The right way to use a Katana Samurai Sword

A katana refers to a Japanese sword that has a long curved blade. This blade can easily cut through a wide range of materials. It may seem simple to handle a Katana, but striking and cutting with any weapon usually takes time and practice. You need to stand in front of your opponent and swing the sword toward the target so that the cutting edge contacts it. 

Also, you can utilize a katana sword to block incoming attacks when you are sparring. Once you finish, you need to place the sword back into the scabbard so that you don’t hurt anyone or damage it. This page explains the right way to use a katana samurai sword.

The position of your hands

You need to put your hands at the bottom and top of the handle. You can choose to hold the sword in front of you so that it’s perpendicular to the ground. Remember to keep your dominant hand at least 1 inch from the handle’s top, and wrap the fingers and thumb so that they face the opposite side of the handle.

Put your non-dominant hand at the handle’s bottom before you wrap your thumb and fingers around it. You should also ensure that your hands’ backs face out away from the katana on their respective sides. Then have a firm grip so that the sword doesn’t slip, though loose enough to make sure you can easily swing it.   

How you should stand

You can stand in front of your opponent so that you can reach the target with the end of the sword. Some traditional targets you can use to practice with this sword include rolled tatami mats or bamboo. You can stand and your feet should be shoulder-width apart and point at the target. 

Then you can extend your arm fully with the sword and take a couple of steps so that the katana extends between 4 and 5 inches past the front of the opponent. It’s worth noting that you can use a variety of targets. These include filled plastic bottles and pieces of paper. Alternatively, you can practice using a katana without a target, especially if you want to master the art. But always make sure that there is nothing on the target that can damage the sword

Holding the sword

You need to hold the katana above your head so that it’s almost parallel to the ground. Also, your elbows should be slightly bent while raising the sword over your head. Your feet should remain firmly placed on the ground while your body points toward the target. Once you have the sword almost horizontal, you should halt backswing and keep it in place.

When it comes to cutting using a katana, you can choose to cut down a target at an angle, especially if you intend to hit the target from the side. In this case, you can point the tip of the sword near to the side of the area you want to begin your cut. By doing this, the cutting edge of the sword will usually point up and it will be over your head.