Rip Rock
2004-04-23 00:00:02 UTC
I enjoy dabbling in Japanese area studies. I am always impressed by the
technical accomplishments of the Japanese nation. I am also impressed
by the imaginativeness of Japanese fiction, so when I hear of legendary
swordsmanship techniques, I am torn. On the one hand, the Japanese
nation has produced many geniuses, and their sword skills were greater
than anything that modern re-enactors could hope to imitate without
a lifetime of intense dedication. On the other hand, I don't want to
mistake fiction for history.
With that in mind, I am looking for authoritative texts that can prove
or disprove the historical existence of a technique called "shinken
shiraha-dori."
Allow me to quote a Usenet message:
<quote>
From: ***@maya.com (Kenichiro Tanaka)
Message-Id: <tanaka-***@macfx.maya.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 20:39:58 GMT
trick is to catch the sides of the blade with your palms so that you're
not actually making contact with the edge. Obviously, it's insanely
difficult, and borders on urban legend, but I'm sure it has actually been
used (successfully, even) in actualy combat at least a couple of times in
history. ^_^ You'll see people in Japanese comics and videogames doing it
all the time. ^_^
I've edited the distribution, incidentally, because this isn't relevant to
some of those groups.
----------------
Kenichiro Tanaka
***@maya.com
----------------
</quote>
Anyone can claim, "Shinken shiraha-dori is too far-fetched -- too
fantastic -- it must be sheer fiction." I disagree. The ingenuity of
the Japanese has impressed me too many times. I am looking for an
authoritative history which can document the facts about the
technique.
Thank you.
technical accomplishments of the Japanese nation. I am also impressed
by the imaginativeness of Japanese fiction, so when I hear of legendary
swordsmanship techniques, I am torn. On the one hand, the Japanese
nation has produced many geniuses, and their sword skills were greater
than anything that modern re-enactors could hope to imitate without
a lifetime of intense dedication. On the other hand, I don't want to
mistake fiction for history.
With that in mind, I am looking for authoritative texts that can prove
or disprove the historical existence of a technique called "shinken
shiraha-dori."
Allow me to quote a Usenet message:
<quote>
From: ***@maya.com (Kenichiro Tanaka)
Message-Id: <tanaka-***@macfx.maya.com>
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 1995 20:39:58 GMT
Just a quick question. A couple of months ago I saw this move on the
Video Game Samuari Showdown where the guy who lost his sword grabbed the
blade of his opponents sword and tossed him over his shoulder. At the
time I thought nothing of it, just thought it was some cheesy move they
put in the game. But a few days later, in the episode where Duncan was
in Japan and the Samuari thought he was dead in the water, I saw Duncan
do the exact same move, and then, last night, the guy on Kung Fu: The
Legend Continues, done it also. I was wondering how this move is
possible, cause it looks like it would cut the thumbs off.
The technique is called the "shinken shiraha-dori" in Japanese and theVideo Game Samuari Showdown where the guy who lost his sword grabbed the
blade of his opponents sword and tossed him over his shoulder. At the
time I thought nothing of it, just thought it was some cheesy move they
put in the game. But a few days later, in the episode where Duncan was
in Japan and the Samuari thought he was dead in the water, I saw Duncan
do the exact same move, and then, last night, the guy on Kung Fu: The
Legend Continues, done it also. I was wondering how this move is
possible, cause it looks like it would cut the thumbs off.
trick is to catch the sides of the blade with your palms so that you're
not actually making contact with the edge. Obviously, it's insanely
difficult, and borders on urban legend, but I'm sure it has actually been
used (successfully, even) in actualy combat at least a couple of times in
history. ^_^ You'll see people in Japanese comics and videogames doing it
all the time. ^_^
I've edited the distribution, incidentally, because this isn't relevant to
some of those groups.
----------------
Kenichiro Tanaka
***@maya.com
----------------
</quote>
Anyone can claim, "Shinken shiraha-dori is too far-fetched -- too
fantastic -- it must be sheer fiction." I disagree. The ingenuity of
the Japanese has impressed me too many times. I am looking for an
authoritative history which can document the facts about the
technique.
Thank you.