Test Cutting

Tameshigiri or shizan is the name given to the Japanese art of test-cutting. Testing blades by cutting various materials was an integral part of Japanese swordsmanship. Tameshigiri is a method by which both blade and technique can be tested against the resistance that one could typically expect in a fight. Although sword fights tend to be pretty rare nowadays, I believe that test-cutting can be a useful part of any knife wielder’s training.
The Japanese swordsmen of old practiced tameshigiri on a number of materials including bamboo, armor, animals, corpses, and live criminals. Swords were commonly tested before being accepted by a lord for his samurai. Meticulous records were kept and often the results of a test were engraved on the tested sword.
One of the common tests consisted of stacking bodies and attempting to cut through as many as possible with a single stroke. The record was seven! Today, most of us might argue that criminals would still make suitable test targets but society tends to frown on that sort of thing. The material currently used for most test cutting is bamboo to simulate bone, wrapped in wet straw matting that simulates muscle.
Besides testing the suitability of the blade, tameshigiri allowed the swordsman to test his ability with a given technique. The kesa giri or downward diagonal cuts were considered the easiest. The kiriage or upward diagonal cuts were considered the most difficult and very few of the old samurai mastered the kiriage. The test targets were aligned for the desired test cut- corpses were held in position by bamboo supports or by assistants. The cuts were then made; many times in a series as the smooth transition from one technique to another is important.
Hakudo Nakayama (1869-1958) is generally considered the founder of modern kendo or kyogi (bamboo sword fencing). Despite his promotion of the sport form of fencing and the use of the bamboo shinai, Nakayama felt that tameshigiri was essential to preserve the practical, martial aspects of kendo. The emphasis on practicality has fallen by the wayside and very few kendo schools still practice test-cutting.
The knife is gaining more attention and acceptance as a self-defense weapon. The terminal effects of bullets are discussed and debated endlessly but how many people have a realistic idea of what sort of damage their knife will cause? How many people who carry knives have a realistic idea of what sort of force is necessary to cause incapacitating damage to an assailant? How many of you know how much stress your knife will accept before it breaks?
In a fight you may have to cut through any number of materials. You need to know what kind of force and technique is necessary to penetrate those materials. Starting from the outside of a human opponent you may run into textiles ranging in resistance from a thin T-shirt to leather or Kevlar. Animals will have coats that can be quite thick and dense. Next, you’ll run into skin which on people and dogs is quite thin. The hide on some larger animals is almost impenetrable with a smaller knife but the odds of having to face such animals with only a knife are awfully slim. Within the outer layers are tissues and structures of great interest to the knife fighter including muscles, tendons, blood vessels, bone and internal organs. (At this point, a sound working knowledge of anatomy strongly suggests itself.)
Butchers, hunters who dress their own game, and surgeons have a pretty good idea what it takes to cut through the various tissues. Do you? Let us not forget that dead muscle tissue is different from live muscle. On the Vidalia sandbar, Jim Bowie was run through with a sword. Bowie tightened his muscles (possibly involuntarily) and trapped the weapon then went on to kill the former owner of the sword.
Ideally, you’d be able to test the model of knife you intend to carry to destruction. You would then know exactly how much abuse it could withstand. Obviously this could prove to be cost prohibitive. Your knife should at least be able to withstand some hard use without failing so don’t be afraid to put it to hard use. If your knife fails, you know you need a better knife.
Test a number of different techniques including stabs, slices, chops, slashes, draw cuts, and so on. Test the cuts using a variety of grips. You want to find out what kind of force you can apply and how much is required. Often, good technique can reduce the amount of force needed to complete a cut. Also keep in mind that you may be on the receiving end of such cuts.
So, go out and get yourself a side of pork. Put an old jacket on it and practice your knife techniques. If the neighbors start to think you’re a bit strange, just invite them over for the barbeque afterward.