O.T.

I found a really great old sword at an atique mall yesterday. It is a 1864 ( stamped ) decorative fraternal sword.The Knights of Pythias, to be exact. I did a bit of research on it and found out a little bit. They go anywhere from 50.00 - 500.00 + . It has some really intricate engraving, I mean REALLY intricate. It has a lotta tarnish on it, but all of the fittings are in good shape and nothing is damaged. The leather on the handle is even very much in tact. I paid 20.00 for it. My question to ...

What about the use of rolled up soaked newspaper as an 'alternative' to tatami? I don't think I will ever try it, but I am curious. I've seen vids, and it seems like an impractical medium for anything other than 'backyard cutting'. If you have tried this before, what were your impressions? Good? Bad? Ugly?
Salute!

Do you think it's possible to complete the more complex cuts using a straight bladed Euro as opposed to a katana or other Asian style weapon? I'm sure it is, but I just haven't seen it. If anyone has seen a vid of this on theytube, hit me with a link. I've seen cats cutting bottles and basic cuts with the broadsword, but nothing intricate.
Lemme know what's good.
O.T. Ray Vizza

This will be the first year I have started with clear goals in mind for my training. Since there are no avenues here for me to train under a teacher, I rely on my friends from afar to help me improve. This has become more than just a hobby for me. It has become a way for me to improve myself both mentally and physically. (Safety is always foremost in my mind.) It really is a super feeling to look back to when I started cutting ( about a year ago ) and where I am now. I am close to grasping the basic ...

There are some things that really try to distract me while training. It seems like every time I am ready to train, there's some moron right around the house cranking up a leafblower or a lawnmower. It sounds like the noise Jim Carrey makes in Dumb and Dumber. Drives me nuts. I'm not zen'd up enough to 'just ignore it' and most times I just stop in frustration and go inside to wait. I tried using headphones once, but I didn't think it was safe due to the fact that someone could come up from behind ...