I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Oh great internets, is there nothing you can't solve?

So, I'm in the middle of chapter 22 when I need to know what the name for the Japanese short sword is. You know, the one that matches to the Do/Katana to make the daisho. You know, it begins with a "W" has a "Z" and "K" in it. The model for the swords the kamikazi flew with. You know what I'm talking about, right? What's its name?

And then the internet intervened. Behold the Sword Arts Wiki.

The angels sang (well, okay, not really, but it I had a bit of a giggle). Wakizashi. That's it.

Unfortunately the Wiki is only for Japanese Sword arts. You know, not like there isn't a whole world full of sword and sword like items they could encompass.

Which then there's the rant of all the people in the medieval fairs wearing swords, you know, just like they would have been killed for in the actual period they're re-enacting (unless they were nobles or men at arms). And then not even all them had swords. And the ones who didn't were also pretty damn scary. You know, like the Franks and their thrown axes/hatchets that they would skip across the ground in attack. Yeah, how crazy is that. "Oh, look, they can't throw very (THWONK!)."

Oh, hey, what's the name of that martial art of drawing the sword from a sitting position, slicing the opponent, and then resheathing in one move? Starts with an "I" has an "jutsu" in it? Iaijutsu. That's it. Iaido is the non-lethal version.

4 comments:

Random Michelle K said...

I know that at one point I came across a website dedicated to swords.

It had something to do with the weight of swords that were used versus the modern perception, but they guy(s) probably had resources for all different kinds of swords.

If only I could remember the site...

O.o

Random Michelle K said...

HA! (This is the real reason I have my blog, as a way to find things later.)

Here is the page I remembered: http://www.thearma.org/essays/weights.htm

Oooh! Check this out! http://www.thearma.org/manuals.htm

Actually, the whole site is pretty awesome: http://www.thearma.org/

Badly designed mind you, but awesome.

And since I came across this along the way...

A Gladiator Graveyard

Steve Buchheit said...

Thank you thank you thank you, Michelle.

Random Michelle K said...

They don't call me Random for nuttin!