College Student Uses Sword to Kill Intruder

[AZRedhawk44]

Yep, and no resistance to the cut at all, either.

Dang.  Lightsabers sure are scary.

[freedom lover]

Yep, and no resistance to the cut at all, either.

Dang.  Lightsabers sure are scary.

Especially since in real life everything they touched would that wouldn't melt would spontaneously combust.

[KD5NRH]

The wrists are one of the most popular targets in a sword duel.

They're excellent targets in any fight, for the simple reason that they tend to be extended well ahead of all other good targets during a punch, stab or slash attack.  By footwork and distance techniques, you can back off just enough to get your head and body out of the opponent's range while leaving his attacking hand well within yours.  Strike hard enough to the back of the hand or cut deep enough to the wrist or inner forearm, and you disarm him.

[Balog]

On a bass forum I post on an Australian is getting all "Zomg we have sword control here was this guy a trained professional no one needs swords it sounds like the students just wanted to kill someone poor burglar" etc etc. I just don't understand people... 

[tokugawa]

 "Legend has it that in ancient Japan, they used to rate swords by how many bodies they could cut entirely through with one stroke"
 
 Not a legend- It is real. The bodies were stacked on a mound of sand, and special testers would try the swords. There are books extant with the cut diagrams illustrated. Through the pelvis was considered the most difficult from what I remember.  Some swords were inscribed on the tang with the cutting test info, such as "Cut two bodies with one stroke", etc.

[MicroBalrog]

I'm thinking more of people twirling the things like a majorette. You could probably become a quadriplegic in less than three seconds.

Remember that the Star Wars canon explicitly says that ordinary - non-force-using - humans cannot use lightsabers without running the risk of terribly injuring themselves. Only Force users, with their improved perception, can use these safely.

This may help.

[seeker_two]

Remember that the Star Wars canon explicitly says that ordinary - non-force-using - humans cannot use lightsabers without running the risk of terribly injuring themselves. Only Force users, with their improved perception, can use these safely.

This may help.

....or they'll end up terribly maimed like Han Solo, Boba Fett, and General Grievous...

[castle key]

"Legend has it that in ancient Japan, they used to rate swords by how many bodies they could cut entirely through with one stroke"
 
 Not a legend- It is real. The bodies were stacked on a mound of sand, and special testers would try the swords. There are books extant with the cut diagrams illustrated. Through the pelvis was considered the most difficult from what I remember.  Some swords were inscribed on the tang with the cutting test info, such as "Cut two bodies with one stroke", etc.

A friend told me that in the old days when this took place, a tester who was to be sliced through the torso while alive, was asked if he had anything to say.

He replied that he wished he had eaten gravel for breakfast.


Not likely a true story, nevertheless pretty good.

[MicroBalrog]

....or they'll end up terribly maimed like Han Solo, Boba Fett, and General Grievous...

General Grievous was a force user.

[Ryan in Maine]

Perhaps my reluctance to actually shell out $300-$1000 for a supposedly well-forged blade is to blame

That can be a big roadblock. Try this: http://yhst-7333098713883.stores.yahoo.net/katanastandard.html

http://www.himalayan-imports.com/sword.html

It is not a Japanese katana, but it is well-balanced, and insanely tough like their khukuris.

Edit:
Some decent hit-or-miss tests here too: http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/authentic-japanese-swords.html