed by the legendary Amakuni were improved over the next ten centuries but the basic technique of forging the blade remained the same. Small pieces of steel formed in a blast furnace were selected and stacked on an iron plate. This was heated in a furnace then welded into a solid block on an anvil by pounding the metal with heavy hammers. The block was then folded and beaten out again repeatedly until thousands of laminations were produced and much of the carbon in the original pieces of metal was removed. The final blade was made by wrapping the prepared block around a strip of high carbon steel which would produce the edge of the sword in the finished weapon. In the final forging the blade was covered with a paste made of clay, charcoal, powdered grinding stone and other material which is removed from the edge to leave a pattern typical of the smith’s tradition. The sword is heated “until it turns to the colour of the moon about to set out on its journey across the heavens on a June or July evening,” according to the words of one swordsmith, and cooled by being plunged edge down into a trough of water kept at a specified temperature. The unprotected edge of the blade cooled quickly while the clay covering allowed the rest of the blade to cool more slowly and so retain its flexibility.
The smith would then sign his name on the tang and pass the blade onto specialist craftsmen who would polish the blade and fit the hilt, guard (tsuba) and other items of sword furniture. The finished blade was sometimes given to a professional sword tester who used the living bodies of condemned criminals or their corpses taken from the execution grounds to test the cutting power of a new sword. Twenty different cuts were used, beginning with severing the hand by cutting through the bones of the wrist and progressing through the thicker limbs of the body. The most difficult cut was known as ryo-kuruma (pair of wheels) which involved slicing through the hips and the thickest part of the spine. The results of the test were usually recorded on the nakago or sword tang, and it is not uncommon to find inscriptions on old swords giving details of the tests such as “two men cut” or “eight arms severed.” Some swords were so well made that in the hands of an expert swordsman they were capable of slicing through tremendous resistance. Some seventeenth century blades bear the inscription “mitsudo setsudan” (three bodies with one cut), and in the martial art of iai-jutsu (the art of drawing the sword) one of the techniques taught is capable of cutting a body in two by slicing through the torso from the right hip to the left shoulder. The terrible cutting power of the Japanese sword does not simply depend on the quality of the blade; it must be wielded by someone who knows how to cut, a skill developed by cutting through bundles made from wet straw or other materials.
The long sword in Japan has seen three major incarnations, and for each type of sword exists a fighting style to match the blade's shape. The early blades, called chokuto or “straight swords,” tended to get longer as metallurgy techniques improved. Though not much is known about how these weapons were wielded, the extra length - without any significant increase in weight - certainly gave the fighter more reach. The handle size of these blades suggests that they were held in one hand. The two-edged blade suggests a thrusting and hacking style of fighting.
The first major change in the shape of the sword came during Amakuni’s time, a style perhaps created by Amakuni himself. Warriors found that, compared to a straight blade, a curved sword can be drawn from the saya more quickly and can provide a more effective cutting angle. Consequently, swordsmiths developed forging techniques to make a curved blade at least as strong as the earlier straight ones. These swords, called tachi, were extremely long, some nearly four feet, and were generally used by soldiers on horseback. The long, curved blade was ideal for a sweeping draw and slash against opponents on the ground or mounted upon other horses.
Later in Japanese history, most soldiers found themselves doing battle on foot, or engaging in individual combat against one another. For such men, the tachi were too long to be drawn or wielded comfortably, so a shorter sword was developed. This sword was the katana, and the katana is the sword that most practicianers of Iaa239;-Do systems use today. Katana are generally between two and four feet in length and, though curved, have a less pronounced arc than the tachi. They can be efficiently drawn from the saya into position for a horizontal, diagonal, or vertical cut, and the curve of the blade lends itself well to the efficient slashing cut characteristic of Iaa239;-Do.
KATANA
The katana (a20992;) is the Japanese sabre or longsword (daita333;, a22823;a20992;), although many Japanese use this word generically as a catch-all word for sword. Katana (pronounced [ka-ta-na]) is the kunyomi (Japanese reading) of the kanji a20992;; the onyomi (Chinese reading) is ta333;. In Chinese itself, it is pronounced da257;o.
It refers to a specific type of curved, single-edged sword traditionally used by the Japanese samurai. The weapon was typically worn by members of the buke warrior class paired with the wakizashi, or short sword. The two weapons together were called the daisho, and represented the social power and personal honor of the samurai (buke retainers to the daimyo). The scabbard for a katana is referred to as a saya, and the handguard piece, intricately designed as individual works of art especially in later years of the Edo period, was called the tsuba.
It is primarily used for cutting (although thrusting is possible), and can be wielded one- or two-handed (the latter being the most common mode). It is worn with cutting-edge up. While the art of practically using the sword for its original purpose is now somewhat obsolete, kenjutsu has turned into gendai budo — modern martial arts for a modern time. The art of drawing the katana is iaido (also known as batta333;-jutsu or iaijutsu), and kendo is an art of fencing with a shinai (bamboo sword) protected by helmet and armour, additionally, iaijutsu is an older style of battle field type fencing. Old koryu sword schools do still exist (Kashima Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shin Ryu, Katori Shinto Ryu).
Although the samurai classically carried or had access to many weapons (a bow and spear, at the very least, in addition to their blade(s)), only one was considered the soul of the samurai: the katana (or tachi). The Japanese pinned an extraordinary amount of value on the sword. For much of Japan's history, only samurai were even allowed to carry swords, and a peasant carrying a sword was enough reason to kill the peasant and take the sword after a prohibition was issued in early Edo period.
Much of early Japanese culture revolved around swords. Elaborate methods for carrying, cleaning, storing, sharpening (or not sharpening), and wielding the sword evolved from era to era.
For example, a samurai entering someone's house might consider how to place his sheathed sword as he knelt. Positioning his sword for an easy draw implied suspicion or aggression; thus, whether he placed it on his right or left side, and whether the blade was placed curving away or towards him, was an important point of etiquette. As for the host, his longsword was generally stored under the wakizashi on a low rack, curving upwards; if it curved downwards, or was stored above the wakizashi, that meant the owner expected he might have to draw it quickly - a mark of suspicion to any guest.
However, most samurai turned to their swords as third resort: a bow first, a spear next, and only then the sword. After all, drawing your sword was like letting your soul blaze free or was most likely being down to the last straw. To have fought till nothing but a surrender is possible, is defined as Ken ore, Ya mo tsuki, lit. with swords broken and without an arrow, and this is also used as a proverb.
Swords are critical in most feudal societies, and Japan was no exception. In the sixth century BC the legendary emperor Jimmu Tenno conquered much of Japan. At the same time, the Japanese took inspiration for swords from the Chinese. Early swords were merely duplicates of Chinese swords, straight and double-edged, but the warring stability of the Asuka period promoted the advancement of weaponry.
The first recorded production of the curved, one-edged 'Japanese-style' sword (as opposed to 'Chinese-style') is around AD 900, but they had been in use for a significant time before that. According to legend, the Japanese sword was invented by a smith named 'Amakuni' in AD 700, along with the folded steel process. It is at this time that the term samurai came into being.
By the twelfth century, civil war erupted after a long period of decadence. For five centuries, Japan had its own dark ages, marked by continuous, brutal wars. The War of Onin (1467-1477) revolutionized Japanese armour, and weapons hit a plateau of quality considered to be superior to those made even today.
During the Muromachi period, bloody wars were the norm, but the indolent shogunates also put a high value on art and culture, so the islands did not descend into barbarism. In fact, the swords from the middle of this era are considered the peak of swordcraft. However, as time progressed, the craft decayed under the withering pressure of guns, which rendered swords obsolete.
Swordmaking continued to decline in the early part of the Edo period, since there were fewer wars; however, art leapt forward, leading to beautiful engravings and decorations for weapons. Then, under the isolationist Tokugawa Shogunate, guns and gunpowder were increasingly restricted and removed from circulation. By the middle of the eighteenth century, most young Japanese had never seen a gun, let alone actually seen one fired.
The power of the samurai (and the quality of swordmaking) had nearly disintegrated under the power of guns, but they came out of the struggle with a fierce devotion to their ancient ways and an eye for the past. Samurai were strong during the Edo period, and the almost-lost art of sword smithing revived, slowly but surely. Nearing the end of this period, swords had recovered enough quality that they were no longer referred to as 'shinto', but the more respectful 'shin-shinto'.
Japan remained in stasis until Matthew Perry's arrival in 1853 and the subsequent Convention of Kanagawa forcibly reintroduced Japan to the outside world; the rapid modernization of the Meiji Restoration soon followed.
The Haitorei edict in 1876 all but banned swords and guns, crippling the samurai class. However, an uprising against this edict and the military rulership resulted in an explosion of nationalism and support for an emperor who had previously been mostly a figurehead.
By World War I, Japan was on par with global powers in its military might. However, this also marked the beginning of the end for samurai in general, for guns had returned. It also marked a time of decline in sword manufacture, as katana were replaced by gunto: cheap sabers for navy officers.
Under the United States occupation at the end of World War II the samurai class was disbanded completely and swords banned; . The only swords which were allowed to remain were artistic treasures, which could not leave the museum or temple.
Due to this disarmament, as of 1958 there were more Japanese swords in America than in Japan: American soldiers would return from the Orient with piles of swords, often as many as they could carry. The vast majority of these 100,000 or more swords were gunto, but there were still a sizable number of shin-shinto.
This symbolized the final blow to the power of the samurai in the recent centuries. However, swordcraft has since resumed, although as a cultural phenomenon rather than a war-based one.
Classification by lenght:
All Japanese swords are manufactured according to this method and are somewhat similar in appearance. What generally differentiates the different swords is their length. Japanese swords are measured in units of "Shaku". One shaku is approximately equal to 12" or 30 cm.
A blade shorter than 1 shaku is considered a tanto (knife).
A blade longer than 1 shaku but less than 2 is considered a shoto (short sword) and included the wakizashi and kodachi.
A blade longer than 2 shaku is considered a daito, or long sword. This is the category 'katana' fall into. However, the term 'katana' is often misapplied: a sword is only a katana if it is worn blade-up through a belt-sash (these averaged 70cm in blade length). If it is suspended by cords from a belt, it is called 'tachi' (average blade length of 78cm).
Abnormally long blades, worn across the back, are called a333;dachi or nodachi. 'a333;dachi' is also sometimes used as a synonym for katana.
It should be noted that there are many varieties of wooden practice blades, including those made out of wood (bokken) and those made out of bamboo (often used for kendo practice, usually referred to as shinai).
Classification by date of manufacture
before 900: Straight and two-edged, like Chinese swords of the same era, these can safely be called 'Chinese Style'.
700-1500: A 'koto': these are considered the pinnacle of Japanese swordcraft. Early models had uneven curves with the deepest part of the curve at the hilt.
1500-1867: Derisively called a 'shinto', or 'new sword'. These are considered inferior to koto, and coincide with a degradation in manufacturing skills.
1867+: If made in koto style, these are called 'shin shinto', or 'new revival swords' (literally 'new new swords'). These are considered superior to shinto, but worse than koto.
1876+ (post-Haitorei Edict): Any mass-produced blade is derisively called 'gunto'. These often look like Western cavalry sabers rather than katana, although there are a lot of very recent (1970+) swords made to look just like katana, but mass-produced.
Classification by the way a sword was worn
before 1500: Most swords worn suspended from cords on a belt, blade-down. This style is called 'jindachi-zukuri', and all daito worn in this fashion are 'tachi'. 1500-1867: Almost all swords are worn through a sash, paired with a smaller blade. Both blades are blade-up. This style is called 'buke-zukuri', and all daito worn in this fashion are 'katana'.
1876+: Due to restrictions and/or the destruction of the Samurai class, most blades are worn jindachi-zukuri style, like Western navy officers. Recently (1953+) there is a resurgence in buke-zukuri style, but as swords are only allowed for demonstration purposes, this is largely irrelevant.
As a side note: swords designed specifically to be tachi are generally koto rather than shinto, so they are generally better manufactured and more elaborately decorated. However, these are still katana if worn in modern 'buke-zukuri' style.
As a further side note: most of the various kinds of spears could come with blades made in the same style as the Japanese sword. Although largely overlooked in Western literature, spears were the first resort of any samurai and most peasants, and the blades on the samurai spears were often of extremely high quality. However, despite this, the sword was still considered the soul of the samurai, not the spear.
Manufacturing
Japanese swords and other edged weapons are manufactured by an elaborate method of repeatedly heating, folding and hammering the metal. This practice was originated from use of highly impure metals, stemming from the low temperature yielded in the smelting at that time and place. In order to counter this, and to homogenize the carbon content of the blades (giving some blades characteristic folding patterns), the folding was developed (for comparison see pattern welding), and found to be quite effective, though labour intensive. Contrary to popular belief, this does not result in super-strength of a blade. The process of repeatedly folding the blade is performed in order to purify the metal.
The distinctive curvature of the katana is partly due to a process of differential quenching. The back of the sword is coated with clay, insulating it and so causing it to cool slower than the edge when the blade is quenched. This produces a blade with a hard edge and soft back, allowing it to be resilient and yet retain a good cutting edge.
This process also makes the edge of the blade contract less than the back when cooling down, something that aids the smith in establishing the curvature of the blade. As with other curved blades (e.g. sabers, scimitars, and machetes), this curvature makes the blade a more effective cutting weapon by concentrating the force of impact on a relatively small area; however, it decreases effectiveness as a thrusting weapon.
Manufacturing processes are described in greater detail in following subsections.
Composition
Traditional Japanese steel is considered to be one of the best for creating swords. The total composition varied from smith to smith and load to load of ore.
One more modern formula (from WWII) called for:
composition: 0.04% molybdenum
0.05% tungsten
0.02% titanium
1.54% copper
0.11% manganese
0.1% to 3% carbon
a varying amount of silicon
and a few other traces
Iron was the balance (made up the bulk of the steel).
The high percentage of carbon gave the blade strength while the silicon increased the flexibility of the blade as well as its ability to withstand stress. The katana was designed only to cut flesh, so the composition was not always adequate to effectively break armor.
Construction
The forging of a Japanese blade typically took hours or days, and was considered a sacred art. As with many complex endeavors, rather than a single craftsman, several artists were involved. There was a smith to forge the rough shape, often a second smith (apprentice) to fold the metal, a specialist polisher, and even a specialist for the edge itself. Often, there were sheath, hilt, and tsuba (handguard) specialists as well.
The most famous part of the manufacturing process was the folding of the steel. Steel was commonly 'folded', or bent over itself and hammered flat, as many as thirty times. This did several things:
It eliminated any bubbles in the metal.
It evened out the metal, spreading the elements (such as carbon) evenly throughout. It created layers, which give the swords their unique grain. The layered structure (see Bulat steel) provides enhanced mechanical properties of the steel. Lastly, it strengthened the metal (perhaps by more evenly distributing the imperfections). Generally, swords were created with the grain of the blade (called 'hada') running down the blade like the grain on a plank of wood. Straight grains were called 'masame-hada', whereas wavy grains were called 'ayasugi-hada'. Certain schools of construction had the grain running directly into the blade, resulting in a blotchy, ringed pattern. Although this weakened the blade, some samurai found it quite beautiful. If it resembled knotted wood, it was called 'itame-hada'; if it was splotched and burled, it was called 'mokume-hada'.
One of the core philosophies of the Japanese sword is that it has a single edge. This means that the rear of the sword can be used to reinforce the edge, and the Japanese took full advantage of this fact. When finished, the steel is not quenched or tempered in the conventional European fashion. Steel’s exact flex and strength vary dramatically with heat variation, and depending on how hot it gets and how fast it cools, the steel has vastly different properties. If steel cools quickly, from a hot temperature, it becomes martensite, which is very hard but brittle. Slower, from a lower temperature, and it becomes pearlite, which has significantly more flex but doesn’t hold an edge. To control the cooling, the sword is heated and painted with layers of sticky mud. A thin layer on the edge of the sword ensures quick cooling, but not so fast as to crack the sword steel (this makes the actual edge of the sword extremely hard martensite). A thicker layer of mud on the rest of the blade causes slower cooling, and softer steel, giving the blade the flex it needs (this makes the rear and inside of the sword into pearlite). When the application is finished, the sword is quenched and hardens correctly.
Then things got complicated as the Japanese began experimenting with using multiple metals (all steel, but different carbon contents) in their swords at various points. You can see examples of these below:
The vast majority of 'good' katana and wakazashi are of 'wariba-gitae' type, but the more complex models allow for parrying without fear of damaging the side of the blade. The last generally accepted model, the 'shiho-zume-gitae', is quite rare, but added a rear support.
The way they did the 'makuri-gitae' method was by using two steels, one folded more times than the other, or of a lesser carbon content. When both sections have been folded adequately, they are bent into a 'U' shape and the softer piece is inserted into the harder piece, at which point they are hammered out into a long blade shape. By the end of the process, the two pieces of steel are functionally the same piece, but with different rigidities. If the smith is performing han-sanmai-awase-gitae or shiho-zume-gitae, then pieces of hard steel are added to the outside of the blade in a similar fashion.
Okay, so now we've got a long iron stick. What makes it a katana?
This is the form of a katana:
Each blade has a unique profile, depending on the smith, the construction method, and a bit of luck. The most prominent is the middle ridge, or 'shinogi'. In the earlier picture, the examples were flat to the shinogi, then tapering to the blade. However, swords could narrow down to the shinogi, then narrow further to the blade, or even expand outward towards the shinogi then shrink to the blade (producing a trapezoidal shape). A flat or narrowing shinogi is called 'shinogi-hikushi', whereas a 'fat' blade is called a 'shinogi-takushi'.
The shinogi can be placed near the back of the blade for a longer, sharper, more fragile tip or a more moderate shinogi near the center of the blade.
The sword also has an exact tip shape, which is considered an extremely important characteristic: the tip can be long (o-kissaki), short (ko-kissaki), medium (chu-kissaki), or even hooked backwards (ikuri-o-kissaki). In addition, whether the front edge of the tip is curved (fukura-tsuku) or straight (fukura-kareru) is also important.
A hole is drilled into the tang, called a mekugi-ana. This hole is to anchor the hilt, and some of the older blades have more than one due to the length of the blade
Decoration
Almost all blades are decorated, although not all blades are decorated on the part of the blade you can see. Once the blade is cool, and the mud is scraped off, the blade has designs and grooves cut into it. One of the most important markings on the sword is performed here: the file markings. These are cut into the tang, or the hilt-section of the blade, where they will be covered by a hilt later. The tang is never supposed to be cleaned: if you do, you can cut the value of the sword in half. The purpose is to show how well the blade steel ages. A number of different types of file markings are used, including horizontal, slanted, and checked, known as ichi-monji, kosuji-chigai, suji-chigai, o-suji-chigai, katte-agari, shinogi-kiri-suji-chigai, taka-no-ha, and gyaku-taka-no-ha. A grid of marks, from raking the file diagonally both ways across the tang, is called higaki, whereas specialized 'full dress' file marks are called kesho-yasuri. Lastly, if the blade is very old, it may have been shaved instead of filed. This is called sensuki.
Some other marks on the blade are aesthetic: signatures and dedications written in kanji and engravings depicting gods, dragons, or other 'acceptable' beings, called horimono. Some are more practical, grooves for lightening and extra flex. Grooves come in wide (bo-hi), twin narrow (futasuji-hi), twin wide and narrow (bo-hi ni tsure-hi), short (koshi-hi), twin short (gomabushi), twin long with joined tips (shobu-hi), twin long with irregular breaks (kuichigai-hi), and halberd-style (naginata-hi).
Polishing
When the rough blade was completed, the blacksmith would turn the blade over to a polisher, whose job it was to polish the steel of the blade to a glittering shine and sharpen the edge for battle. This takes hours for every inch of blade, and is painstaking work with different kinds of very fine stone. Early polishers used three types of stone, whereas a modern polisher generally uses seven. It almost always takes longer than actually crafting the blade does, and a good polishing makes a blade look better, while a bad polishing makes the best of blades look like gunto.
One of the ways which blades can be judged is by what this polishing reveals: the crystal-like qualities of the blade become quite visible, and the hamon (known in English as the temper line, where the sharp edge fades into the normal steel of the blade) shows the unique nature of the sword. Each blade is distinct in its hamon and the grain (hada) of its steel. The hamon, which is determined primarily by how the mud is applied, is often used as a kind of signature of the smith, above and beyond his own signature, and each tradition of swordsmiths often has a particular style of hamon it prefers over all others. Hamon vary from straight to wavy to shaped like crabs or zigzags, and in their wandering they reveal important facts about the blade itself. A good polishing reveals what speed the edge was cooled at, from what temperature, and what the carbon content of the steel is. This is because it displays either nioi, which is a mix of extremely fine martensite with troostite (another type of tempered steel), or the more crystalline and obvious nie, which contains a lot of less fine martensite.
Furnishings
The work on the blade doesn't end here, though. From here it is passed on to a hilt-maker. Hilts vary in their exact nature depending on the era, but generally consist of the same general idea, with the variation being in the components used and in the wrapping style. The obvious part of the hilt consists of a metal or wooden grip called a tsuka, which can also be used to refer to the entire hilt. The cross guard, or tsuba, on Japanese swords (except for certain twentieth century sabers which emulate Western navies') is small and round, made of metal, and often very ornate.
There is a pommel at the base known as a kashira, and there is often a decoration under the criss-crossed wrappings called a menuki. A bamboo peg is slipped through the tsuka and through the tang of the blade, using the hole drilled in it. This anchors the blade securely into the hilt. To anchor the blade securely into the sheath it will soon have, the blade acquires a collar, or habaki, which extends an inch or so past the cross guard and keeps the blade from rattling.
The sheathes themselves are not an easy task. There are two types of sheathes, both of which require the same exacting work. One is the saya, which is generally made of wood and considered the 'resting' sheath, used in place of a more fragile and expensive sheath. The other sheath is the more decorative or battle-worthy sheath which is usually called either a jindachi-zukuri or a buke-zukuri, depending on whether it was supposed to be suspended from the belt by straps or thrust through a sash, respectively. Other types of mounting include the kyu-gunto, shin-gunto, and kai-gunto types for the twentieth-century military, but these swords were generally mass-produced and highly inferior, and few true Japanese swords are mounted in these styles.
Technique
The katana is designed for two specific functions, cutting and thrusting. Rather than slashing, chopping or slicing, the sword is made to cut through a target in a straight line. Cuts that do not cut all the way, or follow an arc on their way through the target can easily result in a warped or rolled edge.
There are other reasons for the curvature of the blade. Samurai were primarily cavalry, often charging on horseback into battle. A curved blade is much more effective in a cavalry charge than a straight one. This is the same reason curved sabres were given to officers and cavalry units in Europe and America in the 17th and 18th centuries.
While some people believe that katana and wakizashi were constructed alike, this could not be further from the truth. They were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of niku. Wakizashi were also not simply a 'scaled down' katana, they were often forged in hira-zukuri or other such forms, which were very rare on katana. Katana were more like an eastern equivalent of rapiers, one wouldn't often use a katana on an open battlefield (yari, naginata, yumi, and other such implements were preferred), and in battles, they served as a secondary weapon.
Myths
Many myths surround Japanese swords, the most frequent being that the blades are folded an immense number of times, gaining magical properties in the meantime.
While blades folded hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times are encountered in amateur fiction, there is no record of real blades being folded more than around thirty times. Note that with each fold made by the maker, every internal layer is also folded, and so the total number of layers in a sword blade is two to the power of the number of folds made; since the thickness of a katana blade is less than 230 iron atoms, going beyond thirty folds no longer adds meaningfully to the number of layers in the blade.
Furthermore, while heating and folding serves to even up the distribution of carbon throughout the blade, a small amount of carbon is also 'burnt out' of the steel in this process; repeated folding will eventually remove most of the carbon, turning the material into softer iron and reducing its ability to hold a sharp edge.
Some swords were reputed to reflect their creators' personalities, most famously those made by Muramasa and Masamune.
Kusanagi (probably a tsurugi, however) is a famous legendary katana.
Comparisons with European swords
It is a commonly-encountered article of faith that katanas are intrinsically superior to European swords. This belief is frequently bolstered by roleplaying games that assign superior statistics to katanas, and also by many movies. However, these claims are largely based on misunderstandings about the manufacture and role of European swords, and comparing the schools on their worst examples instead of their best.
Because Japan was an iron-poor society, making a sword was an intrinsically expensive undertaking; the supply of swords was limited, and so it was in the smiths' interest to make the most of the materials they could afford. Europe also had superlative swordsmiths; Toledo steel swords from Spain are one example of legendary quality swords from outside Japan. However, the greater availability of iron made it practical to produce cheap, low-quality weapons in large quantities. Where Europeans had the choice between expensive good swords and cheap bad swords, Japanese had the choice between expensive good swords or none at all.
European swords were also designed for different modes of combat. The katana's sharpness makes it an excellent cutting weapon, suitable for use against lightly-armoured opponents, but easily damaged when used against heavier armour. In this light, the relative bluntness of a good European sword is due less to the limitations of its maker than to the requirements of its use. Attempting to establish the superiority of the one over the other is ultimately meaningless without first defining the circumstances in which they are to be compared.
WAKIZASHI
A wakizashi (Japanese: a33031;a24046;) is a traditional Japanese sword with a shoto blade between 12 and 24 inches (between 30 and 60 cm, with an avarage of 50 cm), similar to but shorter than a katana, together with which it was often worn. When worn together the pair of swords were called daisho, which translates literally as "large and small"; "dai" or large for katana, and "sho" for wakizashi.
Wakizashi were made with different zukuri shapes and sizes, and were generally thinner than katana. They very often had much less niku (lit. 'meat', the measure of how convex the edge is) and therefore cut softer targets much more aggressively than a katana.
A wakizashi was used as a samurai's weapon when the Katana was unavailable. When entering a building, a samurai would leave his katana on a rack near the entrance. However, the wakizashi would be on his person at all times, and therefore, it made a sidearm for the samurai, similar to a soldier's use of a pistol. The samurai would have worn it from the time they awoke to the time they went to sleep. In earlier periods, and especially during times of civil wars, a tanto was worn in place of a wakizashi.
TACHI
The tachi (a22826;a20992;) is a Japanese sword, often said to be more curved and slightly longer than the katana. The daito (long swords) that pre-date the katana average about 78cm in blade length, next to the katana's average of around 70cm. As opposed to the traditional manner of wearing the katana, it was worn hung from the belt with cutting-edge down, and usually used by cavalry. Deviations from the avarage length of tachi have the prefixes ko- for "short" and o- for "great" attached. For instance, tachi that were shoto and closer in size to a wakizashi were called "kodachi". The longest tachi (considered a 15th century "odachi") in existence is more than 3.7 meters in total length (2.2m blade) but believed to be ceremonial.
It was the predecessor to the katana as the battle-blade of feudal Japan's bushi warrior class, and as it evolved into the later design, the two were often differentiated from each other only by how they were worn and by the fittings for the blades. In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors of what became the ruling class would wear their sword tachi-style (edge-downward), rather than with the saya (scabbard) thrust through the obi (belt) with the edge upward
DAITO
The word daito refers to Japanese long swords. Rather than a specific weapon, this is actually a class of blades under which both the katana and tachi fall. This term is often used interchangeably with either of the other sword names, and can be used to describe unspecific fake and practice Japanese-style swords. To qualify as a daito the sword must have a blade longer than 2 shaku (24 inches) in a straight line. On top of being made typically of longer straight-edged measure, the tachi also had a deeper curvature than the katana thuse making the absolute length even more dissimilar. While there is a well defined lower-limit to the length of a daito, the upper limit is not well enforced; as such swords that are longer "than normal daito" are called odachi. Daito is often used when explaining the similar terms shoto (short sword) and daisho (the set of both large and small sword).
ODACHI
An a333;dachi (a22823;a22826;a20992; "big/thick sword") was a type of long Japanese sword. The term nodachi (a37326;a22826;a20992; "field sword"), which refers to a different type of sword, is often mistakenly used in place of a333;dachi.
The character for a333; (a22823;) means "big" or "great". The characters for da (a22826;) and chi (a20992;) are the same as tachi (a22826;a20992;), the older style of sword/mounts that predate the katana (the chi is also the same character as katana (a20992;) and the ta333; in nihonta333; (a26085;a26412;a20992; "Japanese sword")).
To qualify as an a333;dachi the sword in question must have a blade length of 3 shaku (90.9 cm) or more, however, as with most terms in Japanese sword arts, there is no exact definition of the size of an a333;dachi.
Purpose
The purpose of the a333;dachi can be categorized as follows:
As an offering to a shrine or gods. Some a333;dachi were dedicated with prayer to win a war, others were placed in shrines as legendary swords from mythology.
As a weapon. From explanations in old texts, such as Heike-monogatari, Taihei-ki tell us that a333;dachi were used by soldiers during battles.
As a symbol for an army. Some a333;dachi are too long for practical use. They cannot be used in a battle but it is said that they could have been used as a symbol of an army, such as flags and spears. Further research is needed to confirm this idea. As a trend during a certain period. Some swords were also used for ceremonies. To show the swordsmith's skill, most a333;dachi were used for the first two reasons.
Production
a332;dachi are very difficult to produce. The requirements to make a good a333;dachi are as follows:
A lot of steel is needed to produce an a333;dachi and it takes longer to make than a normal sword. However, to make a good a333;dachi it is important to hammer the steel quickly. This requires great skill from the swordsmith.
An a333;dachi is made with teamwork. Perfect teamwork is required to make a good one. More skill is required in quenching and tempering an a333;dachi than a normal sword. Special facilities are required. For example, the quenching tank must be bigger than that used for normal swords.
The method of polishing is different. a332;dachi need to be hung from the ceiling or placed in a stationary position to be polished, unlike normal swords which are moved over polishing stones.
How to use
a332;dachi that were used as weapons were too long for samurai to carry on their waists like normal swords. There were two methods in which a333;dachi could be carried.
One method was to carry it on your back. This was impractical, however, as it was impossible for the samurai carrying the sword to draw it quickly.
The other method was simply to carry the a333;dachi by hand. The trend during the Muromachi Era was for the samurai carrying the a333;dachi to have a follower to help him draw it. a332;dachi swordplay styles focused on downward chops and different wields than those of normal swords.
The a333;dachi's importance died off after the Osaka-Natsuno-Jin war of 1615 (battle between Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari ). Since then it has been used more as a ceremonial piece.
Reasons for loss of popularity
Battles in fields did not occur after 1615. The Bakufu government set a law which prohibited holding swords above a set length (in Genna 3 (1617), Kan'ei 3 (1626) and Shoho 2 (1645)). After the law was put into practice, a333;dachi were cut down to the shorter legal size. This is one of the reasons why a333;dachi are so rare. a332;dachi were no longer of practical use, but were still made as offerings to Shinto shrines. This became their main purpose. Due to the amount of skill required to make one it was considered that their awesome appearance was suitable for praying to the gods.
NODACHI
The nodachi (a37326;a22826;a20992;) refers to a large Japanese sword. The characters (kanji) which are read "nodachi" mean "field sword". However, some have suggested that the meaning of "nodachi" closer approximates odachi (a22823;a22826;a20992;), or "large tachi". A confusion between the terms has nearly synonymized "nodachi" with the very large "odachi". Thus, while the original use of the term may have been to refer to any type of long battle field sword (daito) such as a tachi, it currently is misapplied to any type of oversized Japanese sword.
A common discription of an unusually large japanese sword follows.
These blades have the same general appearance and design of a tachi though they were significantly longer. The nodachi was carried by foot soldiers and was designed as a weapon for war versus cavalry and open field engagements. Nodachi were generally used on open battlefields as their length made their use indoors or close quarters difficult. They were an effective weapon against cavalry, though they were not commonly used. Nodachi were infrequently used because of several reasons:
The blade was more difficult to forge compared to a "normal" sized sword
The nodachi required greater strength to properly wield weapons such as the naginata or nagamaki were arguably more effective for the same role on the battlefield. During times of peace the sword was worn slung across the back as a symbol of status. This is distinctive because most Japanese swords such as the katana, wakizashi, and tachi were worn at the waist or belt; however it was not "drawn" from the back. The nodachi was more difficult to wield due to its abnormal size and weight, but like any weapon can be used most efficiently if the time and trouble is used to practice it well. The size of the blade made the nodachi a fearsome weapon when wielded by a skilled warrior. Its cutting capability and range exceeded that of a katana (due to its weight and size) and therefore the nodachi can probably be considered to be the most powerful sword ever made if cutting capability is any measure of a sword's power. It has been said that a nodachi could cleave a warrior and his horse in a single blow.
The Kage Ryu is maybe the only known ryuha still extant that uses the Japanese long-sword (which they call "choken").
Nodachi are often depicted in video games, manga, and anime. It is interesting to note the proliferation of nodachi in fiction; however, historically nodachi were very rare.

TSURUGI
Tsurugi" (’·Œ•) is a Japanese word used to refer to any type of broadsword, or various Chinese heroes' weapons or Chinese swords (Jian).
Tsurugi is used in the west to refer to a specific type of Japanese straight, double-edged sword no longer in common use.

Just for the benefit of you guys. Phoenix eye is only called fong nguan because that is the direct translation of phoenix eye from english to chinese, and fong nguan is sorta a westernised pronounciation of the phrase. I will post more about it in a few days time. I can do iron palm as well as iron shin as well cos i am doing that currently..

Chrome.you want me to do Baranta?I'm on it.If I could just find some damn info on Kuo Shou.

if you can't find it, put it aside for a while, that's what i did with YianYeung (was that realy YianYeung?) Umm, there are several english infos on baranta on hungarian sites. Try www.kurzor.hu (equivalent of google)

Chrome I've already found a LOT of info on Baranta.I'm working on putting it all together.

weapon: Naginata (sword-headed pike)
The naginata is a halberd-like weapon that was used extensively in feudal Japan. Described by some as simply "a sword on the end of a long pole", the naginata was actually a sophisticated weapon which required considerable skill and stamina to use effectively in battle. It consisted of a curved blade, 1 to 2 feet in length, mounted onto an oak shaft that was usually 5 to 9 feet long. The actual dimensions of a naginata were primarily dependent on personal preferences and battle conditions. Attached to the butt end of the shaft was a sharp end-cap, or ishizuki, which was used to pierce between the plates of an attacker's armor.
Although the exact origin of the naginata is not known, three theories are prominent today. The first states that the naginata evolved from a simple farming tool used for chopping. In the early part of the third century BC, farmers attached sharp stones to the end of long wooden shafts. Later, metal was used in place of the stones.
The second theory is that the naginata evolved directly as a weapon. The first prototype blades were most likely made of bronze, followed later by steel. This theory sets the development of the naginata well after the introduction of metal to Japan from the Asian continents (after 200 BC).
The third theory is that Chinese halberds were carried to Japan during early migrations, sometime around 200 BC. By the Han and Wei Dynasties (approximately 200 AD) these weapons closely resembled the type of naginata eventually used by Japanese warriors. Some historians believe that, although the Chinese may have invented the weapon, it was later developed, utilized, and refined by the Japanese.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding its origin, it is a well-known fact that the naginata was being fully utilized in battle by the 10th century. Cavalry battles had become more important by this time, and it was difficult to repel mounted warriors simply by means of the bow, arrow, and sword. The naginata proved to be a superb weapon for close-up fighting; it's sweeping arcs of destruction were used to cut a horse's legs and kill its rider once the horse fell to the ground. During the Gempei War (1180), in which the Taira clan was pitted against the Minamoto, the naginata rose to a position of particularly high esteem. Because of its extensive use at that time, changes were made in the type of armor worn by warriors. The addition of "sune-ate", or shin guards, came into use directly because of injuries inflicted by naginata-bearing warriors. The naginata was also used extensively by women warriors. It is a common misconception that women of that era were submissive and subdued. In reality, they were highly trained warriors who were well versed in the use of the naginata as well as many hand to hand fighting techniques. One of the most famous women warriors was Itagaki. Famous for her naginata skills, Itagaki was in charge of a garrison of 3,000 warriors at the Torizakayama castle. The Hojo shogunate dispatched over 10,000 warriors to crush them. Itagaki led her troops out of the castle directly into the Hojo warriors, killing a significant number of them before finally being overpowered. Off of the battlefield, the naginata was also used by women as a means of protecting themselves and their children while the men were away in battle or working in the fields. Because of the size and reach of the weapon, a woman could keep an attacker at a safe distance.
The introduction of firearms into Japan in the mid-17th century significantly altered battlefield strategies, and the naginata gradually became a weapon used solely by women for protection in their homes. Naginata training was also used as a means of exercise and character development. During the Edo period, a time of relative peace in feudal Japan, all Japanese women were required to master the naginata by age 18. By this time, naginata were usually ornately decorated, and were considered an essential part of a woman's dowry.
Today, the martial art of Naginata is still practiced extensively in Japan and elsewhere. Many different "styles" or schools (ryu) of Naginata are in existence, with Atarashii Naginata and Jikishin-kage ryu being the most popular. Other popular styles are Tendo ryu and Toda Ha Buko ryu. Regardless of the style, all naginata training has at its core the goal of developing respect for traditional etiquette and spiritual training.
THE NAGINATA
Naginata (¤Ê¤®¤Ê¤¿, éLμ¶ or ËSμ¶) is a pole weapon traditionally used by Japanese samurai. In recent times, it has become strongly associated with women. It consists of a wood shaft with a curved blade fashioned onto the end, and is similar to the European glaive. Usually, it also had a sword-like guard (tsuba) between the blade and shaft.
The martial art of wielding the naginata is called naginata-jutsu. Most naginata practise today is in a modernised form, a gendai budo called Atarashii naginata, in which competitions also are held. Naginata is also practised within the Bujinkan and in some koryu schools.
The naginata was first visible in the Kojiki in 712 CE and was used by Yamabushi warrior priests during the Nara Period, around 750 CE. In the paintings of battlefield scenes made during the Tengyo no Ran in 936 CE, the naginata can be seen in use. By the 17th century the rise in popularity of firearms greatly decreased the appearance of the naginata on the battlefield.
Construction
Physically, the naginata, like all weapons, can be customized to fit the build of the bearer. Generally, the naginata shaft is usually the height of the bearer's body, and then the blade is mounted atop, usually measuring two shaku or three shaku (one shaku is equivalent to 11.93 inches, or 30.3 cm) long. Unlike most pole arms the shaft is oval in cross section, and could range from 6 ̈C8 feet long. The blade is usually curved, sometimes strongly towards the tip, and historically is believed to be related to Chinese halberds. As with Japanese swords, naginata blades were forged blades, made with differing degrees of hardness on the spine and edge to retain a sharp edge but be able to absorb the stress of impact.
Note also at the opposite end of a Naginata a metal counterweight, sometimes a spike, was often attached, making the naginata an effective weapon whichever end was put forward.
Usage
Naginata can be used to stab, but due to their relatively balanced center of mass, are often spun and turned to proscribe a large radius of reach. The curved blade makes for a more effective tool for cutting due to the increased length of cutting surface. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, one 5-foot tall wielder could conceivably cover and attack in 380 square feet of open, level ground. (5-foot shaft, 3-foot blade, 3-foot reach) Naginatakas were often used to create space at the battlefield.
It is believed that the addition of "sune-ate" (shin guards) to the armor of samurai and foot soldiers was motivated by the injuries sustained from naginata.
Naginata methods are said to be derived from bojutsu staff fighting methods.
THE BOJUTSU
Bojutsu (°ôÐg) is the art of using a staff weapon called bo (abbreviation of roku-shaku-bo (six-shaku-staff), a shaku being close to one foot long). Staffs are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by man. They have been in use thousands of years in Eastern Asia.
Today bojutsu is usually associated either with Okinawan kobudo or with Japanese koryu budo. Japanese bojutsu is one of the core elements of classical martial training. In the Okinawan context, the weapon is frequently referred to as the kon.
Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba was known to practise with bo, which later formed the base of aikido's weapon work with a shorter staff, jo.

another interesting thing I found accidentaly
KOBUJUTSU
Brief introduction about History of Ryukyu Kobujutsu and our Society
The ancient martial art of Ryukyu Island consists of "Toshu-jutsu" that is the way of Empty hand, and "Emono-jutsu" that is the way of Weapon technique. At present , the former is generally called as Karate and the latter as Ryukyu Kobujutsu.
The Ryukyu Kobujutsu uses eight kinds of weapons that are Bo,Sai,Tonfa,Nunchaku, Kama,Tekko, Tinbe and Surujin. Each weapon deeply involves its characteristic technique and the elements of Ryukyu martial arts deeply. Most Kata of the weapons remaining now are footprints of old masters living from approximately 200 to several hundreds years ago.
The Ryukyu Kobujutsu appeared in history approximately 700 years ago. It is said that it was the use of weapons in the periods of heroes holding grand. With prosperity of Kobujutsu , many great teachers such as Soeishi, Sakugawa, Chatanyara appeared in the 17,18 and 19 centuries.
Through transition of the times, however, because of lack of instructors and people to carry on the tradition, Ryukyu Kobujutsu have been decayed and at one time faced the crisis of being almost totally forgotten.
In Taisho era [=around the beginning of 20th century ], some masters who had deeply concerned about the situation made great efforts to restore and promote Ryukyu Kobujutsu. Subsequently, the late master Shinken Taira, who was a disciple of master Moden Yabiku sensei, had comprehensively compiled 42 Weapon Kata which consist of eight kinds of Weapons. All of these Kata had been taught to the late master Gansho Inoue who was the highest direct disciple of the master Taira.
Our society is preserving and promoting the all 42 weapon kata and the way of using, basic Kumite and explanation Kumite of each of the weapons that were made by master Gansho Inoue by the order of master Taira. Especially, 22 of 42 weapon kata are Bo(staff). It has been the most well-studied weapon and the best of weapons. We usually call the name of Bo kata as "?c no kon".
Our Society belongs to "Nihon Kobudo Shinko Kai" and "Nihon Kobudo Kyokai" in Japan. Both parties are the largest legitimate nation organizations for the preservation and promotion of Japanese Traditional martial arts. Through various opportunities, we are introducing the correct traditional Ryukyu Kobujutsu on domestic and overseas stages as well as our Society's own events.
At present, Kisho Inoue is Souke and President. Souhonbu(General Headquarters) located at Tokyo.
Centering around General headquarters, Our society has the branches like "SHIMIZU", "FUJINOMIYA","MEIJI UNIVERSITY SHIUNJUKU KOBUDO CLUB",
"WAKAYAMA","FUJISAWA","KODAIRA","SHUNSEIKAN","OJIMA","SHIZUOKA","KAWAGUCHI",
"ICHIKAWA"etc. in Japan and "SOUTH AFRICA","FINLAND","HOLLAND","ENGLAND",
"CANADA","SWEDEN","SRILANKA","RUSSIA","BELGIUM","MAURITIUS","GERMANY"etc. in overseas.
The ultimate objective of practicing Bujutsu is to achieve a pure self control. We will, in due course, find the principle and the art of life through the continued training, and with the self -confidence and conviction cultivated by the training, we should contribute in enhancement of politeness and faith in human society.
In the aspect of art, we shall learn and grasp the soul of Kobujutsu with such a sense of undivided skill and principle, harmony of reality and theory, no prejudice and no exclusion.
It is important to make efforts to seek the true way of Bujutsu for mind, body and art. Only way to acquire the skill and to achieve the goal is to continue hard training and practice.
The Kobujutsu has been handed down to us from the pioneers and the late masters as a legacy of the Japanese race.
It is our responsibility to convey the great Kobujutsu to coming ages ,and it is also our desire to contribute to a promotion of Kobujutsu world.
It is difficult to realize the true meanings of Ryukyu bujutsu, if the study is one-sided to either Karate or Ryukyu Kobujutsu . We always keep in our mind that both are inseparable relation like vehicle wheels.
To achieve this ideal objective, Yuishin kai, founded by Gansho Inoue in 1948, preserves and promotes karate knowledge including total 80 traditional karate kata. Curriculums also includes bunkai kumite and taijutsu to study principles of how to use the body for "Sabaki", "Breaking the balance", "Locking" etc. These knowledge has been inherited to Kisho Inoue as well as weapon knowledge.
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weapon: Sai
used by: Mileena, Li Mei
The Rercords from China prove the Sai's original existence although in a much more elongated form. The weapon is metal and of the truncheon class with its length dependent upon the forearm of the user. When held it should be about 3cm longer than the forearm and generally Sai are used in pairs.
Advanced Sai uses 3, with one held in the belt behind ready for, and used for throwing. The tang is of the Korean classification and the pommel is variant to round, square or multi angled types much dependant on the emphasis of the makers usage. The basic holding manner "Honte-Mochi" (Natural) and "Gyakute-Mochi" (Reverse) is prevalent with basic Sai whereupon the advancement to "Toku-Mochi" (special grip) is introduced. This brings the usage and actions of the Sai into the same family as Tonfa and Kama. The Manji Sai which was made by Shinken Taira has a half reversed tang looking much like a swastika and a pointed pommel end denoting Sensei Taira's preference to a stabbing motion instead of the smashing techniques dominant with the Tsuujo Sai.
The efficient use of the weapon is much reliant on the dexterity of the practitioner with his thumbs, which the tang is balanced and rotated on along with the loosening and tightening of the grip from the small finger for striking and consolidating power. The early use of the weapon makes the user appear stiff and robotic but as the training advances the flow and unity with body movement becomes ever more apparent. Sai is the practice of "Shuto" in empty hand and emphasizes the need for "Koshi no Chikara" (Hip power) and "Suri Ashi" (sliding movement). The importance of body movement and good footwork is ever more apparent as the weapon is of a smaller classification than Bo. Advanced practitioners must learn to throw the Sai, a difficult requirement in view of the weight. The Sai explores the weakness of Bo, thus making Bo-jutsu stronger.
This weapon, shaped like a man, was brought into Okinawa by Chinese officials in a trading era. Officer's Chiku and Saji, who acted as both judge and police at the same time, carried Sai in order to protect the King, control crowds, and catch criminals. There was a similar weapon called "Jutte" which was used by police officers in mainland Japan. However, Sai is usually used in pairs with a third sometimes carried as a back up. It is good for both defense and attack. Sometimes it can even be thrown to stab a runaway criminal. Sai implies an ornamental hairpin and it was mentioned in Chinese war tactics book "Bubishi". It has been actively practiced in Okinawa as a martial art for a long time. This technique was handed down to late Grand Master Shinko Matayoshi by Mr. Higa (Gushikawa Tiragawa) who came to Gushikawa village from Shuri.
A sai was (incorrectly) beleived to be an Okinawan tool to measure stalks, or some even say as a pin to hold cart wheels in place, but is better (and correctly) known as a weapon. Its basic form is that of an unsharpened dagger, but it also has two long, unsharpened projections (tsuba) attached to the handle.
The sai's distinctive shape makes it a versatile weapon. With skill, it be used effectively against a long sword by trapping the sword's blade between the sai's blade and the tsuba and breaking it with a twist of the hand. Also, it can be held so that the middle arm fits between the ring and middle fingers, and used as a longer variant of brass knuckles (this stance is only accepted in american styles).sai come in two traditional styles, one is just rounded arms, still no point at the tip; or what are called octagon sai, which have an octagonal shape on the middle arm.
traditionally, sai were carried in threes, two by your side, as primary weapons, and a third tucked behind you, in case one is disarmed from you. the sai was the only okinawan tool designed to be a weapon only, the rest wee formed from farm tools.
The word sai is also spelled psi due to confusion about the transliteration from Japanese and because of its similarity in shape to the Greek letter psi (ø).
The jitte is a one-pronged variant used predominantly by the okinawan police in the Edo period, when okinawans were forbidden to carry bladed weapons.
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Weapon: kama (pronounced kah-mah, not Khama!)
Used by: Nitara
History: Perhaps more clearly than any other weapon, the Kama (or Hand Scythe) can trace its origins for centuries in Okinawa and Japan back to farming, with routine uses including the cutting of grass, weeds, rice and sugar cane. It is still widely used as a farming implement today, and in fact, the best quality kama can be purchased at ordinary hardware and garden supply stores in Okinawa. Still, these kama are produced for farmers and intended for actual labor in the fields. They look and feel very different from the flashy aerodynamic titanium and aluminum varieties seen in flashy demonstrations at tournament competitions. Kama were one of the first weapons utilized by the Okinawans after the confiscation of their other weapons, and have in fact long had the secondary use of fighting blades. It's original structure made it very weak when attacked with heavy blows directly to the blade.
Description: A razor sharp sickle (the outside edge is blunt) with a half-moon shaped blade and wooden handle. The weight of the shaft is dependent upon the strength of the user and should be tapered to the butt end with increasing thickness. This allows for ease of catching and sliding when changing grip. The blade should add sufficient weight to ensure it is the heaviest point in the weapon. This also allows for ease of usage. The length of the weapon should extend to about 3cm passed the elbow when held in reverse grip. In its true sharpened form, this is a very dangerous weapon to learn how to use. There are all-wooden and unsharpened versions to make this process safer.
The corner of the blade to the shaft should have a groove cut into it for catching the Bo and other weapons without the blade digging into and getting stuck into the attacking weapon.
Another version of this weapon, the kusarigama, had a length of chain attached to it to increase it's length. However, since chain was in short supply on Okinawa and the addition of the chain made the kama more clearly a weapon, it's use was limited.
1 SOKO - Bottom
2 NIGIRI - Grip
3 HA - Edge
4 KISSAKI - Tip
5 MUNE - Spine
6 KASHIRA - Head
7 HIMO - Rope
There has been a redesigning of the weapon, called natagama, which is stronger in its construction, because the blade runs through past the curve of the normal kama and all the way down into the handle. This makes the cutting edge bigger, and above all removes the previous weak point where the sickle was attached to the stick.
Wooden Practice Kama
Technique: The weapon can cut, slice, block and strike. One of its better qualities is that it can be used to simultaneously block a punch or kick while slashing deeply into the arm or leg. The handling of the weapon is the same as the Sai with the following grips, 'Honte-Mochi' (Natural), 'Gyakute-Mochi'(Reverse) and 'Tokushu-Mochi' (Special grip). Kama is the practice of 'Kuride' and 'Kakede' (hooking and gripping.)
Kamas are used in pairs. Some practitioners have a rope or leather cord strung through the base of the handle. This cord wraps around the wrist, allowing the kama to be twirled in motions similar to nunchaku.
The kama tends to be employed close to your opponent. Kamas use much more sweeping motions then other weapons. These motions include: hooking, hacking, and chopping. Not all of these slashing motions have direct counterparts in karate. The blades add an extra deadly feature to this weapon. The practitioner may block a technique with the wooden shaft, only to shift the kama, pulling the sharp blade across the opponent's arm or leg. What's more, one kama could be executing a block, while the second kama is slashing at the opponent. Finally, both kama could be swung simultaneously, creating a sort of propeller effect.
In close range fighting, the sickle could be used to trap an opponent's weapon, or for striking. The forms include circular movements which improve blocking and countering techniques. This weapon will strengthen the wrist and forearm.
The Kama is a defensive weapon that was used against sword and Bo attacks. It can become deadly when used as an extension of the users hands. In hand to hand fighting, the Kama is used to block a punch or kick but as it does so, the sickle blade can slash deeply into the arm or leg. There have been reported cases where a wrist or other body part was actually severed during practice and training.

weapon: tonfa or tuifa
used by: Jax Briggs
used when: MK Deadly Alliance
Tuifa are the ancestor of the billy club, and are meant to be used in pairs (as are most of the single-handed kobudo weapons). Tuifa go by more names and/or spellings than any other kobudo weapon, as they are also known as tonfa, tunfa, toifua, tonkua, tunkua, taofua, tonfua, and tuiha. Tunfa or tonfa are the Japanese (and American) version, tonkua or tunkua are Chinese terms, and tuifa (and probably similar spellings) is Okinawan. This weapon develops grip strength and the muscles of the forearms, and teaches dexterity and awareness of arm and hand positioning.
This weapon originated from an ordinary household utensil, a handle for a mortar (or a hand mill). Its main purpose is defense. Attacking with Tonkua can also be powerful with the proper use of the wrist. This art descended from martial artist Master Irei in Nozato Chatan village.
About the grips:
There is in principal only one kind of Tonfa although the shaft varies in shape from round to rectangular. History has also shown the butt ends to be pointed but this is extremely rare. The weapon attracts two kata in the Ryukyu Kobujutsu syllabus but because of its exposure with the police in the baton form it is a very popular weapon to practise with.
The weapon is used in pairs and is of wood, again red oak or white oak preferably in keeping with the Bo. The length of the weapon is also the same requirements as the Sai, about three centimetres past the elbow when gripped. The weight like the Bo is paramount to the efficient usage of the weapon. Too light and it lacks power in Kumite, too heavy and the techniques lack speed and become ponderous. Again like the Sai there are three grips, Honte-Mochi (Natural), Gyakute-Mochi (Reverse) and Tokushu-Mochi (Special grip). The latter is not commonly used but is very effective and relates strongly to the techniques of Kama.
The usage is prevalent in the kata Yaraguwa. Tonfa is the practise of Uraken(back fist) and Hiji waza (elbow techniques) in open hand fighting. Good body movement like the Sai can make this weapon formidable, combining the speed it needs and generates along with the skilful footwork for evasion and attack. Although there are stories of Rice millstone grinding implements and horses bridles etc. as being the origins of this weapon, these are merely coincidental. The weapons origins can clearly be traced back to China and be found in Indonesia and surrounding geographical locations.
the tonfa comes from the kobudo alongside with the kama, jo, marikigusari
(a chained weapon developed by a samurai)
USAGE HISTORY: TheTonfa was developed as a weapon by the Okinawans spcifically for use in conjunction with karate. Two Tonfas were used simultaneously and were very efficient against assailants.
TRADITIONAL USE: Originally (a bean or rice grinder handle) the Tonfa's circular movements as a farm implement evolved into its rotating strike as a weapon. The side of the Tonfa was used for blocking and the ends for rotating strikes as weapons. The side of the Tonfa was used for blocking and the ends for direct strikes.
CURRENT USE: Now an advanced karate training aid, the Tonfa aids in development of block and strike strategies and upper body strength. It is also used in many police departments throughtout the United States.

Fighting style: karate and karate styles
Used by: Johnny Cage, Kobra
Used when: MK Deadly Alliance, MK Deception
Karate translates, as is generally accepted, to Empty Hand in Japanese. Karate is a martial art that uses weaponless techniques such as punching and kicking to overcome the opponent. Typically, fighters wear a white Karate Uniform (Gi) and a belt that indicates their skill level and rank.
The development of Karate began in Okinawa, an island south of Japan. Okinawans travelled to China, where they learnt the Chinese martial arts. On their return to Okinawa they set about blending their own martial arts (initially simply called Te, "Hands") with what they had learnt in China and called it To-De, Chinese Hands. From this, 4 main styles of Karate developed - Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Uechi Ryu and Shorei Ryu. Gichin Funakoshi, who trained under several Okinawan Karate masters, developed his own style of Karate that he named Shotokan.
Funakoshi introduced Shotokan to Japan in the early 20th century. Other Okinawan masters soon followed him - Chojun Miyagi with Goju Ryu and Kenwa Mabuni with Shito Ryu. From these masters many new styles were soon developed. For example Kyokushinkai by Mas Oyama, Goju Kai by Gogen Yamaguchi, Wado Ryu by Hinonori Ohtsuka.
There are now hundreds of different styles of karate across the world, but all can be traced back to the original four from Okinawa.
Origin of Karate: Okinawa
Karate was founded in the 16th century and formalised into different styles in the early 20th century.
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To-De: "Chinese Hand"
In Okinawa, the chinese influence in the development of the Okinawan martial arts led to their martial art, originally only known as "Te" (Hands), to be referred to as To-De, "Chinese Hands".
Three villages, three styles
Interestingly, in three different villages only few miles apart from each other, three different styles of Te or To-De developed. Naha was a port town south of the river, with an emerging style called Naha-Te. North of the river was Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa, which produced Shuri-Te. Further north, another village named Tomari, entertained Tomari-Te, however their style was not further developed and eventually Tomari-Te was assimilated by the more active Naha-Te and Shuri-Te development.
One of the early Okinawan masters, Master Sakugawa, was known by his nickname, To-De Sakugawa. He is credited as being one of the initial importers of Chinese martial arts to Okinawa, in particular to Shuri, where Shuri-Te manifested.
Naha-Te is the name of the particular type of Okinawan martial art that developed in the port town of Naha, the modern-day capital of Okinawa. The martial art that indigenously developed in Okinawa was called Te ("Hands"), and the continuous chinese influences that incorporated Chinese Boxing (Chuan Fa, nowadays known as Kung Fu) were eventually reflected by nameing the Okinawan martial arts To-De, "Chinese Hands".
Credited for the early development of Naha-Te is Kanryo Higaonna (1853-1915). Kanryo Higaonna's students include Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953), the founder of Goju-Ryu Karate and Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952), the founder of Shito-Ryu Karate.
Shuri-Te is the name of the particular type of Okinawan martial art that developed in the Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa. One of the early Okinawan masters, To-De Sakugawa (1733-1815) is credited as being one of the initial importers of Chinese martial arts to Okinawa, in particular to Shuri, where he started the development of the Shuri-Te style of Okinawan martial arts.
Sakugawa had a student named Sokon Matsumura, who in turn taught Ankoh Itosu, who was destined to become a great martial artist and teacher in the 19th century, who introduced the practice of To-De, as the Okinawan martial arts were called, to the Okinawan school system. Ankoh Itosu's contribution to To-De was the emphasis of Kata and its practical application, called Bunkai.
Many students of Ankoh Itosu became significant figures in the early development of Karate. Amongst Itosu's students are Gichin Funakoshi (1867-1957), who later moved to Japan and founded Shotokan Karate, and Kenwa Mabuni (1890-1954), combined aspects of Naha-Te and Shuri-Te, also moved to Japan, and founded Shito-Ryu Karate.
Goju Ryu Karate is one of the four original Okinawan styles of Karate. Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate employs hard and soft techniques with circular and linear movements. Goju Ryu has a great variety of hand and foot techniques.
Emphasis in Goju Ryu is placed on strengthening the body and mind with supplementary exercises. Goju Ryu's most famous exponent is Morio Higaonna - chief instructor of the International Okinawan Goju Ryu Karatedo Federation (I.O.G.K.F.).
Origin of Goju Ryu Karate: Okinawa
Shorin Ryu is one of the four original Okinawan styles of karate. Shorin Ryu makes use of hand techniques more than foot techniques and uses predominately high stances. Traditional weapons are also practiced in this martial art.
Origin of Shorin Ryu: Okinawa
Founder of Shorin Ryu: Nagamine Shoshin
Uechi Ryu is one of the four original styles of karate in Okinawa. Uechi Ryu utilises many kicking and striking techniques drawn from Chinese Kempo. Uechi Ryu practices some of the Goju Ryu kata especially Sanchin, Sanseiru and Sesan. Uechi Ryu also draws other influences from Goju Ryu including low leg kicks, grappling and takedowns. Uechi Ryu is considered a hard style of karate, which is ideally suited to fighting at close range.
Origin of Uechi Ryu: Okinawa
Founder of Uechi Ryu: Uechi Kanbun (+1949)
Shito Ryu was developed by Mabuni Kenwa, an Okinawan karate master who studied both the styles of Naha-te (Gojuryu) and Shuri-te (Shorinryu). Shito Ryu was formed by the combination of the kata and techniques of these two styles. Traditional Okinawan weapons are also taught in the Shito Ryu style of karate. Characteristic for Shito-Ryu are the square-on stances and linear strikes.
The most famous exponent of Shito Ryu is Fumio Demura who introduced the style to the world and has written several books - on both Shito Ryu and traditional Okinawan martial arts weapons. Martial arts weapons that Demura has written about include the Sai, Nunchaku and Tonfa.
Origin of Shito Ryu: Okinawa
Founder of Shito Ryu: Mabuni Kenwa
Kyokushin is a Karate style that is famous for its knock-down system of fighting. The style is characterized by its tenous training, conditioning and full contact sparring. Kyokushin Karate was developed by Sosei Masutatsu Oyama who in 1964 gave the style the name "Kyojushin", which translates to "The Ultimate Truth". Oyama held a 4th Dan in Judo, and also studied Goju Ryu Karate, Shotokan Karate (reaching 4th Dan at the age of 20) and some Korean martial arts which he developed into his own style called Kyokushin-kai (Kyokushin Karate).
Oyama was an extremely strong man who popularised his art by inviting challengers to fight him and through stunts, such as killing bulls with his bare hands. Black belt gradings in Kyokushinkai are well known for their large number of kumite (sparring fights), sometimes as many as a 100.
Steve Arneil trained with Mas Oyama in Japan for five years and was the first non-Japanese person to complete the 100-man kumite. This feat was later also acheived by John Jarvis, at the time the head of Kyokushinkai for the Asia Pacific. Jarvis later changed to practising Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate under Morio Higaonna.
Origin of Kyokushin Karate: Japan
Founder of Kyokushin Karate: "Mas" Masutatsu Oyama (1923-1994)
Goju Kai Karate is very similar in techniques and Katas to Goju Ryu. Goju Kai tends to place more emphasis on the sport side of training rather than the body conditioning and supplementary exercises of Goju Ryu. The founder of Goju Kai, Yamaguchi Gogen, is credited for introducing free sparring to Karate. Previously, Okinawan Karate styles only used Katas and pre-defined attack/defense techniques in their training.
Many Goju Kai schools exist today all over the world, and the characteristic clenched fist logo of Gojo Kai can easily be recognized. The insignia was designed by the late Gogen Yamaguchi in 1932, founder of Goju-Kai Karate-Do. In fact, the clenched fist insignia is vigorously protected by U.S. and international trademark and patent laws by those that currently hold the rights for it.
Origin of Goju Kai: Japan
Origin of Goju Kai: Japan, 1950
Founder of Goju Kai: Yamaguchi Gogen (The Cat) 1909-1989. His sons Gosei and Gosen brought Goju Kai to California, United States in the sixties
Wado Ryu was developed by Otsuka Hironori and is one of the four main styles of Japanese karate. Hironori used his knowledge of Shotokan Karate, Jujutsu, grappling and Tai Sabaki to form his own style. Wado Ryu does not practice many of the body toughening exercises common to other styles of karate, preferring rather to use Tai Sabaki (Body Movement) to evade attacks.
Origin of Wado Ryu: Japan
Founder of Wado Ryu: Otsuka Hironori in 1930
Yoseikan is a relatively new style of karate, founded by Hiroo Mochizuki. Hiroo was more than qualified to form a new style, as he trained under his father Minoru Mochizuki, one of the great martial arts masters of the time. Hiroo also obtained Dan grades in several other martial arts including Wado Ryu, Aikido, Jujutsu, Iaido and Judo. Hiroo was then able to blend together components of all these martial arts to form what is now Yoseikan. Origin of Yoseikan: Japan Founder of Yoseikan: Hiroo Mochizuki 1960's Shukokai has foundations that lie in Shito Ryu, as the founder Chojiro Tani was a student in that style. Shukokai contains all the normal elements of striking and kicking found in other Japanese martial arts. Shukokai places more emphasis on speed and higher stances, which makes it a very suitable style for tournament karate. Origin of Shukokai: Japan Founder of Shukokai: Chjiro Tani

i would like to see in mk some capoeira moves...........

Oh yes,I love Capoeira too.I don't think it would work on MK's fighting engine though.Capoeira is so free and unpredictable.It wouldn't work to well in MK.Chrome,that weapon info is awesome.I do Wushu weaponry.I'll do info on that.There are 18 weapons of Wushu.I can't remember all of them of the top of my head.

Fighting style: Chun/Om Yung Doe and similar styles
In East Asia there are different interpretations of the word "Bagwa." (Bagwa is the Hwa Gyo pronunciation.) Some say it is a person's name. Some say it is a style of martial art. Some say it is a figure of a pattern of movement. Throughout history, there are different movements and different legends associated with the word (name) "Bagwa."
Some people say that the BAGWA style originated about 200 to 400 years ago. Others say that it dates back several thousand years. The Oom Yung martial arts follows the legend that BAGWA was a person's name and that he was the founder of the Oom Yung line of martial arts about 1500 to 2000 years ago.
The Oom Yung Doe style of martial arts taught by Grand Master "Iron" Kim today encompasses the form and movement of the Oom Yung line taught over the centuries. Some of the forms taught include Bagwa Chung, Goong Bu, Pal Gye Chung, Yin Yang Doe, and Ship Pal Gye. The 7th generation Grand Master, Wang Po, taught the Oom Yung line of martial arts under the given style name YIN YANG DOE. About the time of the 6th and 7th generation, other styles of East Asian Moo Doe (martial arts) were incorporated into the original Oom Yung line. Today, about 20% of the Oom Yung martial arts is derived from other styles of East Asian martial arts.
Throughout the history of almost all martial arts the names of different styles have changed, but the main forms and movement have remained the same. However, over the years, it was common for an individual Grand Master to refine form and movement in some of the styles. It was also common for each founder of a new line to select a unique name to distinguish that generation of form and movement from the original style. Over the centuries, a few main styles may have developed under many different names, to reflect the history and traditions of the people that taught and practiced that style. For example, during the Korean Silla Dynasty (57 BC - 935 AD), Hwarang Do first became popular. Movements similar to Hwarang Do can be found in Dom Do and Hapkido, and many other individually named styles. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) the form and movement taught was named "Tang Su Doe" to represent the Tang Dynasty heritage. Similar movements are taught today in Tang Su Doe, Tae Su Doe, Dong Su Doe, Karate, Chung Doe Kwan, Moo Duk Kwan, and many other individually named styles.
Grandmaster "Iron" Kim began his martial arts training at the age of seven. To Achieve perfection of higher martial arts movements, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim many times chose the solitude of the mountain and ocean areas of Asia to practice the forms and techniques that he learned. Although he learned from many qualified teachers, a majority of the knowledge that Grandmaster "Iron" Kim possesses was passed down through Wang Po, the 7th generation Grandmaster of Yin Yang Doe.
In 1956, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim did compete in and win the All Asia Championship that was sponsored by Wang Po and was held in the Cho Leung area of Pusan. The Chinese title of Chung Moo Jik or "champion" was bestowed upon Grandmaster "Iron" Kim. The first place award that he did receive was called a Chung Moon Chung. A Chung Moon Chung is a paper scroll with wooden rods at each end. It is inscribed with accomplishments of the winner and carries the official seal of the tournament.
In the early 1960's, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim expanded his quest for knowledge. He traveled and sought Masters who had reached a higher level of Moo Doe knowledge. There were seven top practitioners from an elite group of about twenty Masters throughout East Asia with whom Grandmaster "Iron" Kim exchanged individual skills in the martial arts. Grandmaster "Iron" Kim's purpose was to build his own wisdom, knowledge and understanding in the Moo Doe traditions of the eight main styles. Regardless of how far he had to travel or the difficulty of training, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim relentlessly pursued, learned and absorbed the complete knowledge of form and movement from these top practitioners. After completing the training, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim then shared his knowledge of the Oom Yung Style with the top members from this group. After seven years of training and sharing his knowledge with the best practitioners in East Asia, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim became one out of a few elite practitioners who were well rounded in the eight main martial art styles. He was one of several Moo Doe practitioners responsible for uniting all Moo Doe and capable of teaching eight martial arts together as one style or "All Martial Arts United". Finally, after seven years his wish that the Oom Yung line could become "All Martial Arts United" became a reality.
One of the many personal achievements Grandmaster "Iron" Kim has reached is the Kyong Gong Sul Bope (flying side kick). Pictured above is Grandmaster jumping from the top of a building. A corner of the roof is visible in the lower right corner of the picture.
In 1970, Grandmaster "Iron" Kim demonstrated Kyong Gong Sul Bope by jumping from the equivalent of an 11-story building. In 1972 Grandmaster "Iron" Kim again demonstrated the Kyong Gong Sul Bope movement by jumping from the equivalent of an 8-story building, landing without injury on a sloped surface below. Performing the Kyong Gong Sul Bope movement is a phenomenal feat, but more important is the tremendous internal power and strength that an individual must possess in order to perform Kyong Gong Sul Bope. Our research has shown that only a small number of people have reached a similar level of achievement. Grandmaster "Iron" Kim has maintained the miraculous mental and physical strength needed to execute this movement. Even at an older age, we have no doubt that Grandmaster "Iron" Kim is still capable of precisely demonstrating the Kyong Gong Sul Bope form. He is a living example of the benefits of achieving phenomenal Moo Doe strength.
Grandmaster "Iron" Kim has taught some instructors, with the position of National Instructor and higher, the beginning levels of Kyong Gong Sul Bope. They are now capable of jumping and landing from a 2 or 3 story building without injury.
This and other stories have come into Chinese culture through a strong oral tradition. What is fact may never be determined. However, the fact remains that Bagwa movement exists and many of those who practice Bagwa movement have found that the increased internal and external strength they have developed has benefited their daily lives tremendously.
One legend is that Bagwa was the name of a man born in a remote province of China over 1500 years ago. At a young age Bagwa traveled into the mountains to learn. From his training and study of nature, Bagwa reached a point of tremendous internal and external strength and ability. One night in a dream, Bagwa saw the province in peril from an impending invasion. He came down from the mountains to warn the Royal family and offer his assistance to help protect the kingdom.
At that time, during a crisis, it was common for people of all different positions, of all different ages, man, woman, and child alike to come to the aid of the Royal family to protect the kingdom. Bagwa was one of many individuals who offered to help. With the Royal Familiy's permission, his task was to build a strong army to protect the kingdom. With his knowledge and training, he was able to assemble an army in one tenth the time normally necessary. Each solder was taught the knowledge and skill to be a qualified general.
When the time came to do battle, this elite fighting force easily defeated the opposing force about one hundred times as strong. Bagwa had saved the kingdom and made the province a better place for its people. The King's main wish had always been his concern for the protection of each citizen and after the opposing army was defeated he felt that the needs of the Kingdom would best serveed if Bagwa would take the throne. With his head down the King offered the throne to Bagwa whom he respected. Bagwa's humbled response was that he was still learning and that he had a long way to go and wished to return to the mountains and continue his training. He could not accept this victory with pride and was troubled with the thought that others would remember him as a great warrior.
The King then asked Bagwa what he should do to protect the kingdom if there was another threat. Bagwa agreed to stay 100 days to further train many prominent citizens of the kingdom, including higher nobility, priests, offers, and other leaders involved in protecting the kingdom. Legend has it that some of these individuals never passed down the knowledge of Bagwa movement, while others further developed the practice of Bagwa and secretly passed that knowledge down from generation to generation in their own family line. Over the centuries it is believed that the knowledge of Bagwa movement was secretly passed down until a few hundred years ago, when it began to be taught more openly to the public.
When Bagwa finally left, he respectfully bowed to the King. As he slowly walked away in a peculiar stepping manner, the King called after him, asking him questions. There was no response. Only Bagwa's rhythmic breathing that sounded like BAAAG WAAA! BAAAG WAAA! BAAAG WAAA! Within a short distance from the town, the King saw his body disappear, almost as if it floated away.
This special, circular walking position was derived from the movements of different animals and is called Bagwa Walk. The original form, consisted of over 70 positions, has been expanded and passed down over the centuries to encompass many different offensive and defensive positions.
This legend has been passed down from generation to generation through a rich oral tradition from the time of the Han Dynasty.
Throughout the history of Moo Doe in East Asia, there are two paths that Moo Doe can follow. One is "Chung Doe" or the "right path" and the other is "Pa Doe" or the "wrong path." Chung Doe is one of the main principles of correct Moo Doe.
Practitioners who follow Chung Doe value the principles of honor, integrity, loyalty and compassion above all else, and live their lives accordingly. Someone, who follows the Chung Doe of Moo Doe, before making any decision fully, considers the consequences to others involved. When Moo Doe follows Chung Doe, the focus is on building character, confidence, self-esteem and strength. Individuals are extremely strong, even past their seventies and eighties, and their movement is very powerful. This same strength will carry over to their daily lives, which will be enriched and enable them to find balance. Chung Doe uses the power of Moo Doe only for the right reason (correct justice), to strengthen family relations, friendships, religion and daily activities. Chung Doe leaves behind within the community a good seed of knowledge (Moo Doe morals), which bears the good fruit of right communication, compassion and integrity for the next generation. Over the centuries, a tremendous number of people have followed Chung Doe for success in their lives. This path earns the recognition of others and leaves behind the memories of a good name.
Practitioners who follow the Pa Doe (wrong) path are known for their egotism, jealousy, and lack of honor, morals, discipline and stability. Their selfishness and tendency toward instigating trouble cause them to believe in a distortion of reality that is far from the truth. Pa Doe influenced so-called instructors would like others to believe that they acquired superior knowledge and techniques from past training with the best masters, when in fact they did not. Their capability deteriorates rapidly after age forty or fifty and they are in very poor mental and physical condition (unbalanced). As a consequence, they resort to fabricated movement and ultimately fear exposure through such things as videos, photos, Moo Doe knowledge and morals. Their students do not develop properly because the result of what they are learning is no better than a street fight. In Pa Doe the focus is on the "violent" aspects of martial arts, with little regard for the effect of one's actions on others. Pa Doe is the "bad seed" of Moo Doe morals and leaves behind within the community a reputation of inferior technique and ability, uncontrolled anger and failure.
The practice of Moo Doe is different than just purchasing merchandise. Traditional Moo Doe is directly involved with your mind and body coming together in balance as one.
Remember, you can borrow knowledge, but you cannot borrow a body. The decision is yours.
To reach and maintain a life based on Chung Doe principles is one of the greatest challenges of every human. A life without solid good principles is like building a tall building on a foundation of sand.
Spiritual wellness is most important because the spirit lasts forever. Through physical harmony you can achieve physical comforts, which is temporary. Through mental harmony you can achieve joy and happiness, which is also temporary. Through harmony of the spirit (soul) you can find peace. Spiritual harmony is forever. Mental and physical illnesses are relatively easy to identify. Spiritual illnesses are more difficult to recognize. To heal spiritual illnesses one must purify the soul.
Pa Doe emulates bad principles and sows bad seeds. Pa Doe is a moral foundation based on bad principles and connects with bad spirits (see Pa Doe). Chung Doe emulates good principles and sows good seeds. Chung Doe is a moral foundation based on good principles and connects with good spirits (see Chung Doe). An important principle is to understand is that regardless of the effort, someone following Pa Doe cannot connect with a good spirit. Purifying the spirit (soul) is the way to harmonize the mind, body and spirit. Practicing Nae Gong (Moo Doe) meditation is one way to purify the mind, body and spirit and build a good foundation of Chung Doe. Once purified, you can achieve in life whatever you wish. A purified soul is a path to connect with a good higher power (God).
Oom Yung Doe training has been developed, practiced and proven over the centuries. Unfortunately, in the United States today, there are many schools teaching fabricated movement (movement or forms made up by the instructor or mixed with exercises and athletics). These forms are not tested or proven to be of any positive benefit. In fact, with fabricated movement, no matter how long you exercise, you will only develop partially and in many cases the result can be damage or unbalanced development. You will begin to lose strength by your mid-forties. Without true Moo Doe practice, you will never achieve the combining of body, mind and spirit. Fabricated movement is no different than experimental movement and in actual circumstances 90% of offense and defense is ineffective. The remaining 10% is just luck. You will end up hurt. Though these schools may attract students by offering to charge less than what more reputable schools charge, no matter what they claim the result remains experimental. The student is not learning true Moo Doe. Someone who teaches fabricated (experimented) movement should have to pay those they experiment on, not the other way around. There are many individuals that have been damaged by such instruction, but were never compensated for their injuries or the wasted time.
Here are some of the causes of fabricated movement:
When an Instructor who takes from many different martial arts styles trying to join them into one (unbalanced martial art style).
When styles are mixed, one does movement only in part without proper combination.
Practicing hard movement with no balance (not proper position).
Total body movement (eyes, hands, feet) not coordinated with proper breathing.
Incorrect breathing techniques with practice of specific movements.
Fabricated movement throws off the body's system balance, making it harder for the body to let its systems operate smoothly resulting in improper and unbalanced development. It also causes the body to develop serious problems resulting in many of the following;
Speeds up the aging process - encourages premature aging
Places bones at risk from shock damage or worse.
Unbalanced movement can cause muscle damage (tearing), ligament separation, etc.
Shock causing cellular damage (rupturing of cells)
Shortage of oxygen, allowing increased free radicals which weaken internal organs (especially heart and liver).
An increase in the number and types of infections assaulting the body.
Increasing of internal bruising throughout the body.
It is common to see individuals with past experience in non-traditional fabricated movement have more difficultly learning and absorbing traditional Moo Doe movement. As soon as the body is brought into balance with the proper movements, then they can begin to progress. Also it is important to realize that unlike fabricated movement, practicing correctly for 1st degree level practitioners and up, improvement shows quickly. Students practicing fabricated movement, not realizing improvement, don't realize they are suffering.
There are two types of instructors. The first, are those who have taken training in how to teach. They are continuously learning. If you are not learning how can you teach? The other type of instructors are the ones who only learned as pupils. Because they have no real system of training, they are the ones who most often teach fabricated movement. The right type of instructor, like the right type of doctor, can immediately tell what should be prescribed and will be able to teach that proper movement. Students will feel the influence and effects of a correct Moo Doe hyung (movement) immediately. In the event a student feels like he or she is stuck, or not going forward, it's time to check their practice regime. They are probably off balance.
Some prospective students may think that Moo Doe is for daily health. It is not. Only the beginning part of Moo Doe is needed for the health benefit. It is proven by Moo Doe history that the benefits go much deeper. The greatest benefits are the physical, mental and spiritual aspects. Health benefits should be a small part of a belt system, but are not necessary for a belt system. Many other martial arts schools teaching fabricated movement promise health benefits while still promoting the belt system. These schools devalue the Moo Doe reputation and confuse someone interested in martial arts. Moo Doe is Moo Doe and exercise is exercise. They are not one in the same. Exercise can not be compared with Moo Doe hyung (movement). Comparing Moo Doe to exercise makes as much sense as diving into the deep end of a swimming pool without water.
Foolish is the person who believes true Moo Doe to be only movement with concentration. Movement with emphasis centered in the external is only for the basic beginner. As learning progresses, while maintaining external excellence, emphasis should shift to focus on the vitally important and much more powerful internal strength.
True Moo Doe's roots are firmly anchored in the internal power of spiritually guided Chung Doe (1). This power gives the body miraculous strength and longevity. You can borrow knowledge...you cannot borrow another body. True Moo Doe teachers with their inner spiritual strength can become beacons of light and hope in a world which today has so many millions suffering in great need. This is the Chung Doe of true Moo Doe.
In the end, it is the students' choice. But most important is to remember you only have one mind and one body-you can either damage it or improve it. It's up to you.
(1) Chung Doe means the right road or path in life. It is an important principle of Moo Doe (martial arts) and has always been an integral part of the correct development of the individual. The principle of Chung Doe has existed long before the recorded history of martial arts and will be here long after all of us are gone.
In following traditional Moo Doe lineage and in order to preserve it's prosperity, it is very important to recognize the different types of instructors. In order to achieve advanced positions, it is imperative for the instructor to maintain a Chung level of character.
Chung: Keeps true to Moo Doe discipline of helping others, staying with traditional values and leaving good seeds for those who follow down the Chung Doe path.
Jhoong: Two types (explained here) at this level.
Tries to stay on the Chung Doe pathway with Moo Doe values, occasionally wanders from them, but returns.
An individual who does their best to follow Moo Doe values but has no choice but to discontinue their training and involvement due to personal reasons (i.e. relocating, family problems, illness). Upon returning to continue training and involvement, they are evaluated as to their credibility.
Ha: Wears the face of one following the true path, while looking for personal benefit to satisfy their own greed, thus devaluing true Moo Doe moral and discipline. Without changing their character, these instructors will fail. These instructors can carry on their rank and position, while trying to rebuild their understanding of true Moo Doe value. Their position is in question and they do not hold a current Judging and Teaching certificate.
Pa: Total disregard for the meaning of Chung Doe. Swayed by rumor, gossip and misjudgments. These individuals are following the Pa Doe path. These instructors are not recognized by traditional Moo Doe and are damaging the martial arts image in the public's eye leaving behind bad seeds.

Fighting style: kalarippayattu
In the well-known Bhagavad Gita section of India's Mahabharata epic, Krishna elaborates a view of duty and action intended to convince Arjuna that, as a member of the warrior caste (ksatriya), he must overcome all his doubts and take up arms, even against his relatives. As anyone familiar with either the Mahabharata or India's second great epic, the Ramayana, knows, martial techniques have existed on the South Asian subcontinent since antiquity. Both epics are filled with scenes describing how the princely heroes obtain and use their humanly or divinely acquired skills and powers to defeat their enemies: by training in martial techniques under the tutelage of great gurus like the brahmin master Drona, by practicing austerities and meditation techniques which give the martial master access to subtle powers to be used in combat, and/or by receiving a gift or a boon of divine, magical powers from a god. On the one hand, there is Bhima who depends on his brute strength to crush his foes, while on the other, we find the "unsurpassable" Arjuna making use of his more subtle accomplishments in single point focus or his powers acquired through meditation.
Among practitioners and teachers of kalarippayattu, the martial art of Kerala,southwestern coastal India, some, like Higgins Masters of the P.B. Kalari in Trissur, model their practice on Bhima, emphasizing kalarippayattu's practical empty hand techniques of attack,defense, locks, and throws. Others, like my first and most important teacher, Gurukkal* Govindankutty Nayar of Thirovananthapuram's C.V.N. Kalari, with whom I have studied since 1977, follow Arjuna and emphasize kalarippayattu as an active, energetic means of disciplining and "harnessing" (yuj, the root of yoga) both one's body and one's mind, that is, as a form of moving meditation. As comparative religions scholar Mircea Eliade has explained, "One always finds a form of yoga whenever there is a question of experiencing the sacred or arriving at complete mastery of oneself . . ." (Eliade, 1975:196).
*Gurukkal, the plural of Guru (Master), is a title representing all past masters in the lineage of teaching.
Even though there has been great interest in both yoga and Ayurveda (the Indian science of health and well-being) in the West, little is known about a number of Indian martial arts still practiced today which are founded on a set of fundamental cultural assumptions about the bodymind relation ship, health, and well-being that are similar to the assumptions underlying yoga and Ayurveda. This essay is an introduction to kalarippayattu-a martia/medical/meditation discipline traditionally practiced in Kerala State, southwestern coastal India, since at least the twelfth century A.D. and more specifically is an introduction to the history and a few of the assumptions about the body, mind, and practice shared with yoga and Ayurveda and which inform the way in which some traditional masters still teach kalarippayattu.
The emphasis that only some traditional masters (like Drona and Arjuna) foreground yoga in their practice of kalarippayattu should alert the reader to the fact that this connection is only one of several paradigms that shape practice of the martial art. Other masters not discussed here follow other paradigms of teaching and practice, like Bhima mentioned above. In an increasingly heteronomous society in which traditional practitioners must vie for students with karate teachers who often emphasize immediate "street wise" results, the paradigms, beliefs, and/or practices discussed in this essay are in a constant process of negotiation with competing paradigms and practices, and, therefore, are only more or less observed by teachers today.
Some of the concepts and phenomena discussed here, such as "meditation," "the sacred," "oneself," "power," or "purity," are neither transparent nor self-evident. What is considered "sacred," "the self," "power," "pure," or "meditation" is particular to each interpretive community, history, context, i.e., what is "sacred" or "pure" to a brahmin male Malayali born in 1924 will be different from what is "sacred" or "pure" to a male Nayar kalarippayattu fighter of the thirteenth century, a male Sufi Muslim of Kannur born in 1965, an American male born in 1947 who has never been to Kerala or India, or a European woman born on the continent who has practiced yoga since her youth and eventually turns to a study of kalarippayattu. Historical, social, religious, gender, and ideological positions constitute quite different frames of reference and interpretative categories through which the "sacred," "self," or "pure" will be read and understood.
Under the influence of "new age" religious assumptions or other potentially reductionist ways of thinking,[3] too often in the United States there is a humanist tendency to erase cultural difference, disregard history, participate and/or be involved in romantically projecting onto South Asia an Orientalist essentialism (Said, 1976; Inden, 1986).[4] Too often accounts reify the self and the "spiritual" as if all experiences that might be appropriately discussed as in some way "spiritual" were singular and universal. Most problematic is our Western tendency to project our hegemonic notion of the self as unitary and individual onto "selves" in other cultures. As anthropologist Clifford Geertz notes:
The Western concept of the person as a bounded, unique, more or less integrated motivational and cognitive universea dynamic center of awareness, emotion, judgment and action organized into a distinctive whole and set contrastively both against other such wholes and against a social and natural background is, however incorrigible it may seem to us, a rather peculiar idea within the context of the world's cultures. . . [We need to] set that concept aside and view their experience within the framework of their own idea of what selfhood is.[5] - Geertz, 1983:59
As cultural theorist Richard Johnson asserts, "subjectivities are produced, not given, and are therefore the objects of inquiry, not the premises or starting points" (Johnson, 1986:44). Following both Johnson and anthropologist Dorrine Kondo's thoughtful ethnographic study of the "crafting" of selves in Japan (Kondo, 1990), I assume here that "self" as well as the "agency" and "power" which might accrue from the practice of a martial art like kalarippayattu are context and paradigm specific, i.e., that they are variable and provisional. In this view, self, agency, and power are never "absolute," but rather are "nodal points repositioned in different contexts. Selves [agency and power], in this view, can be seen as rhetorical figures and performative assertions enacted in specific situations within fields of power, history, and culture" (Kondo, 1990:304). Kalarippayattu is a set of tech n iques of bodymind practice through which particular "selves" are understood or assumed to gain particular kinds of agency and/or power within specific contexts. Consequently, a martial practice like kalarippayattu becomes one means of "crafting" a particular self and, therefore, is a "culturally, historically specific pathway . . . to self-realization . . . [and/or] domination" (Kondo, 1990:305). The particular self crafted and realized in a Sufi Muslim kalari in northern Kerala will be different from the self crafted in a militantly radical Hindu kalari or the self crafted by learning kalarippayattu in the United States from an American teacher who might emphasize a "self-actualized self."
With these caveats in mind, I turn to a brief historical overview of kalarippayattu and the nature of power for the martial artist(s) of the past and then to a more specific examination of some of the ways in which some of today's kalarippayattu masters understand yoga, Ayurvedic, and power in interpreting their practice and, therefore, in crafting their "selves."
Two traditions of martial practice from antiquity have influenced the history, development, subculture, and practice of kalarippayattu: Tamil (Dravidian) traditions dating from early Sangam culture and the Sanskritic Dhanur Vedic traditions. Although a complete account of South Indian martial arts in antiquity must be left to the future by South Asian historians, this necessarily brief description outlines a few of the salient features of the early Sangam Age fighting arts but focuses in particular on the Dhanur Vedic tradition and its relationship with the yoga paradigm.
From the early Tamil Sangam "heroic" (puram) poetry, we learn that from the fourth century B.C. to 600 A.D., a warlike, martial spirit predominated across southern India. Ponmudiar wrote concerning the young warriors of the period, It is my prime duty to bear and bring him up, it is his father's duty to make him a virtuous man . . . it is the duty of the blacksmith to provide him with a lance; it is the duty of the king to teach him how to conduct himself (in war). It is the son's duty to destroy the elephants and win the battle of the shining swords and return [victorious]. - Subramanian, 1966:127.
Each warrior received "regular military training" (Subramanian, 1966:143144) in target practice, and horse riding, and specialized in the use of one or more of the important weapons of the period, including lance or spear (vel), sword (val) and shield (kedaham), bow (vii) and arrow. The importance of the martial hero in the Sangam Age is evident in the deification of fallen heroes through the planting of hero-stones (virakkal; or natukal, "planted stones") which were inscribed with the name of the hero and his valorous deeds (Kailaspathy, 1968:235) and worshipped by the common people of the locality (Subramanian, 1966:130).
The heroes of the period were "the noble ones," whose principal pursuit was fighting and whose greatest honor was to die a battlefield death (Kailasapathy, 1968; Hart, 1975, 1979). The heroic warriors of the period were animated by the assumption that power (ananku) was not transcendent, but immanent, capricious, and potentially malevolent (Hart, 1975:26, 81). War was considered a sacrifice of honor, and memorial stones were erected to fallen heroic kings and/or warriors whose manifest power could be permanently worshipped by one's community and ancestors (Hart, 1975, 137; Kailasapathy, 1968, 235).
Certainly the earliest precursors of kalarippayattu were the Sangam Age combat techniques which fostered the growth of a heroic ideal; however, there can be no doubt that the techniques and heroic ethos, at least of Kerala's kalarippayattu, must have been transformed in some way by the merging of indigenous techniques with the martial practices and ethos accompanying brahmin migrations from Saurastra and Konkan down the west Indian coast into Karnataka and eventually Kerala (Velutat, 1976:25, 1978). By the seventh century A.D., with the founding of the first Kerala brahmin settlements, a "new cultural heritage" had been introduced into the southwest coastal region which subtly transformed the socio-religious heritage of the area. The Kerala brahmins shared with other coastal settlers the belief that their land had been given to them by Parasurama, the axe-wielding brahmin avatar of Vishnu. According to the Kerala legend,
Parasurama, threw his axe (parasu) from Gokarnam to Kanyakumari [or from Kanyakumari to Gokarnam according to another version] and water receded up to the spot where it fell. The tract of land so thrown up is said to have constituted the Kerala of history, otherwise called Bhargavakshetram or Parasuramakshetram- Menon, 1979:9
The establishment of brahmin settlements gradually brought the emergence of brahmin ritual and socioeconomic dominance through the establishment of a complex system of hierarchically ranked service and marital relationships based on relative ritual purity between and among castes, especially in the northern and central regions of present-day Kerala (A.K.B. Pillai, 1987:1-119). Important among early brahmin institutions for this discussion were the salad or ghatika, i.e.,
institutions mostly attached to temples where the cattar or cathirar, proficient in Vedas and sastras and also military activities, lived under the patronage of kings who considered their establishment and maintenance a great privilege. - Narayanan, 1973:33
Drawing on inscriptional evidence, M.G.S. Narayanan has established that the students at these schools were cattar who functioned under the direction of the local village brahmin assembly (sabha), recited the Vedas, observed brahmacarya, and served as a "voluntary force" to defend the temple and school if and when necessary (Narayanan, 1973:25-26).The eighth century Jain Prakrit work, Kuvalaymala by Udyotanasuri from Jalur in Rajasthan, records a clear picture of the nature of these educational institutions
Entering the city he sees a big matha. He asks a passerby, "Well sire, whose temple is that?" The person replies, "Bhatta, oh Bhatta, this is not a shrine, but it is a matha [monastery, residential quarter] of all the cattas [students]." [On entering the matha] . . . he sees the cattas, who were natives of various countries, namely Lata Karnata, Dhakka, Srikantha ... and Saindhava.... They were learning and practicing archery, fighting with sword and shield, with daggers, sticks, lances, and with fists, and in duels (niuddham). Some were learning painting (alekhya), singing (giya), musical instruments (vaditra), staging of Bhanaka, Dombiliya [?], Siggadaiyam [?], and dancing. They looked like excited elephants from Maha-Vindhya. - Shah, 1968:250-252
Along with other brahmin institutions, these salad and the cattar trained in them must have played some role in the gradual formation of the distinctive linguistic, social, and cultural heritage of the southwest coastal region although the degree of influence was certainly in direct proportion to the density of brahminical settlement and local influence. M.G.S. Narayanan dates this period of change between the founding of a second or new Cera capital at Makotai under Rama Rajesekhara (c.800-844 A.D.) and its breakup after the rule of Rama Kulasekhara (1089-1122 A.D.). Before the founding of the Makotai capital, Kerala was "a region of Tamilakam with the same society and language"; however, in the post-Makotai period Kerala became distinctive in many ways from the rest of Tamilakam (Narayanan, 1976:28).
This watershed period of Kerala history culminated in the disintegration of the second Cera Kingdom at Makotai after a protracted one-hundred year war of attrition with the Cola Empire. At the end of the war, Rama Kulasekhara (the Perumal) abdicated, and the hitherto centrally controlled Cera Kingdom was dismembered and split into numerous smaller kingdoms and principalities.
It is to this extended period of warfare in the eleventh century A.D. when military training was "compulsory . . . to resist . . . the continuous attacks of the Cola army . . ." that historian Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai attributes the birth of the martial tradition now known as kalarippayattu (1970:241). During the war, some brahmins continued to be trained in arms themselves, trained others, and actively participated in fighting the Colas (Pillai, 1970:155; 243-244).
Although the salads themselves declined with the end of the Cera Kingdom and the division of Kerala into principalities, Kerala brahmin engagement in the practice of arms continued among some sub-castes. Known as cattar or yatra brahmins who were considered degraded or "half" brahmins because of their vocation in arms, for several centuries they continued to train in, teach, fight with, and rule through the martial arts. Although written from a brahminical point of view to legitimize dominance, the legendary Kerala brahmin chronicle , Keralopathi , confirms brahminic al sub-caste involvement in teaching and bearing arms. The chronicle tells that Parasurama gave the land to the brahmins to be enjoyed as 'brahmakshatra' i.e., a land where brahmins take the role of ksatriyas also. The chronicle adds that 3600 brahmins belonging to different settlements or gramas accepted the right to bear arms from Parasurama. They are described as ardhabrahmana or half-brahmins and valnampis or armed brahmins, and their functions are mentioned as padu kidakka [restrain offenders] pada kuduka [military service] and akampadi nadakukkuka [guard service]. They are said to be divided into four kalakams [a colloquial form of ghatika, or the organizations of brahmincattarto defend the land] called Perincallur, Payyanur, Parappur and Chengannur respectively. These kalakams nominated four preceptors or rakshapurushas for the duration of three years with the right to collect . . . revenue. - Narayanan, 1973:37-38
Some among today's traditional kalarippayattu masters possess manuscripts which accept the Keralopathi's account of history, pay homage to brahmin masters of the past, and implicitly accept brahmin hegemony. For example, according to one master's manuscript,
Long ages ago, the sage Parasurama brought one hundred and sixty- six katam [one katam equals five miles, i.e., this land mass was brought up from the ocean, thereby "founding" the Malayalam- speaking readion known today as Kerala State] from the sea and consecrated 108 idols. Then in order to defeat his enemies he established forty-two kalari, and then brought some adhyanmar [high caste brahmins] in order to conduct worship (puja) at the kalari. Then he taught twentyone masters of the kalari how to destroy their enemies.
The text also mentions that among the deities to be meditated upon in the kalari are "the famous past kalari gurus of the Nambootiri houses known as Ugram Velli, Dronam Velli, Ghoram Velli, and Ullutturuttiyattu."
Although the cattar continue to be mentioned in Kerala's heavily Sanskritized Manipravalam literature, between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries these formerly well-respected brahmin scholars and practitioners in arms are depicted as living decadent lives. References find them "wearing weapons with fresh blood in them," engaging in combat, demonstrating feats with their swords, describing the martial prowess of Nambootiri chieftains (such as Tirumalaseri Nambootiri of Govardhanapuram), and touting the prowess of cattars in combat (Pillai, 1970:275). A few of these brahmins continued their practice of arms into the Portuguese period of Kerala history, the Edapalli Nambiadiri (a special designation for a Nambootiri general) serving as commander of the Zamorin (ruler) of Calicut's army and navy in the early wars with the Portuguese.
Whatever the caste or religion of the medieval practitioners of kalarippayattu, all practiced their martial art within a socio-political environment which was unstable, i.e., a constantly shifting set of alliances and outbreaks of warfare between feuding rulers of petty principalities. Since practitioners had pledged themselves to death on behalf of their rulers, they were obliged to develop both the mental power and battlefield skills that would allow them to sacrifice themselves on the battlefield in order to fulfill their pledges unto death.
Following J. Richardson Freeman's recent research on the nature of teyyam worship in North Malabar to which kalarippayattu practice and martial heroes are integrally linked, it is clear that, for the medieval Malayali practitioners of kalarippayattu, the "world" within which they exercised their martial skills was shaped by a religious and socio-political ideology in which "battle serves as a dominant metaphor for conceptualizing relations of spiritual and socio-political power" (Freeman, 1991:588). Following Hart's research on the early Dravidian notion of power (ananku) as capricious and immanent (mentioned above), Freeman convincingly argues that in medieval Kerala also "the locus of divine power is not primarily, or at least usefully, transcendent, but immanent, and located in human persons and their ritual objects" (Freeman, 1991:130). The martial practitioner was confronted with having to harness through whatever techniques might be at his disposal, those special, local, and immanent powers that might be of use to him in fulfilling his pledged duty to a ruler.
It seems likely that at least some of the distinctive traits of Kerala's kalarippayattu crystallized during the intensive period of warfare between the Cholas and Ceras and that such developments were at least in part attributable to the mingling of indigenous Dravidian martial techniques dating from the Sangam Age with techniques and an ethos influenced by brahmins and practiced in their salai, especially in the northern and central Kerala region where brahminical culture became dominant and kalarippayattu developed. It is not insignificant that some present masters trace their lineages of practice to "Dhanur Veda" and claim that the texts in which their martial techniques are recorded derive from Dhanur Vedic texts.
Although the Dhanur Veda to which present-day kalarippayattu masters refer literally translated means the "science of archery," it encompassed all the traditional fighting arts. Among them the art of the bow and arrow was considered supreme.
Battles [fought] with bows [and arrows] are excellent, those with darts are mediocre, those with swords are inferior and those fought with hands are still inferior to them. - Gangadharan, 1985:645
The Visnu Purana describes Dhanur Veda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of knowledge. Both of India's epics, the Mahabharata and Rarnayana, make clear that Dhanur Veda was the means of education in warfare for all those called upon to fight. Drona, the brahmin guru of the martial arts, was the teacher of all the princely brothers in the Mahabharata.
Elsewhere, [Dhanur Veda] is said to be an Upaveda of Yajurveda, "by which one can be proficient in fighting, the use of arms and weapons and the use of battle-arrays" . . . Further, it is described as having a sutra like other Vedas, and as consisting of four branches (catuspada) and ten divisions (dasa vidha). It is reasonable, therefore, to conclude that a literature on Dhanur Veda came into existence before the epics reached their present form. - Chakravarti, 1972:x[14] The four Dhanur Veda chapters in Agni Purana appear to be an edited version of one or more earlier manuals briefly covering a vast range oftechniques and instructions for the king who needs to prepare for war and have his soldiers well trained in arms. The much later Brhat Sarngadhara Paddhati makes explicit what is implicit in the Agni Purana Dhanur Veda:
This book contains ideas of people who are masters at bow and arrow. With practice one becomes an expert and can kill enemies. - Pant, 1978: verse 1717
The explicit concern in Dhanur Veda texts is not with battlefield strategies, but rather with training in martial techniques.[15]
Like the purana as a whole, the Dhanur Veda chapters provide both "sacred knowledge" (paravidya) and "profane knowledge" (aparavidya) on the subject. The Dhanur Veda opens by cataloging the subject, stating that there are five training divisions (for warriors on chariots, elephants, horseback, infantry, or wrestling), and five types of weapons to be learned (those projected by machine [arrows or missiles], those thrown by the hands [spears], those cast by hands yet retained [noose], those permanently held in the hands [sword], and the hands themselves [249:1-5]). Regarding who should teach, we are told that either a brahmin or ksatriya "should be engaged to teach and drill soldiers in the art and tactics of the Dhanur Veda" because it is their birthright, while shudras can be called upon to take up arms when necessary if they have "acquired a general proficiency in the art of warfare by regular training and practice," and finally "people of mixed castes" might also be called upon if needed by the king (249:6-8) (M.N. Dutt Shastri, 1967:894-5).
Beginning with the noblest of weapons (bow and arrow), the text discusses the specifics of training and practice. It provides the names and describes ten basic lower-body poses to be assumed when practicing with bow and arrow and the specific posture with which the disciple should pay obeisance to his preceptor (249:9-19). Once the basic positions have been described, there is technical instruction in how to string, draw, raise, aim and release the bow and arrow and a catalogue of types of bows and arrows (249:20-29). In the second chapter are recorded more advanced and difficult bowand-arrow techniques. But first are details of how a brahmin should ritually purify weapons before they are used (250: 1). Also within the first seven lines of this chapter appear several of numerous phrases which collectively constitute the manual's leitmotif: an intimation of the ideal, subtle state of interior accomplishment which the practitioner must possess to become a consummate martial practitioner. The archer is first described as "girding up his loins" and tying in place his quiver only after he has "collected himself"; he places the arrow on the string only after "his mind [is] divested of all cares and anxieties" (M.N. Dutt Shastra, 1967:897); and finally, when the archer has become so well practiced that he "knows the procedure," he "should fix his mind on the target" before releasing the arrow (Gangadharan, 1985:648). Implicit throughout is a clear sense of a systematic progression in training from preliminary lower body postures which provide a psychophysiological foundation for virtuosity; through technical mastery of lifting, placing, drawing, and releasing; and thence to the interior subtleties of mental accomplishment necessary to become a consummate archer and, therefore, an accomplished fighter.
Having achieved the ability to fix his mind, the archer's training is still not complete. The archer must apply this ability while performing increasingly difficult techniques, such as hitting targets above and below the line of vision, vertically above the head, and while riding a horse; hitting targets farther and farther away; and finally hitting whirling, moving, or fixed targets one after the other (250:13-19). The chapter concludes with a summary statement of the accomplished abilities of the archer:
Having learned all these ways, one who knows the system of karma-yoga [associated with this practice] should perform this way of doing things with his mind, eyes, and inner vision since one who knows [this] yoga will conquer even the god of death [Yama]. - Dasgupta, 1993
To "conquer the god of death [Yama]" is to have "conquered" the "self," i.e., to have overcome all obstacles (physical, mental, emotional) inasmuch as one has cultivated a self-possessed presence in the face of potential death in combat.
Although this quote concludes the second chapter, it does not complete all there is to say about the training and abilities of the archer. The opening verse of the third chapter describes a further stage in the training of the archer:
Having acquired control of the hands, mind, and vision, and become accomplished in target practice, then [through this] you will achieve disciplined accomplishment (siddhi) after this, practice riding vehicles. - Dasgupta 1993
The remainder of Chapter 251 and most of the final Chapter 252 are brief descriptions of postures and/or techniques for wrestling and the use of a variety of weapons including noose, sword, armors, iron dart, club, battle axe, discus, and the trident. A short passage near the end of the text returns to the larger concerns of warfare and explains the various uses of war elephants and men. The text concludes with a description of how to appropriately send the well-trained fighter off to war:
The man who goes to war after worshipping his weapons and the Trai/okyamohan Sastra [one which pleases the three worlds] with his own mantra [given to him by his preceptor], will conquer his enemy and protect the world. - Dasgupta, 1993
To summarize, the Dhanur Veda paradigm of practice was a highly developed system of training through which the martial practitioner was able to achieve success with combat skills utilized as duty (dharma) demanded.
This level of martial accomplishment was circumscribed by ritual practices and achieved by combining technical practice with training in specific forms of yoga and meditation (including repetition of mantra) so that the practitioner might ideally achieve the superior degree of self-control, mental calm, and single-point concentration necessary to face combat and possible death, and thus attain access to certain aspects of power and agency in the use of weapons in combat.
What is implicit in these Dravidian, Sanskritic, as well as medieval Kerala sources and history is the view that combat is not simply a test of strength and/or will between two human beings like modern sport boxing, but rather is a contest between a host of complex contingent, unstable, and immanent powers to which each combatant gains access through divine gifts, through magico-ritual means, and/or by attaining mastery of some aspect of power through practice and training. The first two of these modes of gaining access to power are religio-sacred, and the third is more "rational" in that accomplishment comes through training. Other realms of practiced knowledge in South Asian antiquity, such as Ayurvedic medicine, reflect a similar symbiotic relationship and interaction between the divine and the "scientifically" explainable. The antique medical authority, Susruta, articulated the existence of both rationally understood causes for systemic imbalance in the body's humors as well as the possibility of divine and/or magical sources of imbalance and/or cure. In fact, he identified one of seven kinds of disease as "the providential type which includes diseases that are the embodiments of curses, divine wrath or displeasure, or are brought about through the mystic potencies of charms and spells" (Zimmermann, 1986:Cikitsasthana xxiv, 10; Bhisagratna, 1963:231).
Likewise, the agency and power of the martial artist in Indian antiquity must be understood as a complex set of interactions between humanly acquired techniques of virtuosity (the human microcosm) and the divine macrocosm. Unlike our modern biomedical and/or scientifically-based notions of power and agency, which assume that any type of power (electricity, gravity, etc.) is totally rational, stable, and, therefore, measurable and quantifiable, "power" (ananku or sakti) in Dravidian antiquity and at least through the medieval period in South India, as we have seen, was considered unstable, capricious, and locally immanent. Given this instability, the martial practitioner accumulated numerous different powers through any and all means at his disposal, depending not only on his own humanly acquired skills achieved under the guidance of his teacher(s), but also on the acquisition of powers through magico-religious techniques such as the repetition of mantra.[16]
The Sanskrit epic literature reflects this complex interplay between divinely gifted and humanly acquired powers for the martial practitioners of antiquity. One example is the playwright Bhasa's version of Karna's story, Karnabhara, which illustrates the divine gift of power (sakti) which requires no attainment on the part of the practitioner. Indra, disguised as a brahmin, has come to Karna on his way to do combat with the Pandavas. As a brahmin, Indra begs a gift from Karna. Karna freely offers gift after great gift, all of which are refused. Finally, against the advice of his charioteer, S'alya, he offers that which provides him as a fighter with magical protection-his body armor, which could not be pierced by gods or demons, and his earrings. Indra joyfully takes them. Moments later a divine messenger informs Karna that Indra is filled with remorse for having stripped him of his protection. The messenger asks Karna to "accept this unfailing weapon, whose sakti is named Vimala, to slay one among the Pandavas" (102). At first Karna refuses, saying that he never accepts anything in return for a gift; however, since this gift is offered by a brahmin, he agrees to accept it. As he takes the weapon from the messenger, he asks, "When shall I gain its power (sakti)7" and the messenger responds, "When you take it in [your] mind, you will [immediately] gain its power" (105-106).[17] Unlike other powers to which a martial artist gains access through the practice and repetition of exercises and/or austerities, here Karna is a vehicle of divine power which requires that he simply "take [the weapon] in mind" for its full power to be at his disposal.
A more complex set of circumstances is at play in the story of Arjuna and the Pasupata, and his mastery of the weapon requires much more of him than simply accepting the weapon as a gift.[18] Yudhisthira knows that, should combat come, the Kauravas have gained access to "the entire art of archery," including "Brahmic, Divine, and Demoniac use of all types of arrows, along with practices and cures." The "entire earth is subject to Duryodhana" due to this extraordinary accumulation of powers. Yudhisthira, therefore, calls upon Arjuna to go and gain access to still higher powers than those possessed by the Kauravas! Yudhisthira prepares to send him to Indra, who possesses "all the weapons of the Gods." But to gain access to Indra, Yudhisthira must teach Arjuna the "secret knowledge" which he learned from Dvaipayana and which will make the entire universe visible to him. After Arjuna is ritually purified to win divine protection and once "controlled in word, body, and thought," he meets Indra in the form of a blazing ascetic who attempts to dissuade him from his task, but he is not "moved from his resolve" and requests that he learn from Indra "all the weapons that exist." Indra sends Arjuna on a questhe can receive such knowledge only after he has found "the Lord of Beings, three-eyes, trident-bearing Siva." Setting out on his journey "with a steady mind," he travels to the peaks of the Himalayas where he settles to practice "awesome austerities." Eventually Siva comes to test him in the form of a hunter. After a prolonged fight with bows, swords, trees and rocks, and fists, Siva-the-hunter subdues Arjuna when he "loses control of his body." Siva then reveals his true form to Arjuna, who prostrates before him. Siva recognizes that "no mortal is your equal" and offers to grant him a wish. Arjuna requests the Pasupata, the divine weapon. Siva agrees to give him this unusual weapon, which is so great that "no one in all the three worlds [the Brahmic, Divine, and Demonic] . . . is invulnerable to it." In other words, with this weapon he will gain access to powers greater than those possessed by the Kauravas.
However, to gain access to the weapon's power Arjuna must first undergo ritual purification, prostrate himself in devotion before Lord Siva and embrace his feet, and then learn its special techniques. Siva instructs him in the specific techniques of the Pasupata, and having become accomplished in these techniques he also learns "the secrets of its return."
As illustrated in this and other stories, among all the martial heroes of the epics, Arjuna is the perfect royal sage, possessing the ideal combination of martial and ascetic skills, and able to marshal the various powers at his command as and when necessary. Arjuna is able to attain the awesome power of the Pasupata because of his extraordinary "steadiness of mind," his superior skills at archery, and his ability to undergo "awesome" austerities.
Although Arjuna's skills and accomplishments appear superhuman, the process of attainment of powers follows a pattern we shall find repeated among some traditional masters in the ethnographic present: ritual purification, superior devotion, practice of techniques to gain mastery, gaining access to higher powers through the practice of austerities and/or special meditation practice, acquiring the secrets of practice, and even the use of magical means to obtain immediate access to a specific power.[19] However, even if this pattern of attainment of powers is still present in the ethnographic present, as the necessity of gaining access to powers when confronting death in combat has become largely a moot point, the hitherto capricious, unstable, immanent, and local nature of power(s) has been somewhat muted and pacified today-a subject to which I shall return in the concluding discussion.
site, multi-dimensioned set of practices. There is the power to be attained through repetition of mantra, each of which must be individually accomplished; the power inherent in discovery and control of the internal energy/breath (prana-vayu); the strength of mental power (manasakti) manifest in one-point focus and complete doubtlessness; the elemental discovery and raising of the power per se (kundalini sakti); and the powers of the divine gained through worship and rituals (puja), meditation, devotion, and/or magic.
However, to gain access to the majority of these types of power, one must begin with the body and its training in actualizing particular powers. A Muslim master once told me, "He who wants to become a master must possess complete knowledge of the body." As assumed in traditional yoga practice, knowledge of the body begins with the physical or gross body (sthula-sarira), discovered through exercises and massage. logether they are considered body prepare tion" (meyyorukkam).The exercises include a vast array of poses, steps, jumps, kicks, and leg movements performed in increasingly complex combine tions back and forth acrossthe kalari floor (Figures 1-4:see right panel). Collectively, they are considered a "body art" (meiabhyasam). Individual body-exercise sequences (meippayattu) are taught one by one, and every student masters simple forms before moving on to more complex and difficult sequences. Most important is mastery of basic poses (vadivu), named after animals and comparable to basic postures (asana) of yoga, and mastery of steps (cuvadu) by which one moves into and out of poses. Repetitious practice of these outer forms eventually renders the external body flexible (meivalakkam) and, as one master said, "flowing (olukku) like a river.
According to tradition, at least during the most intensive period of training while the monsoon is active, masters are supposed to require observance of specific behavioral, dietary, and devotional practices and/or restraints similar to those traditionally practiced in the classic eightfold Patanjali yoga: (1) negative (yama, "do not") restrictions, (2) positive ("do") practices, and (3) the development of a devotional attitude. Students are instructed never to sleep during the day time nor to keep awake at night, to refrain from sex during the most intensive monsoon period of training, never to mis use what one is being taught; to only use kalarippayattu to defend oneself (i.e., when dharma demands); and to be of good character (i.e., not to steal, lie, cheat, drink liquor, or take drugs). Finally, from the very first day of practice in a traditional Hindu kalari, students must participate in the devotional life of the kalari from the point of ritual entry into the sacred space through the practice of per sonal devotion to the kalari deities (Figure 5) and to the master (Figure 7). As Eliade explains, these restraints do not produce "a yogic state but a 'purified' human being . . . This purity is essential to the succeeding stages" (Eliade, 1975:63).
Training traditionally began at about the age of seven for both boys and girls. Students come to the place of training (kalari), a pit dug out of the earth, before dawn at about 5:00 6:00 a.m. while it is dark, cool, and auspicious. The most intensive training takes place during the cool monsoon season (June August).
Hindu kalari are ritually purified with daily and seasonal offerings (puja) to the kalari deities (Figure 6), thereby insuring protection of those who practice and are treated inside. One of the important dimensions of initial training is direction of the student's visual focus. Students are told to "look at a specific place" on the opposite side of the kalari while performing the leg exercises, the initial step in developing one-point focus (ekagrata) (Figure 8). As master Achuthan Gurukkal told me, "One-point focus is first developed by constant practice of correct form in exercises." Once the external, physical eye is steadied, the student eventually begins to discover the "inner eye" of practice, a state of inner connection to practice.
The body-exercise sequences are linked combinations of basic body movements (meitolil) including poses (vativu), steps (cuvat), kicks (kal etupp), a variety of jumps and turns, and coordinated hand/arm movements performed in increasingly swift succession back and forth across the kalari. Masters emphasize the importance of poses (vadivu) in a student's progression. As Gurukkal P. K. Balan told me, "Only a person who has learned these eight poses can perform the kalari law (mura) and go on to empty-hand combat, weapons, massage, or marma applications." The poses (vadivu), usu ally numbering eight, are named after animals. They are not static forms, but configurations of movements which embody both the external and internal essence of the animal after which they are named. P. K. Balan explained his version of the animal names:When any animal fights, it uses its whole body. This must also be true in kalarippayattu.The horse is an animal which can concentrate all its powers centrally, and it can run fast by jumping up. The same pause, preparation for jumping, and forward movement [that are in a horse] are in the asvavadivu (Figure 9). When a peacock is going to attack its enemies, it spreads its feathers, raises its neck, and dances by steadying itself on one leg. Then it shifts to the other leg and attacks by jumping and flying. The capability of doing this attack is known as mayuravadivu (Figure 10).
A snake attacks its enemy by standing up; however, its tail remains on the ground without movement. From this position, it can turn in any direction and bite a person. This ability to turn in any direction and attack by rising up is known as sarpavadivu (Figure 11).
When a cock attacks, he uses all parts of his body: wings, neck, legs, fingernails. He will lift one leg and shake his feathers and neck, fix his gaze on the enemy, and attack. This is kukkuvadivu (Figure 12).
Like the leg exercises, the body sequences at first further develop flexibility, balance, and control of the body. This most often occurs when the training is rigorous. The oiled bodies begin to sweat, and by the conclusion of a class the student's entire body should be drenched in sweat. As one teacher said, "The sweat of the students should become the water washing the kalari floor." Chirakkal T. Balakrishnan describes the results of such practice for one sequence, pakarcakkal as being like "a bee circling a flower. While doing pakarcakkal a person first moves forward and back, and then again forward and back. It should be done like a spider weaving its web." What is most important is swift and facile changes of direction executed at the transition points between sets of movements, essential for combat in which instantaneous changes of direction are necessary (Figure 13). Only much later are specific martial applications taught.
Behind the fluid grace of the gymnastic forms is the strength and power of movements which can, when necessary, be applied with lightning-fast speed and precision in potentially deadly attacks. "Hidden" within all the preliminary exercises and basic poses are complex combinations of offensive and defensive applications which are eventually learned through constant practice. The body- exercise sequences "just look like exercises," but many applications (prayogam) are possible (Figures 14). Correctly executing locks to escape an enemy's grasp, taught as part of the empty-hand techniques (verumkai) late in training, can only be executed with full force when a student is able to assume a pose such as the elephant deeply and fully. An advanced student should be able to move with fluid spontaneity in any direction and perform any combination of moves from the body exercise sequences for offensive or defensive purposes. As Gurukkal Govindankutty Nayar put it, the student himself will begin to discover these applications "in due time."
Students advance through the system individually. The teacher keeps a constant and watchful eye on each student's gradual progress, i.e., on how well the' student masters the forms of practice and on his general demeanor and behavior. The discerning teacher does not simply look at a student's overt, physical progress, but also looks "within at the heart of the student." Some masters say that they "know [each student's] mind from the countenance of the face" (mukhabhavattil ninnu manassilakkam). Nothing overt is expressed, explained, or spoken; the master simply watches, observes, and "reads" each student. Physically embodying the forms of practice, mentally developing the degree of focus and concentration necessary, and personally developing the requisite devotion for deities and master all take considerable time. Only when a master intuitively senses that a student is psychophysiologically, morally, and spiritually "ready" to advance and when the teacher has no doubts about the student's character, is he supposed to teach a new, more difficult exercise. Ideally, each technique is given as a "gift". The teacher should take joy in the act of giving, especially as the gifts become more advanced and, therefore, more precious.
Unlike varma ati, kalarippayattu's sister martial art indigenous to the Kanyakumari region of the old Travancore kingdom and southern Tamil Nadu, as well as more recent cosmopolitan forms of martial arts oriented toward self-defense and/or street fighting, kalarippayattu is similar to its Japanese counterpart, the traditional bugei or weapons forms, in which use of weapons was historically the main purpose of practice. Empty- hand fighting has always been important to kalarippayattu, but more as a means of disarming an armed opponent than as its sole raison d'etre. Only when a student is physically, spiritually, and ethically "ready," is he supposed to be allowed to take up the first weapon. If the body and mind have been fully prepared (and therefQre integrated), when the student takes up the first weapon it becomes an extension of the integration of the bodymind in action.[20].
The student first learns wooden weapons: kolttari or kolkayattam payattu--first long staff (Figure 16), later short stick and curved stick (otta, Figure 17), and usually after only several years does one advance to combat weapons including dagger (Figure 18), spear, sword and shield (Figure 20), and flexible sword (Figure 21).[21] The teacher's corrections are intended to make the weapon an extension of the body. The use of each weapon involves one or more basic poses from which the practitioner moves into and out of and through which the weapon becomes an extension of the body. For example, the staff is an extension of the natural line of the spinal column maintained as one moves into and out of basic poses. The hands are kept in front of the body and the body weight is always kept forward, maximizing the range of the staff to keep the opponent at bay.
For some masters, practice with the curved stick, called otta, with its deep, wavelike, flowing movements, is considered the culmination and epitome of psychophysiological training because not only is there superb and beautiful external form, but also a simultaneous internal awakening. When correct spinal alignment is maintained, practice further develops the important region at the root of the navel (nabhi mula) region, hips, and thighs. Without the student knowing it, otta also subtly initiates the student in empty-hand combat (verumkai), the most advanced part of total kalarippayattu training, which eventually culminates when the student learns the location of the body's vital spots (marmmam) which are attacked or defended (see Zarrilli 1992).
-Sorry, I couldn't post any pictures-
Most masters would agree with Achutan Gurukkal's statement that only through correct practice of poses and steps will the student reap the benefits of practice and also begin to discover and eventually manifestpower (sakti) in practice. What, precisely, is meant by "power" (sakti), and what are the signs of its presence. According to those masters who assume a yoga-based paradigm, three essential features must be realized: (1) precisely correcting the external physical form and corresponding internal circulation of the wind or energy (vayu or prana-vayu) so that alignment and movement are correct and within the limits of a form; (2) ensuring that the student is breathing properly, coordinating and releasing the breath properly, and, therefore, circulating the wind or energy correctly; (3) ensuring that the student develops correct external focus and eventually realizes one-point focus internally.
Masters like Achutan Gurukkal stress that correct practice also means breathing naturally and, therefore, having the breath properly coordinated with performing the exercise or pose. Correct breathing is understood to develop naturally over months of practice. Nilakantan Namboodiripad told me that while doing all the preliminary exercises, breathing should be automatic and effortless, which comes from continuous practice. Inhalation and exhalation should be the maximum possible, but there is no retention. Teachers tell their students to breath through the nose; don't open your mouth. Keeping the mouth closed, the hands raised, and the spinal column firm in its natural alignment during leg exercises forces the student to begin to develop natural, deep diaphragmatic breathing from the navel region and prevents the natural tendency to take shallow breaths from the chest.
In addition to the natural coordination of breath with exercise some, but by no means all, masters also practice special breath control techniques understood to help activate and circulate the practitioner's internal energy (prana vayu) and, therefore, contribute to the actualization of sakti to be used in fighting and/or healing. There are two types of special exercises: (1) pranayama techniques shared with yoga and taught by either kalarippayattu or yoga masters, which require repetition of the fourfold pattern of inhalation, retention/pause, exhalation, retention/pause and (2) special kalarippayattu breathing exercises, often simply called swasam, which require continuous deep inhalation and exhalation without retention or pause. Some masters insist that correct practice is only fully actualized by those who practice these special exercises.
One master claims that practising pranayama leads to control over the mind as well as the body's metabolic functions and, therefore, to the development of correct form of practice in the martial art. Neelakantan Namboodiripad told me that practising pranayama brings concentration and eventually air strength (vayubalam) identical with the manifestation of power (sakti) itself.
Another master explained the practical application of pranayama in the martial art: In pranayama there are two retentions, one after inhalation and one after exhalation. The one after exhalation is not strong. Therefore, when you give a blow it comes with exhalation. But strong defence comes with inhalation. This is the essence of kalarippayattu, but most people don't know it. Only those who have studied pranayama can understand it.
The third most important feature of correct practice leading to actual ization of sakti is developing correct, i.e., one point focus (ekagrata). There are numerous practical ways in which internal one point focus is practised in the kalari. Visually focussing on the teacher's eyes in weapons training continues the student's development of one-point focus begun when the student is first instructed to focus when he begins the leg exercises. As Achuttan Gurukkal explained: We should never take our eyes from those of our opponent. By ekagrata here I mean kannottam, keeping the eyes on the opponent's. When doing practice you should not see anything else going on around you. Master Achutan's comments echo the well known example of Arjuna's actualization of one point focus in the archery test which was administered by Drona to all his students and at which only Arjuna was successful.
Practising kalarippayattu is conducive to learning both yoga and pranayama; they all come together. Both produce sharpness and steadiness of mind, both also give courage and patience, and both also help to give good health.
What eventually results from practicing kalarippayattu is the discovery of the interior subtle body (suksma-sarira) traditionally associated with yoga and meditation, and assumed to be encased within the physical body. As Govindankutty Nayar put it, "Kalarippayattu is 80% per cent mental and only the remainder is physical."
With rare exception, the practice of kalarippayattu today has become more about actualizing and harnessing one's bodymind and powers for use in daily life and, therefore, in shaping certain kinds of "selves" rather than about preparing for an actual fight to the death.
One master, well trained in both kalarippayattu and yoga, asserted that if one learns kalarippayattu properly, then "he should gain release from unhappiness". However, he also noted soberly, "Many practitioners have turned out to be wasters, drunks, and of bad morals." He cited the example of Chandu from the northern ballads, the infamous anti-hero who, bought off by money and a promise of the affection of a beautiful young woman, betrayed his cousin, Aromar.

Fighting style: Gatka, martial art of the Sikhs
Gatka is commonly referred to as an India Martial art. Specifically Gatka refers to the martial art used by the Sikhs of northern India. Actually Gatka is the name of a stick used to practice sword fighting. The word Gatka is a slang expression coined in the nineteen hundreds to describe a number of stick, staff and sword styles made for use in public demonstration. Much of the Gatka forms practiced today are Europeanized versions of segments of what was the original martial art of India known as Shastar Vidyaa.
Shastar Vidyaa is a part of the vast Vedic tradition which dates back nearly ten thousand years. Yoga, Meditation, Aryuvedic medicine also share these same roots. Shastra Vedia is the complete science of war from hand to hand combat to battlefield strategy. It was exported to the oriental along with Buddhism and became the foundation for the Chinese and Japanese martial art tradition.
There is no author or acknowledged teacher who originally developed this martial art. Although through its long history there have been many great masters. The earliest was Krishna Maharaja. It is believed that he had mastered of all sixteen principals of the Vidyaa. The Mahabharat which is an epic story of a conflict during the Vedic period is full of accounts of Krishna's and his ability on the battlefield. In Mahabharat is the first known reference of Shastar Vidyaa. There are other figures from classic Indian history as well. Ram Chander was acknowledged as a master as were the Rajput kings.
The Rajputs had developed an entire culture around their knowledge of Shastar Vidyaa that lasted for centuries. But by the time the Muslims had invaded India their once proud martial tradition had degenerated in nothing more than rituals and dogma. A very significant event took place during this time. Fifty two of the last remaining princes of Rajastan where taken prisoner by the Muslims. In desperation to free them the Sikh Guru Hargobind of the Punjab was approached for help. He had had many skirmishes with the Muslims and had begun to form an army of his own. Guru Hargobind was successful in freeing the princes and in gratitude the Rajputs taught he and his fledging Sikh army Shastar Vidyaa.
The tenth spiritual master of the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh would bring the Vidyaa to its fruition. By enjoining the spiritual tradition passed on to him through the nine successive Sikh Gurus and the knowledge contained within Shastar Vidyaa he created the basics of Sikh Dharma. Previous to Guru Gobind Singh the Sikhs had a single Holy book known as the Adi Granth. To this he added two other Granths, Sarab Lo Granth and Dhasam Granth which contain the martial tradition of the Vidyaa. The marriage of these spiritual and temporal powers was embodied in the elite warriors known as Nihangs. Through the strength of their Dharma the Nihangs eventually drove out the Muslims and Moghals from India and permanently close Indian's northern border to invasion.
Ranjit Singh was a Sikh king who ruled over Punjab for many years. Although he was a small and awkward man he enlisted and trained some of the most dynamic Sikh warriors ever. So strong was his fighting force that he and his brave Singhs stopped the land hungry British in their conquest of India. With all the resources the British had available to them they chose not to attempt an invasion of Punjab while Ranjit was king.
Rather they allowed the empire to collapse from within. Sadly the wealth and prosperity of the Sikh kingdom had corrupted it. Betrayal, murder and conspiracy with the British after the Ranjits death reduced the once great empire to ashes in a matter of days. The British never had to fire a shot to seizes control of the riches of the Punjab.
Even with the Punjab effectively enslaved by the British the Sikhs were still a dangerous force to deal with. Again rather than confront the Sikhs directly and chance a holy war the British infiltrated them. Their plan was to convert Sikh Dharma in a branch of Christianity and thus pacify the Sikhs forever. British controlled Sikh religious and political parties were established as a means to subvert the Dharma. The two Granths written by Guru Gobind Singh which formed the triad of the Dharma were removed from the temples. They were replaced with table organs known as harmoniums to add a Christian flavor to the Sikh worship. Weapons of any sort were banned in Punjab with the threat of life imprisonment and the confiscation of land.
The Akali Nihang Singhs were the protectors of the faith from the time of Guru Gobind Singh. They alone who had the complete knowledge of the Vidyaa's original traditions and history of the Sikhs Dharma. Once the British realized this they were hunted down and killed. Over 1500 of these great warriors were slaughtered in their attempt to crush Sikhism. To preserve the Dharma the most knowledgeable of the teachers were sent off to hide in the forest and villages of Punjab. Their mission was to find in their live time five students to pass the Dharma on to.
Today Shastar Vidyaa in India is all but forgotten. There remains a only a handful of qualified teachers of this once great art but many are to old to teach. And students willing to endure the long painful process of mastering the science are rare. Remnants of Shastar Vidyaa can be found in northern India as Gatka and in the south in Kalaripayatt. Both are simplified ceremonial versions of Shastar Vidyaa used in religious celebrations and sporting events.
Wahe Guru, Ji Ka Khalsa !, Wahe Guru, Ji Ki Fateh !
Invocation prayer
The word "Vidyaa" means scientific discipline. For instance Rag Vidyaa, which is the science of rhythm. From Rag Vidyaa comes the hundreds of "Ragas" or rhythm patterns used in Indian classical music. It is the complete knowledge available to man about the effects of rhythm on consciousness. A musical piece is nothing unless the proper Raga is chosen to set exactly the right mood. There are those who have spent their entire lives mastering this science. In the three Sikh holy books over three hundred Ragas are mentioned. Rag Vidyaa is a good example of the depth and vastness of the knowledge which forms the Vedic tradition.
The source of the Vedas has been debated for many years. Today however with the help of modern technology this debate has been put to rest. Around 1850 a German archeologist named Max Müller discovered what he believed to be evidence of a dramatic change in Indian culture around 600 AD. This is the date he puts as the "Vedic period". It is also the date of what appeared to be a mass migration of people in India. Müller was convinced that this was due to an invasion of a superior race of Eastern Europeans he called "Aryan". During the British occupation of India the Aryan invasion theory was included as a part of Indian history. The British seizing the psychological high ground with the concept that all the wisdom of India came from white people.
The word "Aryan" in Sanskrit means something like the English word "Gentlemen". It has nothing to do with language, race, or culture. There are references in some of the oldest Vedic texts of sunken city off the coast of Gujarat and a mysterious lost river Saraswati. Through the use of satellite imaging both have been rediscovered. Archeological dating have been carried out in the sunken city of Darwan and along the route of the extinct Saraswati. These date the sites around 4000 BC which establishes the Vedic period thousands of years earlier then Müller suggested. Unlike the Egyptians or the Romans or the Greeks the Aryans left no trace of their existence except in India. The migration Müller uncovered was most likely due to weather changes which caused the great Saraswati to slowly dry up and the people of the Indus to migrate. Modern archeology has discovered what might be evidence of tribes of migrating nomadic herdsmen coming for eastern Europe. They had no culture, no written language, and no clear history these are likely Müllers Aryan's.
There is another meaning to Vidyaa which is "living science" .By this it is meant that the Vidyaa which ever it is can be applied to everyday life by everyday people it is a "Lifestyle". The famous healing system "Ayurvedia" is a good example.. Traditionally Indian cooking is based not only on nutrition but also healing qualities. There are hundreds of "Masalas" or spice mixtures used in Indian cooking. They are chosen not only for flavor but also for the type of energy they produce in the body. These same Masalas are found in beverages, massage oils, Jams, Incense. When all of these aspects can be focused on a particular condition the effects are very powerful.
Shastra Vidyaa the Science of combat is a living science and can be applied to everyday life by everyday people. Just as yoga and meditation in ancient times were commonly practiced in India so to was Shastra Vidyaa. The qualities of a noble warrior were seen as a necessity for a successful life. Guru Hargobind established this for the Sikhs by the concept of the Saint/Soldier. Even today this remains a popular theme in Sikhism
The Simple Pentra is a balance and coordination exercise. It teaches you to fight with the earth, not against it. It is the foundation of Gatka. No matter how masterful one becomes in this art, the Simple Pentra will always be of value.
There are many advantages in practicing the Simple Pentra, the coordinated movement of the hands and feet balance the major energy meridians of the body and mind. This balancing also effects the left and right hemispheres which will induce a state of meditation known as the neutral mind. The neutral mind is the ideal mental attitude for our practice.
As your training advances, you will discover that the right and left hands are used equally and simultaneously. This demands a certain ambidextrous ability. The inherent abilities of the left and right hemispheres increase in effectiveness. This is an obvious advantage for the development of survival skills.
Another fascinating attribute of the Simple Pentra is its ability to recalibrate the sense of balance. This is accomplished by reestablishing the sensitive bond between the earth's magnetic field and that of the individual. This knowledge is what gives us pinpoint balance in Gatka. The repeated practice of the Simple Pentra will increase our sensitivity to this innate human gift. Pentra literally means "something to be practiced until it is mastered."
The essence of Gatka movement is the Pentra. This simple four step movement has much to offer if practiced daily. In time as proficiency is gained and the benefits begin to make themselves known, the Pentra will become the center of your practice.
Stick pentra:
Adding the Soti to the simple Pentra it becomes even more powerfull. There are two attacking and two blocking motions covered within the Stick Pentra.
It is practiced whith the right and left hand.
Maroaara:
Maroaara is the continuous swinging motion of the stick which protects the lower body from attacks.
It is an attacking and blocking move. The attack is made on the forward portion of the swing, usually directed to the head or throat of an opponent. Because of the quickness and power of the move, it is banned from use during practice or sparring. It can be done while stationary but is usually done in a waddling walk.
It is practiced with the right and left hand.
Front Flick:
The Front Flick motion is usualy done in a standing position.
It protects the front portion of the upper body. This clearing motion allows you to go through crowds of attackers.
It is practiced whith the right and left hand.
Chungii escape:
This is a movement which allows the fighter to escape while defending himself against a crowd. It means "to jump like a deer".
Chungii Escape necessitates accuracy and understanding of body placement in space. The movement is initiated by simultaneous movement of arm and knee, bent in preperation.
It is practiced whith the right and left hand.
Double stick pentra:
One of the most powerfull techniques in Gatka is the use of double weapons. These weapons can be the same, such as double stick, or different, such as sword and a dagger. The use of double weapons creates a shield for the entire body wich will be virtually impenetrable. The basic movements of the Pentra, Maroaara, Front Flick and Chungii are designed in such a way as to allow the left and right moves of each to be done simultaneously.
Double stick Maroaara:
Double stick Maroaara completely shields the body below the waist. You can create a sphere around yourself by using two sticks.
Double stick Front flick:
The double sticks intensify one's clearing and shielding abilities. If you are knocked down in a fighting position, the double stick Front Flick motion provides defense for the upper body. You can create a powerfull sphere in front of you while using two sticks.
Double Stick Chungii Escape:
Like outher double stick maneuvers, the double stick Chungii Escape is spectacular to view. The momentum generated by the two sticks can create an unexpectedly high jump. This is a powerful defensive tool.
Dance of the Sword:
When all these moves are learned well, you can start to combine these techniques. The goal is to be able to protect yoursself, move and attack at every point at any time in a extremly hostile enviorment like a battlefeld.
While dancing with the sword it can teach you a lot about momentum and the flow of energie, when suported by the rhythm of a Nagara (war drum). It also creates a very good feeling and is lots of fun.
It can be done with one or two swords or with any combination of weapons.
Nine Hit Pentra:
There are 33 different areas that can be targetet on the body by a Gatka weapon. Of these, eight are major points.
The eight major points have corresponding eight hits or attacks and eight blocks or counters. Each hit has a block and when these are executed correctly, the entire body is protected from attack.
There are variations of the nine hits for every weapon.
Kal Thui, Kali Thui, Thui teg ar teer, Thui nishane jeet ki, Aaj tuhi jug veer
Invocation prayer
Gatka is commonly referred to as an India Martial art. Specifically Gatka refers to the martial art used by the Sikhs of northern India. Actually Gatka is the name of a stick used to practice sword fighting. The word Gatka is a slang expression coined in the nineteen hundreds to describe a number of stick, staff and sword styles made for use in public demonstration. Much of the Gatka forms practiced today are Europeanized versions of segments of what was the original martial art of India known as Shastar Vidyaa.
Shastar Vidyaa is a part of the vast Vedic tradition which dates back nearly ten thousand years. Yoga, Meditation, Aryuvedic medicine also share these same roots. Shastra Vedia is the complete science of war from hand to hand combat to battlefield strategy. It was exported to the oriental along with Buddhism and became the foundation for the Chinese and Japanese martial art tradition.
There is no author or acknowledged teacher who originally developed this martial art. Although through its long history there have been many great masters. The earliest was Krishna Maharaja. It is believed that he had mastered of all sixteen principals of the Vidyaa. The Mahabharat which is an epic story of a conflict during the Vedic period is full of accounts of Krishna's and his ability on the battlefield. In Mahabharat is the first known reference of Shastar Vidyaa. There are other figures from classic Indian history as well. Ram Chander was acknowledged as a master as were the Rajput kings.
The Rajputs had developed an entire culture around their knowledge of Shastar Vidyaa that lasted for centuries. But by the time the Muslims had invaded India their once proud martial tradition had degenerated in nothing more than rituals and dogma. A very significant event took place during this time. Fifty two of the last remaining princes of Rajastan where taken prisoner by the Muslims. In desperation to free them the Sikh Guru Hargobind of the Punjab was approached for help. He had had many skirmishes with the Muslims and had begun to form an army of his own. Guru Hargobind was successful in freeing the princes and in gratitude the Rajputs taught he and his fledging Sikh army Shastar Vidyaa.
The tenth spiritual master of the Sikhs Guru Gobind Singh would bring the Vidyaa to its fruition. By enjoining the spiritual tradition passed on to him through the nine successive Sikh Gurus and the knowledge contained within Shastar Vidyaa he created the basics of Sikh Dharma. Previous to Guru Gobind Singh the Sikhs had a single Holy book known as the Adi Granth. To this he added two other Granths, Sarab Lo Granth and Dhasam Granth which contain the martial tradition of the Vidyaa. The marriage of these spiritual and temporal powers was embodied in the elite warriors known as Nihangs. Through the strength of their Dharma the Nihangs eventually drove out the Muslims and Moghals from India and permanently close Indian's northern border to invasion.
Ranjit Singh was a Sikh king who ruled over Punjab for many years. Although he was a small and awkward man he enlisted and trained some of the most dynamic Sikh warriors ever. So strong was his fighting force that he and his brave Singhs stopped the land hungry British in their conquest of India. With all the resources the British had available to them they chose not to attempt an invasion of Punjab while Ranjit was king.
Rather they allowed the empire to collapse from within. Sadly the wealth and prosperity of the Sikh kingdom had corrupted it. Betrayal, murder and conspiracy with the British after the Ranjits death reduced the once great empire to ashes in a matter of days. The British never had to fire a shot to seizes control of the riches of the Punjab.
Even with the Punjab effectively enslaved by the British the Sikhs were still a dangerous force to deal with. Again rather than confront the Sikhs directly and chance a holy war the British infiltrated them. Their plan was to convert Sikh Dharma in a branch of Christianity and thus pacify the Sikhs forever. British controlled Sikh religious and political parties were established as a means to subvert the Dharma. The two Granths written by Guru Gobind Singh which formed the triad of the Dharma were removed from the temples. They were replaced with table organs known as harmoniums to add a Christian flavor to the Sikh worship. Weapons of any sort were banned in Punjab with the threat of life imprisonment and the confiscation of land.
The Akali Nihang Singhs were the protectors of the faith from the time of Guru Gobind Singh. They alone who had the complete knowledge of the Vidyaa's original traditions and history of the Sikhs Dharma. Once the British realized this they were hunted down and killed. Over 1500 of these great warriors were slaughtered in their attempt to crush Sikhism. To preserve the Dharma the most knowledgeable of the teachers were sent off to hide in the forest and villages of Punjab. Their mission was to find in their live time five students to pass the Dharma on to.
Today Shastar Vidyaa in India is all but forgotten. There remains a only a handful of qualified teachers of this once great art but many are to old to teach. And students willing to endure the long painful process of mastering the science are rare. Remnants of Shastar Vidyaa can be found in northern India as Gatka and in the south in Kalaripayatt. Both are simplified ceremonial versions of Shastar Vidyaa used in religious celebrations and sporting events.
Weapons:
Shastar is the name given to the weapons used in Shastar Vedia. The weapons are held in the highest esteem even higher than the teacher! Weapons have a special place where they are stored and presented. They are approached with respect and bowed to as if they were a living thing. It is believed that these weapons came directly from God and they are manifestations of God's power on earth. Thus the power of God has been put into the hands of man. This is a huge responsibility and something which is easily abused even with the best intentions in mind.
THE SWORD MEDITATION
By Gatka Baij Nanak Dev Singh Khalsa
The sword has been for centuries revered by man as a symbol of his power. It was not until the Sikh Guru Hargobind that a deeper understanding of this was revealed. He taught that the sword was a symbol of both temporal and spiritual power. Later Guru Gobind Singh defined this further by describing " God fashioned the entire universe with his sword". For this reason the sword is seen as the primal force of the universe.
The Akali Nihang Singhs worship the sword as a manifestation of God's power. It is through the Sword Meditation that we are granted its blessings. And by which its immense power becomes the law which governs ours thought and actions.
The energy of the sword is called Shakti, it is a 2 1/2 cycle energy which is the regulating force on the physical plane. Mystery of the Sword Meditation is mastery of all aspects of physical reality.
At the moment of creation the Creator was in a profound state of meditation. Every particle of the universe was shaped by this meditation through the sword. By allowing the Sword Meditation the creator grants to his creatures the power of creation.
Every deed regardless of it significance or superficial value is an act of creation. Every action becomes a Kriya, ( a complete and balanced cycle ) every movement a Mudra ( a posture which expresses a particular energy), every though a meditation, creator and creation are united in action, this is Shakti Yoga.
The joy and celebration of this moment of meditation is expressed in the mantra
" Wahe Guru Wahe Guru Wahe Guru "
BARCHA, Barchi
A long shafted weapon for thrusting and cuting.
The spearheads could also be used for grabling attempts or to hook behind the enemy shield. There is also a small spike an reverse end.
CHAKRA, Chakram, Chacra, Chakar
Throwing Disc
lt is a flat steel ring from five to twelve inches in diameter and from half an inch to an inch and a half wide, the outer edge is sharp.
lt is usually plain but sometimes elaborately inlaid.
Several of different sizes were often carried on a pointed turban, the dastar ungaa or behind the back. The thrower stands squarely faceing his objective, takes the chakra between the thumb and first finger of the right hand, holding it low down on his left side. He then turns his body so as to bring the right shoulder as far forward as possible and throws underhand with the full swing of his body.
Thrown with sufficient force and accuracy it can cut off a green bamboo three-quarters of an inch in diameter at a distance of thirty yards.
DAHL, Shield
It is nearly always round and varies in diameter from about eight inches to about twenty-four.
Some are very nearly flat while others are strongly convex. The edges may be flat or rolled back in the reverse curvature of the shild.
It is held by two handles fastened to ring bolds that pass through the shild and are riveted to bosses on the outside, sometimes formed to spikes. Between the handles there is a square cushion for the knuckles to rest against. The handles are so placed that, when tightly grasped, they force the backs of the fingers against the cushion giving a very firm and comfortable hold. These shields are nearly always of steel or leather.
GURJ, Mace
Indian maces have a great variations in their shape. From simply curved steel bars to persian influenced maces with openings in the head wich gave a whistling sound when the blow was struck to plane massive heads.
They often have guardet hilts like the Khanda
KAMAN, Bow
Most of the bows are composite. Some are made of steel with block of wood at the handles. They are of the shape of composite bows and reverse when strung.
Others are made of up to nine layers of wood or horn.
KATAR, Coutar, Katha, Koutha, Kutha, Armor piercing Dagger
The oldest and most characteristic of Indian knives. The pectiliarity lies in the handle which is made up of two parallel bars connected by two, or more, crosspieces, one of which is at the end of the side bars and is fastened to the blade. The Katar is wraped to the hand to optimize the grip. The blades are aIways double-edged and generally straight, but occasionally curved. They are of all lengths from a few inches to about three feet. European blades of the 16th and 17th centuries were often used, especially by the Mahrattas. Katars with original blades are often thickened at the point to strengthen them for use against armor. When European blades are used they are always riveted to projections from the hilt. The native blades are often forged in one piece with it. The blades are sometimes forked at the point, and even three blades occur. The Indian armorers occasionally made Katars that were hollow and served as sheaths for smaller ones; or with three blades that folded together, appearing to be one, until handle bars were pressed together, when they opened out.
KHANDA, Khunda, Double edged sword
The oldest and most typical of Indlan swords.
lt has a broad, straight blade, ually widening towards the point, which is generally quite blunt. Sometimes it is double-edged; but, it generally has a strengthening plate with ornamental borders on the back for a considerable part of its length.
The hilt has a broad plate guard and wide finger guard which joins the large round, flat pommel. There is a spike on the pommel which acts as a guard for the arm, and for a grip for the left hand when making a two-handed stroke.
It is also used as a hand rest when the sword is sheathed. The inside of the guard and finger guard are padded.
KIRPAN, Khirpan, Dagger
The most typical Knife.
lt usualy has a curved blade, and should be carried by every Sikh. The special techniques used make this weapon very dangerous.
LATHI, Quaterstaff
"The harder the times the longer the Lathis"
This weapon is nearly everywhere available and very dangerous when used in the right way. Lathis should be as long as the warrior and Ironwood or Oak are prefered.
MARATI, Trainig device
The Marati is a bamboo stick with wooden or cloth balls on its ends. It is mainly used for training purposes but there are variations with blades or burning cloth on its ends, to attack and distract elephants and for psychological warfare.
SOTI, Gatka Soti, Sothi
Trainig device
The Soti is made from fire hardened bamboo or ratan, 1m long and usualy has a hand guard. It is mainly used for practice and "playing Gatka", the training fight.
For combat they were replaced by oak ore ironwood sticks, without hand guards.
TABAR, Tapar, Battle Axe
At first the ordinary hatchet or axe of civil life was used as a weapon, but special varieties were soon developed for fighting. War axes were of all sizes from light weapons, to heavy pole axes requiring the use of both arms.
The Indian axes are generally lighter than the European and often have the handle made of a flat plate of steel with pieces of wood riveted to each side.
Occasionally they have a dagger concealed in the handle; and, sometimes, a sharp-edged hook projects from one side.
Combinations of axes and pistols were fairly common in India; in these the barrel of the pistol is often the handle of the axe.
TALWAR, Tulwar, Tulwaur, Tarwar, Sabre
The Indian sabre, class name. lt includes practically all of the curved swords used in India; but those of very marked curvature are frequently called by their Persian name, shamshir. The Talwar is the commonest sword in India and the blades vary enormously in Size, curvuature and quality. The hilts generally have short, heavy quilIons and disk pommels. They may or may not have finger guards; some have as many as three. Several other forms of hilts are also used. The Nihangs are as careful of their swords and take as much pains to keep them in order as the japanese samurai. It is a common saying thatan really objectionable act is "as disgraceful as haveing a blunt sword." "These are Sikh cavalry-who know not steel scabbards-but wear leather sheaths, wherein the swords do not become blunt and dull-keen bright and ready, as many a deep and ghastly cut on Sepoy corpses can testify."(Majendie)
TIR, Arrow
The Indian arrows have steel heads of a great variety of shapes, with tangs fitting into the shafts, which are generally of reed. The shafts are often painted and gilded elaborately. These arrows have three feathers and bone, or ivory , noks.

Fighting style: Kurash
Kurash - the traditional upright jacket wrestling which originated in Uzbekistan more than 3500 years ago. The original translation of the word "Kurash" from the Uzbek language is grappling or wrestling. Kurash as a type of martial art or public sport entertainment is mentioned in many ancient oriental historical sources. The legendary 1000 years old Central Asian epos Alpomish describes Kurash as one of the most respected and beloved sports widely practiced by ancient people in Central Asia. Many ancient and Medieval philosophers and historians mention Kurash in their manuscripts and books. The great oriental scientist and philosopher Avetsena writes that practicing Kurash is one the best ways to keep the human body and mind healthy and sound. Still there is no exact information when, where and by whom Kurash was first practiced. But most of the scientists agree on that Kurash is one of the most ancient forms of martial arts people had ever practiced.
The new wave of Kurash development started in IX century AD. At that time people of Central Asia enjoyed Kurash as a form of public entertainment and recreation during major social events, like traditional holidays, wedding parties and feasts. Later Kurash emerged from entertainment to become a sporting competition and a form of physical training. The names of the strongest Kurash players became legendary, like the Pahlavan Mahmud who lived in XII century. His grave located in one of the regions of Uzbekistan is still considered by people of Central Asia as a holy pilgrimage place. In XIV century one of the greatest conquerors and statesmen in human civilization Timur used Kurash to train and to improve the physical condition of his soldiers. Its well known that the army of Timur was unbeatable and the strongest in the world at that time.
Years passed by and Kurash became one of the most respected and popular traditions in Central Asia, especially in Uzbekistan. Its true to say Kurash is in the bones of the Uzbek people. Children inherit their love for Kurash from their fathers. Presently there are at least two million people who constantly practice Kurash in Uzbekistan itself. The number of fans and amateur followers of this sport is simply indeterminable.
Approximately two decades ago Komil Yusupov, well known Uzbek Kurash, judo and sambo player and one of the activists of Kurash revival started research to learn the Kurash heritage, generalize techniques and draft the new Kurash rules which could meet international standards. In the beginning of 1990th he finished his research and aimed at bringing Kurash to the world. He presented the new Kurash rules developed by him to public discussion of Kurash specialists and fans. Later the IKA's Congress approved the rules by Komil Yusupov as the official International Kurash Rules. The new rules incorporated all the best features of the national sport with international sport standards like uniform, an action field, length of competition, etc. Sport experts acknowledge that the Kurash rules developed by Komil Yusupov fully correspond to all international sport requirements.
One of the advantages of Kurash rules is that they prohibit ground wrestling. Once the knee of one of the players touches the floor the referee stops the action and players should restart action from the initial upright standing position. It is also not allowed to grapple below the waist. This makes Kurash a truly speedy, dynamic and interesting to watch sport. Besides that the rules of Kurash strictly prohibit players to use any armlocks, chocking and strangling techniques. It helps players to avoid many injuries and makes Kurash one of the safest types of martial art to practice.
In 1991 after Uzbekistan first of the Soviet republics proclaimed independence from Moscow the new life of Kurash began. The new government headed by the first Uzbek President Islam Karimov aimed to restore national values and the traditions of the Uzbek people suppressed during the 70 years long Soviet regime. One of the priorities was to develop the native form of grappling, Kurash. In April, 1992 President Karimov met Komil Yusupov. They discussed ways to develop the national sport not only in Uzbekistan, but also worldwide. The initial goal was and is to make Kurash a truly international sport included to the Olympic program. From that day on the initiative group led by Komil Yusupov started Kurash promotional activity. They held dozens of Kurash tournaments in different parts of Uzbekistan. The success was overwhelming. Thousands of local Kurash players participated events watched by millions of fans filling the stadiums throughout Uzbekistan.
The activity of Kurash initiators was not limited by the borders of Uzbekistan. From 1992 they made a number of international Kurash presentations at different top level sport forums and meeting in South Korea, Canada, Japan, India, USA, Monaco and Russia. As a result the first large scale international Kurash tournament, held in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan in September 1998, gathered sportsmen and specialists from almost 30 countries from around the world. The 30000 spectators who filled the open stadium in the heart of Tashkent city and millions of TV viewers in Uzbekistan and other parts of the world witnessed the event. The first international Kurash tournament was a success. The 30000 seats Jar stadium, where the competition was held could not manage to fit all the fans. The tournament was won by the well know athlete from Turkey, Salim Tatar oglu.
The first international Kurash tournament was accompanied by another historical event. On 6th September 1998 representatives of 28 states of Europe, Asia and America gathered in Tashkent to establish the International Kurash Association - the official international sport body to represent and coordinate Kurash in the world of sport. The first foundational Congress of the Association adopted the Statutes of the new international sport organization, approved International Kurash Rules, and elected the IKA's ruling body - the Directing Committee. Mr. Islam Karimov, President of Uzbekistan and one of the main supporters of the international Kurash movement was unainimously elected to the position of the IKA's Honorary President. Mr. Komil Yusupov, the author of the International Kurash Rules, was elected to the post of the IKA's President. There are 15 posts in the IKA's Directing Committee in total. The DC members are elected by the Congress of the IKA by majority of votes for years term with the right for re-election.
In the beginning of May, 1999 Tashkent witnessed another outstanding event - the first world Kurash championship, which gathered athletes from 48 states of 5 different continents - Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South Americas. It's a truly unprecedented number of participating states for the first world championship in the sports world. President of Uzbekistan and the Honorary president of the IKA Mr. Islam Karimov said at the opening ceremony of the first Kurash world championship that Kurash incorporated features close to the spirit and character of Uzbek people, namely courage, bravery, spiritual generosity, fairness, honesty and humanism. And sport with such features has all chances to enjoy support and love around the world.
The overcrowded stadiums in the capital of Uzbekistan witnessed the historical event. Hundreds of athletes from almost 50 states of the world competed for the top award in the world of Kurash. The championship was held in three weight categories - 73, 90 kg and open category. The competition was very tough. And it's quite symbolic that in all three categories gold medals were won by Kurash players from Uzbekistan.
Since then the IKA holds world senior championships annually on the regular basis. The second world championships was held for the first time beyond the borders of the Kurash's motherland. Mediterranean resort city Antalya in Turkey hosted the event on July 2000, and this time for the first time women competed at the championships as well. The third world Kurash championships were held in Budapest city, Hungary in August 2001.
Along with the world championships among seniors, the IKA from the year 2000 annually holds world championships for juniors as well. The Tver city in Russian Federation has become the venue for the first two world Kurash junior championships held in May 2000 and 2001.
The first international female tournament in Kurash was held in June 1999 in Russian city Bryansk. 25 teams from 9 states competed at the event. German player Gretta Muller won the competition. Two Russan and one German players came second and third.
The first continental championships in Kurash was held in December, 1999. It was the Minsk city, capital of Belarus to host the First European Championships. The first Asian championships, which included men and ladies categories was hosted by the motherland of Kurash - Uzbekistan, its capital city Tashkent in April 2001. The first African championships also among men and women were hosted by the South African Republic, the venue was the town called Hurtenbos in July 2001. The capital of Bolivia - La Pas city hosted the first Pan American Kurash championships in March 2002.
The IKA also regularly holds number of traditional international tournaments different IKA member states. Most importantly, the Islam Karimov international Kurash tournament annually organized by the British Kurash Association since the year 2000. The first tournament to honor the IKA's Honorary President and the President of Uzbekistan Mr. Islam Karimov was held in October 2000 in Bedford town of Great Britain. The second tournament was held in November 2001 in Dartford, Great Britain.
Since 2001 the IKA designates its best events and people in 12 different nominations like, "Best Kurash player", "Best referee", "Best tournament", "Best federation" and so on. Well known athlete from Brazil Alexander Katsuragi has become the first "Best male players of the year" by winning in the brilliant manner an international tournament in Uzbekistan. Dorota Sikora from Poland was designated as the "Best female player" by becoming the World champion in Budapest. "The best techniques of the year" were demonstrated by the young Kurash star from Uzbekistan heavyweight Abdulla Tangriev - the absolute winner of two international tournaments held in Uzbekistan.
Kurash has been accepted and cultivated virtually all over the world. From Bolivia, Canada and USA to Holland, Turkey, Russia and Japan. Presently the IKA unites four Continental federations and more then 40 national Kurash federations in Asia, Africa, Europe and America. The profile of the IKA as the international sport organization is growing as more meetings with the top figures in sport on international and national level are held by the President of the IKA and other members of the DC to ensure the stable and continuous growth of Kurash worldwide.
Kurash is one of the most ancient types of martial arts. But it is for sure is the youngest international sport on the world arena as only in 1998 Kurash started its international journey. The journey which will not be easy or short. From the very beginning the ultimate goal of that journey was quite clear - to make Kurash - the national sport of Uzbekistan an international one.

Fighting style: capoeira
From the beginning of the sixteenth until the end of the nineteenth century, Portuguese slave traders raided villages along the Yoruban costal region of western Africa to stock the slave trade. The demand for slaves to work on plantations in the New World colonies duing this period increased constantly, especially in the region that is today northeastern Brazil.
Approximately three million slaves were forced to learn to survive in this new, harsh land. Unable to defend themselves against the weapons of their new masters, and unable to unify their diverse cultural groups, the slaves had no way to rebel against captivity. With influences from Africa, Portugal, and the indigenous peoples of the New World, a new form of self-defense was developed that ultimately led to their freedom.
Disguising their training as a ritualistic dance, participants (capoeiristas) threw spinning kicks and head butts, narrowly missing their opponents, who countered with acrobatic retreats that suddenly changed from defense to attack. Onlookers sang, clapped their hands, and played drums to the rhythm of the berimbau, a one-stringed bowlike instrument. The lyrics of the songs spoke of happier life and freedom.
Mestre Bimba: As rebellion among the slaves grew more common, capoeira was outlawed. Capoeiristas were forced to move their training underground, where it remained until about fifty years ago. With the influence of Mestre Bimba in the 1930s, capoeira began to be recognized as a legitimate sport and an important part of Brazil’s cultural history.
Capoeira's popularity grew throughout the country and it is now practiced openly in the streets and taught in the public schools. Capoeira was formally brought to the United States for the first time in the 1970s, and is now taught in cities across the country. Its exotic appearance, and driving make it fascinating to watch, and its symbols of the unification of the masses and the freedom of the individual ensure the growth and survival of capoeira in the future.

Dude seriously good stuff about Kobujutsu and Wado-ryu. I hope that people now understand what Kobujutsu is really like, and not that fake Tanya shit. The only problem with Kobujutsu here in Finland is that Surujin isn't taught here... I'll just probably have to travel to Japan when I'm good at Kobujutsu xD

thanks, wanna join our Martial Arts Team? DeadlyCobra and i are doing some hard job here. Alll you have to do is search the web for usable info on any style you encounter. This is about making MK realistic and historic.
-to a degree .
The weapon Tanya has, something is funny with it...

I agree Chrome.Tanya's weapon is odd.It reminds me of Talim's elbow blades.It could be based on the tonfa.