# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  Horrbile cutting accident...

## H. Watanabe

Hello everyone. I do not know if many of you know my husband, Watanabe Hakujou, but I am writing in this forum using his account. My name is Loraine Yang Watanabe. This past Friday my husband was involved in a horrible cutting accident that should teach a lesson to all who practice this art.
     It was around 6 PM when he got home from work and received a call from a friend of his, whom he knew for no less than two months. His friend claims to know the Japanese arts of swordsmanship, despite being self-taught in his own backyard. This friend of my husband, whom I shall call T.J., wanted my husband to go teach him a few cutting techniques, so off my husband went.
     I got a phone call later in the evening from the local hospital, saying that my husband has been hospitalized due to a chest injury from a samurai sword. This was what happened at T.J.'s place:

     First of all, let me say that my husband is a very careful man and has never hurt himself badly with his swords before, so this accident was a freak accident that is due, in part, to my husband's momentary lapse of judgment and his friend's carelessness. My husband was teaching his friend some more proper cutting techniques with his Chinese-made samurai sword. I recall him saying that his friend's sword is a Chinnesk He-go? His friend was trying to cut some pretty thick bamboo, but my husband insisted he cut something light; pool noodles, I think? But T.J. was being stubborn, so he refused. He attempted a few cuts, but could not cut through. So my husband tried to teach him the proper techniques, but he couldn't manage it. So in a fit of rage, he swung at the bamboo as hard as he can and the metal blade just flew out of the handle. It lodged into my husband's chest, puncturing his right lung and breaking two ribs. My husband was rushed to the hospital and was in the O.R. for over 5 hours (I lost track of time.) He is still healing up, but I will not allow him to be new this T.J. and swords for a few months at least. He's lucky that I don't take away all of his swords.

     I hope this is a good lesson to you all: please be safe when test cutting, especially with someone around. Also, don't think that you are better than you really are; please have a trained instructor teach you...AND LISTEN TO HIM/HER TOO!!! Have a good day; for those who know of my husband, he is a good man and I hope you can wish him a fast recovery.



- Loraine Yang Watanabe

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## Anthony Densmore

That's horrible.
My hearfelt condolences to you and your families.

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## Timo Qvintus

Oh my God...  :EEK!:  

All the best to both of you.

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## Michael Tinker Pearce

You'll both be in our prayers, and you have Linda and my heartfelt best wishes for a speedy recovery for your husband!  Thank you very much for sharing this experience with us- I hope that in doing so you will save some one else from a potential tradgedy such as this.

I hope that Lorraine's points will be taken to heart by all who read this-

My wife Linda wished me to add the following commentary-

"If you are instructing some one and they refuse to listen, WALK AWAY.  If you are practicing with some one and they are loosing their temper, tell them to stop until they get it together and if they don't- or won't- WALK AWAY.  NEVER practice with some one who is angry or when you are yourself angry.  The potential for tragedy is just too great."

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## Skip Gardner

Hello Loraine,

  This is a horrible and tragic thing to have happened.  I hope and am praying for your husbands speedy recovery.  Thank God his injuries were treatable, and he will again be able to join us all here at SFI.

  Your posting this may indeed help prevent such a horrible accidant from happening to someone else.  I truely hope all who read this take great caution in their future attempts of cutting.  It's horrible thing to have happened, but I for one will redouble my efforts to make sure this never happens to anyone I know.  Thank you very much for sharing this.

Skip

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## Rubem Bastos

Oh God...

Really sorry to know that...
I do hope he recovers well

All the best for your family

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## AdamTNesvick

Oh my god...

I hope your husband is alright. 

My prayers to you both.

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## Bill Duncan

Our prayers to you both.
Dunc and family

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## Wayne C

damn, sorry that had to happen. yeah i don't think i'd let him hang out with that punk. if he don't have self control then he shouldn't have a sword. but please don't take your husbands swords from him.

best wishes.

Wayne C

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## Jennifer Yabut

> My wife Linda wished me to add the following commentary-
> 
> "If you are instructing some one and they refuse to listen, WALK AWAY.  If you are practicing with some one and they are loosing their temper, tell them to stop until they get it together and if they don't- or won't- WALK AWAY.  NEVER practice with some one who is angry or when you are yourself angry.  The potential for tragedy is just too great."


Linda is a wise woman.  Anger and swords are definitely NOT a good mix.

Thanks for letting us know about your husband, Loraine.  I'm glad that he's doing better, and pray for a speedy recovery.

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## rich klaas

Loraine and Hakujo, my condelences on this horrible accident.Thank god it didn't turn out worse,i will pray for hakujo's recovery.Hope all goes well,please keep us informed of how he is doing.

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## Michael Olsen

Mrs. Watanabe,

Though I never conversed in company with your husband, I would ask you to let him know that he is in my thoughts and his quick and complete recovery are on my mind and in my prayers. You too, are considered, as having one's loved one hurt is never a light occurrence. I hope very much that he recovers with speed and that he does not have to go through much pain during the healing process. Hopefully he will be able to return to his normal life without significant consequence.

It is terribly unfortunate that this occurred, as it does not seem without precedent - it is often the 'new' student that hurts the elder. Your husband was no doubt attempting, at least to some degree, to teach TJ the safer and proper way to use a sword, ironically to prevent something similar from happening to himself. As we all know, bad things happen to good people.

Best wishes to you, Mrs. Watanabe, and your husband. I hope the two of you can work on healing the stress and the flesh together.

Michael

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## Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

Loraine, please give my best wishes for a prompt healing to Hakujou-kun.
Take care.

Carlo

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## Chris Thomas

I hope and pray for a speedy full recovery

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## David Buck

Good God, I am glad he is okay, that is a horrible accident, I hope he gets better asap, I am glad he did not get more seriously hurt.


I hate to bring this up here but I believe she is most likely talking about a Cheness Higo.  (If I am mistaken I apologize in advance) 

This is the third or fourth story I have heard recently about a faulty Cheness product.  This is something that I think we as a board should bring to the attention of Mr. P Y Chen.  This is not acceptable, one blade broke in at the habaki/nakago, and the handles were the biggest complaints.  I believe this is the last straw.  Somebody needs to say something to Mr. Chen about this.  This is unacceptable quality in a weapon.  Am I wrong?

Again I am assuming this is a P Y Chen Cheness sword.....


This is truly messed up, my best wishes to you both.

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## Laurence J.

I only registered on this forum a few weeks ago, but during that time I came enjoy reading H. Watanabe's posts. It feels like a rather empty gesture, but I just wanted to say that I sincerely hope he recovers in swift time.

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## Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

> Again I am assuming this is a P Y Chen Cheness sword...


David, even if understandable, is better to avoid such statements without
strong evidences, for the sake of this board.

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## David Buck

> David, even if understandable, is better to avoid such statements without
> strong evidences, for the sake of this board.


That is true, but I still feel obligated to say something, I understand if a mod wants to delete what I said.  I'll remove it if somebody truly wants me to.

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## Sam Salvati

Get well soon!

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## J.G. Grubbs

I'm truly sorry to hear of this tragic event.  Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery!

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## tom_urso

You have my prayers for a speedy recovery.

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## J. Hedgespeth

A sad event indeed.  

The gentleman should understand the moment a temper flares, is when an accident is sure to occur.  

My heart and prayers go out to you and your husband.  For the short while I have had conversation with Hakujou, he has been very helpful in my development of understanding about JSA.  I certainly will pray for his speedy recovery.  I hope the both of you will pray for the person you refer to as T.J....to learn patience and respect.

God Bless you both
John

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## Ed K.

Hello Loraine,

    I will keep both of you in my thoughts and prayers, and wish your husband a speedy and complete recovery.


    Ed K.

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## Diane Mirro

Dear Lorraine,

I will add my sympathies to the ones above.  Your husband is a very lucky man to have an understanding wife who is willing to take the time to share such a horrible experience in hopes of helping others in the sword community.  For the sharing, our profound thanks to you both.

There is a two-year-old thread in Japanese Sword Arts by Don Rice--" Why the best piece of advice is "Get an Instructor" WARNING--DISTURBING PHOTOS ON P.2" with a similar message:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=53083

I made that post "sticky" several years ago for similar reasons to what you discuss here.  Mr. Rice was kind enough to include some grisly photos of the aftermath of his accident.  Since then, I have gotten plenty of feedback from Forumites who agree that the thread--and especially the photos--really made a huge impact on their opinion regarding training without an instructor.  Adrian, Angus and Karl may well decide to do the same here in the General Forum with this thread.

Again, thank you, and please keep us updated on Hakujo's recovery.

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## Angus Trim

> Dear Lorraine,
> 
> I will add my sympathies to the ones above.  Your husband is a very lucky man to have an understanding wife who is willing to take the time to share such a horrible experience in hopes of helping others in the sword community.  For the sharing, our profound thanks to you both.
> 
> There is a two-year-old thread in Japanese Sword Arts by Don Rice--" Why the best piece of advice is "Get an Instructor" WARNING--DISTURBING PHOTOS ON P.2" with a similar message:
> 
> http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=53083
> 
> I made that post "sticky" several years ago for similar reasons to what you discuss here.  Mr. Rice was kind enough to include some grisly photos of the aftermath of his accident.  Since then, I have gotten plenty of feedback from Forumites who agree that the thread--and especially the photos--really made a huge impact on their opinion regarding training without an instructor.  Adrian, Angus and Karl may well decide to do the same here in the General Forum with this thread.
> ...


This will be a sticky, but for whatever reason threads get more attention when they have the opportunity to "roll" for a while.......

Mrs. Watanabe, thank you very much for posting this. I'm sorry for your husband's injury, and your pain...... and it took a deal of courage for both your husband, and you, to post this..........

Thank you.......

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## Michael Mahaffey

Mrs Watanabe,

Your husband and yourself will be in my prayers. My sincere wishes for his speedy recovery.

Sincerely,
Mike Mahaffey

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## Eric Blacksmith

My condolences on such a horrible accident. I hope your husband has a speedy and complete recovery.

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## Michael Edelson

My condolances.  I'd like to add that perhaps you are being a bit hard on your husband's friend.  He didn't drop the sword, nor did it go flying out of his hands.  The blade flew out of the handle!  That is a complete and total failure of the sword's hilt assembly.

Sure, at the time it happend, he was not behaving properly.  However, had he been the greatest, most respectful and safety minded swordsman in the world, and that sword had failed during a cut, the same thing would have happened.  

I'm sure he feels terrible.

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## Brian James

Whoa...  

I hope for a full recovery for your husband and a healed heart for you and "T.J."

Best,

Brian James

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## B.Blackwell

> Hello everyone. I do not know if many of you know my husband, Watanabe Hakujou, but I am writing in this forum using his account. My name is Loraine Yang Watanabe. This past Friday my husband was involved in a horrible cutting accident that should teach a lesson to all who practice this art.
> 
> - Loraine Yang Watanabe


Loraine,

 We are so very sorry to hear of this unfortunate incident. I pray for a speedy recovery for Hakujou, and much healing as well for your family.

 I for one will keep Hakujou in mind whenever I remove my sword from it's resting place. 

Blackwell Family

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## Karl J

Your family will be in my family's prayers.

get well.

-Karl

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## Erik Brock

****.  
This is terrible; I add my condolences and hope for a full recovery.
Stuff like this shouldnt happen.  always inspect your weapon before every use and never swing a live blade towards another person.

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## Arik Estus

Dear Lady,
Prayers for you and your husband in this time of pain. Weapons and anger are never a good combination.

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## LucasMolina

May the gods smile and give him a speedy recovery.

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## Anthony Sowinski

Damn, I really enjoy your husbands posts, seems like a great guy.  I hope he recovers fully and swiftly.



re: the OT cheness discussion; the laminated Higo is recommended on the cheness site for little more than kata and pool noodles, and the occasional straw mat.

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## Joo-Hwan Lee

Came out of lurk-mode to say... that I wish him a speedy recovery.  Seemed like a very nice fellow from his posts.  

Cheness can and should be discussed further in a separate thread (as I'm sure that it will be in the coming days and weeks).

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## Jeff Ellis

> Came out of lurk-mode to say... that I wish him a speedy recovery.  Seemed like a very nice fellow from his posts.  
> 
> Cheness can and should be discussed further in a separate thread (as I'm sure that it will be in the coming days and weeks).


I wish Mr Watanabe the fastest and best recovery possible. Truly a tragedy.

It seems it is a Chenness Higo, but at the same time, it is possible the mekugi fell out, which can not be a manufacturer's defect. We'll need to wait and find out if the blade broke, or flew out.

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## MRusso

My condolances, hope he get well soon.

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## Jim Anestasi

Loraine : Best wishes to you and Hakujo, I pray for both of you,and a fast recovery. As we all know you can never be to safe.   Jim.

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## Lance Chan

That's a tragedy. I wish your husband a quick recovery.  :Frown:

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## Sean Stonebridge

Hi Loraine,

Here's wishing Hakujou a complete, speedy recovery from his injuries and hoping you enjoy the support you so richly deserve during trying times like this.  :Wink:

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## Mick Newton

Good luck Loraine, to you and your husband and your husband's friend. I'm sure that you are all hurting very much right now. Be strong and stay positive.

Regards,
Mick

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## Tom Carr

Dear Lord! May your husband recover fully from his ordeal.

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## M Graham

Ma'am,
     I am truly sorry to hear that your husband was injured.  I really hope that he is okay.  Thank you so much for this letter, as I am a novice myself.  Because of your letter, you have opened my eyes to the true dangers of cutting.  My heart is with your family.

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## Sancar Ozer

my deepest condolences about this unfortunate accident. I pray for a quick and complete recovery of your husband  :Frown:

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## KevinT

Oh my word, this is indeed a horrible accident Mrs. Wantanabe.
but he is alive and that has to feel good considering what happened.

I pray he is stable and on the road to recovery. keep us updated but not at the expense of your rest. you are in our thoughts and prayers.

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## Angelo Silva

Mrs. Watanabe, I add up my feelings with all from SFI. 

May your husband heal quickly and with no lasting health concerns from this very unfortunate accident.
And may both of you overcome this difficult moment.

I will keep you both in my mind. 

When this is over, try to have fun and be happy!

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## Trish Davis

Lorraine,
Thank you for posting this and I'm so sorry, all in one breath.
How is your husband today?  And how are you?

It cannot be stressed enough that "experts" are deadly. Not "can be deadly," ARE deadly.   

True cutters --whether we're JSA, WMA, plywood-killers of whatever discipline or level-- know that swords kill.  That's the only purpose they have.  

Maybe there is a defect in this batch of swords.  In that case, it needs to be discussed.... like: Don't cut with this,  there could be a problem, don't know yet.

However, what needs to be repeated is not to go around idiots.  Sometimes, idiots sound good, sound knowledgable.   Sometimes, we get this "educate them" bug and won't let them go.   Sometimes, it's an accident.

This was not an accident.   This was a wannabe with a piece of crap kinda-sword who wanted to show off.   If that's ever been you (and it has been a LOT of you; tell the truth if only to yourselves), then get far away before you kill someone.

If I've offended anyone, good, that's what I meant to do.  
THINK LONG & HARD before you pick up the blade.  LISTEN to what smarter- than-you-people have to say about its construction and handling.   SHUT YOUR YAPS about "I knowthis, I know that."


A man was almost KILLED because of a nitwit with a so-so sword and an "expert" attitude.   Because of this nitwit's ego, Mr and Mrs Wanantabe face thousands of dollars in medical bills.  Stress.  Fear.  Job time lossed that = money.

THINK before the next time you pick up a blade and "play."

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## rnatalli

This is an absolutely terrible accident.  My condolences to you and your husband.  I'm glad to hear his injuries were treatable and he's currently recovering.

This sort of thing just goes to show that one must be respectful of the blade at all times.  To share, I've run into similar situations that easily may have turned ugly.  One time I was polishing and cleaning one of my blades and almost cut the top part of my finger off.  I was distracted as my wife was talking to me about something else and all it took was a millisecond.  Since then, she has learned to stay completely clear of me when I'm handling a live blade.  Another time, my mother-in-law was visiting last month and she did not understand this lesson.  My blade is mounting slightly high, so normally I step on a small ladder or something to take it down.  As I was doing so last month, I turned to find my mother-in-law directly in my path startling me.  I could have easily turned and cut her by accident not realizing she was there or having been started, I could have tripped and God only knows what.  She didn't know, her instinct was to protect, but in situations like these, it's better to stay away.

The Cheness Higo is a laminated blade using the san-mai method.  I believe Cheness has discontinued this blade.  Cheness does recommend the monosteel line for heavy cutting.  Even still, if the blade simply flew out of the handle, this is completely unacceptable.

I personally have been out of practice and although I own a live blade, I don't dare pick it up until my skills have been sharpened again.  I've been practicing with a wood sword and blunt sword even though I have trained with live blades in the past.  Unfortunately there are so many who pick up weapons and have little idea of how to really use it.  Combine this with a defective product and the chances of something fatal happening increases exponentially.

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## Timothy Shirley

> However, what needs to be repeated is not to go around idiots.  Sometimes, idiots sound good, sound knowledgable.   Sometimes, we get this "educate them" bug and won't let them go.   Sometimes, it's an accident.
> 
> This was not an accident.   This was a wannabe with a piece of crap kinda-sword who wanted to show off.   If that's ever been you (and it has been a LOT of you; tell the truth if only to yourselves), then get far away before you kill someone.
> 
> If I've offended anyone, good, that's what I meant to do.  
> THINK LONG & HARD before you pick up the blade.  LISTEN to what smarter- than-you-people have to say about its construction and handling.   SHUT YOUR YAPS about "I knowthis, I know that."
> 
> 
> A man was almost KILLED because of a nitwit with a so-so sword and an "expert" attitude.   Because of this nitwit's ego, Mr and Mrs Wanantabe face thousands of dollars in medical bills.  Stress.  Fear.  Job time lossed that = money.
> ...



Several weeks ago we had a fellow come into class carrying a "ninja sword".  You know, the one that cost $9.99 on closeout from BudK.  He said he was a "master swordsman".  Sensei ever so kindly asked him to leave.  The gentleman left after saying how our iaijutsu was "stupid samurai s#*^".  
  This being said, I think everyone should have a chance to train.  _However_, I do not believe know-it-alls should be allowed to use anything other than a boken until they come to learn the actual art, along with respect for the blade and it's abilities.  What was that about self training = self maiming?  Or sadly, in this case, injury to another.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours, Mrs. Watanabe.

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## Travis Morris

I am very sorry to hear about this horrible accident. I hope he gets well soon. Please take care.

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## C Yarbrough

I'm very sorry to hear about your husband's accident. He's been very active here on the forums, and has always been eager to share advice and experiance. It is a shame that he had to pay for another person's angry mistake.

Thankfully he was brought to the hospital in time to avert a true tragedy. My best wishes for his full recovery, and my warmest thoughts to you in what must be a highly stressful time. 


C Yarbrough

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## William MacLaren

Mrs. W.

Our prayers are with you and your husband.  As you can see from the many posts, there are many here who thank you for sharing this burden and hope we can help in some way.

Thank you for being so brave and letting us all know of this incident so we can attempt to prevent another such terrible thing in the future.

Kindest regards,

Will MacLaren

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## G. Allen

Very sorry to hear of this accident....I don't personally know your husband, but have read with interest his posts since I joined this Forum a short while ago.  I very much enjoy his postings for his insight and information, he takes the time to help others with their problems...... I pray that he heal up swiftly, with no lasting effects .....

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## Matthew Stagmer

Your both in our prayers here at BKS. never like to hear stuff like this.

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## Brett Bandy

My thoughts and prayers will be with you both, as are all those of fellow SFI members.  I had only spoken with Mr. Watanabe a few times, but even in those few discussions hold so much respect for him.  His caring and understanding for others, as well as his enriching and inspiring views of life are something we all should take to heart.  I do hope he is well and will be home soon.

There is one undisputable fact about swords:  They are weapons.  Everyone must hold respect for them as truly your safety is always at risk.  No matter who you are or what skill you have, a sword is deadly.  Period.

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## H. Watanabe

Hello, fellow forumites. This is Hakujou (I was finally able to come home today from the hospital); I'd like to say that all of your words have touched me a great deal. My wife and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your concerns. However, I do not want for this thread to be focused about me and my health. I am still alive, so all is well; thanks again for your heartfelt concerns. Furthermore, please don't let this thread, nor any future threads, antagonize Mr. Chen and his products, nor any other company/forge/individual. Even this co-worker of mine, whom my wifed named "T.J.," should not be to blame for such an accident. If anything, I am the one to blame. I failed to see the obvious signs that can spell disaster because I wanted so much to help out my co-worker to ensure that he won't hurt himself, nor anyone else, from future improper usage of his katana. However, ironically, my attempts were futile and it was I who ended up injured.

In truth, my wife has made T.J. sound more of a menace than he really is. I became acquainted with T.J. a few months ago at our workplace; he's very fascinated by the Japanese culture, especially the katana, but because he lacks an Internet service provider in his home (to find out more information about the katana and the culture behind it) and he knew no one who is trained in the art, he had to self-teach himself, as well as learn all that he can about the katana through...Hollywood. T.J. is a very nice man, although he can be quite arrogant and stubborn!

T.J.'s sword is indeed a Cheness. The katana is a previous generation Cheness sword that has been discontinued for almost one year. I give you my word that it is indeed the Higo, with the Musashi double-ring tsuba. There is only one mekugi-ana, as this is the case with many of the older Cheness katana that have since been discontinued. When I first got the opportunity to have a look at his sword, T.J. told me that he purchased it at a local yardsale for $50, so its history prior to his purchase is unknown. When I was at his house, I asked to hold the sword so I can inspect it further, but he refused, saying that this sword is precious to him and he has never let anyone else hold it. At that point, I should have thought, "RED FLAG!" but I respected T.J.'s wishes, as I would with anyone else's. From what I was able to see, there appeared to be lots of scratches that can be seen on the blade, but all were just superficial. There were also some rust spots that formed throughout the nagasa. I asked him about the scratches, and he said that they were "Battle scars." I should have realized that this sword has been ill-kept, but once more I gave T.J. the benefit of the the doubt since he wasn't able to be taught the proper ways of sword maintenance.

After the accident in his backyard, he came to visit me in the hospital with a basket full of fruits, some flowers, and a get-well-soon card. We talked for a bit and he actually confessed to me that he has lost the original bamboo mekugi some time ago, so he used a wooden mekugi carved out of a twig in his backyard. He said that he has had the sword for over two years, and in the course of those two years, he has attempted to cut many things, ranging from two-inch thick plywood, 5-inch in diameter bamboo, to even the trunks of trees, just whacking away at them. This must have been the reason to why the tsuka failed. When I inspected his sword earlier today, I noticed that the tsuka did indeed have a crack inside of it, running almost horizontal to its length and straight through the mekugi-ana. So for all you forumites wondering whether the blade snapped or the tsuka failed, it is indeed the latter. The tsuka core, as well as the "mekugi," cracked from all the years of abuse, resulting in the blade flying out of the tsuka. 

This experience further supports my earlier statements that katana owners MUST--and I truly stress MUST-- invest more money in ensuring their tsuka are properly and tightly fitted. As I have said in the past, please don't cut corners the same way a lot of Chinese forges are doing. If you want to purchase a $200 katana for tameshigiri, I'd suggest you invest at least $100 more in having the tsuka redone by a TRAINED PROFESSIONAL. Should your tsuka age, please, PLEASE don't go the inexpensive route by attempting to build a new tsuka yourself. That is, UNLESS you are rebuilding a new tsuka for the sake of learning and nothing more, OR you yourself are a trained professional. OTHERWISE, LET TRAINED PROFESSIONALS DO THE JOB FOR YOU. You will not regret that decision. I would like to refer people to an earlier thread in which I wrote about tsuka being analogous to "brakes" in cars:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...205#post903205 (Scroll down to the bottom; my post is second to last.)

And also, please read this thread that was started by Jeff Ellis and pay EXTRA CLOSE ATTENTION to the comments expressed by Keith Larman:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=79250

HOWEVER, that is not to say that ALL katana within the $200 price range have improperly fitted tsuka. Please bear in mind that this accident that happened to me is an isolated event with unique factors that caused the tsuka to fail: 

- Improper longterm usage of katana.
- Improper techniques.
- Missing bamboo mekugi.
- Inability to rebuild new tsuka core.

Once more, I would like to stress how much we should not put the blame on T.J., for if we should take a closer look at him, we will see that he is in fact a mirror image of us all. There is a T.J. in all of us, so please bear that in mind and always be safe when handling your katana, or anything that is potentially deadly. I would also like to say that I commend and admire those educated folks who try unceasingly to further educate those who are untrained or uneducated in any such field of study. Believe me, your efforts will not be in vain, for there will always be at least one individual who can benefit from your wisdom.

As to those who are still concerned about my health, I am happy to say that no, I do not have tetanus, although I will live the rest of my life with a partially collapsed lung. My road to recovery is still long and painful, so that is why there is prescription morphine to help me through those rough days! No, I lie! I do not believe in taking painkillers; instead, I look to God for support and guidance. Even if you should not believe that there is a God, I will also pray to Him to keep you safe from harm's way.

Thank you all so much! Your kind words have really boosted my morale and definitely made my day! I regret to say that because I am still recovering, it seems every breath I make is painful, so I must stay away from tasking activities, meaning I won't be on SFI for a least a month or two. I hope all goes well to everyone here on SFI. You all will also be in my prayers.

Lastly, please, please, please learn from my mistake. Learn from the perspective of the student, as well as the teacher. Heaven forbid such an incident occur again. And yes, I would be more than happy to have this thread become a sticky.



Regards,
H. Watanabe

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## CarlRutledge

I second that idea, Mr.Watanbe I wish well

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## Andrew Habzansky

Oh my H. I just picked up on this thread.  Glad to see you are home.  Please accept my wife and I's prayers for a speedy recovery.

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## Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

Welcome back Hakujou.

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## tracy harden

You are truly an example for all of us.

Heal quickly!

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## J. Low

You're lucky to be alive... Swinging a sword is no different than shooting a gun. Anything can happen.

One momentary lapse of judgement or respect for what you're doing with it can end your life, or someone else's life in an instant.

This also shows not to abuse your swords, or make make-shift parts yourself. If you need repairs or parts. Get them from a professional...

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## Greg.D

...I usually sit back and observe this aspect of the forum,but in Mr.Wantenabe's case I am relieved for him and his wife to hear that he is doing well,
Sincerly
Greg Dunay

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## Ian Alexander

Wishing you a speedy recovery, and with some luck and Grace from God that you'll be able to resume life like normal without any major after efects of the injury.

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## J. Hedgespeth

Welcome back!!!   :Smilie:  

Remember...No matter what, you'll always have one letter more than me!  :Big Grin:  

Get Well Soon!!!

John

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## Jennifer Yabut

Glad to see you back, Hakujou.   :Smilie:   And thank you for your latest well-written post.

I will continue to pray for your speedy recovery.

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## Luke Dupont

I was wondering why you hadn't replied to my PM. This is truly shocking! 

I pray that you recover well without serious long-term injuries. And though I just started using these forums, I will miss your posts in your abscence.

Though I do not pretend or attempt to practice any Japanese sword arts, nor cut anything, I do own a katana and am interested in arts such as iaido. Reading these kinds of stories really motivate me to find a teacher; if one is going to own a katana, I believe it is his responsibility to know how to use it correctly and safely, and also be able to recognize if others are doing so. I also need to do some more research on sword maintenance, and checking to make sure the fittings are in good shape.

You will be in my prayers. Take care.

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## J. Low

I don't think it's as simple as to go out and "find a teacher" , Finding some common sense would help... as would not using a piece of a twig as a Mekugi.

NEVER swing a Katana before knowing exactly where you're cutting, what you're cutting, your surroundings, the structural integrity of the sword in your hand and most importantly make sure that you are not putting anyone around you in danger of something like this.

Accident's happen, no ammount of training can stop that from happening. But common sense can limit these accidents greatly.

I hope this doesn't come off as overly negative... so forgive me. It's just an unfortunate series of events, I wish Hakujou the best and I will think of this incident prior to any cutting session I may have in the future.

I believe Hakujou covered things well in his post above, and hopefully this thread get's stickied eventually.

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## Shaun Reid

Hakujou Watanabe,
                           I'm glad to here that you are recovering nicely.
I'd say your guardian angel was working overtime on that one my friend.
Cheers
Shaun

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## Jerry G.

Thank you, Mr. Watanabe, for one of the most thoughtful, rational, charitable, spriritual and memorable posts I have ever had the benefit of reading on this forum or any other.

I wish you Godspeed in your recovery and please know my prayers are with you, your wife and T.J., as well.  May your worthy, well-spoken words of wisdom find a place in the heart of all who might profit to learn from your unfortunate experience.

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## Travis Morris

Glad to hear from you, that you are doing well. I hope you have a fast recovery.

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## C. Ortiz

Mrs. Watanabe,
That's horrible!, my prayers and Well wishes are with you both. May he heal both physically and mentally soon.  Being too nice can get people hurt in this type of activity. It is times like this when it is best to listen to that little voice in your head telling you somethinig is may not be not right, because you can always take a time out.

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## Tom Carr

> Thank you, Mr. Watanabe, for one of the most thoughtful, rational, charitable, spriritual and memorable posts I have ever had the benefit of reading on this forum or any other.
> 
> I wish you Godspeed in your recovery and please know my prayers are with you, your wife and T.J., as well.  May your worthy, well-spoken words of wisdom find a place in the heart of all who might profit to learn from your unfortunate experience.



My sentiments exactly! 
Im glad to hear your home and recovering Mr Watanabe.

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## jim frank

Mr. Watanabe, it is good to hear that you are doing fairly well. I prayed for your recovery when I read your wife's post, and I want to say that your post is really marvelous. Your mercy, forgiveness, and kindness as demonstrated in your words, are an excellent model for all of us. These character traits are particularly relevant to Christians, like me.

Thank you for your maturity and wisdom, and I thank God for your speedy recovery.

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## Brian Kent

I hope he recovers soon!

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## Jennifer Yabut

Irrelevant posts pruned from the thread.  Can we PLEASE play nice, especially in a "get well" thread?  Also bear in mind not everyone has the same sense of humor; I strongly suggest all of you to exercise a *little* more sensitivity in your posts.

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## Ruud B

Good to hear you are back on your feet.
Hope you do well with the rest of recovery.

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## Lee Craven

Wow, 
I just read this.
Praise God you are mending!

I will be keeping your family and TJ in prayer.

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## Tim Westover

Mr. Watanabe,

I have always appreciated your knowledge and willingness to share on this forum and now your example of forgiveness it truly admirable to say the least.

I wish you a speedy and full recovery and thank you for posting your story as a cautionary tale for those who would read it.

Tim Westover

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## H. Watanabe

> I wish you a speedy and full recovery and thank you for posting your story as a cautionary tale for those who would read it.


Tim, you are very kind with your words, as is everyone who has commented on this thread that my wife started. I can't express how much your words of concern have touched me; thank you all. Slowly but surely, I am recovering my strength.  :Smilie: 




> I have always appreciated your knowledge and willingness to share on this forum and now your example of forgiveness it truly admirable to say the least.


Tim, your compliments are flattering, but I am not as knowledgeable as you may think; I try only to offer what little help or advice I can provide to anyone willing to listen, the same way every forumite on SFI tries to do. Thank you though, for your gesture of kindness.



Regards,
H. Watanabe

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## David Arthur

> I try only to offer what little help or advice I can provide to anyone willing to listen, the same way every forumite on SFI tries to do. Thank you though, for your gesture of kindness.
> 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> H. Watanabe



That's all it takes man.  :Smilie:  

Glad you are feeling better

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## Frank S.

Whoa! I haven't been on this forums for a few days and look what I've missed.  :EEK!:  

Good to hear you're ok mr. Watanabe.

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## Jerry Spencer Mings

My most sincere wishes for a speedy and full recovery.

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## CarlRutledge

I still say this thread should become a sticky, that aside Mr.Watanabe I just wanted to give you my well wishes since I forgot to do so earlier.

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## B.Sweet

Best wishes for a fast and easy recovery!

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## Chris Thomas

H. Watanabe

I am glad to hear that your doing all-right.

My best wishes.

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## Dan L. Petersen

H. Watanable,

I wish you a speedy recovery both physically and mentally. You have my thoughts and prayers.

Dan

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## CarlRutledge

"breathes in" Can't you just feel the love myan! :Big Grin:

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## michael wilson

lets not scapegoat  cheness and PY Chen 

If TJ was using the higo to chop timber and tree trunks , bracken etc  - for 2 yrs + and then used a twig to replace the mekugi  - well folks any high end production sword would have failed from such abuse  - 

I am so glad hajuke is up and about  - this has been on my mind so much lately 
i went home the other night and shimmed a tsuka core I have as it was not 
bomb proof tight , then I changed the mekugi in two other katana  - 

I hope this sticky helps prevent another tragic accident from happening 

and Mrs Tinkers words of wisdom are priceless - do not use a sword when angry 
or if some ones cutting and is in a foul mood walk away  - sage advice .


Mick

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## Kevin Murphy

Sounds like you've been through the meatgrinder, Mr. Watanabe. Heal up, warrior, I'll be praying for you. I hope the other guy has learned something. This reminds me not to overestimate my ability. It's sad the lesson came at great cost and suffering to you.... :Frown:

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## Jeffery Hudson

Best wishes for a speedy recovery and peace of mind for all involved.

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## LucasMolina

hope ya get better.

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## Keith L.

I will keep you both in my prayers.

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## Tim Geelen

I really hope that you will fully recover from your injuries.
This is a terrible tale.. I hope it can be used in the future as a warning for others.

Get well!

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## Julius D.

From my family to yours; God bless and get well soon.

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## Dan Aronowitz

I hope your recovery is going well.

This thread has certainly made me more aware of the possible dangers of using swords.  It is always a good idea to use common sense and to be vigilant at all times.  Your ordeal will be in my memory and serve as tool of caution for my future practices with weapons in general.

My best wishes to you and your family for a happy and healthy future!

-Dan

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## sal v.

i had no idea...i hope that the cheness higo did not do such a horrible thing... i love cheness blades, i was given this link by another. i kind of idolize him, for making functional blades for such a low cost, and still being durable. i guess i was wrong huh.....i may be 14, but i thought that i was past foolish optimism..... the japanese sword means so much too me, too much, i cannot let it go....i would risk any injury, despite the fact that i am careful. i hope you  get well very soon...

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## Tee Jay price

I am sorry for what has happened.
I hope your husband recovers, and that he is more careful about whom he teaches in the future...
I also feel badly because my initials are also T.J., and the one in question needs to control his temper better as well as make sure he isn't training with sub-standard equipment.

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## Maximus L.

If the katana is a 3,000 dollars authentic shinken, would this still happen?

I believe the blade should not be blamed, but rather the owner of the blade. If the sword was used as an axe and the mekugi was replaced with a twig, you can expect what would happen.

The shinken is expensive not because it's durable, but the hardship of folding the steel to create countless layers. It was used to remove impurities in the steel in ancient Japan, but no longer necessary beside creating natural hamon. In fact, folded steel is actually less resilient and more subject to damage when a bad cut occurs.

I am sorry for what Mr. Watanabe has been through, may he recover fully and soon. This should serve as a lesson for us all.

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## Tom Kehoe

Maximus,

Well, in the abstract, it certainly could.  Any sword that has been mistreated the way that this one was could suffer a cracked tsuka and become unsafe.  Any sword with a twig for a mekugi is potentially unsafe. 

Would someone who spent $3,000 on a sword likely treat it better?   One would think so. But it wasn't the sword that was inherently unsafe, it was the owner.  Watanbe-san is gracious and thoughtful in his remarks (and I hope he is healing well), but in my mind, he was clearly endangered by the impulsiveness and arrogance of his friend. There's no place for immaturity in real weapons training. 

I've been around guns all my life, and have witnessed, or learned of, numerous accidental discharges.  In only one of them was a defect in the gun to blame.  In all of the others the fault lay squarely on the owner. 

tk

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## Jose Luis Z

This kind of accident happend because the blade are made in china? :S

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## Timo Qvintus

> This kind of accident happend because the blade are made in china? :S


No, this kind of accident happened because an irresponsible and untrained person was allowed access to a sword.

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## Jose Luis Z

Would be great if someone can post some good thread and stick it about what the beginners need to check before start using an new katana. So less accidents will happend (i think)

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## Harry Fletcher

Lorraine,

First let me say how traumatizing it must have been for you. The anguish we husbands put our wives through when we play with our toys is rarely considered by us.

From your story of the accident I deduced that your husband must have been standing to the side of the target or obliquely behind the target to observe the cutting technique of TJ (highly unlikely if your husband is experienced).  Cheap katanas will not cut bamboo because they are often too light and can't hold an edge. A sword that comes apart will travel in the direction of the arc of the force exerted. A well made sharp katana will not need excessive force to cut.  Next, this sword must have had only one mekugi.  I have a cheap Chinese made katana  (read as bargain basement) which has only one mekugi (wooden retaining peg) which is supposedly bamboo for retaining strength.  I drilled my katana tsuka  and nakago (read that as handle and tang) and added a second mekugi made of oak rod for safety. 

To be honest even good quality traditional Japanese Nihonto Katanas will experience this problem since only one mekugi and mekugi ana are used.  Bamboo is stronger than a wooden dowel or rod but needs to be checked replaced periodically.  This is the weak point in otherwise the best sword design in the world.

Although not traditional, some manufacturers such as Cheness use double mekugis with at least one made of brass rod especially those made for heavy cutting of which I have one.

Please do not be too hard on TJ since it was a combination of your husband's placement, a cheap mekugi, unsharp katana, and admittledly, TJ's excessive force which interacted to cause this horrible accident.

May God Bless,
Harry

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## Harry Fletcher

Yes, I agree about the tsuka and it seems that this is another weak point I failed to mention.  I noticed that your  husband didn't mentioned where he stood when the katana blade left the tsuka.

The red flag was TJ's refusal to let your husband inspect his katana as he mentioned.

As a practiced firearms professional, I get away from someone who has a firearm, refuses to let me inspect it for safety (after he unloads it of course), or exhibits any number of unexplained things which causes the hair on the back of my neck to tingle.  I stay away from this person as he is dangerous.  Tempers are no substitute for good judgement.  Dangerous , unsafe people very often give a multitude of warning signs.  Heed them!!!!!

Harry

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## Mario N

Im new on the forum and this tragic event is new for me, Im study actually for be a bladesmith and all I can say is "I hate cheap swords" they are unsafe for the user, pets and the people around.
Im so sad for this tragedy, we can pray for him quick and complete recover.

I found one picture on internet with one 55 stitches cut himself on one leg  with katana on training.



Swords are real weapons, Have fun but be safe.

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## R.C.Goetz

> Hello, fellow forumites. This is Hakujou (I was finally able to come home today from the hospital); I'd like to say that all of your words have touched me a great deal. My wife and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for your concerns. However, I do not want for this thread to be focused about me and my health. I am still alive, so all is well; thanks again for your heartfelt concerns. Furthermore, please don't let this thread, nor any future threads, antagonize Mr. Chen and his products, nor any other company/forge/individual. Even this co-worker of mine, whom my wifed named "T.J.," should not be to blame for such an accident. If anything, I am the one to blame. I failed to see the obvious signs that can spell disaster because I wanted so much to help out my co-worker to ensure that he won't hurt himself, nor anyone else, from future improper usage of his katana. However, ironically, my attempts were futile and it was I who ended up injured.
> 
> In truth, my wife has made T.J. sound more of a menace than he really is. I became acquainted with T.J. a few months ago at our workplace; he's very fascinated by the Japanese culture, especially the katana, but because he lacks an Internet service provider in his home (to find out more information about the katana and the culture behind it) and he knew no one who is trained in the art, he had to self-teach himself, as well as learn all that he can about the katana through...Hollywood. T.J. is a very nice man, although he can be quite arrogant and stubborn!
> 
> T.J.'s sword is indeed a Cheness. The katana is a previous generation Cheness sword that has been discontinued for almost one year. I give you my word that it is indeed the Higo, with the Musashi double-ring tsuba. There is only one mekugi-ana, as this is the case with many of the older Cheness katana that have since been discontinued. When I first got the opportunity to have a look at his sword, T.J. told me that he purchased it at a local yardsale for $50, so its history prior to his purchase is unknown. When I was at his house, I asked to hold the sword so I can inspect it further, but he refused, saying that this sword is precious to him and he has never let anyone else hold it. At that point, I should have thought, "RED FLAG!" but I respected T.J.'s wishes, as I would with anyone else's. From what I was able to see, there appeared to be lots of scratches that can be seen on the blade, but all were just superficial. There were also some rust spots that formed throughout the nagasa. I asked him about the scratches, and he said that they were "Battle scars." I should have realized that this sword has been ill-kept, but once more I gave T.J. the benefit of the the doubt since he wasn't able to be taught the proper ways of sword maintenance.
> 
> After the accident in his backyard, he came to visit me in the hospital with a basket full of fruits, some flowers, and a get-well-soon card. We talked for a bit and he actually confessed to me that he has lost the original bamboo mekugi some time ago, so he used a wooden mekugi carved out of a twig in his backyard. He said that he has had the sword for over two years, and in the course of those two years, he has attempted to cut many things, ranging from two-inch thick plywood, 5-inch in diameter bamboo, to even the trunks of trees, just whacking away at them. This must have been the reason to why the tsuka failed. When I inspected his sword earlier today, I noticed that the tsuka did indeed have a crack inside of it, running almost horizontal to its length and straight through the mekugi-ana. So for all you forumites wondering whether the blade snapped or the tsuka failed, it is indeed the latter. The tsuka core, as well as the "mekugi," cracked from all the years of abuse, resulting in the blade flying out of the tsuka. 
> 
> This experience further supports my earlier statements that katana owners MUST--and I truly stress MUST-- invest more money in ensuring their tsuka are properly and tightly fitted. As I have said in the past, please don't cut corners the same way a lot of Chinese forges are doing. If you want to purchase a $200 katana for tameshigiri, I'd suggest you invest at least $100 more in having the tsuka redone by a TRAINED PROFESSIONAL. Should your tsuka age, please, PLEASE don't go the inexpensive route by attempting to build a new tsuka yourself. That is, UNLESS you are rebuilding a new tsuka for the sake of learning and nothing more, OR you yourself are a trained professional. OTHERWISE, LET TRAINED PROFESSIONALS DO THE JOB FOR YOU. You will not regret that decision. I would like to refer people to an earlier thread in which I wrote about tsuka being analogous to "brakes" in cars:
> ...


Dear Sir, I am so happy to hear that your recovery is progressing so well. I have in my procession a Katana and Ko- katana, from the same manufacture with cracked Tsuka. They sit in the sword stand, but of late I've been thinking of building Tsuka's for them. I think now I will nix this idea and send them out to be done. So know, that you have helped at least one person make the right decision. Thank you, and I wish you a full and speedy recovery. Best regards R.C.goetz

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## Lohman J.

> No, this kind of accident happened because an irresponsible and untrained person was allowed access to a sword.


Absolutely!!!!

One should never even touch a sword unless they are in the right frame of mind and spirit. There are no short cuts. This is tragic.

Loraine, even though I've never met either one of you, I do wish both you and Watanabe the very best in these trying times and a speedy recovery for Watanabe.

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## Tim Wieneke

I have been away from the forum for quite some time, before this accident occurred, and came back and read this story.  I'm not going to pretend to be a mall ninja master swordsman but I have some experience hunting wild boar with both firearms and blades and have personally witnessed the deadliness of a blade.  In fact I've seen a blade kill faster than a bullet, all other things being equal.  I don't trust a sword in the hands of a person that I can't trust to hold a firearm.  They're made to kill and they do quite well at it.

I trust Mr. Watanabe is doing better and I want to thank him for foregoing the temptation of pride to hide an error and taking on the humility to share this story publicly for the benefit of others.  I have much respect for you and your wife for doing this.

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