high class swordsmanship

[jezah81]

Can the sori have any effect on nukitsuke or iai kata for that matter?Is there any sori thats better than other? Say a few millimeters more or less? Also, is a flat shinogi better than a raised shinogi for tameshigiri? Any scientific differences?
Regards,
Jeremy Hagop

[chidokan]

depends on your style... ryu which generally draw with the sword edge down would benefit from a more sharply curved sword.
Other way up a flatter sori is better. In theory the thinner the sword the better for penetration of material as the more mass you put behind an edge the better. To take an extreme you would not try to cut with a wooden mallet ( flat fronted I know!) however the same mass behind a sharp edge would cut quite easily... For iaido purposes the kissaki also plays an important part. If the shape of the boshi is 'long' you are likely to cut yourself in comparison to a short or iaito standard length. To try a kissaki for correct length hold the bottom and rotate it carefully between your thumb and finger. It shouldnt touch. This would be ideal for beginners, however later grades do not have to worry about such things as their technique improves and they understand the mechanics of drawing the sword more deeply.

Tim Hamilton