07-27-2006, 03:42 PM
Salve
Oriental martial arts and arms and armour have held our attention for nearly 150 years. Ever since Commodore Perry's violent 'opening' of Japan, we have been fascinated by a culture that we have emulated in ignorance of our own. Western martial arts were just as sophisticated and varied as anything in the East, as were the weapons and armour. The myth that the katana was intrinsically superior to anything else before or since came about simply because in the West, the much greater use and advances in firearms had made the 'old' martial arts irrelevant, allowing them to evolve into a largely sporting form with only limited practical use.
I have been in the extremely privileged position to handle and examine arms and armour from a whole range of cultures, including a complete and unique garnature made by Samonji, and western swords ranging from Luristan to a priceless rapier from the Rothschild collection by Diego de Caias. Despite the fact that most of the Western swords are not as well cared for as those from Japan, it is pretty obvious that the quality is every bit as fine as anything in the East. The simple fact is that in a highly competitive and war-like culture, the technological development of the weapons will sooner or later hit the same ceiling; the limitations of pre-Bessemer steel forcing the development of pattern-welding to get the most out of impure iron.
The best book on Western martial arts at the moment is still Sydney Anglo's 'Martial Arts of the Renaissance Europe', which while it does not cover the techniques in any great detail, does give a superb overview of the culture of fighting in Europe at a time before the gun changed the nature of warfare beyond all recognition. Alan Williams of Reading university has been in the unique position of being able to examine a wide range of swords from around the world and to publish on their metallurgy to such an extent that he is a sought after authority by the Japanese sword-smith's guild themselves. Anything written by him is thoroughly recommended.
Please, I am not in any way trying to denigrate Japanese sword-making, but rather to undo the ignorance that has surrounded the western traditions for hundreds of years. We are only just beginning to scratch the surface of the manufacturing techniques used by the old master cutlers and armourers in the West. The more that I learn, the more amazed I am by the levels of skill and ingenuity that went into making the tools used for such a horrific purpose.
Vale,
Celer.
Oriental martial arts and arms and armour have held our attention for nearly 150 years. Ever since Commodore Perry's violent 'opening' of Japan, we have been fascinated by a culture that we have emulated in ignorance of our own. Western martial arts were just as sophisticated and varied as anything in the East, as were the weapons and armour. The myth that the katana was intrinsically superior to anything else before or since came about simply because in the West, the much greater use and advances in firearms had made the 'old' martial arts irrelevant, allowing them to evolve into a largely sporting form with only limited practical use.
I have been in the extremely privileged position to handle and examine arms and armour from a whole range of cultures, including a complete and unique garnature made by Samonji, and western swords ranging from Luristan to a priceless rapier from the Rothschild collection by Diego de Caias. Despite the fact that most of the Western swords are not as well cared for as those from Japan, it is pretty obvious that the quality is every bit as fine as anything in the East. The simple fact is that in a highly competitive and war-like culture, the technological development of the weapons will sooner or later hit the same ceiling; the limitations of pre-Bessemer steel forcing the development of pattern-welding to get the most out of impure iron.
The best book on Western martial arts at the moment is still Sydney Anglo's 'Martial Arts of the Renaissance Europe', which while it does not cover the techniques in any great detail, does give a superb overview of the culture of fighting in Europe at a time before the gun changed the nature of warfare beyond all recognition. Alan Williams of Reading university has been in the unique position of being able to examine a wide range of swords from around the world and to publish on their metallurgy to such an extent that he is a sought after authority by the Japanese sword-smith's guild themselves. Anything written by him is thoroughly recommended.
Please, I am not in any way trying to denigrate Japanese sword-making, but rather to undo the ignorance that has surrounded the western traditions for hundreds of years. We are only just beginning to scratch the surface of the manufacturing techniques used by the old master cutlers and armourers in the West. The more that I learn, the more amazed I am by the levels of skill and ingenuity that went into making the tools used for such a horrific purpose.
Vale,
Celer.
Marcus Antonius Celer/Julian Dendy.
