There is a saying that "a tool is only as good as the person using it" but sometimes, it can be the other way around. Thanks to the wonders of technology, almost everyone has a camera on their cellphone that can record and post the instances where both tools--and the people who wield them--fail hilariously.
The following five videos are prime examples of things you should never do with a sword--be it a sharp blade, a wall decoration, or a martial artist's practice piece. One could also say that those featured in the following videos should all be runners-up in the next Darwin Awards.
In case the introduction to this article didn't make it clear already, I shall reiterate: don't try this at home, friends...
It got me O'Dell!
Usually if a sword is $44.95 it isn't a practice sword, but a decorative piece. The Shop At Home Network shouldn't have tried this in their studio--and viewers should definitely learn from this poor example and not try this in their own homes.
I wonder if the price of the katanas went down by a few bucks after this was caught on film?
"Not inside the house!"
There is a reason why your mother used to tell you that certain activities were not made to be done indoors. Unless you're in a large training studio with high ceilings, we don't recommend swinging swords around inside your house.
You know this guy can totally hear his Mum's voice nagging at him inside his head after he did this!
Taurus
Ah, dude... it's a sword--not a baseball bat. Not to mention that you don't try and use the forte of the blade (the half of the sword that is closest to the cross bars) for slicing as it is far less effective.
At least no pear cider was harmed during the making of this video.
Thug Life? This is Knight Life!
Nothing says "thug life" more than hacking a dart (smoking a cigarette) while hacking at a pile of snow with a sword.
I wonder if this guy got his katana from the Shop At Home Network?
Holy $#*!
Even though we sometimes refer to what we do as "swordplay" we still take precautions with our weaponry. We do not "play" with training equipment as if they were harmless toys. At Academie Duello our school's two tenets are Proper Arms & Proper Respect. Perhaps if the young men in this video were treating these sharp weapons with the care, control and caution they deserve this wouldn't have happened.
If you wanna use a sword properly, get lessons from a professional. By the way--did you know your first lesson with Academie Duello is free?!
Remember, swordplay friends and enthusiasts: if it's less than $50.00 it's probably not made to do anything but sit on a wall and look pretty. And if you wanna swing a sword around, perhaps take a few lessons from a professional--like the fine instructors at Academie Duello--so that you don't hurt yourself!
Devon Boorman is the Co-Founder and Director of Academie Duello Centre for Swordplay, which has been active in Vancouver, Canada since 2004. Devon’s expertise centres on the Italian swordplay tradition including the arts of the Renaissance Italian rapier, sidesword, and longsword, as well as knife and unarmed techniques. Read more from Devon Boorman.