Poll: Slicing a guy in half with a katana in one blow, possible?

Would a Katana cut you in one blow - head to groin?

  • No chance in hell.

    Votes: 268 56.3%

  • Yes, like a hot knife through butter.

    Votes: 208 43.7%
  • Total voters
    476
My moneys worth, I have seen a locked down machine gun fire a full round at a samurai sword..

The sword cut clean through 6 or so bullets before it broke. Was amazing to watch to be honest.
 
I'm of the opinion the blades are sharp and strong enough to do it, but that any human would have a tough time applying enough force so wouldn't manage it.
 
Psypher5 said:
My moneys worth, I have seen a locked down machine gun fire a full round at a samurai sword..

The sword cut clean through 6 or so bullets before it broke. Was amazing to watch to be honest.
Click to expand...
*groan*
I can't believe this is still going on! That video was linked to above, and I pointed out that YES, there is NOTHING amazing about a sword made of STEEL cutting through a bullet made of LEAD - a very soft metal! Yet nevertheless my other observation that the katana blade is far too thin at the cutting edge (hence its sharpness) to withstand that kind of stress for long was borne out by the fact that it broke!
If razor-thin blades were practical for slicing through bone then butchers' knives wouldn't be thick like axes!
 
manveruppd said:
*groan*
I can't believe this is still going on! That video was linked to above, and I pointed out that YES, there is NOTHING amazing about a sword made of STEEL cutting through a bullet made of LEAD - a very soft metal! Yet nevertheless my other observation that the katana blade is far too thin at the cutting edge (hence its sharpness) to withstand that kind of stress for long was borne out by the fact that it broke!
If razor-thin blades were practical for slicing through bone then butchers' knives wouldn't be thick like axes!
Click to expand...


I ONLY thought it was a COOL video. Calm DOWN :/
 
I wasn't as angry as that sounded, just annoyed:p And yeah it did look cool, even though when you think about what was going on it wasn't that amazing: consider, a kevlar helmet can deflect a bullet, and kevlar's just a kind of plastic basically - so what's so impressive about a tempered steel blade cutting through a piece of soft lead?
 
Well, a swordsman would never cut from head to toe, ever.

Executions (or assisting sepuku/hari kiri) were off with the head.

In combat most sword cuts are either vertical in nature - to cut either below the arms or below the rib cage... not cut, i.e. not neccesarily slicing into 2 human pieces.

The other main set of cuts follow the shape of a Keikogi lapel (Eri), i.e. in a circular manor from below one shoulder to the other hip. I believe this would result in either a cut or a slice. Other types of attacks are thrusts and turns.

It is important to remember that the very first draw of the sword should be effective enough to stop, i.e. kill your opponent. Nukitsuke (Nukiuchi) is literally drawing you sword but you draw in such a way as to cut your opponent - usually at the throat. If the guy is smart or you're not, you progress to Kirioroshi (Kiritsuke) which is the killing blow. Then there is Chiburi (Chiburui) which is quite literally shaking the enemy's blood off the sword before Noto - resheathing the sword after its work has been done without looking at the scabbard.

Back on track, I think it is possible, you can generate a lot of power with practice and ki rather than strenght, and can even equate gravity by dropping to your knees as you make the final blow.
 
Nice thread resurrection :p

Anyway, that's entirely beside the point, the question is could a katana cut in someone in half, not should a katana be used like that ;)
 
Inquisitor said:
Nice thread resurrection :p

Anyway, that's entirely beside the point, the question is could a katana cut in someone in half, not should a katana be used like that ;)
Click to expand...
totaly, feb to may what a rise from the dead!
must have been on the last page
 
Hah this thread is still here? I saw some program about sword making the other night and instantly thought of this thread.

The master ninja sword maker type dude reckons cutting through the bamboo they use to test the sword is equivalent of chopping through two people.
 
I used to do Shinkendo, the art of the Japanese Sword. Quite a funky little hobby. But, Sensai East the chap thats the best in Europe did lectures etc twice a year and one time he explained that a carefully created Katana with 80,000 folds could easily cut through a human.
 
cyKey said:
So we're having this debate on IRC (#overclockers-uk on quakenet) and DRZ says its not possible to cut a guy in half in one sweep with a mint condition Katana and the others say it is. So, is it? Are Samurai swords *that* sharp that they could do it in one go?
Click to expand...

You can, I did it with Rikimaru on Tenchu
 
wyrdo said:
Hah this thread is still here? I saw some program about sword making the other night and instantly thought of this thread.

The master ninja sword maker type dude reckons cutting through the bamboo they use to test the sword is equivalent of chopping through two people.
Click to expand...

I saw that!

Something about around the world in 80 days or something

They're curved and weighted so all the force is put straight into the point of contact which is why they cut so well.. They took a massive and thick bit of bamboo and cut straight through it.. no chips or anything, looked like it had been sanded.

I say Yes :)

They're designed to cut through thigh bones etc with ease and the technique used gives immense amounts of pressure on a razor sharp edge.

EDIT: Around the days in 80 treasures! The guy visited a Japanese or chinese person who still made them the traditional way over a period of months.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom