What roles have swords in modern times?

golok

golok

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Oct 20, 2000
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Swords are a joy to behold if they are well designed, well made and beautiful in its final package. But apart from being objects of fascination, what is its place in society?

You can't carry a sword in public. You will be arrested before you can even remove it from its sheath.

Nobody really fights with a sword these days, except in the movies.

In the dojos, you practise with a wooden one. Yes, some countries still behead criminals but that's as far as swords go.

You may scare a burglar or two with a sword but if that guy comes into your house with a gun, that's another story.

Nowadays, swords are displayed in glass cases or hung in strategics portions of the house as conversational pieces.

If you are a swordsmen, you are apt to draw curious attention and elicit suspicious looks rather than ardent admiration.

Is the sword living out its last days as a choice weapon of the proud and ancient warrior?
 
Here in the Free State of Arizona you can legally carry a sword. People bring them to martial arts events and things like the SCA all the time. You'd probably get wierd looks if you carried one all the time though. A firearm is leagl to carry and more practical.

In the dojo I train at we used bokuto for training in the basics and slowly against a partner and shinai for full-contact training. We also use live blades for test cutting.

There was a case a couple of years ago where two punks with a rifle broke into the house of a 60 year old man IIRC. They tried to shoot him and the gun jammed and the guy pulled out his sword and cut one of them and they fled.

Some Filipino swords are practical outdoor tools that can be used as a weapon if needed.
 
My pops favorite tv show are the blind swordsman series, i made him a cane sword as close as possible to the one on TV. It is hidden inside a walking cane my pop uses when he takes his morning strolls. God bless him, and i taught him how to use it as well.

Swords have practical applications; can opener, bottle opener, door opener, change your car to convertable, adjust the satellite for better reception, slice sandwiches, slice sandwich meat, circumcision, bill collecting, telephone repair, hair styling, balancing your checkbook, etc. the tool with 1001 uses.
 
What roles have swords in modern times?
Click to expand...

For the most part the sword still retains its most important role. It is still a grand ceremonial device for power, rulership, and accomplishment. What better presentation device could you ask for? Even those least interested in the sword, its history, and its use, can appreciate the elegance, symbology, and romance of a well made sword.

As a purely melee weapon, the sword never dominated the battlefield. It was always of secondary importance to the spear, lance, polearm, and missle weapons; but, what other weapon could be used to kill, suppress, deliver justice, or elevate. Whether, by ancient nobility or present offices, it embodied leadership. With a mere wirl of his sword, a man could send his battalions into combat. Straight and true, sharp and balanced, fast and flexible, what fine character these swords have.

n2s
 
i like the swords

very beautiful, very strong

i think practice with swords make you strong, too

ZS
 
Swords? Nah, obsolete, no use these days, there are much better options available. Let's see...

Oh, here's my longest knife. No, I need a longer one for reach. What do I have? Right, my trusty Maasai lion hunter's spear. Nope, too long. Sticks? Yeah, sticks and batons for whacking and poking from a safe distance. But hey, I can't slice or chop with a stick. Let's attach a piece of sharpened metal... No, wait, that's a hatchet. Got one. There it is, perfect. Or actually, it's great for chopping, but how about stabbing and slicing? Hmmm... Kukri? Great chopper, can stab, but quite blade heavy. It could slice much better. What if the blade were longer, thinner, and straight, kinda like that machete over there. Still not quite perfect. I need a sharp point and a double edged blade, and a comfortable handle, maybe with a guard.

I got it! The perfect edged weapon! Looks like a knife but is longer! Now, what should I call it.....:confused: ;)

Having handled hatchets, axes, tomahawks, spears, clubs, sticks, batons, kukris, machetes, and knives, I definitely recognize the need for a sword. Not a two-handed bone crushing monstrosity but an agile, long-bladed implement with longer reach than a knife and more versatility than long polearms.

Actually a sword is on my shopping list, so I'll make a search first and ask questions later!
 
As a graduate of the five minute university, all I remember about the Book of Five Rings is when he comes out of his boat at a trot, armed only with a broken oar, and kills dead on the spot the duallist who was waiting for him.

Point being if it looks like a sword, you can't have it, if you use it like a sword, well as always, you better have sufficient cause.

Now, if I lived in the US, my favourite sword would be the Ontario Black Wind. It may not be much of a sword, but then Cabelas calls it a machete anyway. Might come in handy.
 
golok,

Silent "conflict resolution." Pair with Ontario/Bagwell Hell's Belle for balance. If "conflict resolution" requires something more expeditious, noisy, and far-reaching, firearms will suffice... Remember, your are the weapon, the tools are determined by you and your abilities... As I don't believe in "wall hangers," and I'm certainly NOT a "mall ninja," all my weapons are combat capable... I heartily recommend "The Modern Swordsman" by Fred Hutchinson, John Clements'"Renaissance Swordsmanship" and "Medieval Swordsmanship," as well as Colonel Dwight C. McLemore's "Bowie and Big-Knife Fighting System." These books, combined, provide a compelling argument for the use of the sword, paired with a fighting knife, as viable forms of self defense. Yes, yes, firearms are de rigueur today, but that does not remove the sword and knife from the pantheon of defensive weapons... Surprise is something that is hard to quantify, as is the ability to reuse, and not have to reload... Stealth and silence are a virtue as well... No, the day of the sword is not over, it's just waning... As long as there are those that seek to deprive us of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, there will be a need for the sword...

Regards and Respects,
Carter, oldpaladin, out...
 
Well...just a few minutes ago, closing in on the midnight hour by me, I went out to my shed behind my house to clean up some edges on some sheaths I was working on and there was a large opossum inside, I tried to scare it out, but it hissed and showed it's rather pointed teeth, it came for our kittens food, which I've chased it out on other nights, but tonight, amid the rain and the kittens distress I said enough is enough, grabbed a sword in my shed, just happened to have one I had started grinding a couple years ago, about a 24" blade, no handle and no real edge but down to the point where it would surely do some damage if weilded, ground as a wakizashi tipped sword, so I started hacking at this creature, it didn't really make a sound as I basically clubbed it with the sword, glad to have that reach! It was along the wall and I then was able to chase it out, chase I did, across the yard running after a zig zagging animal keeping my Surefire E2HA lined up on him. Catching up to him gave a mighty blow that spun him around, then tried to crack his head to end it quickly for him, as humane as you can kill such an animal, it took several attempts until it stopped moving and was sure it was dead. Back to the shed to get a shovel and then threw the carcass over a ravine that runs along my property line...I was thinking...what if it were a panther or a bear? both of which I've also had in my yard, the panther was probably a year ago and the bear only about a month ago, the bear was scared off quickly and literally fell down that ravine I was talking about, he was trying to eat out of our burning barrel and when I shined the light on him...trusty Surefire!...he backed up and I think I could almost see his eyes widen as he realized he was starting to fall down a very steep hill! I almost felt sorry for him! almost...The panther past in front of our house late at night, my wife was sitting in a chair taking in the evening air when she noticed the mail box across the street became blocked and then re-appeared, she ran to the house, I got my SureFire 9P this time and did a search and looked down to the end of my property about 200 feet away and the light showed a black panther broadside to me, I could see it's long tail and it's eyes glinted as the light played across him, he silently turned and melted into the woods, not a single sound was ever heard as he moved...now I don't own a gun, three daughters in the house and the wife totally against them plus I've never been fond of guns, just knives, so a sword for me could be a handy thing to have about! I think I'll finish that sucker up now and get it heat treated! A2 steel...should be nice.

Tired and going to bed!!!
G2
 
Well with the departure of my Criswell, I'd best either start a new one, as that one from the above post isn't in the best of grinding condition and work on a nice short sword for use about the property, something with say a 16 to 20" blade, leaning more towards the 16" right now, if I get the time...wedding coming up quickly, on vacation today and tomorrow to prepare! I'll post what the end results were of this future sword...
G2
 
First off, just to correct something, at my dojo in San Diego, all beginners practice with bokken (wooden swords). Then, the more advanced people move up to Iaito (unsharpened aluminium swords), with 1st-kyu and higher using shinken (live blades). A good deal of our regulars use shinken, so I don't think that saying everyone uses a wooden sword is a proper generalization, although it is necessary to start out with a basic wooden sword and move up from there.

Anyway, a sword is much more than a weapon. To a warrior, it represents his spirit, and it should never be taken out unless required.

In our day, sword training has no practical application. However, it is much deeper than that. Life and death training teaches you to respect your life and the life of others. Every time you execute a waza, one must picture cutting down their opponent, ending their life, and continuing your own. Our sensei likes to ask us, "What is the reason for doing so? Would it be for self-defense? Would it be to defend others? Would it be for the greater good? Why would you show your spirit?" This isn't something that anyone can answer for you, nor someone anyone needs to know. It is something you must find out for yourself, and one must understand the unpredictability of life.

Doing tamishigiri for the first time, I realized how easy it is to kill someone with a sword. Cutting through even a tough mat takes very little effort, and every cut I made was sufficient to kill someone had I cut their neck. So, I realized how terse life really is, and this leads to greater understanding of living properly. That is, achieving Hei Jo Shin and living without regrets.

I really can't summarize this very well in my own words. If you would like to experience the same thing, I would suggest you try out a sword-wielding martial art for yourself.
 
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