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Really, it
was out of necessity. I was always trying to find a means to keep my training from
the off and on commitment level that hardships kept me in. One of the additional
struggles I realized was there was a lot of junk out there when it came to
training resources and information - it didn’t matter if it was training or
weapons. I had to do a lot of weeding to find any value. But it all brought me
to the school I’m at now. Add my background in woodworking and now I find
myself in a place where I can craft weapons, solving both problems.
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| Shidoshi Joe Bunales with the BW Tsurugi v.2 |
First, there’s
always the research – finding that authentic line of information to glean off
of. Some of the information comes from history and photography books. From
there, I rely on my background in graphic studies, which helps with the
dimensions and profiles. Then through the training, I start looking for what
makes the (weapon/tool) really useful. What do we need to know about this and
how do we translate that?
With the yari, for instance, I decided to create
something that had actual weighted ends, like an extra three pounds heavier.
That’s a benefit for our training. Creating weapons with specific advantages
and weaknesses – length can be an advantage or a weakness depending on one’s
ability – we found to be of great use and value. I have to figure out the
authenticity and keep it proportional to today so we can understand why things
were done the way they were done back then. The challenge continues with
getting the authenticity right.
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| Nata: Hickory handle, Ipe blade. |
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| Yes, this exists. Otsuchi: laminated Ipe head, Hickory handle, iron fittings. |
It’s not a
training tool at all.
This is an
actual weapon.
Yeah.
And as you
are researching and crafting you are seeing things about the weapons themselves
that relate to their use. You knew the proportions in the photos you were using
meant that the mallet itself was over five feet in length. Standing it on end
the (20lbs) head could then be set on the shoulder for ease of movement and
use.
Yep. With the war mallet specifically, what gave me greater understanding into its use in combat and warfare was actually looking at woodblock prints featuring the same war mallet. There are quite a few. The prints highlight certain aspects of a battle or story and you would see someone with a war mallet leading a march or breaching an entrance. You could see how they were holding it.
And that‘s when, after doing the math, I realized, “oh, this makes a lot of sense,” as to how someone would wield something so massive and destructive, but remain fluid. It had a lot to do with proportion and finding the point of balance. The person using it (back then) might not have been so big and strong.
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| Odaka Dengo Tadao pounding the gate of Moronao's palace with huge mallet. Kuniyoshi print, 1853-1857. |
Right now,
I’m working on some of the larger, exotic, traditional tools that are really
rare: bisento, nyoibo, nagamaki, naginata – we get a lot of requests for that.
I’ll bring in some of the same design features we did with the yari. I want to
inspire people with what these tools were really like, to gain the benefits
from training with them.
You’re
trying to get it as close as possible to the actual feel of the
weapon.
Right, the
feeling. And I can introduce aspects that weren’t available back in the day for
training tools. For instance, I can bring in different wood types and densities
that they might not have had access to. They had a limited selection of species
of wood. I don’t.
I’m trying
to bring back the right feeling for what’s essential in using it with Taijutsu.
A bisento, a nyoibo – why would you need something like that? But I like to
think I see the connection, even if I’m just carrying my training bag – it’s
the size of a nyoibo! I’m trying to inspire people to see the value – not
simply some esoteric, historical value, but the need to use them tactically
with their Taijutsu to expand knowledge and ability. I’d like to bridge
the historical with the contemporary just for the inspiration that it brings. I
think it’s important because it opens the door to teach valuable things that I
think get left out in our training.
Also, I
have an extensive background in high-end remodeling and would love to offer
dojos a historical display, an artistic display that features weapons and
furnishings that show where our art really comes from, not what Hollywood tells
us. My plan is to get into live weapons as well and even have a facility with
target ranges and space where people can train with these large weapons.
You’ve
actually built a kiln, right?
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| Jack Hoban and his BW tsurugi v.1 |
We are
building a couple things to help us with steel work. We’re taking that slowly. Things
I think that will really be a benefit to training right now is really my focus.
I’m careful with the pace we’re growing at. And that is a challenge. We’ve had
a lot of requests from all over the world – constantly – for all kinds of
classic “Hollywood” style ninja tools that fascinate people at a different
level. And it’s tempting, easy money, but I don’t want to abandon the goal. And
some of the smaller items that are traditionally popular, I’m not really worried
about providing. The market is so saturated with them, that I’m not in a rush to
produce them. But to me at this point my priority is with what we want to focus
on in our training.
This is
ultimately about your training.
Absolutely.
It is about my training. I won’t be an effective weapons maker if I don’t
understand how to use them. I can replicate anything. I have no issues with
that ability. But I don’t understand everything and I think that’s more
important.
And the
better tool I can offer the public. So, it has to have a lot of meaning to me.
Everyday something of value is coming to light and it’s adjusting how I craft because
it actually matters.
