Japanese War Swords of the 20thC: Kyu Gunto & Shin Gunto
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 сер 2021
- A little introductory look at the kyu gunto and shin gunto - two of the military swords used by Japan in the 20th century.
Patreon & Extra Videos: / scholagladiatoria
Support & extra content on Subscribestar: www.subscribestar.com/matt-ea...
Facebook & Twitter updates, info and fun:
/ historicalfencing
/ scholagladiato1
Schola Gladiatoria HEMA - sword fighting classes in the UK:
www.swordfightinglondon.com
Matt Easton's website and services:
www.matt-easton.co.uk/
Easton Antique Arms:
www.antique-swords.co.uk/
Back in the 1990s, a student at the Aikido club where I trained turned up with one of these. Only it wasn't quite one of those. As we inspected it, we noticed that it had a folded blade ( which was Katana length ). To cut a long story short, he sent it to The British Museum to see if they could tell him anything about it. Turns out that it had a Medieval blade. The Smith's name was known ( can't remember his name I'm afraid ), but he wasn't one of the famous names. So it seems that some officers might have had the family sword re-hilted and carried that instead of the mass-produced ones.
Nostalgia plays a great rule in weapons and symbols designs.
For anyone interested:
Quick pronunciation note: Kyu Gunto would be said more like "Queue Goon-Toe"
The Kyu Gunto is a really interesting visual representation of a really interesting historical period. I also think it's the most beautiful type of sword out there, maybe equalled by the Cossack Šaskas.
You are my favorite sword/weapon UA-camr, you don’t sound arrogant or anything. You give tons of info on whatever you are talking about, AND you know about Asian, European weapons and histories. Most channels usually only do one and sort of underrepresent the other
10:50
So a couple months ago My drummer casually mentions he has an old Japanese sword he used to play with as a kid.
Though the imperialistic argument for the transition from old style to new style of sabre has some truths, there's also some practical matters. There was a big kenjutsu revival in the 1880s, leading to the establishment of the DNBK, development of kendo in the 1900s, former schools of the edo-era that survived alos enjoyed quite a recovery. In this context, there was simply quite a deal of swordmasters that were available to teach the older styles of japanese swordsmanship, while most of the kyu gunto trainers were foreign. Ever since the beginning, the french and german fencing masters had trouble trying to adapt the japanese to the european fencing, especially footwork wise (so much they even enrolled in Jikishinkage-ryu to learn how the japanese were moving).
George Albert Cairns, in Burma, 1944, had his left arm nearly cut off by a Japanese officer's sword, but proceeded to overpower the officer, take his sword and kill him with it and several other enemy soldiers before collapsing from his wound and dying. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
I used to live in Thailand. Found a old man near my families home that had 4 Shin Gunto in quite good condition. He offered to sell me them for the equivalent of $300 each, he probably would have taken less if I tried to haggle. Unfortunately I was a broke kid at the time so I passed. Still regret that to this day.
I once saw a website with all the types of Gunto,the Kyu,the Shin,the Kai,and even some i never saw,like a kodachi in use by tankers. A completely european looking saber,a smallsword looking police sword and so on.
Holy bloody hell. I have seen this sword before, but not in that coloration. It's brass, with a creamy white sharkskin hilt, and no acid-etch hamon. My father told me it was a cavalry sabre captured in the War of 1812. He was wrong. It has to be a kyu gunto. He died thinking it was European.
Just wanted to point out that the word Kyu in Japanese, meaning old, is pronounced more like "Q"
From my study of the Japanese language (just casually over a couple of years- so I’m certainly not an expert) I think the pronunciation would be closer to Cue Goon-toe. Cue like a cue ball, one syllable. Interesting vid!
Ian (Forgotten Weapons) just did a video a couple days ago on the Type 95 Shin Gunto. His publishing company is apparently putting out a reference book on Japanese military swords from the 1870 to WWII period.
I have a Kyo-Gunto, very nice saber, very small hilt, the grip is wire wrapped black horn. I have seen them with the same grip style, but with a walnut grip. The fancier version's have a longer grip similar to the the Kyo-Gunto, except they have a white stingray covered grip.
The western-style swords were definitely carried in pretty large numbers right to the end of the war. If you look at pictures of officers surrendering their swords at the end of the war you will see a lot of those hilts in the piles (the hilt being the easiest difference to see at a distance).
There's also another reasons why this shin gunto might be shorter than an average katana: because EVERY officer had to have a sword, it wasn't a bad idea to have a sword that was made to be suited for their job in the military.
Shingunto are fascinating cause they reflect their history so well. A modern sword, of modern materials with modern techniques but a call back to their history because of the politics at the time. Imagine if mussolini had a modern Gladius version made for Fascist Italy as well. Those types of sword have more value do to their origins than to what they are on their own.