# Would a Sword with the Blade Reversed prevent one from killing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548 "2005-06-16T15:18:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/21 "2005-06-17T15:00:42Z")
It probably was true. He just beat people’s heads in. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/22 "2005-06-17T15:32:42Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Realistically, if you’re using a blunted sword against an even moderately skilled opponent with a sharp sword, then you’re doing the equivalent of fighting a gun battle with blanks against someone using real bullets. The [Jitte](http://therionarms.com/reenact/com231.html) is a non-lethal (or at least blade-less) weapon designed to defend against and disable a sword-wielding opponent. I have no idea how well they worked, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/23 "2005-06-17T15:46:38Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > The [Jitte](http://therionarms.com/reenact/com231.html) is a non-lethal (or at least blade-less) weapon designed to defend against and disable a sword-wielding opponent. I have no idea how well they worked, though. Well they still teach it in several martial arts, so it must have worked at least ocaisionally 🙂 Seriously I would be able to do well armed with jite against an inexperienced sword user, though I’d rather have a sword myself or a bo staff in such a situation. (or a gun obviously). ---
**Author:** ![FlightlessBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/cdc98d/32.png) [@FlightlessBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlightlessBird)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/24 "2005-06-17T15:48:03Z")
The blade of japanese swords were akin to 3 foot razor blades. They were very sharp and only the slightest pressure and a cutting motion (pushing/pulling on the sword) were needed to cut someone. Those things were so sharp that with the right technique and high force, they would cut right through skin, muscle and bones, however without the right technique they only cut the skin. (Those sword-makers were geniuses) So to answer the OP, If the blade of a sword were dull, it would not be slicing through people. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/25 "2005-06-17T15:54:35Z")
Dredging up some martial arts history, I recall that in Japan they went to the use of wooden swords for training and practice, and for a time it even became a sport (Before Kendo and slatted swords and Kendo type armor)…however, IIRC so many folks were getting killed (by wooden swords mind you) that eventually they moved to safer bamboo slatted Kendo swords, with leather at the point…and of course armor (and a whole bunch of rules on where/how you could and could not strike). I was never much for Kendo or Kenjitsu (I studied Iajitsu for a while, which emphasizes the draw and single cut and return), but I remember my teacher telling me stories about those old wooden training swords (though they must have just been stories HE was told as I doubt this was any time in the last several hundred years). Anyway, my point is…obviously if you could kill some one using Kenjitsu techniques with a wooden practice sword, you could kill them (easily) with a properly forged Katana…even if you sharpened the back. BTW, again from memory, I doubt you could effectively sharpen the ‘back’ of the blade and leave the ‘correct’ side dull…the process by which you harden the ‘correct’ blade area is what gives the blade its curve and strength/flexability. Certainly if you were going to make such a blade you’d need to use a completely different technique…it wouldn’t just be a matter of not sharpening the ‘correct’ side while sharpening the ‘back’. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/26 "2005-06-17T17:31:33Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > What’s worse than the whole “reverse blade = bad guy lives” thing is that some of Kenshin’s moves would result in him accidentally slicing his own hand off. > > (Or, for that matter, try saying “Hiten Mitsurugi Amakakeru Ryuu no Hirameki” three times fast.) I’m curious which ones you’re talking about. The only one I can think of is his “ram my sword into the other guy’s throat while holding both ends of the weapon” technique. Are there others? ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/27 "2005-06-17T18:40:34Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > I’m curious which ones you’re talking about. The only one I can think of is his “ram my sword into the other guy’s throat while holding both ends of the weapon” technique. Are there others? Well, not speaking for dotchan, but if I tried to even sheath my sword the way I was taught with an edge on the back of the blade I’d cut my hand off (my thumb for sure)…as you use the back of the blade, sliding on your off hand to guide the blade smoothly back into the sheath. I can think of maybe half a dozen techniques that would also result in some self bloodshed using traditional techniques were there an edge on the back part of the blade. This is using traditional techniques of course, and maybe you guys are talking about some stuff from this comic (which I’m not familiar with at all), so I’ll just stop there. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Taran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Taran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taran)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/28 "2005-06-17T19:12:10Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > I’m curious which ones you’re talking about. The only one I can think of is his “ram my sword into the other guy’s throat while holding both ends of the weapon” technique. Are there others? A couple of times in the anime, he supports his blade with his off-hand while in a bind with somebody. With the dull edge facing his opponent. Yeah. Bugged me to death when I saw it. They mostly got it right, though. Frex, he sheathes his sword with just his right hand. A little clumsy, but lots better than the thumb-slicing that would otherwise ensue. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/29 "2005-06-17T19:28:05Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > eventually they moved to safer bamboo slatted Kendo swords, with leather at the point The wooden swords (bokken) are still sharpened a bit, rather than being fully rounded. If you hit someone on the skull with it full force you would probably split the top. Also, you can still learn real sword fighting here (supposedly you start with a real sword–though I would imagine dulled.) It’s called Juuken. (Same “juu” as Judo.) ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/30 "2005-06-17T22:59:26Z")
Let me remind you of a few things about the anime. First of all, Kenshin not only used a sakabatou, he also held back. In the fight with Jin-e, he was getting whooped until he reverted to his hitokiri fight mode, and then, even fighting with the sakabatou, he gained the advantage. The same thing happened with Saito, except Kenshin went from not even posing a challenge to being about even. Note that Kenshin’s final attack, the amakakeru ryuu no hirameki, almost killed his master (a huge guy) even with a sakabatou, although for some reason it just seemed to knock the breathe out of everyone else. Also, he apparently doesn’t use his thumb in sheathing the sword. In the episode where he leaves for Kyoto, Kaoru is sneaking up on him and he does his thing where he flicks the sword up an inch or two with his thumb. Then she calls to him (with an angry voice), and gets startled and accidentally cuts his thumb on the sword. So I think they did that realistically. He does grab or push on the back of the blade from time to time though, which I can’t explain except that maybe since the sword isn’t sliding, it’s not enough to cut through his hand. In the fight with Aoshi, he grabbed the sword just above the hilt and it actually did cut his hand a little, though certainly less than Aoshi’s sword would have. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/31 "2005-06-17T23:39:28Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > The [Jitte](http://therionarms.com/reenact/com231.html) is a non-lethal (or at least blade-less) weapon designed to defend against and disable a sword-wielding opponent. I have no idea how well they worked, though. Yes, some European swords also had the hook (or a spring-loaded catch) designed to bind the opponent’s sword and disarm them. It would be very much illegal for duels, but possibly very useful for an anything-goes swordfight to the death. I would say that it is possible for an extraordinarily skilled fighter to win using a club or wooden sword against an opponent with a real sword, but they’d certainly be handicapped. Note that the Samauri cited above used any number of dirty tricks, and unlike the anime character, he wasn’t holding back, but actually used fatal force against his opponent. Kenshin was actually signalling his reluctance to deal lethal blows – something that an opponent would take fatal advantage of. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/32 "2005-06-18T01:53:30Z")
> [@Speaker for the Dead](#): > > In the anime, it’s his own moral code. He only uses the sharp side to cut inanimate objects (which range from piles of wood to ropes to his opponents’ weapons). Piles of wood? With a _Katana_? Wouldn’t it _break_— :smack: Right, sorry, I forget. _Anime_ swords all seem to be made of Adamantium. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/33 "2005-06-18T02:37:18Z")
> [@FlightlessBird](#): > > The blade of japanese swords were akin to 3 foot razor blades. They were very sharp and only the slightest pressure and a cutting motion (pushing/pulling on the sword) were needed to cut someone. > Those things were so sharp that with the right technique and high force, they would cut right through skin, muscle and bones, however without the right technique they only cut the skin. (Those sword-makers were geniuses) > > So to answer the OP, If the blade of a sword were dull, it would not be slicing through people. Be careful of overgeneralizing. Even in Japan swords varied in their design and performance (though the Japanese were tradionalists, so their swords did not vary as much as European designs). In General swords were NOT as sharp as most people believe they were, nor as many modern replicas are. Modern replicas tend to cater to people interested in cutting through soft materials such as water jugs and pool noodles. Some of the edges on these blades are knife sharp, and would perform poorly against more realistic targets, and would only end up taking more damage were they to be u sed in a historicla context. A sword does not need to be razor sharp to cut very effectively, in fact, depending on it’s design and purpose it might be a bad idea, as the edge might end up needing constant repair. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/34 "2005-06-18T04:55:44Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Piles of wood? With a _Katana_? Wouldn’t it _break_— > > :smack: Right, sorry, I forget. _Anime_ swords all seem to be made of Adamantium. I know what you mean. There’s one painful part of the anime where Jinei (an evil swordsman) literally hacks about five, inch-deep cuts into a rock. He then holds up his weapon, and grins that its edge is _perfectly intact_. Hell, I couldn’t do that with a steel bar without taking chunks out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/35 "2005-06-18T13:35:18Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > I’m left-handed. Damn near **every** implement is a “reverse blade” for me. I am not left handed. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/36 "2005-06-18T13:51:51Z")
I’m sorely tempted to start a thread about Shishio’s jagged blade with the flammable human fat. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/37 "2005-06-18T14:09:25Z")
> [@](#): > > (Those sword-makers were geniuses) Actually, the katana is a very poor weapon for most serious purposes. It’s fundamentally no good at anything other than dueling. The Japanese did not primarily use their swords on the battlefield, because they sucked and might break. The swords weren’t _bad_, per se, but the makers were greatly limited by the quantity and quality of iron ore in Japan. Aside from that, the bloody things fell apart like cotton candy. The Japanese treasured swords and took very good care of them, because if you didn’t oil it every day it was quite likely to rust away. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2005, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/38 "2005-06-18T19:25:31Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Actually, the katana is a very poor weapon for most serious purposes. It’s fundamentally no good at anything other than dueling. The Japanese did not primarily use their swords on the battlefield, because they sucked and might break. The swords weren’t _bad_, per se, but the makers were greatly limited by the quantity and quality of iron ore in Japan. To think, Raphael might not be the worst Ninja turtle after all. On second thought… strike that. ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/39 "2005-06-19T09:49:36Z")
> [@smiling bandit](#): > > Actually, the katana is a very poor weapon for most serious purposes. It’s fundamentally no good at anything other than dueling. I can see katanas being impractical against say, spearmen acting in formation, true. > [@smiling bandit](#): > > The Japanese did not primarily use their swords on the battlefield, because they sucked and might break. Do you have a cite for that? The breaking, I mean. > [@smiling bandit](#): > > The swords weren’t _bad_, per se, but the makers were greatly limited by the quantity and quality of iron ore in Japan. Black sand ores are low yield, but they don’t necessarily make poor steel. > [@smiling bandit](#): > > Aside from that, the bloody things fell apart like cotton candy. The Japanese treasured swords and took very good care of them, because if you didn’t oil it every day it was quite likely to rust away. Unpainted steel rusts, it’s a fact of life. Do you have a cite for katanas rusting more rapidly than european swords, spear points etc? ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2005, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548/40 "2005-06-19T10:53:25Z")
Try [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katana#Comparisons_with_European_swords). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-a-sword-with-the-blade-reversed-prevent-one-from-killing/308548.md?page=3)