Katana in modern Japanese means any sword. According to the current Russian standard, a katana is a large two-handed Japanese saber, the blade length of which is more than 60 cm.
Description of katana
The shape of the katana blade is similar to a checker, but its handle is long and straight, which is used with a two-handed grip. The katana has no pommel, which makes fencing difficult. The sharp end and slight bend of the blade allow not only cutting but also stabbing blows.
In many ways, the katana is similar to the earlier sword of the Chinese Miao Dao. The authenticity of Japanese katana is determined by a hardening line, which is performed using a special hardening and forging technology. The handle of a genuine weapon is covered with stingray leather (ordinary leather was also used) and wrapped in a silk ribbon. The katana blade consists of different (at least two) grades of steel. The boundaries between species are now unique to each sword. The weapon is both sharp and durable. The weight of the katana is 750 - 1000 grams, the length is two or more shaku, the handle can be of different lengths. The scabbard is made of lacquered wood.
Origin and popularization of the katana
The katana appeared in the 15th century as a result of the evolution of the tachi, which was used in the early Muromachi period as a common weapon for samurai in combination with a short wakizashi (small sword).
Since the second half of the twentieth century, the romanticization of the East and the Middle Ages began to gain popularity, and in particular Japanese culture, contact with which in the West was carried out mainly through manga, films and anime. For this reason, samurai fights and duels in cinematography serve as the main foundation of European perceptions of Japanese culture.
Nowadays there is a noticeable tendency to popularize the art of blacksmithing in Japan. Experts support the opinion that the Japanese sword is recognized as the absolute pinnacle of blacksmithing art in the entire history of mankind. However, it does not stand up to metallographic, historical or archaeological criticism.
Composite Japanese blades are nothing exceptional or unusual - as early as the 5th century BC. archaeologists have discovered similar Celtic blades purposefully welded from different grades of steel. Middle Eastern, Asian and European blacksmiths had all the skills of forging, just like their Japanese counterparts. Knives, blades and swords of the same quality as the Japanese katana have been carried out since the time of the Roman Empire, when the development of local blacksmithing technologies was just beginning in Japan. The superiority of the Japanese sword has not been proven, it is just the result of Western popularization of the twentieth century.
Using the katana
In feudal Japan, the katana was used to execute prisoners and train in public. This was done in order to test the sword in action on human tissue and bones. The anatomy of this weapon starts with the blade and ends with it. The samurai katana fight lasted a matter of seconds, so different tactics and many techniques were used.
