How do you think of your sword?

[otako]

How do you think of your sword? Is it a tool? A new part of you? Does it complete you or is it just something to have fun with? Did you name it? If so what is it's name, in English?

By the way, my sword is like my arm to me. I would not live without one. My katana's name in English is "The Young Noble."

 

[Ken Morgan]

My iaito and my shinken are both just swords.

I care for them, I clean them, I oil them and I do not mishandle them, but they are still just swords. I treat my wooden weapons with the same respect. All of these weapons can hurt me and those around me, so I am always well aware of where they are and what they are doing.

In iaido and jodo practice, at a certain point in the practice I can feel my body and mind relax, and begin to flow together through the kata, but you can never negate the fact that you’re waving around a three foot razor blade.

 

[Tensei85]

I cut Sushi with them, just kidding!

I think they are a valuable asset for practice, well maintained as Mr. Morgan said is definitely a must.

It helps strengthen the body, gives you a new awareness as far as weaponry(with proper training, qualified Instructor), & its a lot of fun!

Ah, & my swords name is Mr. Big ; )

 

[Sukerkin]

In practical terms, I nod in assent to what Mr. Morgan said above.

In personal terms, I think I said in not-so-many words, when this subject last came up, that I find it unfathomable why people want to 'name' their swords. It just does not fit the historical context in which they exist.

Swords earned a name in times gone by (long gone by) for the deeds done by the warriors that wielded them. Because warfare has moved on quite a bit since those far away centuries, the chance of a hereditory sword fulfilling any 'noble destiny' in battle, worthy of taking a name, are vanishingly remote.

I suppose if you (generic "you") want to name it, then it does no harm other than to others opinions of you; as with most 'pet names', it's probably best to keep it to yourself.

 

[Chris Parker]

Well, my various collection is only given names to differentiate them, but it is more a description than anything else. For example, my Kojiro Sasaki suburito is refered to as Kojiro, my sunuke bokken are refered to as the sunuke, my Kukishin bokken are refered to as Kuki, my Togakure Ryu bokken and Mogito are refered to as the Togakure (bokken or mogito), and so on.

How I view them is defined by what the circumstances are. If I am just thinking of them in the abstract (not using them at the time), then they are tools, used to cut away habits and aspects of my behaviours to reach the core essence of myself (how I view training in general, a sword just makes the "cut away" metaphor work better...). When actually holding and using the weapons, I tend to not think of the weapon itself. I simply strive to achieve success in the circumstances, and that involves the sword, whether it is the perfect exectution of a kata, solo or paired, or a more free-responce training where the concepts are far closer to combat, and success is defined by survival. The sword is simply the means I use. I have many others, so it isn't my highest or only option. Personally, I love spear. Now that's fun.

 

[Bruno@MT]

In personal terms, I think I said in not-so-many words, when this subject last came up, that I find it unfathomable why people want to 'name' their swords. It just does not fit the historical context in which they exist.

So far I name the blades I make. Granted, they're 'only' straight razors but I sculpt each one by hand.

When I start out with a blank, it's like painting on a white canvas. You have to have some idea of what you want to make. A razor consists of identifiable parts, each of which can be shaped in a multitude of ways. I suppose for a sword it can be like that as well.

When I decide what a blade should look like, I try to imagine what could be 'hidden' in the blank / raw material and I choose a name. That name can be a verb or a noun or something else, but it is a guiding principle that brings coherence to the entire design, making it a natural feeling thing, rather than a collection of picked properties. As such, I don't make to customer order. I make what I make and people can buy it as is or not at all.

Anyway, I name the blade because I am the one making it and it helps me. What someone else calls it (if anything at all) is up to them. So far with the couple of blades I sold, the owners liked what I chose. Would I name a blade I did not make myself? Most likely not, though if the maker gave it one I would keep it.

 

[Bruno@MT]

As to the question of how I treat blades...

If I would have a genuine shinken, I would use it for tameshigiri, and not hang it on a wall. Good tools deserve to be used and not to be hung from a wall as a mere decoration. The master smith did not go through all that trouble making a near perfect blade, just so that it would hang on a wall. He made it so that it would be perfect for its purpose.

Yes I know I'm a bit funny this way

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Like Ken and Sukerkin I do not name my swords. Simply put I have too many of them.

However, I have no issue with someone naming there sword if they choose too. Different strokes for different folks.

I see any tool/weapon as a utilitarian object to be used effectively for what it was designed for. My glock has no more special meaning to me than a sword, knife, stick, etc. Simply a tool for a certain type of job. Sukerkin made a point that is pretty succinct in that with a sword the time for naming it do to its deeds is in our time pretty irrelevant. Though, I can understand someone doing so because of their interest or attachment. I just do not get to attached to any tool because I use them and they probably will wear out at some point. Just my O2!

 

[pgsmith]

I've only ever had a name for one sword, and that sort of evolved from outside. The first dojo cutter that I got was a very large and well-nigh indestructible blade made in the Phillipines. Everyone eventually referred to it as "tank". I've still got the blade hanging around somewhere, but it needs a new tsuka, and a good sharpening. I've never had a name for any of the other swords I've owned.

 

[Teufel Hunden]

I actually have a somewhat deep connection with my swords.

When I came home from Iraq in 2006, I was extremely high strung, and not at all the same person I was before. The transition back to civilian life was taking a lot longer than I thought it should, and was sometimes very difficult. This was in stark contrast to my first deployment in 2003, where I had almost no negative changes to my personality.

Though I had practiced sword arts before I deployed, and even before i joined the Marines at all, they were just another part of training to me... no more special than anything else. After that last deployment though, I couldn't get enough of the "aged" weaponry. I've started taking private Iaido lessons from a friend of mine, and practicing this art and archery are truly the only two things that put my mind completely at ease.

I can practice for hours and hours and not even realize how much time has passed. I've even had to set my phone alarm so I don't lose track of too much time.

But, having said all that, I've never named any of my swords, even though I view them as an extension of myself. I might change my mind if a name really stuck out to me and was perfect for a sword, however.

 

[Vulcan]

No names for the blades and guns.


But if a gun is an extension of my arm, then the sword is an extension of my soul.

I like to keep them all locked up when not being used. Last thing I want is an intruder holding one of my own blades to my throat. The irony would kill me.

 

[Daniel Sullivan]

When I am practicing, my sword, bokuto, and shinai are an extension of myself, ideally at least. Otherwise, they are instruments of the art that I practice.

As for naming them, I did give my shinken a name. Chalk it up to having watched too many fantasy movies and anime. It is in my own personal peculiarities, I suppose; my car has a name as well. I have no expectations of its destiny other than that it is destined to be maintained and used as I continue to discover the depths of my art.

Daniel