The famed samurai sword (nihonto) represents the pinnacle of bladed weaponry in the Japanese warrior's arsenal. This book addresses the sword's intrinsic historic, monetary, military, and artistic values.The seven chapters for this particular anthology were selected from materials published in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Tharp's chapter details aspects of the nihonto that make it unique in the world as a valued objet d'art, protected by law codes specifically written to preserve these cultural relics even when made by contemporary master smiths.DiCristofano writes on sword sketchings, which allow the human eye to view details of the sword blade often unnoticed because of the subtlety inherent in the work. Hoshino's chapter presents a overview of various blade types. His focus on blades leads to the next chapter by Richard Babin on how to make a scabbard. "Test cutting" provides proof of the practicalily of the sword and swordsman's technique. Peter Ward utilized an ancient diagram of main targets for body cuts and modern technology to actually view the inner structures of the blade's path along these targets. Peritz's chapter presents the Ainu, an indigenous group in Japan. They incorporated blades made by Japanese smiths according to their own taste. Goedkoop's chapter deals with another medium, as the master craftsman creates wooden replicas of Japanese swords. As you read other books and articles about Japanese swords, or practice kendo or iaido, or see highly polished blades in a museum, the chapters here will enhance your knowledge and appreciation of nihonto and their intrinsic value.
About the Author: - Richard W. Babin, B.S., M.D., is a practicing surgeon who served two years' active duty in the USAF as chief of head and neck surgery at Maxwell Field during the Vietnam conflict. His interest in the martial arts began with several years of judo in the 1960s in San Francisco. Upon entering private practice he began studying Yang-style taiji. He has practiced Muso Shinden Ryu iaido for many years and has been awarded the rank of third dan by the All US Kendo Federation. - Anthony DiCristofano studied Japanese language and kendo before heading off to Japan in 1993. He returned to Japan in 2005 in order to observe and learn traditional Japanese foundation forging and to study and understand the process of making traditional Japanese steel (tamahagane). Among his noted teachers are Leon Kapp, and Master Smith Yoshindo Yoshihara. - James Goedkoop, B.A., runs Kingfisher WoodWorks LLC in Vermont, manufacturing wooden weapons specific to the Japanese sword-related martial arts. The chapter in this e-book documents an evolution into the redevelopment of archaic techniques in weapons production. Goedkoop's mastery of woodworking is married to the subtle sensitivities of Japanese aesthetics and budo. - Harunaka Hoshino trained in karate, kenjutsu, and ninjutsu in Tokyo, Japan. His martial arts background is balanced with studies in Japanese culture, history, and language. Mr. Hoshino serves as the president of the Japanese Sword Society and Japanese Sword Restoration Center. - Curt Peritz spent decades researching the Ainu, an indigenous people of Japan. Because of the Ainus' particular flair for woodcarving and adapting Japanese sword blades to fit their own style of sword dressing, he conducted research in Japan as well as a number of museums. - Andrew Tharp, J.D., earned juris doctorate degree from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2012. In addition, he holds a B.S. in business and a certificate in martial arts from Indiana University. He served as the senior fencing instructor for Indiana University from 2007 until 2012. - Peter J. Ward, M.S., Ph.D., has studied a variety of Japanese martial arts. He received his degree in human anatomy from Perdue University. Dr. Ward taught Human Gross Anatomy for Medial Students at Indiana University School of Medicine and is now an associate professor of anatomy at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.