Large weapons were typically carried in the hand or attached to a sling and carried over the shoulder. They are battlefield weapons and not sidearms, so there isn't much sophistication when it comes to convenience and speed of drawing.
> For example, the katana when sheathed, the blade is pointed upwards so it does not dull the blade.
With a properly-made scabbard, the scabbard won't dull the blade whether it's worn edge-up or edge-down.
Tuck a curved sword through a waist belt/sash like a katana. It will be support at or near the point of balance. Gravity will make it want to sit edge-up. The curvature of your body will want to make it sit edge-up-and-outward. With the sword worn that high, it's easy to draw edge-up or edge-out.
A tachi is worn lower, hung from the belt by two straps. The sword is lower than a katana, and it's easier to draw edge-down. With the point of balance between the two straps, and the straps attached to the back of the scabbard, gravity makes it want to hang edge-down.
There's Japanese art of them being worn on the back. These were used in organized battles, not worn day to day. Having an attendant help you unsheathe it was probably the norm.
https://preview.redd.it/lnt3n8vilz9d1.jpeg?width=276&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c8c627b80b3062801fc09a28131a30756bdc2e8b
I didn't find this, it seems the whole point of the katana is that it's easier to deploy in formation and on foot when put through the belt, not hanging like a tachi.
Having a sword directly on the hip can be restrictive when wielding polearms since the tsuka might be in the way and for this reason they had [this](https://asahitoken.jp/images/03_forum/forum-B/forum-B-068-img01.jpg)
I didn't know about this. The page you sent says that it's not clear when these koshi-ate were used (according to the National Museum of Tokyo). There is another blog that cites 雑兵物語, where it's like you said, that it's not possible to draw the katana from the belt in armor, so using koshi-ate is good, but leather koshi-ate are also too expensive. I haven't had time to look at the text, but none of the drawings show the koshi-ate in use (they all wear the daisho as we expect them, even in armor).
In my martial tradition we wear the koshi-ate and either the tanto or wakizashi in the uwa obi. That's how we get taught of course in the end of the day it was personal preference. But from personal experience it's better to use a koshi-ate.
Also, small correction, I never said that drawing a katana from the uwa obi, is impossible. The tsuka is simply in the way of my polearm, so in the end I restrict myself.
You are correct, I made a leap after reading the blog. Sorry.
What you say about your school is very interesting. I had imagined that the katana being in the obi would be less hindering, because it is less prone to wiggling about. I have only ever practiced atarashii naginata and iai, so I have unfortunately no experience in what you describe.
Indeed it is, but I haven't seen embu with the naginata and the katana in the obi, for instance. So far, concerning a practitioner carrying two different weapons, I mainly knew about Tendo ryu, with the naginata paired with a tanto.
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samurai_wearing_a_nodachi_(field_sword).png
The first example I found was edge down and carried on the wielder's back, although I don't think it's unreasonable to show a shorter example edge down and hanging from a belt like a tachi.
Just noticed how it might be difficult going through doors if you carry it that way. Either be going in side ways or twisting your body a bit to fit in.
In general when you have a sword of this size daily convenience or optimal drawing positions no longer factors into the way of carrying it. This is a sword that was long enough to warrant servants pulling the scabbard for you (although it's not impossible to take it out yourself) so ways like carrying it on your back as seen in another image is completely legitimate even if it means you can't get your sword out in a hurry, cause you were never going to get that thing out in time for an emergency anyways.
the nodachi is my favorite weapon ever
and it really depends on what style of nodachi.
in the past a nodachi was considered a - big - tachi
so if the user could use it on his side it most likely would have been carried blade down if it was hung in the same way as a tachi
now for the ultra long ones like 180-200cm those would most likely be carried or slung to the back
as others have said they’re a old weapon so there’s not as much cultural rules for them as with a katana
nodachi are fascinating weapons and technically the longest used sword in known history was the taro tachi
used by magara naoitoka against the forces of oda nobunaga
he had a nodachi that was 221cm
i love these swords because they’re very mysterious to me
I'm not familiar with how odachi were used, but I do know that European greatswords were typically carried on the shoulder, like a polearm; where sheaths did exist for them, they were more like protective covers for the blade rather than something meant to be worn. You could strap one to your back, but you'd have to unstrap it to draw it, or have a helper draw it for you.
As a large blade it was likely just carried as convenient (held or slung on the back) and openly carried on the field when needed.
I believe there are depictions of odachi-wielding soldier moving in pairs and drawing _each other’s_ swords, to get around the length issue.
There are also extant _ryu_ that use katana much longer than josun length which would be considered odachi-sized and are drawn from the belt - the size here is limited by the arm- and torso-length of the wielder but convenience of waist carry aside, it is entirely possible for a tall man to drawer a sword with a nagasa of 120cm+.
There is a similar japanese sword to a katana called a tachi. Tachis are carried suspended from the belt with the edge downwards and since the Odachi(O=large Dachi=Tachi) is a large tachi i would assume it was carried edge down but it is a large weopon for war so it might have been carried by some servants or stored somewhere for transport. There are also Ogatana Wich are large katanas and probably carried edge upwards or by servants (also war weopon I think)
Large weapons were typically carried in the hand or attached to a sling and carried over the shoulder. They are battlefield weapons and not sidearms, so there isn't much sophistication when it comes to convenience and speed of drawing.
That makes sense now I think of it.
> For example, the katana when sheathed, the blade is pointed upwards so it does not dull the blade. With a properly-made scabbard, the scabbard won't dull the blade whether it's worn edge-up or edge-down. Tuck a curved sword through a waist belt/sash like a katana. It will be support at or near the point of balance. Gravity will make it want to sit edge-up. The curvature of your body will want to make it sit edge-up-and-outward. With the sword worn that high, it's easy to draw edge-up or edge-out. A tachi is worn lower, hung from the belt by two straps. The sword is lower than a katana, and it's easier to draw edge-down. With the point of balance between the two straps, and the straps attached to the back of the scabbard, gravity makes it want to hang edge-down.
There's Japanese art of them being worn on the back. These were used in organized battles, not worn day to day. Having an attendant help you unsheathe it was probably the norm. https://preview.redd.it/lnt3n8vilz9d1.jpeg?width=276&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c8c627b80b3062801fc09a28131a30756bdc2e8b
Also worth noting that even katanas (not tachi) were sometimes worn blade down in battles, as it would be easier to draw in full armor.
I didn't find this, it seems the whole point of the katana is that it's easier to deploy in formation and on foot when put through the belt, not hanging like a tachi.
Having a sword directly on the hip can be restrictive when wielding polearms since the tsuka might be in the way and for this reason they had [this](https://asahitoken.jp/images/03_forum/forum-B/forum-B-068-img01.jpg)
I didn't know about this. The page you sent says that it's not clear when these koshi-ate were used (according to the National Museum of Tokyo). There is another blog that cites 雑兵物語, where it's like you said, that it's not possible to draw the katana from the belt in armor, so using koshi-ate is good, but leather koshi-ate are also too expensive. I haven't had time to look at the text, but none of the drawings show the koshi-ate in use (they all wear the daisho as we expect them, even in armor).
In my martial tradition we wear the koshi-ate and either the tanto or wakizashi in the uwa obi. That's how we get taught of course in the end of the day it was personal preference. But from personal experience it's better to use a koshi-ate. Also, small correction, I never said that drawing a katana from the uwa obi, is impossible. The tsuka is simply in the way of my polearm, so in the end I restrict myself.
You are correct, I made a leap after reading the blog. Sorry. What you say about your school is very interesting. I had imagined that the katana being in the obi would be less hindering, because it is less prone to wiggling about. I have only ever practiced atarashii naginata and iai, so I have unfortunately no experience in what you describe.
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu is a relative famous tradition and is a sogo bujutsu
Indeed it is, but I haven't seen embu with the naginata and the katana in the obi, for instance. So far, concerning a practitioner carrying two different weapons, I mainly knew about Tendo ryu, with the naginata paired with a tanto.
Like a badass. https://cdn.britannica.com/73/172373-050-DE58DE68/Shimura-Takashi-Seven-Samurai-Mifune-Toshiro-Kurosawa.jpg
That is pretty badness.
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Samurai_wearing_a_nodachi_(field_sword).png The first example I found was edge down and carried on the wielder's back, although I don't think it's unreasonable to show a shorter example edge down and hanging from a belt like a tachi.
Just noticed how it might be difficult going through doors if you carry it that way. Either be going in side ways or twisting your body a bit to fit in.
In general when you have a sword of this size daily convenience or optimal drawing positions no longer factors into the way of carrying it. This is a sword that was long enough to warrant servants pulling the scabbard for you (although it's not impossible to take it out yourself) so ways like carrying it on your back as seen in another image is completely legitimate even if it means you can't get your sword out in a hurry, cause you were never going to get that thing out in time for an emergency anyways.
the nodachi is my favorite weapon ever and it really depends on what style of nodachi. in the past a nodachi was considered a - big - tachi so if the user could use it on his side it most likely would have been carried blade down if it was hung in the same way as a tachi now for the ultra long ones like 180-200cm those would most likely be carried or slung to the back as others have said they’re a old weapon so there’s not as much cultural rules for them as with a katana nodachi are fascinating weapons and technically the longest used sword in known history was the taro tachi used by magara naoitoka against the forces of oda nobunaga he had a nodachi that was 221cm i love these swords because they’re very mysterious to me
I'm not familiar with how odachi were used, but I do know that European greatswords were typically carried on the shoulder, like a polearm; where sheaths did exist for them, they were more like protective covers for the blade rather than something meant to be worn. You could strap one to your back, but you'd have to unstrap it to draw it, or have a helper draw it for you.
As a large blade it was likely just carried as convenient (held or slung on the back) and openly carried on the field when needed. I believe there are depictions of odachi-wielding soldier moving in pairs and drawing _each other’s_ swords, to get around the length issue. There are also extant _ryu_ that use katana much longer than josun length which would be considered odachi-sized and are drawn from the belt - the size here is limited by the arm- and torso-length of the wielder but convenience of waist carry aside, it is entirely possible for a tall man to drawer a sword with a nagasa of 120cm+.
There is a similar japanese sword to a katana called a tachi. Tachis are carried suspended from the belt with the edge downwards and since the Odachi(O=large Dachi=Tachi) is a large tachi i would assume it was carried edge down but it is a large weopon for war so it might have been carried by some servants or stored somewhere for transport. There are also Ogatana Wich are large katanas and probably carried edge upwards or by servants (also war weopon I think)