Jack Carson
New member
I have never had the opportunity to study the traditional martial arts but I have always been intrigued by them. Yesterday I finished reading "Code of the Samurai" as translated by Thomas Cleary and he mentioned the two swords several times.
The Samurai and Bushi carried two swords, one long and one short. Was the short sword for fighting in tight places? I guess I had always assumed the long sword used a two-handed hold and it would be awkward to sheath the long sword and draw the short one if the fighting moved into woods, a home, etc. Or was it primarily a backup in case the long sword was damaged by armor, etc?
Can anyone clarify this for me?
The Samurai and Bushi carried two swords, one long and one short. Was the short sword for fighting in tight places? I guess I had always assumed the long sword used a two-handed hold and it would be awkward to sheath the long sword and draw the short one if the fighting moved into woods, a home, etc. Or was it primarily a backup in case the long sword was damaged by armor, etc?
Can anyone clarify this for me?