Following last week's articles, we are today going on talking about the most fascinanting topic: the real Katana.
While "Katana" is the common and known name in popular culture, in Japan and especially in the Budo (Martial Arts) world, it is referred to as a "Shinken", or a "live sword". This means not only that the sword is sharpened, but also that it was made accordingly to tradition in Japan by a certified artisan. It can be an older blade, even centuries old, or a "shinsakuto", a modern one, but made in the very same way. There is a number of variations in lenghts, weight, sori (curvature), presence or not of the bo-hi (a longitudinal partially hollowed out area meant to reduce the overall weight without sacrificing structural stability), different styles of hamon (the line remaining from the clay when the sword is tempered) and so on. Normally in Iaido we tend to use "shinsakuto" with bo-hi, and not excessively heavy swords; this is mainly to avoid injuring one's joints when practicing, but it is also because the peculiar noise a sword with bo-hi does when cutting provides a certain feedback on the accuracy and precision of the cut. Legally, many countries have different regulations, but most have a difficult time categorizing and ruling a Katana. In Singapore there is not a specific "sword" law, so the decisions to allow import or not is demanded to the Police Force. For this reason, sometimes, depending on the Officer in charge of your case, it might be a smooth or less smooth experience. But in general it is possible to import any Iaito and possibly a Shinken, provided you have a clean record, you pay the import licenses, and you do not carry it out of its bag when going around from your house to the Dojo. Even then, you should not forget in the car, for example, while going to the Disco - in case you get stopped there would be no reason for you to have a weapon in your trunk in the eyes of the local enforcement! But transporting your licensed sword back and forth on training days it's not going to be a problem! As always, consider every Iaito or Shinken always as a live weapon with a high capability to harm you or people around you; an healthy measure of respect for your Katana will safeguard your sould, as well as your skin!
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