Needs to be reposted

[Xue Sheng]

But this in the Blog, but I will just post it here, because I think it needs to be

 

[geezer]

Xue- that is an excellent clip, well worth re-posting. It’s something worthy of some serious reflection. And it doesn’t have to be true if we really try to listen to each other, and discuss rather than argue!

BTW, didn’t you and I get into a silly argument like that some years back over whether da dao described a sword or a big knife? Or was that someone else? Anyway, just thought I'd confess, of course dao translates as knife wereas gim is a "sword". So you (if indeed it was you making the point) were right. On the other hand, in common English usage there really isn't much difference between a sword and a really big knife.

I thought it was interesting that the HEMA guys engage in the same debate regarding the messer - which is German for knife. Yet a messer was functionally a "sword" with some details in the construction of the handle that identified it as a knife. This was of importance because, I'm told, that legally a sword (such as a falchion) could not be carried by commoners, or some such rot. So by slightly altering the construction of the handle and calling the thing a knife, commoners could carry it. Whatever you called it, it did the same job.

Now look at the images below and see how similar the knives or swords shown are. So why did I get so personally involved in arguing over semantics? The video pretty well covers it. Sorry, Xue. And for the record, I know that dao means knife!

Da dao "Big knife":

Kriegmesser (War-knife):

Falchion (Single-edged sword):

 

[Xue Sheng]

Xue- that is an excellent clip, well worth re-posting. It’s something worthy of some serious reflection. And it doesn’t have to be true if we really try to listen to each other, and discuss rather than argue!

BTW, didn’t you and I get into a silly argument like that some years back over whether da dao described a sword or a big knife? Or was that someone else? Anyway, just thought I'd confess, of course dao translates as knife wereas gim is a "sword". So you (if indeed it was you making the point) were right. On the other hand, in common English usage there really isn't much difference between a sword and a really big knife.

I thought it was interesting that the HEMA guys engage in the same debate regarding the messer - which is German for knife. Yet a messer was functionally a "sword" with some details in the construction of the handle that identified it as a knife. This was of importance because, I'm told, that legally a sword could not be carried by commoners, or some such rot. So by slightly altering the construction and calling the thing a knife, commoners could carry it. Whatever you called it, it did the same job.

Now look at the images below and see how similar the knives or swords shown are. So why did I get so personally involved in arguing over semantics? The video pretty well covers it. Sorry, Xue. And for the record, I know that dao means knife!

Da dao "Big knife":

Kriegmesser (War-knife):

Falchion (Single-edged sword):

I have no idea, I'm old and forgetful and don't remember....no worries

 

[dvcochran]

Excellent post and 100% on point. Thank you for posting.

And to keep the controversy going:
Report: U.S. kept secret chemical weapons finds in Iraq - CNN