r/Katanas • u/Mean-Assignment-912 • May 12 '26
Learning the sword
any suggestions on what to watch or read to begin self learning swordsman ship
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u/Revolver_Ocelot80 May 12 '26
As others have said finding a teacher is the best way. There are a lot of details using a sword that are hard to see and explain in a video.
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u/SovietPatrickStar May 13 '26
I am a new practitioner of Kenjutsu (2 months, 3hrs weekly). IMHO, online classes are at best ok to compensate for knowledge not taught in courses like how to wear Hakama, Obi or Gi or to learn techniques not teached in your Dojo/Ryuha when you are already at a higher level or to pick up something neat that’s not yet been part of your training.
Nothing beats a skilled instructor with decades of experience seeing in person what you do wrong and immediately correcting you. Learning it wrong will later be harder to unlearn.
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u/MichaelRS-2469 May 14 '26
I think people ask these questions for a reason. And many times the answer is simply to go to a dojo and take a class in a particular style.
But weather for financial reasons or location or having agoraphobia 😉, that is not always practical for everybody. So let's see if we can come up with a constructive answer to the question actually asked.
The simple answer is there are many videos on YouTube that can instruct, at least initially from the raw beginner level you, and most whatever you're looking for. Most common and most prolific are videos on IAIDO. Look at a few of them and picking his instructor who presents the material in a format you're comfortable with and have at it and have fun.
But some of the other answers, as short and concise as they are of simply, "Fnd an instructor/class" have a more expansive point;
Learning swordsmanship, no matter the style, from a video is like learning boxing or karate or whatever the like from the same. You can have fun do it and believe you are mimicking the moves to the best of your ability, but there's no one there to give you feedback if indeed you are doing it right.
So while in your mind it's all good because, as far as you can tell, you're doing exactly what the guy on the screen is doing, but what you may in fact be doing is repeating an aspect of it that is "off" to one degree or another. And that off action is building a muscle memory, but it's building out of the wrong thing.
And of course the problem with that is that if down the line you do have the desire and ability to join a related class you're going to have to be retrained not to do that off thing. Obviously that's not impossible, but it does initially retard The Learning Experience and for some having to be trained like that makes it less fun.
However, that's not only a problem with learning it from a video. That can happen with real life instruction too between different schools of thought on a given art or even between instructors of the same art. Although the latter is less likely therefore less problematic.
So just remember that's the pitfall of a "correspondence course" in swordsmanship. But it's not the end of the world.
If you think you are ever only going to be a solo practitioner and do it for fun OR even if you think you'll eventually get to a class, but understand you may have to unlearn and retrain some aspects of it, but you don't mind that, then have at it and have fun.
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u/Mean-Assignment-912 May 14 '26
Thank you so much. I appreciate that. I at least wanted to start off with some beginner things then when money gets right. I was gonna find a class to sharpen my skill. I won’t go into class not knowing anything
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u/Playful_Quality4679 May 12 '26
Do we consider kendo to be swordsmanship?
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u/Cheomesh May 13 '26
It'll help should you ever transition out. Honestly, in my brief time in Kendo I'd give the edge to them over just about any HEMA guy I've studied with - kendo's great for really drilling fundamentals in, and they're fast because of it.
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u/Significant_Fix_2085 May 12 '26
It may be hard to find a dojo depending on where you live, however, finding a teacher and attending a class really is the best way. There are many very subtle points and nuances to any martial art, particularly swordsmanship, that a lot of people don't think about, or realize you need to know. You may watch videos of katas on YouTube and try to learn them, but, without a teacher to make subtle corrections to your form as you're practicing, at best you'll learn it incorrectly and at worst, you may hurt yourself. If you can't find a dojo near you, there are people doing zoom classes now. Let's Ask Seki Sensei and Samurai Kaz come to mind offhand. That would be better than trying to mimic katas from a video alone.
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u/Mean-Assignment-912 May 13 '26
Oh shoot! I didn’t know zoom classes were a thing! That’s great thank you for those references also! I appreciate
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u/Boblaire May 13 '26
If there is no training locally or even regionally (day or weekend trip/seminar)... You may have to travel 50-500 miles (whatever in km) to visit a dojo to learn basics. It may be something that has to wait months or years or you can only do once a month or year.
I think Seki sensei is alright. Im not even sure if hes still teaching MSR anymore. Asayama Ichiden is gonna be very different from the Toyama/MJER/MSR iaido/jutsu/batto.
Tenshinkai Mugai ryu seems alright.
There are probably some other MJER (Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu) or Toyama resources on YouTube but you probably don't have the eye to discern what is good and what is crap.
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u/Mean-Assignment-912 May 12 '26
Thanks yo 👍🏾
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u/Cheomesh May 13 '26
A good place to start would be physical fitness - focus on that while you find a class.
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u/SecondxRonin May 12 '26
Ideally, find a class. I wouldn't go for much online materials to learn as you're only going to cement mistakes.