I've seen a few decent attempts at information of the Katana, but today I'm going over every single bit of information I can possibly cram into this article about the Nipponto or Nihonto, a.k.a. the Japanese sword which includes, but is not limit to the Katana, the Tanto, the Shoto or Wakizashi, and the Daito. For the general public, I will begin on the history of the Japanese Sword.

History
The oldest swords on record in Japan are from 240 AD. These two were sent as a present to Empress Himiko from China during the Wei-dynasty. And in 280 AD, many iron swords were imported from China to Japan. By the 5th century, steel swords were being made in Japan, and these were of the straight, single-edged type called Chokuto. The first use of hardened steel was in the 6th century.

The era of the straight sword lasted until the 8th century. Then the predominant style of warfare changed from fighting on foot to fighting on horseback. To accommodate horseback fighting the swords became curved. These long, curved, single-edged swords were called Tachi. There were many intermediate forms between Chokuto and Tachi. The most common of these were Kogarasumaru (a curved, two-edged sword) and Kenukigatatachi. This also happens to be around the time that the Heian Era began, which lasted until 1184. During this era, the method of forging a sword with hard outer surface and soft core, known as Differential Hardening, came into practice.

Now because there is so much I'm going to skip quite a bit of the history lesson and move straight to the Edo period, which in my opinion is relatively important. Swords became more refined in this era. Raw materials became more readily available, and the smiths were able to exchange skills. Since the difference between the swords produced before and during the Edo period is so large, people talk of "old swords" and "new swords"

1. Koto ("old swords") 795 - 1596

2. Shinto ("new swords") 1596 - 1624

3. Shinshinto ("new new swords") 1624 - 1876

4. Gendaito ("contemporary swords") 1876-1953

5. Shinshakuto ("modern swords") 1953 - _____

And finally starting in 1868 the Meiji restoration, the era in which samurai lost their right's to carry swords, weapons became manufactured in a factory not by a smith, and the American's banned the manufacture of any weapon, after the Japanese lost the war, making sword-making all but a dead art. For simplicity I am not going to explain exactly what happened in the Meiji Era as it was largely politically involved. However to simplify the idea; in 1858 the Japanese became forced (more or less) into a free trade agreement. The Japanese people got ticked off and wanted a new leader. This leader was Emperor Meiji, thus the name of the era. In this era, Japan went through a political reform where it became more democratic, the samurai began to lose their rights. When the samurai got ticked off, many of them rebelled, causing the ban on samurai edict and many weapons for something like 75 years (that number may not be exact). Fortunately, in 1953, the ban was lifted, and the teachings of the old masters who were just barely still alive could be passed down to new generations.

The parts
Well congratulations, you made it through the boring part. Now I'm going to label the different parts of the Japanese Blade and Sword in whole.

A lot of stuff so a general dictionary of sword parts breaks down to

Tsuka- Handle

Ha- Blade Edge

Kissaki- Point

To be honest that's all you really need to remember. The handle, the part in which you grab; the blade edge, the part with which you cut; the point, the part with which you stab. The rest is great, but for basic information those are in my opinion the most important parts. For simplicity I'm not going to delve to deep into any of the parts.

The Tsuka or handle being the part you grab is very important, beneath the handle itself you notice the sword keeps going. This is called a full tang, or Nakago, and helps the structural integrity of the blade itself. The wrapping is usually as it says Same' or Ray skin, however sharkskin, leather or reeled thread would also be considered traditional. The decorations or Menuki had a very simple use, they helped the handle conform to the hand slightly, and depending on where the ornaments were you could tell if the wielder was left or right handed as that is the ornament side that will be on top.

The Tsuba is of relative Importance as It keeps your hand from getting sliced open, help the balance and in some cases held another potential weapon. More often than not the tsuba only served two purposes though, the first is a hand guard. The second is decoration, the Tsuba would be used to display someone's family crest or something of equal importance to them.

The scabbard also known as Saya, is the place you put your blade when your not using it. It has other uses, but primarily that was it's use. And because most of the other things are as self explanatory as the scabbard or just sort of nit picky I am not going to explain them.

The Types
So how many Japanese swords are there? Well while most people think that the only one is the Katana this would be brutally untrue; in fact, the Katana is quite new to the sword scene when you take a look at Japanese Sword History. But there are tons of different blade types, and I'm sure that this is just a small list as it doesn't name everything every Japanese sword maker has tried.

In Unokubi Zukuri, the thickness on the back becomes thinner from the half of the blade towards the tip. These were primarily used for Naginata.

In Hira Zukuri, the thickness on the back isn't as noticeable as such these were more often Tanto.

In Ken, it was a double edged blade apparently used mostly as a hidden weapon and quite often a Naginata.

The Moroha Zukuri, another Naginata blade, in this it was mostly an asymmetrical ridge or back. Meaning it was an excellent weapon to stab with.

The Shinogi Zukuri, the most common Katana, Tachi, Wakizashi shape.

The Shobu Zukuri, this is much like the Shinogi while not having a Yokote line. The Yokote line is basically the dividing line between the edge and the blade ridge.

The Hira Zukuri, is a long version of the Hira Zukuri, the need for repeat in name is nothing more than a lack of need in the Japanese language. This blade is more often not very long.

The Kiriha Zukuri, is the original blade design which for hundreds of years was the stereotypical sword. This was replicated and altered from the very first blades sent from China.

In the Kogarasu-Maru Zukuri, the forward part of the blade is double edged, the "Kogarasu-maru" is a name of one very famous sword in curved Kissaki-Moroha-Zukuri. It was a treasure of the Taira family in 12th century, and now is in the imperial collection.

And of course, since the merging of the east and west, knowledge of both types of blade making has surpassed anything we could have hoped for. And the knowledge we have is only growing every day, making new and more incredible blades more and more common and easy to obtain.

"How are Japanese blades used?" There are examples of a Japanese blade being used for everything from dicing vegetables to cutting horses. I have personally heard smiths talk about O-Dachi so large that it took two men to wield it, and it was used on the front lines with pole arms men to take down the opposing forces horsemen by cutting them down at the knees. I have no evidence backing this statement up but considering the claymore for a moment, I don't think I can really validate a good argument against it. I know that the Chinese had the Pu-Dao a.k.a. the Horse cutter, and a lot of people refuse to separate Chinese and Japanese sword history. Then again, the Pu-Dao is more of a pole arm rather than a sword, but the fact of the matter remains that each blade is made for a different purpose, and therefore each blade can and should be used differently. Originally remember that the Katana was made for fighting on horses so it was made mostly to cut off whatever they were running past. Very rarely would a Samurai expose himself by getting off of his horse. The use of the sword was still fast destructive slices which migrated with the sword even till today, and made it very useful in a duel.

Some Myths

"A Katana can decapitate someone in a single swing!" That depends are you using it? If your answer was "of course I'm using it, ya jerk", then the answer is no. Most people cannot make the slice necessary to decapitate someone in a single slice. If you started training right now with an instructor, you would have to train at least an hour every day for the next 5 years to be able to do it consistently and/or effectively. Mind you this is on an unmoving opponent, when your opponent starts to move it is a completely different ball game, or sword fight as the case may be. It can however be done.

"Well a Katana can deflect a bullet!" Wow, that one oddly enough is true. A well-made Katana made with a differential hardening technique can, in fact, withstand a few bullets. That doesn't mean it can cut through them, and it doesn't mean the deflection is enough to save your life. Also note that you have to put the Katana in the way of the bullet, even a millimeter off and you just got shot, and I can promise the guy shooting you isn't going to be aiming for your sword. Also note that you may have deflected it only a few inches off of its original course, so odds are you will still get shot.

"But the Katana can cut through a Broad Sword!" Well I suppose if the broad sword was poorly made and the Katana was exceptional, it could technically be possible. Nothing is really impossible, but the likelihood nowadays lies in that both are poorly constructed, and neither could cut through a piece of wet tissue paper, much less each other. Could it? Yes, again it’s unlikely, but remember, the same rule applies in reverse. A well made European Sword against a poorly made Japanese one will yield an unsatisfying outcome for the person wielding the Katana.

"Well I have a Katana that is folded 1 million times." So you wasted something like 999,975 folds? The folding is actually to remove impurities in the iron ore originally used in Japanese sword making. That being said after a few folds you’re not doing anything at all aside from wasting time. Now if you are adding an alloy, then another set of folds becomes useful, but after a couple hundred, you really are just over doing it. I have personally heard of one thousand folds for a nickel carbon steel sword. These are good, no doubt, but remember, the smith in question has had a long time practicing. Folding is counted by how many layers the fold made, not by how many times the smith folded it. For example, a blade with 100 folds was actually folded 7 times to make 128 folds or layers. I mean, do you really think a smith would sit there and pound out a piece of metal to fold it a thousand times?

"A Katana can cut through a tank! It’s true I saw it on the internet somewhere" GTFO NOOB! Seriously, I don't understand how people could think a sword could cut through a gun. Guns take shots from other guns and don't get a scratch, why would a sword being swung by a human cut a gun? Words cannot even describe the improbability of a sword even scratching a tank.

So what good is the Katana if it can't really do all the things it can do in anime and movies? Well neither can a gun, but I don't hear you complaining about them. Look the point is anime and movies exaggerate things a little bit for entertainment value. The Katana has its strong points, but it is not an overall survival weapon. Any samurai could have told you that as they carried 2 swords: the Katana, or Dachi, depending on what era they were in, and the Shoto or Wakizashi. Some even carried a third a little dagger known as the Tanto. And if you think you’re going to go through a war with only a single Katana, you have lost your mind. Now that I'm moderately confident that I have shattered your faith in the Katana and odds are, most blades in general. I should explain why.

Explanation
A blade is a wonderful weapon that should never be discredited for what it is. A blade is a blade and if not for the blade many things today could not exist. Could you imagine trying to make dinner without a knife? Would you want to imagine being in the woods without your trusty field knife, machete and/or Ax? The fact is that the Japanese excelled in the art of sword making, and many dedicated their entire lives to the art. Some still do. I made this article to show that there is so much more that what we see. No, the Katana cannot cut down 100 men in a single swipe, but it can defend well against even much larger swords such as the bastard sword due to its superior manufacture. This is not to say that a bastard sword is a bad sword as I intend to prove in my next article. This is to say that many were poorly manufactured, in fact the average European sword was little more than a sharpened chunk of metal for a long time. But a well-made one is a different story all together. The curvature that the Japanese sword smiths were able to attain made single edge blades more sturdy, and the action they perform when dragged along something really increases their innate ability to slice, which is what gives the Katana an edge over a lot of other weapons. Speaking of an edge, the Katana's shape allows it to keep one relatively well; which is why many people think that even a dull Katana is sharp, because to them it is, even though it could be sharper. The Katana is also very light, for its ability to take a beating. Pound for pound, the Katana is second to none. Another point happens to be the point, the point on a Katana is wonderful for stabbing, I like to think of it as the Japanese Rapier and considering Kendo, maybe I'm not the only one. Granted it isn't the best for stabbing, but it will get the job done.

Training
Speaking of Kendo I personally suggest learning Kendo as the fundamental training will help you learn much faster than going outside and hacking away. Remember your body will get better your blade will not, this is one of the many reasons why when practicing Kendo you start with a wooden sword; another reason is safety. I won't get into all the reasons.

If you can't find a traditional Kendo school, try Traditional Karate, or Traditional Kung Fu. I say traditional for a reason, this is because many places who claim to be whatever style are a made up style that the "teacher" made up or doesn't really understand. There are also some styles which base themselves much more on making your body stronger and faster before teaching you how to be effective. The strength and technique taught in these are usually only taught by traditional and is necessary before trying something more effective. Learning to control all the muscles you use to punch seems stupid, but trust me, you will benefit from it. The true strength from a technique comes from good technique not from muscle tone or strength.

If you can't afford being in class, there are books such asThe Heart of Kendo: A Comprehensive Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of the Art of the Sword by Darrell Max Craig, Complete Kendo by John Donohue, or Kendo: The Definitive Guide by Hiroshi Ozawa. You could also learn some of the Kata or Forms; these help teach the basics in attack and defense and are used in Kendo schools at least for grading of rank tests. Youtube.com has a large selection of Kata to pick from and I can assure you there is a large variety of Kendo schools. If you can't afford to buy tatami to cut, all it is it straw mats bundled together, just buy or make the straw and bundle it together. Really it's just the idea of practicing

Learning to properly use and maintain your Japanese sword will benefit you in more ways than I care to count, but a few of the ways are obvious self defense. Maintaining your blade could be a form of meditation or method to just get your mind away from whatever is stressing you, as could your training. Your training will make you more capable of controlling your body. I do not intend to turn this into a philosophical article but there are Philosophical aspects to training and maintaining your blades that many attest to. The list is expansive, I do hope you enjoyed this read if you did please leave a comment, Also I will begin writing about the Bastard Sword next to keep things kinda balanced and hopefully touch on a sword that doesn't see quite enough love in my opinion. If you enjoyed reading this and are serious about getting a better Katana might I suggest Some guidelines for buying a Katana. A well educated thread made by Theelous3 which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. I did not however find some of the information necessary for the purpose of this article. I do hope my article helps you find the resources to help you get better.

Work Cited and Thanks
I would like to thank many different sites and people for help with this article.
Richard Steiner's Japanese Sword Guide
http://www.shadowofleaves.com/sword_history.htm
http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/styles.html
http://www.trueswords.com/art_of_katana.php

I would also like to Artilery Smith for asking questions that made me think of ways I could improve this article. Chilbert, and VictoriaMandorean for helping me edit and find information when I was writing it. All of the mods for reading, editing, and Posting this. And You, the reader, for sitting down and actually reading this article. Also there is a hidden picture link somewhere in this article, if you saw it I hope you got a decent laugh out of it.