# A skilled swordsman with a Samurai sword vs a charging Kodiak Bear... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 9, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345 "2007-01-09T22:51:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/61 "2016-12-21T23:43:34Z")
To expand slightly on previous points. Native Japanese Iron ore was _usually_ terrible. Riddled with impurities. All the famous folding etc was to end up with a blade that was strong enough to be usable. Smiths in the rest of the world didn’t _generally_ use these techniques not because they weren’t privy to the mystical secrets but because they had access to better raw materials which didn’t require it. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/62 "2016-12-22T00:17:08Z")
> [@Sterling\_Archer](#): > > would throwing a handful of sand in a bear’s face slow it down at all? Yes, but only if you exclaim “pocket sand!” before throwing it. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/63 "2016-12-22T23:44:12Z")
At the end of the day, you got a Bear, armed with a sword. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/64 "2016-12-23T01:02:34Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > At the end of the day, you got a Bear, armed with a sword. Which will then just raise the question of which would win - enraged hippo or Kodiak bear with a katana? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/65 "2016-12-23T03:17:05Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Which will then just raise the question of which would win - enraged hippo or Kodiak bear with a katana? Hippo - the Kodiak likely doesn’t have ‘grip’ strength to work with the katana, so drops it on his foot. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/66 "2016-12-23T17:32:22Z")
**A skilled swordsman with a Samurai sword vs a charging Kodiak Bear…** Dies a glorious but fast death. ---
**Author:** ![domgor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@domgor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domgor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/67 "2017-12-24T03:23:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I dont care if you have the best samurai sword made in period, they arent even as good as blades made today by masters. > > And- bears aint horses. > > Musashi was smart enough to\* not do this.\* > > You want a fair fight vs the bear? > > Full 15th century Condottieri foot knight plate, with a good half pike or similar pole arm. > > The same guy who would defeat any samurai easily. Well, except those later period samurai who used guns. Sure, neither Musashi nor any sane man would not fight the bear (or men) for bet or fun, but I assume the case when there NO other options (and has to be fight or death). Brute force doesn’t necessarily always wins, and cold focus trumps rage (“Moon in a cold stream. Like a Mirror”. by Musashi). Master samurai posses more than physical strength. Mass Oyama killed 50 bulls in arena with bare hands, and there are know records of swordsmen killing tigers (which are not teddy bears either). Regarding the sword quality - whatever it works, light saber would be best 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/68 "2017-12-24T03:42:59Z")
> [@domgor](#): > > Mass Oyama killed 50 bulls in arena with bare hands This is rather tough for me to believe. ---
**Author:** ![domgor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@domgor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domgor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/69 "2017-12-24T04:34:36Z")
O yeah, Oyama fought against bulls in arena (actually 52) demonstrating his Karate skills, which was filmed and in many papers at the time. Maybe is forgotten today as other things that do not fit mainstream beliefs, but evidence is around, e.g.: [http://www.badassoftheweek.com/oyama.html](http://www.badassoftheweek.com/oyama.html) Ki and feats of its masters are not the fantasy, even though most of the people do not care about it. A number of masters described this. Story of Musashi fighting dozens of opponents is not invented either. In his Book of Five rings he described the perspective - not paying attention to physical detail of the enemies - only seeing them as a mass of energy. Evade its focus and administer stream of attack where is a gap. I bet master samurai fight tigers the same way too. Life of death doesn’t matter, what matters is energy flow. Ki and ancient masters is also what inspired the Star Wars… ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/70 "2017-12-24T05:48:06Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > This is rather tough for me to believe. Wikipedia actually [confirms this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama#Public_demonstrations), with a cite. Yahoo Answers, on the other hand, says it happened, [sorta kinda](https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090724051936AAR63vP) but not quite that way. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/71 "2017-12-24T07:39:20Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Wikipedia actually [confirms this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama#Public_demonstrations), with a cite. > > Yahoo Answers, on the other hand, says it happened, [sorta kinda](https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090724051936AAR63vP) but not quite that way. This guy’s account sounds more plausible: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oXh\_NpgQjU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oXh_NpgQjU) ---
**Author:** ![domgor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@domgor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domgor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/72 "2017-12-24T14:13:40Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > This guy’s account sounds more plausible: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oXh\_NpgQjU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oXh_NpgQjU) I like the youtube comment to that story: “What Masutatsu Oyama KyoKusin?..guy claims he studies bullshit; so he’s insane?” > **[Liar paradox](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liar_paradox)** > > In philosophy and logic, the classical liar paradox or liar's paradox or antinomy of the liar is the statement of a liar that they are lying: for instance, declaring that "I am lying". If the liar is indeed lying, then the liar is telling the truth, which means the liar just lied. In "this sentence is a lie" the paradox is strengthened in order to make it amenable to more rigorous logical analysis. It is still generally called the "liar paradox" although abstraction is made precisely from the lia... ---
**Author:** ![domgor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@domgor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/domgor)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/73 "2017-12-24T15:41:16Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If our titular hero has just a sword - and it doesn’t matter how good a sword it is - he’s a dead man. . We should probably put case constraint on “doesn’t matter how good a sword” - I bet even Jedi youngling could kill any bear with light saber 🙂 Actually, in real life people killed brown bears (not recorded for Kodiaks though) with much less than good katana. Indians with “Bear” in their name mostly did it only with the knife. This guy actually strangled the brown bear, which attacked him with his ship, with bare hands: [Shepherd 'kills bear with his bare hands after squeezing its throat' | Metro News](http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/27/shepherd-kills-brown-bear-with-his-bare-hands-after-squeezing-its-throat-3810110/) So, if 200 pound man killed 500 pound brown bear with bare hands, it could be concluded that 400 pound man, at some probability, could kill 1000 pound Kodiak 🙂 Statistically I would still estimate: population of all samurai vs population of grizzlies: 5% : 95%; true masters vs. grizzlies: 100% : 0% ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/74 "2017-12-24T18:35:29Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Right, samurai swords were not all that great. A few of them, made by mastercraftsmen, the ones which lasted until today are pretty darn good, … I think you’re very mistaken. You realize it takes a special license to make a katana in Japan, and another to polish (sharpen) one. ETA, I think the polishing apprenticeship is a 5 years minimum program. A lot of opinions here. Go watch a 5th Dan or higher Kendo match and marvel at how blistering fast a sword (Shinai) strike is in the hands of an expert. The swordsman may not win, but the bear would be eviscerated before he saw any movement at all. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/75 "2017-12-24T19:29:09Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > You realize it takes a special license to make a katana in Japan, and another to polish (sharpen) one. ETA, I think the polishing apprenticeship is a 5 years minimum program. But much of this is the Japanese reverent approach to mastering things that are part of their heritage. A sushi chef trainee goes through 5 years of learning before being allowed to make rice in the restaurant. Come on. 15 years ago if you wanted sushi in northern Ohio you went to a real sushi house. A chef stood in front of you and made each piece, placed it on a square plate and offered it to you with a bow. Every serving was $4 to $6. Since then there has been a sushi revolution. Nearly every Chinese buffet has a small selection of sushi, although nothing to write about. Not long ago I was at a sushi buffet. Dozens of kinds of sushi on ice in a glass display. Several nice young chefs in full white outfits with little hats making sushi to your order. $12, all you can eat. Is there a difference - probably. But not to me. Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/76 "2017-12-24T19:48:54Z")
Is the resurrection of this thread going to become a SDMB holiday tradition? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/77 "2017-12-24T20:09:25Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > … > > 15 years ago if you wanted sushi in northern Ohio you went to a real sushi house. A chef stood in front of you and made each piece, placed it on a square plate and offered it to you with a bow. Every serving was $4 to $6. > > … Good idea, feed the bear sushi instead. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/78 "2017-12-25T12:01:12Z")
> [@cornflakes](#): > > Toreadors regularly stab bulls to death with swords. Bulls are as big as a bear, though not as strong, agile or otherwise built for fighting. Also, the bull has already been stabbed by guys on horseback and more on foot, bleeding it out and weakening its neck muscles enough that the horns aren’t as great of a threat as they might be. > > Yeah, I’d bet on the bear. In addition Bears are are predators and about 100x as smart as a bull. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/79 "2017-12-25T14:20:38Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Is the resurrection of this thread going to become a SDMB holiday tradition? I sure hope so. Bears, samurai swords…how do you not equate those things with Christmas? I hope there’s a samurai sword under my tree right now. I got bears to kill and shit…yo. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2017, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345/80 "2017-12-25T20:39:13Z")
> [@](#): > > it could be concluded that 400 pound man, at some probability, could kill 1000 pound Kodiak WTF? am I being wooshed here - just how many fit and able 400lb humans are there in this world? All the ones I’ve come across are blobs who struggle to make it off their sofas. > [@](#): > > Statistically I would still estimate: population of all samurai vs population of grizzlies: 5% : 95%; true masters vs. grizzlies: 100% : 0% I must be being wooshed, your statements so far have been utterly meaningless, your estimates of non-evidenced statistics that you have simply pulled out of your ass mean completely nothing whatsoever. We also are well aware of the logic errors you are making in the ‘true masters’ argument this is a very well known logical fallacy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-skilled-swordsman-with-a-samurai-sword-vs-a-charging-kodiak-bear/387345.md?page=5)