How to Carry a Katana

The katana, a traditional Japanese sword, is the most famous of the swords and other weapons to come from Japan. The katana was the favored weapon of the Japanese samurai warriors, and was renowned for the craftsmanship and care that went into its creation and its use. Sheathed in a saya, or scabbard, katana are traditionally tucked into the obi, or sash, of the user's garment. For the sake of this article, however, we will only show you the proper way to hold or carry the katana.

Things You'll Need

  • Katana
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Instructions

    • 1

      Take your dominant hand and wrap your fingers around the tsuka (hilt) of your katana. You want to hold it with your hand just below the tsuba, or cut guard. The cut guard is the cross-sectional piece of metal that separates the hilt of the katana from the blade.

    • 2

      Grasp the hilt with your dominant hand as if you were gripping a raw egg, tight enough to keep it in your hand but not tight enough to crush it.

    • 3

      Now place the pommel, which is the very bottom of the hilt, into the palm of your non-dominant hand.

    • 4

      Turn your non-dominant hand upward, so that your index finger and middle finger are tight around the hilt, but the ring and pinky fingers are slightly looser. The side of the pommel should be resting about halfway down the palm of your hand.

    • 5

      If you have done this correctly, there should be a space of about 6"-8" between your top hand and your bottom hand. Now extend your top hand outward, almost as if you were going to shake someone's hand. This is the proper way to carry a katana.