Are Real Swords Still Used Today?

 This sword is a weapon with a sharp edge, designed to cut another person. Most real swords are about 6'6 long, but in medieval times some types were longer and had smaller blades. Today's swords can be as big as 8 feet long! The use of swords declined for a while. Now they're mostly used for Olympic sports like fencing and combat sports like jousting. 

Today's swords can trace their origins to the Indian chakram, which was a curved stone, often decorated with metal. A sword with a small blade was also used by Semitic tribes from the Middle East. Ancient Assyrians used two blades held together by a cross-piece. The Greeks and Romans also used swords, but not in such large numbers until late in their history. 

In Europe after 1000 AD, people began using swords more often for protection during raids and battles. Medieval knights found real swords easier to fight with than wooden ones or spears because they were flexible and therefore easier to wield. People began to see them as having practical uses rather than just sports equipment or decorations. Here are some of these swords:

1. Samurai Swords

A samurai sword is a type of sword that was used in feudal Japan by the samurai class. This sword had a distinctive appearance. The typical design was long, straight, and double-edged. They were usually around 2 feet in length with a circular or square guard made from iron or steel and measuring about 5 inches around. 

A bamboo blade wrapped with silk over a wooden core was standard construction for the blades of most traditional samurai weapons including katana and wakizashi. The origins of the samurai swords can be traced to China, but it is not known when they first became a weapon. It is thought that the long swords that were used in ancient China were shorter than those imported by Japan. 

However, it was not until the Mongol era that long swords began to be introduced to Japan and then became standard for samurai soldiers. It was also during this era that Chinese-style swords began to be used by Japanese fighters. They were later introduced to Okinawa and then finally brought to mainland Japan. The samurai sword was one of many types of items carried by the samurai and his family for self-defense, ceremony, ritual, and battle.

2. Ninja Swords

The word "ninja," in Japanese, means "to do stealth." A ninja was an expert in fighting techniques; they would use a variety of weapons, most notably the sword. Most ninja swords were used for self-defense or close combat. These real swords are usually made from iron or steel and can be curved for slashing motions, straight for stabbing and thrusting motions, or both curved and straight for a variety of ways to attack. 

The blades could also be weighted with jewels or heavy metal objects to make them heavier. The methods that a ninja would use to kill their opponent varied depending on what kind of sword they were using. These swords could be used for close combat, but they also had a long reach due to their size. This made them perfect for throwing and throwing the sword was an art of its own. The most common kind of ninja sword was the long sword. 

The most common long swords were usually 1 or 2 feet in length and they could be carried with ease on the back or by their sheath in a belt. The hilt of a ninja sword would fit comfortably into the hand, allowing for strong swings that carried very little weight since it was made from light materials. Some hilts were fitted with metal rings that acted as finger rings when gripping the sword tightly.

3. Wooden Swords

A wooden sword (Munjie dao) is a traditional Chinese long pole weapon, traditionally made of wood and sharpened on the end. It was known as the "Chinese lance" in Western military manuals from the 19th century. It was primarily used by cavalry because it could poke under enemy armor. Wooden swords have been found in China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia dating back to as early as 2000 BC. 

In 2018 a sword that is over 3,000 years old was unearthed in Yasuidaigakuchi city on Kyushu island in Japan. In the Ming Dynasty, the Ming army made use of gunpowder weapons like fire lance and rockets, but most were still armed with the long pole (Ming Dynasty). In addition to being used in battle, these real swords became an integral part of military drills and ceremonies. 

According to a Ming Dynasty book entitled “Wu Fan Yuan Hou Lun” (“Essay on five types of martial arts”), aside from military use, there were five other purposes of training with the wooden sword: health cultivation; skills assessment; performance evaluation for military officers; martial art entertainment; and civilian self-defense.

Use of Real Swords Today!

The history of swords around the world is very interesting. Many cultures have been known to engage in swordplay as part of their martial arts systems or even for recreational purposes. In Asian countries like China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, etc. The use of real swords, knives, and other weapons for fighting is not a new phenomenon. 

Considering how much has changed since the advent of gunpowder and modern weaponry, it may be hard to believe this statement. But the truth is that there are many cultures and traditions around the world that still practice swordplay as a martial art form or simply for recreational purposes. There are also many organizations that teach the art of European swordplay based on the teachings of the past and continuing into modern times.