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That's so cool. ;-; I wish there was a place to do that kind of stuff around where I live. x3
Do they let you use the broad swords without the guard?

Chinese Broadsword.

Speaking of eastern martial arts, I'm sick and tired of people ignoring the western style of fighting just because it isn't as graceful. Of course it isn't as graceful, that's because everything is heavier.

On the eastern battlefield:
The heaviest armor was Splint Mail, which was rarely worn, or the occasional pieces of Half Plate, if you were a Shogun!! This meant that weapons could afford to be faster because it took less effort to kill the opponent. Cavalry Charges were made wearing Scale Mail or less, and the horses more often than not were not armored, and when they were it was less. This kind of battlefield emphasizes speed. Heavy Armor=Slower Movement, which on an eastern field meant an assured and painful death.

On the Western Battlefield:
The light armor was reserved for either Shock Troops, Ranged Assault Units(Archers, Engineer Crews running thing's like Ballistas and Catapults), and Cannon Fodder. The average foot soldier was wearing a full suit of chain mail, cavalry charged were made wearing Full Plate. I've worn a suit of full plate before during a demonstration... Its about 100lbs of tempered steel when you include the under suit. Guess how much damage a Katana can do to a German Knight in full gear... Absolutely none at all... you might as well attack him with a toothpick for all it's worth, and watch what happens when he comes around on you with a 50lb War Hammer, a weapon that makes Sledge Hammers look like baby toys, and your wearing Splint Mail... They'll send you home in a matchbox. on the Western Field, you didn't need to be fast, because damn near every single man was a walking fortress, which meant that the weapons had to be ALOT heavier. For instance, the Sword of choice amongst Knight's is called a b*****d Sword, or a Hand and a Half Sword, its the western equivalent of a Katana, because you can use either one, or tow hands on this thing just as easily... I'm going to tell you right now, a b*****d Sword weighs about 50lbs, 40 of which are in the blade. Any knight who could wield one in one hand was feared beyond belief, because he usually had a second in his other hand, and would treat your Full Plate Armor like it was made of Tin Foil, Guess what happens if you take a b*****d Sword to a suit of Splint mail... It's gone, same thing if you put a Katana in it's way, it doesn't cut the blade, it shatters it, like a baseball through a window.

There's the difference, in the Eastern Field of combat, things were fast, in the Western, things were brutal. I can tell you right now, if you put a Samurai against a Knight, the Knight would win because the Samurai wouldn't get within range before he was killed. A Knight used anything from a War hammer, to a b*****d Sword, to a Halberd, which is another nasty piece of work on it's own.

*exhales* ok, my rant is done.

'ello Mod. 'ello everybody.

@Oocca; Thank you~!

@NullCollins; I never understood fighting/battle--but I get what you're getting at. (I snub everything that's not colourful. -.- )

No prob. Maya~! ^w^ You totally deserve it. 3nodding

@Kiwi Master: When i say everyone, there an invisible 'just about' infront of it. But you get what I mean right? All these little kids see samurai movies/anime and figure that they are invincible, Watch what happens to any japanese unit when a charge of German/Italian/Cossack cavalry comes down on them. Oh, and I love Cossacks... They are descended from Huns, Vikings, and Mongolians... They even found a cross between a Rapier and a b*****d Sword... Moves as fast as the former, and is as heavy as the latter.

ACK! *falls*