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I thought that all that pride in their Katanas was invented and revisionistic after gunpowder came to Japan and they actually took way more pride in their skills with a bow.
If you bragged about your skills with a Katana in feudal Japan, you kind of admitted that your archery skills are shit.
Bows and spears get the work done, swords are mostly for show.
Swords were mainly for the generals and other higher up officers, since they require way more metal and thus were way more expensive.
So yes, mostly for show because those higher ups rarely went into battle themselves.
It's rather that trained skills in general (with a bow, a sword, a musical instrument) were important.
Can't help thinking that with my particular set of disorders growing up in such a society (not as a peasant, God forbid) could be advantageous.
And shooting an arrow from a composite bow is much more of a "moment of art" thing than waving a big knife around, so.
Just to nit-pick, the Japanese never really figured out how to produce composite bows, the Yumi was just laminated bamboo. It was one of the reasons they couldn't successfully invade Korea until they were given western tech.
It's kinda ironic nowadays, but prior to the meiji restoration Japan was considered a cultural and technological backwater.
A glitch in my memory.
I know.
And shooting an arrow from a composite bow is much more of a "moment of art" thing than waving a big knife around, so.
I think you're underestimating martial arts with swords.
I've been interested in those. Sending an arrow is one moment. Swords are like a game or a dance.
It’s rather that trained skills in general (with a bow, a sword, a musical instrument) were important.
Finally, I can defeat the enemy with my elite Shamisen skillz.
I meant as an art, as a hobby, as a sport, as a component of status.
That said, the brain stimulation from playing can help you with that too.
Pride in katana was during the Edo period when the samurai were relegated to being government officials and they used swords for duelling.
What about their martial arts skills?
Oof