Swords

There is a wide array of swords that a martial artist can use, but one of the most popular is the samurai sword, also called a katana. A katana is a single edged sword that is well suited for open contact. In ancient Japanese history, the katana was paired with a smaller sword. While the katana would help during open contact, the smaller sword was meant for close contact fighting. Katanas have become extremely popular collector’s items and even those who do not have martial arts training or background tend to enjoy and collect them. For training purposes, a bamboo stick, sometimes called a bamboo kendo stick, is good to use, as it does not have a sharp blade but still allows for realistic strikes and blows.