Part of our mission at BladesPro is to study, learn and relay information about swords -- not only to sell them. We love to dig into the history of what made swords how they are today, the warriors who wielded them in the battles of old, and the significance of past events on the present. Honjo Masamune – The Best Katana Ever MadeMasamune and Muramasa are credited as being the two best Japanese swordsmiths who ever lived. Their blades were so good that they were often described as having mystical properties. While the swordsmiths lived over 500 years ago, some of their swords survive today. Chinese Women WarriorsBesides Hua Mulan, there have been many other Chinese warrior women throughout history. Roman Empire vs the Mongol Empire - Parts 1 and 2In Part 1 of this series comparing the Roman and Mongol Empires, we took a brief look at the rise and fall of these two great empires. The Notorious Opera Duelist of Paris - Julie d'AubignyFew women have achieved the notoriety throughout their entire lifetime that Julie d'Aubigny acquired in just two short decades. Famous for her insatiable sexual appetite and martial prowess, two things that regularly got her into trouble, she would have perished early in life if not for her father’s close contacts with the king. Read: The Notorious Opera Duelist of Paris - Julie d'Aubigny The Katana’s Predecessor: The TachiTachi swords were originally developed around 900 AD and commonly made until about 1600. Typically 2-3 Shaku in length, they are slightly longer than a Katana, the sword to which they are most often compared. However, there are other differences between the two. from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/the-best-of-2019-the-best-katana-ever-made-sword-history-warriors-and-more
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Which katana samurai swords are most popular in the UK in 2019?With so many katana sword options available, we like to reflect back each year on the top selling designs. With that in mind, here were our best sellers for 2019, in no particular order.* Note: Products are not in order, but rather, grouped as a suite of best sellers from the year. Best sellers of 2019:Aaiwa Katana Samurai SwordThis entry-level Katana combines a stylish Tsuba with a functional blade for training or cutting. Perfect for the beginning practitioner or collector, this is a fine sword at an affordable price. Blue Blade Samurai Katana - High Carbon Steel with Dragon Sheath Hand-crafted using traditional forging techniques, this Katana bears a stunningly blue blade and an artistically detailed Tsuba. For martial artists or collectors, this will make a wonderful conversation or practice piece. Alexei Katana Samurai Sword This entry-level sword has a single Bo-Hi to make it lighter as well as a decorative Tsuba and speckled Saya. Perfect for the beginning collector or trainer. Kikyou Katana Samurai Sword This white Katana gleams from all but its simple black radial Tsuba. Marked with a Bo-Hi, this sword is ready for a challenge. Kill Bill "The Bride" Katana Samurai Sword Now you can wield the same sword as Beatrix Kiddo, "The Bride", in the esteemed films of Kill Bill. Beautifully made using traditional methods, crafted to perfection, and based on the wonderfully displayed swords in the movies, this quality Katana Kill Bill sword replica will make a fantastic conversation piece and allows you to feel just like Beatrix in the movies. For true Kill Bill fans! Tashi Katana Samurai Sword This entry-level Katana has an attractive black Tsuka and Sageo along with a functional blade suitable for cutting or training. Good for the beginning sword collector or practitioner, this sword looks great without breaking the bank. Ruolan Folded Red Steel Katana Samurai Sword The blade of this Katana is a deep red and features a hardwood look. Accentuated by brighter reds of the Saya and Menuki, this sword's rich tones and firm grip will please collectors and trainers alike. Anatoly Katana Samurai Sword This Katana has a radial brass Tsuba patterned after the sunrise and contrasted by black Tsuka and Saya. With a gleaming Bo-Hi, this sword is well-suited to training and cutting at an affordable price. Kill Bill Katana Samurai Sword - "The Groom" Now you can wield the same sword as Bill, "The Groom", in the esteemed films of Kill Bill. Achilleo Katana Samurai Sword This Katana truly stands out with a Dragon-headed Kashira based by a golden Tsuba. Finished with a pure-white Tsuka, this sword is stunning and functional. Great for collectors or practitioners. Honourable Mentions: Sword Stands & EngravingTo really complete the ‘set’, especially as an office display piece or a wonderful gift, many of our customers also choose to opt for a sword stand and/or engraving. Two top-selling sword stands:Decorative Sword Stand For Katana, Wakizashi and Tanto - SingleA simple but sleek sword stand for a Katana, Wakizashi or Tanto. Perfect for emphasizing the sword while fitting almost anywhere. Wall Mount Sword Holder For Katana, Wakizashi and Tanto - Double A simple wall mount for Katana, Wakizashi or Tanto. Perfect for emphasizing the swords while fitting almost anywhere. Holds two swords. And engraving options (with examples of how engraving is presented): Engraving Options So there you have it -- the top selling katana samurai swords and swords stands from BladesPro UK in 2019. Which is your favourite? If you have any questions, ask us any time. Check out our range for the best katana samurai swords at exceptional prices. from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/best-sellers-of-2019-popular-katanas-in-the-uk Ichigo Kurosaki is the protagonist of the manga bleach, which has been turned into a popular anime as well as a live-action film. Learn about the character and the sword he wields. HistoryBackgroundIchigo (a homonym of the Japanese word for the number 15) was born on July 15, 15 years before becoming a Shinigami (Soul Reaper). At a young age, he started training at a Dojo and learning Karate. Due to his spiritual heritage, he had always been able to see the souls of dead people, but he didn’t know why and often denied having the ability. Ichigo adored his mother. One day, when he was nine, he saw the spirit of a girl whom he thought was about to jump into a river, and, not being able to tell it was not a real girl, jumped into the river to save her. His mom tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen. Reaching the girl, but unable to grab her, he passed out. When he finally regained consciousness, he discovered his mom, dead, lying on top of him. As he grew older, he got into many fights with bullies and thugs, both from them attacking him and him defending his friends. Through this, he gained allies. He eventually entered Karakura High School, where his real journey was about to begin. Becoming ShinigamiAt home one night, Ichigo sees a strange girl (Rukia Kuchiki) in his bedroom. Thinking she is a burglar, he is convinced of her claim to be a spirit only when she proves that only he can see her. She begins to explain that she is a Shinigami, but Ichigo doesn’t believe her, forcing her to bind him. Surprisingly, however, he manages to break free through force of will when he hears his sister’s cries for help. Rushing to her, he sees her being attacked by a Hollow (a spirit who has remained too long in the Human world after death). He foolishly tries to stop it with a baseball bat, forcing Rukia to shield him with her body and becoming severely wounded in the process. As a last-ditch effort to stop the Hollow, Rukia stabs Ichigo with her Zanpakutō (sword), transferring a large portion of her powers into him, allowing him to easily take out the Hollow. The next day, Ichigo sees Rukia at school, and she tells him he must take over her duties as a Shinigami while she recovers her powers. He refuses, so she takes him to a park where a Hollow is about to attack. Finally convincing him of the need to defend others, she helps train him while residing in his closet. Later, a Hollow attacks, and when Ichigo cuts off part of its mask it is revealed to be Sora Inoue, the spirt of a man whom Ichigo had tried to help years ago but whom ultimately died. The Hollow flees, and Rukia tells him its likely target is Orihime Inoue, the spirit’s still-alive sister, as Hollows often attack those they loved most in life due to their corruption. Ichigo manages to arrive on time and begins fighting the Hollow, but, during the fight, Orihime steps between them, and the Hollow injures her. In a moment of clarity, the Hollow realizes what it had done and stabs itself with Ichigo’s Zanpakuto, purifying it of its sins and allowing it to go to Soul Society. Loosing it all and Getting It BackInitially reluctant, over time, Ichigo learns more about what it means to be a Shinigami and takes his duties more seriously. So seriously in fact, that he eventually sacrifices everything to protect those he loves. A former Shinigami named Aizen raises an army of Arrancar. He wields immense power, vast amounts more than a normal Shinigami, so Icihgo is forced to increase his own in order to be sure of victory. In order to do so, Ichigo learns the Final Getsuga Tenshō and uses it to give himself unmatched power, at the cost of loosing all of it after its use. Ichigo manages to defeat Aizen but is left powerless. Seventeen months later, Ichigo is living a normal Human life. He meets a group of people who reveal they have powers inherited from their mothers who were attacked by Hollows before their birth. They wish to give their Fullbring powers (powers that allow one to manipulate the souls of things or people, giving them very flexible abilities) to Ichigo as the powers are Hollow in nature and they do not wish to carry that legacy. A man named Kugo leads them. It is later revealed that Kugo is helping Ichigo activate his powers so Kugo can steal them . Kugo eventually does manage to steal Ichigo’s powers, but Rukia stabs Ichigo with a sword made from the Reiatsu (spiritual power) of the Gotei 13’s senior officers as well as other strong Shinigami. This infusion of Reiatsu restores all of Ichigo’s former abilities as well as giving him power exceeding that which he had before. Later LifeAfter many years and untold adventures, Ichigo eventually marries Orihime Inoue, the first non-family member he saved as a Shinigami. Together, they have a son named Kazui Kurosaki who has his father’s hair and his mother’s looks. His son eventually meets Ichika Abarai, the daughter of Rukia. Both children have inherited their parents’ powers and are potent Shinigami. Powers and AbilitiesIchigo is naturally gifted in many areas. He learns skills in incredibly short time, has great reflexes, is very strong, and has above-average intelligence. Due to training at a Karate dojo from a young age, he also is very good at martial arts. Whether this is natural or due to his heritage, Ichigo has immense spiritual power, so much so that he can perceive things and do things when tired that few others could even dream of. From his mother’s side and his Shinigami training, Ichigo has developed as a master swordsman. He is not only ambidextrous when wielding a sword, he can also wield two at once without any trouble. He can utilize Shunpo to move extremely fast while using few steps to get from point A to point B. In his Shinigami form, his already impressive strength is further enhanced, allowing him to accomplish with a single punch or kick what most people would struggle to achieve with multiple. As a Shinigami, he is also able to withstand blows that would kill a normal person, and he has superhuman endurance. Throughout the series, Ichigo learns more about his heritage and acquires different sets of abilities from multiple sources, including Hollow, Quincy, and Fullbringer, among others. ZanpakutoIchigo originally wielded a substitute Zanpakuto, with which he was able to achieve Bankai, but after it was broken he learned it was not his true Zanpakuto. His true Zanpakuto is formed from the combination of his Shinigami and Hollow powers, forming two differently sized black blades. The larger blade represents Ichigo’s Inner Hollow, while the smaller blade represents his Quincy powers. Ichigo’s blade is called Zangetsu. As with all Zanpakuto, Zangetsu has multiple abilities. The first and most common is Getsuga Tensho, which means Piercer of Heaven. When performed, the blade stores some of Ichigo’s spiritual energy, then releases it as the blade slashes, releasing a blade of energy the flies forward, devastating everything in its path. He also had a Bankai Tensa Zengetsu, which amplified Getsuga Tensho to an untold extent. His new Bankai’s powers are unknown, but it is considered extremely potent, as it was disabled before it could be used. See Our Replica Bleach Zanpakuto from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/ichigo-kurosaki Early ninjas were credited with being more than just excellent guerrilla fighters and spies – they were ascribed mystical powers that allowed them to levitate, disappear in a cloud of smoke, and do multitudes of other supernatural deeds. One of the most famous of these early Ninjas is Kato Danzo, who unlike most Ninjas, forsook anonymity for celebrity status as an illusionist. He was credited with great feats of magic. In one such tale, he swallowed a bull whole in front of a crowd of over 20 witnesses. In another, he threw seeds into the ground in front of the audience, and they watched as before them the seeds sprouted and flowered. From these and other such tales, Kato quickly gained a reputation with the powerful nearby landowners (daimyos), and they were afraid of him. Interestingly enough, Kato desired and solicited employment from a local daimyo named Uesugi Kenshin. Due to his fear, Uesugi was not happy about this, and, under the guise of testing Kao, tasked him with stealing a sword from one of his rivals. Hoping Kato would die in the attempt, Uesugi stacked the deck against him. Uesugi secretly alerted his rival that Kato was coming. Yet, somehow, Kata still managed to acquire the sword. The escape, however, is the interesting part, though sources differ on exactly how he managed to do so. In one version, he made a life-sized dummy of himself attached with a long rope and threw it over the hedge wall. The guards, seeing the dummy, all fired their arrows. Imagine their shock when, instead of dying, “Kato” straightened up, and then levitated into the air, still full of arrows! Another version has him enchant a gourd, from which dancing dolls sprung forth and distracted the guards long enough for him to get away. From these, Kato gained the name “Tobi”, which means “flying”. Unfortunately, Kato’s luck eventually ran out. Not wanting to work for a man trying to kill him, Kato switched employment from Uesugi to Uesugi’s archrival Takeda. He made the wrong choice. Taekeda thought him too dangerous and ordered Kato decapitated. Thus ended the short but miraculous story of Kato Danzo. from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/kato-danzo Lu Bu was a dynamic man who played an important part in Chinese history. A cunning warrior, his martial prowess was nearly unmatched. However, what he had physically he lacked in tactical ability and personal loyalty. The Backstabbing BeginsLu was from what is now Inner Mongolia – the northernmost province of China. A renowned martial artist, he was recruited by the Cavalry Commandant and taken to Henan – located centrally in China. When the Emperor died, Lu Bu went with the Commandant to the capital Louyang to join a coalition led by a general in deposing some corrupt and powerful eunuchs. Due to the eunuchs faking an imperial degree, the general was killed, and warlord Dong Zhuo took his place. Dong Zhuo successfully took the capital, but wanted more control of the coalition, so he induced Lu Bu to kill the Commandant who recruited him. After the Commandant’s death, Dong Zhuo appointed Lu as the new Commandant, and eventually promoted him to General. Now, Dong Zhuo was not a benevolent dictator, and the populace grew unhappy. A coalition was formed to oppose him, led by Yuan Shao. Lu Bu was in co-command of one of the defense forces. Unfortunately, Lu could not get along with his co-commander, giving one of the enemy commanders the opportunity to attack and force them into retreat. The defense had to pull back to the capital. Dong Zhuo decided to move the capital to Chang’an, farther East. He “encouraged” the populace to come with him by burning Louyang. Luckily for him, the coalition petered out and dissolved. As you can see, Dong Zhuo was not a very nice man. Because of this, he was worried about potential assassination attempts. Therefore, he chose Lu Bu to be his bodyguard. However, even in front of a trusted compatriot, he still could not stop his fits of rage. One day, during such a fit, he threw several daggers at Lu Bu. As you can imagine, regardless of how well Dong Zhuo had treated him, Lu was not happy about this. Because of a secret affair Lu was having with one of Dong’s maids, he also was feeling less loyal to Dong. Lu took the opportunity to make his complaints known, and he just happened to talk to the wrong people: two officials who had a secret plan to kill Dong Zhuo. They decided to let Lu in on the plan, and he, after putting up a token defense, let them talk him into killing Dong, which he did quickly. With Dong Zhuo dead, the two officials seized power and appointed Lu to one of the higher positions in the new government. A coalition formed to oppose the new government, and Lu Bu was in command of the defense. This time, one of the enemy commanders decided that dueling rather than fighting was the best way to attack, and he approached Lu Bu with the offer. Lu Bu, being an expert martial artist, accepted and won the duel, leaving the commander injured. The commander’s soldiers rescued him, and even though the duel had been won by Lu Bu, fighting eventually commenced. Now, as we’ve noted before, Lu Bu was an excellent fighter but a rather poor commander, and he was forced to withdraw from Chang’an. A Few More BetrayalsLu Bu traveled until he found Yuan Shu, the brother of Yuan Shao. Because of Yuan Shu’s dislike of Dong Zhuo, Lu thought Yuan would be grateful to him for killing Dong. However, this was not the case, and Yuan grew worried of Lu Bu, especially as Lu had allowed his men to raid the area, territory which belonged to Yuan. Lu Bu, not one to stay where he was not welcome, left to meet Yuan Shao. Lu Bu joined Yuan Shao’s forces and helped during many raids against a man called Zhang Yang. However, the same problems that had occurred with Yuan Shu reared their heads, this time being severe enough that Yuan Shao plotted Lu’s death. However, Lu got wind of it and ordered one poor soldier to be a decoy and sleep in his tent. The soldier was murdered in his sleep, and Lu fled to the enemy Zhang Yang for refuge! Lu sweet-talked his way into Zhang’s good graces by bringing up that they were originally from the same province and should help each other. Zhang Yang protected him from Yuan’s men as well as from some other former associates of Dong Zhuo. Eventually Lu Bu decided to leave and return home. On the way home, he met Zhang Miao, whom he befriended. Zhang Miao ruled over territories ultimately controlled by Cao Cao, a powerful warlord, who was an ally of Yuan Shu. However, when Cao Cao left to attack another province, Zhang Miao’s younger brother started a rebellion. Lu Bu, of course, had to join in, and he took control of the city of Puyang and declared himself Governor. Cao Cao cut short his campaign and returned home to oust the rebellion. Lu Bu and Cao Cao fought for over 100 days, but Lu’s side fared worse because of a drought and locusts. It got so bad that the people of Puyang started to resort to cannibalism. Lu had to leave, so he moved his base east to Shanyang. Cao Cao eventually caught up and won the battle, once again forcing Lu to flee. Lu met a man named Liu. Lu was very respectful to Liu, but by this time Lu had gained a reputation as a backstabber, so Liu did not trust him, though he kept this distrust quiet. Yuan Shu heard that Lu was staying with Liu, and sent Lu a private letter detailing Yuan’s former struggles with Dong Zhu, thanking Lu for killing Dong, and asking him to help Yuan remove Liu from power in exchange for a large amount of and continuous flow of supplies, as well as shelter. Lu was delighted and, when Liu led an army to fight Yuan Shu, kidnapped Liu’s family. Yuan Shu’s army managed to defeat Liu, so Liu was forced to return home in disgrace, humiliated on both sides. However, Lu was not happy that Yuan’s promised supplies were late in coming, and welcomed Liu back with open arms, appointing him to a high position in the government Lu had just usurped from him! Not only was Lu an impressive warrior, he also had unparalleled archery skill. When Yuan Shu sent a general to attack him, Lu set up a bet, where if he managed to hit a polearm exactly in one designated spot, the opposing force would leave. He made the shot, which impressed everyone, and prevented the battle. And A Few MoreYuan Shu eventually got a bit big for his britches and declared himself Emperor. This quickly attracted the attention of the real Emperor, who ordered anyone who could to kill Yuan. Yuan feared Lu, so even with all their past history, he proposed a marriage alliance between his son and Lu’s daughter which Lu accepted. However, Lu was convinced not to go through with the marriage once he was reminded how Yuan had treated him in the past, so he ordered men to catch up with the convey and take his daughter back. During this time, Lu also sent a message to the real Emperor, and, in return, was appointed as a General. This involved getting a physical seal as part of the promotion. However, the emissary bringing the seal lost it, and the responsibility and guilt for this action fell upon Lu. He wrote another letter to the Emperor taking responsibility, attempting to explain why he had not supported the Emperor earlier, and proclaiming his attempt to follow all the Emperor’s commands to the best of his ability, particularly the command to eliminate Yuan Shu. Surprisingly, Cao Cao, the warlord whom Lu had fought against before wrote encouragement to Lu and paid for the making of another seal as the Imperial Treasury did not have enough. However, Cao Cao also warned Lu about Lu’s connections to Yuan, advising him to immediately sever all ties. When Yuan, still waiting for the marriage convey to arrive, got news of Lu’s newest betrayal, he was livid. He allied with two other commanders and prepared to attack Lu. Lu got wind of the attack and, via a letter reminding the two commanders of the real Emperor’s command and a promise of vast rewards for helping, managed to win them to his side. Together, Lu and the two commanders struck toward Yuan’s capital, plundering all the way. When Lu drew close to Yuan, Lu sent a messenger taunting Yuan about the fact that he had managed to sway Yuan’s allies to his side. Then, he and his men laughed at Yuan across a river, then withdrew. Lu Meets his EndA few years later, Lu found himself allied with Yuan again, this time against Liu Bei. With Lu not leading the army himself, Lu’s commander managed to win against Liu, plus some reinforcements Cao Cao sent. Cao Cao decided to strike directly at Lu Bu. As Cao closed in, he sent a letter to Lu outlining why it would be best for Lu to surrender. Lu almost did, but his advisers all remembered Lu’s previous betrayal of Cao Cao and urged him to reconsider. He did for a time, but as Cao ramped up his attacks, Lu once again found himself preparing to surrender. His advisers again pushed back, so he sent a request for aid from Yuan Shu. Yuan, still upset about the whole marriage renegement, laughed at Lu’s emissaries. Lu’s emissaries told him he would suffer too if Lu was defeated, so Yuan made a show of preparing his forces. Lu, knowing none of this, guessed correctly that Yuan was still upset about the failed marriage alliance and attempted to kidnap his daughter and fight single-handedly through Cao Cao’s lines in order to personally deliver her to Yuan’s son! While Lu was a master warrior, he was not good enough to win, by himself, against the whole army, especially with his daughter tied to his back. Having to take cover against the enemy’s archers, he was forced to retreat back into the city. Lu decided to strike against the enemy’s supply lines, but his wife, better able to read the political undercurrents between Lu’s advisers, advised him not to go. This resulted in a few rounds of silent tug of war over Lu’s mind, with Lu constantly changing his opinion to coincide with whom he heard from last. Cao Cao, unable to break into the city, was beginning to get tired, but his advisers convinced him to keep trying. Cao tried a different tactic, diverting two rivers in order to flood the city Lu was in. Lu’s men were losing the will to fight, and eventually a few of Lu’s subordinates managed to capture Lu’s troublesome advisers, then surrender to Cao Cao. Lu tried to have his men kill him and present his head to Cao, but they wouldn’t do so. Lu was then captured by Cao’s men and brought before him. Lu pleaded with Cao, and Cao almost released him, but Liu Bei, who was also there, reminded Cao of how untrustworthy Lu was. Lu, finally feeling the sting of betrayal himself, was enraged at Liu, ironically calling Liu “the most untrustworthy person”. Cao finally ended Lu’s betrayal spree by having him hanged. from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/lu-bu-loyalty-like-sand Kunoichi is a modern term used to refer to women who served as Ninjas in medieval Japan. The term most likely is phonetic – as the Kanji character for woman 女 is composed of three strokes which also occur in the Japanese phonetic alphabet く(Ku), ノ (No), and, 一 ( Ichi ). Roles and DisguisesNinjas are famous for their stealth – sneaking into places in the dead of night, striking with a quick flash of steel, then fading back into the shadows. And while female ninjas did receive similar combat training to their male counterparts, their roles used stealth in a much different way. Kunoichi served as spies, using their unassuming nature as women to infiltrate targets, passing on information to their allies or getting close enough to pull off a quick assignation. These roles required months or years, with some even requiring a lifetime. The women were often required to use intimate means to keep and hold a target’s trust over long periods of time. Possibly the most famous Kunoichi was Chiyome. A widow of the nephew of a powerful Daiymo (Lord) Shingen, she was asked by Shingen to gather girls and train them in espionage. The girls were collected young and were often orphans. They were trained to be mediums. Japan, a religious country at the time, allowed great freedom of movement to religious practitioners, and they were often trusted implicitly because of their “connections” to the divine. This allowed the women to gather information without being suspected. Chiyome reportedly trained over 200 women to be these traveling spies. Tools of the KunoichiThe Kunoichi had two very popular tools that served them well. The first was Neko-te. These were like tiger claws that could be slipped onto a finger similar to a thimble. The sharp tip could be dipped in poison in order to make a scratch lethal. Because of their small size, they were easy to hide in clothes. Another popular weapon was a bladed fan. Japan gets very hot in the summer, so women were expected to carry fans around to keep cool. Having a fan with hidden blades was an easy way to carry a weapon around with one at all times, hidden in plain sight. Finally, they would sometimes use a metal box with a false bottom to have their things carried between cities. This false bottom could hold a person, allowing them to sneak a male ninja into a guarded compound when required. ConclusionKunoichi had roles just as important as male ninjas, though they served in a very different way. Many a Samurai fell victim to these master infiltrators, whether through direct assignation or through their divulgence of their secrets. Want to be a ninja? from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/kunoichi-female-ninjas The Greatest SwordsmithsMasamune and Muramasa are credited as being the two best Japanese swordsmiths who ever lived. Their blades were so good that they were often described as having mystical properties. While the swordsmiths lived over 500 years ago, some of their swords survive today. Masamune and Muramasa were described as having very different temperaments, and the swords they created were said to be imbued with traits embodied in the swordsmiths who forged them. One legend perfectly describes this. In the story, Masamune and Muramasa are taking part in a sword competition to determine which of them is the best. The swords are suspended over a river. Muramasa’s sword cuts everything that touches it, while Masamune’s blade cuts only the leaves, leaving the fish unharmed. Muramasa quickly claims victory. However, a traveling monk who is judging the competition declares Masamune’s blade superior, for while Muramasa’s blade did not distinguish between friend or foe and bloodthirstily cut everything it could, Masamune’s blade spared that which was good, and cut only what it must. The Greatest BladeThe greatest sword Masamune ever forged was called the Honjo Masamune, after a 16th century general Honjo Shigenaga and Masamune himself. In 1561, Honjo fought a duel against an enemy general who wielded said sword. When Honjo won by striking the enemy’s helmet so hard it split in twain, he claimed the sword as his own. Many decades later, he sold the sword to the ruling Toyotomi clan, who lost it to the new Shogun (military dictator) when he took power. The sword then passed from Shogun to Shogun until the Tokugawa Shogunate eventually fell. Even after losing power, the family managed to keep the sword. At least, until the end of WWII, when Japan lost the war and the Allies came looking for booty. The Allies demanded all the nobility in Japan hand over their familiar swords. As you can imagine, the nobles were livid at this demand. However, Tokugawa Lemasa, who possessed the sword at that time, decided to set an example and gave up his family’s collection. The sword immediately disappeared from history, and its whereabouts are still unknown. However, all hope is not lost. Someone recently (2013) brought a sword to the Kyoto National Museum, and it was later to be determined to be one of Masamune’s make (The Shimazu Masamune), rediscovered after disappearing from historical records for over 150 years. Thus, the Honjo Masamune might still be out there, hidden in some unsuspecting family’s trinkets or owned by a knowledgeable but secretive private collector. Fun FactPowerful swords in video games are often named after Masamune and Muramasa. from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/honjo-masamune-best-katana-ever-made Tsukahara Bokuden was a famed duelist who lived in the 15th – 16th centuries. Living almost 80 years before Miyamoto Musashi, he is considered one of the most forward-thinking Samurai of all time. This is his story. Early LifeBokuden was born Asako, to a priest of the Yoshikawa family who served the local Kashima clan. Early in life, he was adopted by the Tsukahara’s, an extended branch of the Kashima clan, due to the early death of his adopted father’s biological son. Thus, his name became Tsukaraha Shin’emon Takamoto. Bokuden learned Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto, one of the oldest Japanese martial arts. Having mastered the style at the still-young age of 17, he desired to continue his studies, so he traveled throughout Japan, learning from the finest living swordsman of his day. From a rich family, he did not do this alone, but with a large retinue. Student TravelerDuring this journey, he took part in nearly 20 duels and 40 engagements. He managed to kill 21 warriors of note. Around the age of 20, he meant a famed swordsman Ochiai Torazaemon. Bokuden challenged Ochiai to a duel, which Ochiai accepted dismissively. Ochiai was twice Bokuden’s age, so he did not consider Bokuden a threat. Much to his surprise, Bokuden quickly defeated him. While duels could be to the death, Bokuden chose to let Ochiai live. Ochiai, humiliated by the defeat, dishonorably laid an ambush for the young Samurai. When Ochiai attacked, Bokuden had only a moment to react. Drawing his Wakizashi in an instant, Bokuden fatally wounded Ochiai, who spent his dying moment questioning why Bokuden didn’t draw his Katana. Bokuden replied that the shorter sword better suited the small distance he had to work with. Bokuden would often return home to visit his adopted family, and on one such occasion his father saw fit to cement Bokuden’s place as future clan leader by having Bokuden marry his daughter, Bokuden’s adopted sister. Bokuden didn’t fight only swordsman. In one duel, he fought a vicious man Kajiwara Natago, who used the Naginata (a sword on a stick). Kajiwara was famous for causing great pain with his strikes, leaving his opponent to die in horrible agony. Bokuden simply cut off the sword blade from the rest of the weapon, leaving his opponent defenseless. Bokuden then easily dispatched Kajiwara. 2 New Fighting StylesHaving gained so much experience, Bokuden eventually developed his own sword-fighting style. Claiming to have received it from the deity his biological father served, he named it the Kashima Shinto-Ryu (Single cut style). After his many years of traveling, he went back and served in his daimyo’s (Lord’s) army until retirement age, about age 37. Then, he opened his own sword school. One of the students he taught would become a future Shogun (military dictator) of Japan. As Bokuden aged, he began to turn his thoughts away from how to kill an opponent to how to avoid fighting one in the first place. This was partially because he was tired of all the young uptight swordsman constantly challenging him because of his renown. In one instance, he referred to this new fighting style as his “no-sword style”. There is one famous instance that exemplifies this line of thought, and we would be remiss if we did not include it here. One day, on a boat, a young, boisterous, and arrogant swordsman claiming to the best challenged all the passengers. The now-aged Bokuden was unimpressed, immediately drawing the attention of the challenger. Bokuden agreed to a duel, claiming that he would defeat the youngster unarmed. However, the duel should be held on a remote island so as not to disturb anyone. The challenger agreed, and when they arrived at the island jumped off the boat and drew his blade. Bokuden merely grabbed the boat’s paddle and pushed off, leaving the Samurai stranded. As he paddled away Bokuden shouted “Here is my no-sword school!” DeathBokuden lived to the ripe old age of 83. Dying in 1571, he had killed over 212 people in total. In all his duels, he had never been wounded, and in all his battles, he was wounded only 6 times, by only arrows. Fun FactAs stories often do, Bokuden’s skills have grown with the telling, and so many stories have been told about him that it is hard to separate fact from fiction. One story that we know is false, however, is Bokuden’s supposed duel with other famed master Miyamoto Musashi (Bokuden died 13 years before Musashi was born). In the story, during a dinner, Miyamoto challenged Bokuden to a duel. Bokuden accepted, but when Miyamoto drew his blade and attacked, Bokuden calmly blocked the stroke with the lid of the pot he was eating from! Master the Wakizashi like Bokuden from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/tsukahara-bokuden-wandering-swordsman Empress Wu is the only recognized female Emperor in all of Chinese history, and the first of only two women to wear the yellow robes of the Emperor. *Note to the Reader: Some of the people in this story have names that are very similar or identical in written English. Thus, we refer to such people mostly by their titles and position* From Lavish BeginningsWu Zetian was born in the same year as a total solar eclipse seen across China. Her father was a successful businessman, and her mother was from a powerful family. Li Yuan, a future Emperor, was close to the Wu family, and on his accession granted her father many senior managerial roles. Because Wu’s family was so well-off, she was not expected to do the menial labor that women normally did. So, while the servants did the work, she had to find something else to occupy her time. Luckily for her, her father, unlike most men, encouraged her to read and develop an education, and luckily for him, she proved quite capable and interested. At the young age of 14, she was taken as an imperial concubine. Because of her ability to read and write, she became a type of secretary as well. While she did not seem to be much favored by the Emperor (only rank 5 out of 9), she did manage to attract the eye of one of the Emperor’s sons, and the two of them had an affair. The Emperor died, and, as Wu had not had any children by him, she was consigned to a monastery to live out the remainder of her life. Fortunately for her, the prince she had an affair with, due to two disgraceful older brothers, ended up becoming the next Emperor, even though he was the youngest son. One day, the former prince came to offer incense to the late Emperor, saw her and remembered. His Empress Wang was there too and saw his reaction. Now, Empress Wang was not highly favored by the Emperor, who preferred Consort Xiao to Empress Wang. Hoping that the arrival of a new concubine would distract the Emperor from Xiao, Wang told Wu to clean up and brought her back to the palace as a new concubine. To the TopWithin a few years, Wu was of the first rank of concubines. As time passed, the Emperor favored her more and more. When Wang and Xiao, who had been rivals, combined forces to counter this rising threat, it was too late and cost them dearly. Wu was not one to take challenges to her power lying down. By this point Wu had had two sons and a daughter by the emperor. Soon after, Wu’s daughter died in suspicious circumstances, and Wang was framed, with Wu accusing Wang and her family of using witchcraft to kill the child. (Because of Wu’s later ruthlessness, some think she deliberately murdered her own daughter to remove Wang as a rival.) Wang had no children, and the Emperor used this as a convenient excuse to depose her. Wu took Wang’s place as the new Empress. Wu stayed busy behind the scenes. During the following year, the heir apparent was changed from Xiao’s oldest son to Wu’s. The next year saw many officials who had spoken out against Wu’s replacement of Wang being exiled to remote provinces or killed. 3 years after that, and Xiao’s oldest son was arrested and exiled as well. Also, during this time, the Emperor began to suffer from a debilitating illness. Wu proved capable of helping with state affairs, and, over time, began to make more and more decisions for the Emperor until they were considered equal in power. Eliminating the CompetitionThis continued for 4 years, and, eventually, the Emperor himself began to see Wu as a threat. He asked a servant for advice, and the servant suggested that he depose Empress Wu. The Emperor had that servant draft an edict deposing Wu as Empress. Wu got wind of this and managed to arrive in person and plead her case. The Emperor, always having a soft spot for Wu, could not go through with it. Unfortunately for the servant, the Emperor chose to blame him to save face. Furthermore, the servant had served on the staff of Xiao’s oldest son, the former heir-apparent. Wu used this fact to link the servant with the former heir in a fabricated treasonous plot, causing the servant to be executed and the former heir to commit suicide. Wu was intensely loyal to her mother (to whom the Emperor had lavished great honors, as well as to Wu’s late father), but not to anyone else in the family. The Emperor decided to honor Wu’s older sister and her two brothers. The brothers mentioned that they did not feel they deserved to receive the posts based solely on their relation to Empress Wu. Wu’s mother was not happy, so Wu, in order to avenge her mother’s unhappiness, saw fit to exile her brothers to remote provinces. Wu’s older sister had attracted the attention of the Emperor, and he considered taking her to the palace as another concubine. Wu got wind of this and had her older sister poisoned and accused her brothers of doing it! Thus, with one stroke, she got rid of her siblings. After Wu’s mother died a few years later, her older sister’s son made it clear he suspected Wu of killing his mother. Wu had him accused of dishonoring her mother’s memory and raping the daughter of an official. He was then exiled and there eventually died. The Death of SonsThe Emperor’s health eventually deteriorated enough that he considered making her regent. However, he reconsidered when two officials advised against it. Empress Wu continued eliminating all rivals. The Emperor had shown favor to his aunt, whose daughter was married to Wu’s third son. So, Wu had her own daughter-in-law arrested and starved to death. Her first son, the heir, urged her to not take so much power to herself, and to allow his half-sisters, the daughters of Consort Xiao to marry. Wu poisoned her son and his half-sisters quickly died. Two more of the Emperor’s sons were accused of crimes and demoted. Li Xian, her second son, became heir-apparent. He heard some (untrue) rumors that he was not Wu’s son but Wu’s older sister’s and began to question his heritage. Li also had a sorcerer that both Wu and the Emperor respected killed (probably because the sorcerer said he was not fit to be Emperor). So, Wu had him accused of treason and planted a large number of weapons at his residence to back up her claim. He was deposed and exiled, making his younger brother the new heir. Around 8 years past, and the Emperor died. Her third son Li Zhe took the throne, and Wu became Empress Dowager, the official title of the mother of the Emperor. The late Emperor had written in his will for his son to take immediate power on his death and look to Wu for advice. His son did the first part, but not the latter, instead being controlled by his wife. He was caught wondering aloud if it would be bad to just give the Empire to his father-in-law. This was reported to Wu, and she took quick action, deposing her son and installing her fourth-and-youngest son as the new Emperor. Wu took this time to execute her still-exiled second son. Emperor in TruthBy this time, Wu was done with appearances. While it was customary for the regent to still have the too-young-to-serve Emperor issue commands, even if they were crafted by the regent, Wu did away with this and just issued them herself. The new Emperor never even got to move to the Imperial Suite, instead living in basic house arrest. At one point, she offered to turn the Empire over to him, but at this point, fully aware of who she was, the “Emperor” declined to take power. 4 Years later, and she disposed with all pretense, taking the throne for herself and founding her own dynasty. She was a great and terrible ruler. Not terrible as in bad, she was eminently capable, as acknowledged by even her fiercest critics, but as in terrifying. She had a secret police force that helped her take total control over the government. In a far-off province, one of her exiles started a rebellion, and the same official who had told her of her son’s musing of turning over the Empire suggested she step down, as that should quell the rebellion. He had apparently forgotten whom he was talking to and was summarily executed, along with all those who tried to defend him. Her Empire began to corrode from within due to her constant paranoia of losing power. Her secret police force was used by some unscrupulous men to gain power, making false arrests and executions in the name of maintaining order. She summoned officials, but they were afraid of being falsely accused and executed, so they started a rebellion. However, they did not coordinate very well, causing Wu’s forces to easily crush them. Ironically, their very fear caused the thing they dreaded: their executions. Wu’s deeds are too numerous to account, and most of them are quite interesting. However, we do not have the space to recount them all here. Suffice it to say, they followed much in the vein of what we have already told, with much terror, executions, paranoia, more executions, and, through it all, remarkable competence. Losing the EmpireToward the end of her reign, Wu was getting old, and two of her nephews were pressuring her to name one of them as her successor. However, her chief adviser thought the heir should be someone descended from the late Emperor instead and advised Wu to recall her third son Li Zhe from exile. Wu changed the successorship from the Emperor-turned-crown prince back to Li Zhe. Wu began to think of what would happen to the Empire after her death and foresaw a coming conflict between the Wu clan and the heir-apparent. To try and prevent this, she had them swear an oath for peace. Wu had fallen in love with two brothers, and as she grew older, their power waxed greatly, for she relied on them to handle an increasing amount of matters of state. When her grandchildren saw this and began discussing it amongst themselves, one of the brothers found about it and told Wu; as punishment she had her grandchildren commit suicide. The brothers began to worry what would happen to them if Wu died, so they falsely accused some of their rivals who were top officials and advisers of Wu. They persuaded one of the servants of the accused to help them, but when he got before Wu to give witness, he told the truth. Wu still exiled the accused but did not kill them. The brothers and their brothers were accused of corruption, so Wu demoted the brothers’ brothers, but the two she was close to she did not. She began to fall ill, and only the two were allowed to see her, even though her advisers asked her to see only her sons instead. Wu eventually allowed one of her officials to investigate the corruption charges but rendered the investigation superfluous by pardoning one of them. As her health declined, a coup was formed. Men who were loyal to the heir Li Zhe killed the two brothers, then forced her to yield the throne to him. Her son still honored her, and she was allowed to live in a palace. When she died, he had her entombed with his father. *Because of the disputed historicity of some of the events, liberties were taken in order to tell a cohesive story.* from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/wu-zetian-sole-female-chinese-emperor Seki (sometimes Romanized as Sakai) is the home of the top knifemakers in all of Japan. This knifemaking legacy actually draws its roots from a surprising source: swordmaking. As we are all about swords here at BladesPro, we thought we’d investigate and see how this unique historical influence affected Seki’s knives. Seki lies in an excellent location for metal crafting. It has lots of iron nearby for the steel, clay and pine charcoal for the forges, and river water for quenching. In 450 AD, the kofun (burial tomb) of Emperor Ninfoku was constructed in Seki: a project so great that Japan scoured the land for blacksmiths and brought them there. Because of the excellent location and the long period of construction, when the tomb was completed, most of the metalworkers never left, beginning the long tradition of metal crafting in Seki. A Mass of SwordsSwordmaking was established in Seki by, at the latest, the 14th century, as we still have actual swords crafted then that survive today. At first, individual swords were produced for the nobility, but as wars broke out, demand greatly increased, and swords began to be mass-produced. The opening of Japan to China and the constant wars meant the demand for swords did not lower for centuries, providing Seki with excellent business opportunities. They exported hundreds of thousands of swords to China and supplied innumerable swords to the various warring factions throughout Japan. A Culinary Change
After 1876, the government limited the production of Katana swords, but by that time Seki had been known for centuries not only for swords, but also firearms and knives. Its knives were so highly prized, that the Japanese government in 1570 proclaimed that only knives crafted in Seki could be used for tobacco harvesting. In order to make such knives, a prospective knife-maker usually underwent (and even today undergoes) an apprenticeship, same as a swordsmith. Today, Seki’s knives are used in homes and restaurants all across the world and are known to be world-class. The best of such knives bear the mark of the Master Magoroku.
from https://www.bladespro.co.uk/blogs/news/the-knifemaking-legacy-of-seki |
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October 2018
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