Comments by "Seven Proxies" (@sevenproxies4255) on "Katana VS Bokken/Bokuto" video.

  1. I could think of yet another reason why someone would prefer a bokuto over a katana. Namely: ease of use. Cutting with a sword isn't just a matter of hitting your opponent with the edge. It will cause a cut, yes. But to make the really lethal cuts (like decapitation, bisection or dismemberment) there is a significant amount of technique involved. Basically you have to both accelerate the blade towards your target, but also pull on the handle in the same motion so that once the blade bites into your target, you'll also have the blade running it's length, with force, along the striking area. Doing this is trickier than it may first seem. Even more so during the frantic and hectic conditions of mortal combat. No amount of training mock situations and sparring will truly prepare you for the encounter with a life or death situation and the effects it has on you mentally and physically, and what might seem like second nature to you during calmer conditions might become instantly forgotten when you're faced the the prospect of dying. A bokuto, on the other hand, isn't a cutting weapon. It's a blunt weapon. So, even with the stress of a duel to the death, you won't have to worry as much about cutting techniques as long as you manage to bash your foes skull in with the heavy wooden stick you've got in your hand. You only need to worry about hitting him, and avoid getting hit yourself. Which would be a significant stress relief and burden loosened from your mind, that might just give you the edge to win. Of course, Miyamoto Musashi is known for being an expert swordsman, and his expertise and muscle memory performing correct cuts would be second nature to him, so his use of the Bokuto was most likely the psychological aspect and getting his opponents to underestimate him. But I think that even Miyamoto Musashi himself would've agreed that the best weapon is the one that's the easiest to use on a reflexive and instinctual level. And this is a trend that seems to have held true even into modern times (which is why the Ak-47 automatic rifle and it's later iterations have proven to be so successful in warfare, since you can train an uneducated farmer to use it properly and lethally in under five minutes of training)
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