Daisho (Weapons set.)

[Weiss Draconis]

The Daisho was the symbol of pride and honor for the Japanese Samurai, and usually consisted of a Katana, for duels and practice, and a Wakizashi for combat, though there were other options by adding a Tanto or exchanging the Wakizashi for the Shoto.

With the usual combination of Katana and Wakizashi, the Katana was used mainly for man-to-man combat, hence why I said above it was used for practice and duels, while the Wakizashi was used for more routine tasks as a main-gauche, or close-combat weapon. The smaller armament, usually a Wakizashi, was used also for decapitation of a defeated foe after duels. The reason behind this was to minimize damage to the katana, and the wakizashi was easier to lop heads off with single-handed.

Another use for the Wakizashi was in seppuku, a form of ritual suicide. It is a common oversight of many people, myself until recently included, to believe that the wakizashi was the only weapon used for seppuku, when in truth this duty was also assigned to the Tanto.

In addition to a set of Daisho meaning status, as only samurai were allowed to wear them as a sign of rank, a few schools of teaching have developed that train their students to wield both swords from a Daisho simultaneously. Out of these schools, the most famous is the Niten Ryu, or Two Heavens School, founded by Miyamoto Musashi, regarded by many as the Greatest Swordsman who ever lived. Musashi is also the author of the Go Rin No Sho (Book of 5 Rings). The teachings of the Niten Ryu are still employed today as a part of kendo, being a variant style of combat.

Even though fighting with both weapons of a Daisho seems smart and appears to be highly effective, it should be pointed out that the use of only one hand for each blade reduces the speed available, and thus greater strength and technique are required in order for the swordsman using this style to compensate. As a result of this mandatory switch, the teachings of the Niten Ryu remain now, as in Musashi's time and the years between, an uncommon style of combat.

The Daisho was not normally worn in the form of Katana and Wakizashi on the battlefield, if worn at all. Generally, the katana remained a part of the samurai's weapons on the battlefield, but the wakizashi was opted out for the shorter and more practical tanto. This usually occured when the samurai wore armor, and the use of either or both blades of a daisho was a matter of the taste and training of the individual owning it.

That covers the Daisho. I'll create some more threads for the Katana and the Wakizashi, along with teh Tanto and other weapons of Japan soon.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

uum... ...where di you get this information, it's so wrong it hurts.

The Daisho was the symbol of pride and honor for the Japanese Samurai, and usually consisted of a Katana, for duels and practice, and a Wakizashi for combat, though there were other options by adding a Tanto or exchanging the Wakizashi for the Shoto.

not quite, all that daisho means is "large small". any two weapons that were of different sizes could be called a daisho. most of the time however they were asyou said katana and wakizashi

With the usual combination of Katana and Wakizashi, the Katana was used mainly for man-to-man combat, hence why I said above it was used for practice and duels, while the Wakizashi was used for more routine tasks as a main-gauche, or close-combat weapon. The smaller armament, usually a Wakizashi, was used also for decapitation of a defeated foe after duels. The reason behind this was to minimize damage to the katana, and the wakizashi was easier to lop heads off with single-handed.

Another use for the Wakizashi was in seppuku, a form of ritual suicide. It is a common oversight of many people, myself until recently included, to believe that the wakizashi was the only weapon used for seppuku, when in truth this duty was also assigned to the Tanto.

NO. the wakizashi was 3-4 shaku, much too long to perform seppuku. the wakizashi was used as a side-arm, for parrying and such. but it was also used when one needed a hand free for something.

In addition to a set of Daisho meaning status, as only samurai were allowed to wear them as a sign of rank, a few schools of teaching have developed that train their students to wield both swords from a Daisho simultaneously. Out of these schools, the most famous is the Niten Ryu, or Two Heavens School, founded by Miyamoto Musashi, regarded by many as the Greatest Swordsman who ever lived. Musashi is also the author of the Go Rin No Sho (Book of 5 Rings). The teachings of the Niten Ryu are still employed today as a part of kendo, being a variant style of combat.

WRONG WRONG, UBER-WRONG! the daisho were worn by anyone who could afford one. something many do not know is that class veryy few times determined what kind of weapons you could or would own in medieval japan. many commoners owned a full set of blades. class in medieval japan was only what occupation you had, but anyone who could afford to be was armed.

and, Musashi did not make niten-ryu. he made niTO-ryu. "to" being blade,and "ni" two

The Daisho was not normally worn in the form of Katana and Wakizashi on the battlefield, if worn at all. Generally, the katana remained a part of the samurai's weapons on the battlefield, but the wakizashi was opted out for the shorter and more practical tanto. This usually occured when the samurai wore armor, and the use of either or both blades of a daisho was a matter of the taste and training of the individual owning it.

completely incorrect. every warrior of the buke class carried a daisho on them. the ashigaru few times did, but everyone else did. the set they had on them usually consisted of a katana andwakizashi thrust through the obi on the left side of the body, and a tanto thrust through the obi near the small of the back. the katana would have been pulled first, wakizashi if needed,and the tanto would have been saved for particular circumstances. this set is mostly known forit's use during theInvasion of the portuguese. where the katana would have held the opponent's shield steady,and the tanto be thrust over the shield and into the back of the opponent.

[Weiss Draconis]

As for this information, I went off what little I had. It looks like using the term Daisho when I should have described the individual weapons was a poor idea.

Also, in regard to the Nito Ryu, it is also known as the Niten Ryu. If I had to guess, I would say that the Niten Ryu is the name of the school, and that Nito Ryu would be the name of the art, to be more specific, but that's a guess.

In regard to the status thing, I would like to point out that the emphasis of the sentence was that samurai were the only ones allowed to wear them AS A SIGN OF THEIR RANK. This did not imply that samurai were the only owners or wearers of a daisho.

As for this information, I believe, now that I've read through it, is poorly copied, though when reading it last night it sounded rather sound. I again put this down to an at present limited understanding of the cultural and political times of the samurai.

In regard to the Wakizashi being used for seppuku, I stated that many INCORRECTLY believed it was used solely. A poor choice of words there, I suppose. In any case, the length of a blade does not necessarily make it impossible to commit suicide with. For an example, I would suggest you read the Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts novel Daughter of the Empire, which has in one case a man committing ritual suicide by running with a sword and flinging himself, sword held towards his stomach, towards the ground so that it impaled him.

As for the information, again it looks like Wikipedia cannot have everything within it taken at face value.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

hmm, the only problem with that type of suicide is it is not seppuku. the seppuku way is very specifically stated and described by bushido, and many carried a tanto made specifically for it's purpose.

[Weiss Draconis]

I guess it isn't seppuku, but yet another Western ideal of uniting act with word and using that word as a standard. The idea probably came forth from the fact that to most Westerners, the swords only differ in length.

Maybe the Wakizashi was used for a different form of ritual suicide, and the person who placed that in the Wikipedia article got their facts mixed up. It's happened before.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

or the person who wrote is just an idiot. like the people who think that, when drawn, a japanese person would always draw blood upon their blade before sheathing their blade again.

[Weiss Draconis]

I knew that story was a myth. After all, it's the same as the myth that a bullet has your name on it, or that a bullet always tells the truth. No proof, historical or otherwise, of any of these three myths being true.

Although, with the myth that once drawn, a Japanese sword must taste blood is more to do with the character of the wielder than with the sword itself.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

well, it's not even that, it's clearly illogical. think of Iaido (the art of drawing the blade from it's protection) an iaido-riyousha would be drawing and sheathing his blade about 100 times per hour.

(hey vegeta, what does the scouter say about how many times an iaido-riyousha draws his blade an hour?
IT'S OVER 9000!!!!!!!!!!)

[Weiss Draconis]

I see. The art of the fast-draw, though incorporates the initial strike into the very drawing of the blade. Maybe that's where this illogical myth originated from, as the speed may have caught a foe off-guard for long enough to deliver that fatal or incapacitating strike.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

in iaido they do not train the fast-draw, merely the action of drawing a blade EFFICIENTLY. they were trained to get it out of the scabbard using as little energy as possible. and the main point of the class was to test one's endurance.

[Weiss Draconis]

I see. Looks like you need a fluent knowledge of the language to accurately describe the terminology.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

fluent, no. just a goos understand of basic terms.

i am not fluent, only semi-fluent.

[Weiss Draconis]

Let me correct that with at least a knowledge of the language.

[Hikaru Uematsu]

yeah, and to all of you, if you know anyone who enjoys this sort of thing, please invite them. the more threads we have the more our member population will grow.