| A Father's Tameshigiri | ||
| There are times that I face a
serious dilemma. Do I recognize my personal need to vent and thus post a
reply to inane posts, or do I refuse to feed the thread and simply ignore
the topic all together? One forum member, in response to the merits of various cutting targets, wrote ... "Hell- when my dad dies i will probibly use him. He said i can do anything with his body (lol-what a story that conversation was)" To which my reply was as follows: |
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If using your
father’s body for tameshigiri is...
... then nothing I can say here will be of any benefit. Perhaps I should imagine a scenario whereby a father would feel gratified that he can – in some way – contribute to the perfection of his son’s sword arts. Perhaps. I can only imagine the permissive phrase of that conversation now … “Sure, son. hahaha … Feel free to violently dismember my corpse at your leisure, but hey .. .wait ‘til I’m dead, OK? Hehehe …” Consider … traditionally, Tameshigiri is the testing of a blade by cutting, whereas Sumoenogiri is the testing of one’s skill by cutting. If you’re already actively using a sword, there should be no reason to perform tameshigiri – obviously, the sword works and performs as it should. Assuming we are therefore talking about sumoenogiri (and even if still discussing tameshigiri), it was performed on a variety of targets – not just bodies of the condemned. When the bodies of the condemned were used, they were often alive, not dead. Still want to use your father? Ok … Let us examine the average corpse for a moment. When our condemned criminal dies, let us assume that say three or four hours goes by before our swordsman can test his sword or skills. Once the man is killed, his disposition is recorded and verified, the disposition of his corpse has to be verified, a messenger dispatched to inform the swordsman who then has to conclude whatever business he’s in the middle of, dress properly, gather whatever materials he needs along with the sword he’s going to be cutting with, and get to wherever the body is. We’ll also assume that the corpse has been stored in ideal conditions. Well, ideal for the period in question: we do want to reproduce the conditions the Samurai would have operated under, yes? A few things occur, and I will simplify them as follows:
There where two generally accepted methods for preparing the body for the tests, though various modifications where made by many schools, these two were the general methods accepted in polite society. One was to set up a sand hill whereupon the criminals would be staked and tied. Ideally, the surface the body would rest upon would be about 70 degrees to the ground or so, thus allowing the swordsman to take a natural swing. Perhaps two or more criminals where stacked (back to chest) and tied. The swordsman would then cut through the mid-section of the bodies and measure how far into the sand the blade would pass. The mei might thus be inscribes as “cutting performed on such-and-such a date, by so-and-so, as ordered by so-and-so – cut one body, entered sand mound eight sun” or perhaps “forged by so-and-so on such-and-such a date, and cutting performed by so-and-so, as ordered by so-and-so – cut two body, entered sand mound three sun” or something similar. The second was to bind the ankles and stake them to the ground, then bind the wrists, and stretch that rope over a high frame or tree branch. The rope would be pulled taught, thus stretching the poor bastard laterally (vertically) as much as the elasticity of joint, muscle, and bone would allow. Ropes would be used to bind the knees and the mid-chest as well, with lengths of rope dangling freely, but I’ll explain later. Cutting would be performed on various parts of the body, including the shins, the thighs, the abdomen (perhaps diagonally through the pelvis), the lower and upper chest (lower ribcage, and just under or through the armpit/shoulder region) through the upper arms and neck (remember – his arms are stretched upwards, flanking his neck and head), and finally, perhaps through the dangling arms which are now swinging listlessly in the breeze, twitching from the last neurological impulses they’d received. Such a mei might be inscribed as “cutting performed on such-and-such a date, by so-and-so, as ordered by so-and-so – severed legs twice, gut, and chest – no pelvis, no shoulders” or “cutting performed on such-and-such a date, by so-and-so, as ordered by so-and-so – severed all limbs, passed through pelvis, passed through chest and shoulders” Let’s assume our swordsman is going to use the second method, as it allows him the most cuts on a single body. Cutting is fun, after all. So, our swordsman shows up ready for his test cutting. He takes out his sword and say performs a few cuts: He’ll first cut through the shins, because he knows that doing so will allow some blood to drain from the limbs. If our criminal was alive, he’d be screaming, kicking, thrashing, and spattering blood everywhere. Servants would be rushing to grasp at the blood drenched free-hanging lengths of ropes that bind the thighs so as to stop the wild swinging and thrashing and stabilize the body for the next cuts. But hey … we’re using a corpse, so no need – the blood simply spills and spatters on the ground and the corpse hangs limply, perhaps swinging from the force of the blow. Our swordsman cuts through the thighs next with a similar result. So far, so good. Blood is everywhere, and spilling onto the ground at the swordsman’s feet and two feet and two knees are on the ground. Servants pull these away, and the swordsman readies himself for the next cuts (washing his feet, perhaps, pouring water down his blade, etc.). |
Whether the
swordsman cuts crosswise through the gut using any number of various
techniques, or cuts laterally or diagonally through the pelvis (it is one
of the toughest bones to cut, after all – very impressive for test
cutting) using any number of techniques, the result is essentially the
same. Internal organs, bile, the foul mixture alluded to in #4 above, and
several noxious gasses are released violently from the body. This is a
foul, disgusting mix of smells and caustic liquids that would turn even
the heartiest of warriors aside. The smells often cause nausea, dizziness,
and even unconsciousness, whereas the fluids released will at the very
least stain and discolor anything they touch. The items so stained will
also become offensively odiferous, and you’ll never be rid of the smell.
If the mixture is especially interesting, it will eat away at cloth and
leather. If the mixture – even in its least offensive state – spatters
onto the swordsman’s eyes or lips or mouth, illness, disease, and
sometimes even minor burns can and generally will occur. Due to the explosive nature of releasing the abdominal mixtures (being held under pressure, remember) the swordsman is fairly covered in the mixture, and the foul odor is enough to make several of the servants violently ill without warning. The swordsman himself is also overtaken by the fumes, but we’ll assume he’s a rather hearty fellow, not to be made fool of by nausea – he holds his own and prepares himself for the next cuts. He washes the ichors and filth from his face and hands, and is careful to get the bile and such off his tsuka. He’ll rinse out his mouth as well, to be rid of the foul taste of his own bile as well as that of his target. Perhaps he’ll avail himself of smelling salts, as he’s getting nauseous and a bit light headed. Moving up the rest of the body will yield similar but somewhat less distressing results – the gut has been the most offensive of all the areas to cut through. The lungs are not as bad as the abdomen, but will still release some foul gasses and such. Being under pressure, they will also spew forth a great degree of rot and filth, but hey… the worst is over, right? In the end, the corpse is dismembered and it’s parts scattered across the ground. Blood and organs are everywhere, and the blade and swordsman have proven their respective worth. Now, let’s examine a few facts here … First, the condemned criminals where most often the lowest of society, considered beneath contempt, and where often the worst of criminals – rapists, molesters, traitors, etc. There is a romanticized idea that the use of their bodies somehow redeemed them, as they where now being of use to society. The testing of the sword is important, and so since the criminal is helping (albeit against his will) this might redeem him in some slight manner. This has never been a seriously held view, and was touted more in mockery than anything else. These where the filth of the earth ... scum and social refuse that where dispatched as much out of revulsion for the condemned as for the sake of testing the sword or swordsman’s skill. Still want to use your father? Despise him that much? How do you propose to give him a proper burial thereafter? How does the rest of the family feel about it? Next, The idea of using corpses was largely repugnant for many reasons, those above only being a glimpse. The fact is, most Japanese of the period where loathe to touch the dead, let alone use them as an implement of sword practice. Next, there are many and plentiful targets used today that are just as effective as a human body. If you’re that jazzed up about the idea of using flesh (live or otherwise) go to your local butcher during hunting season and see if he’ll let you use the deer, etc that he gets in. Next … Many people will say “Corpses can’t be that terrible to deal with. How do butchers and hunters manage?” Well … before the butcher gets the body of fallen prey, the body has (hopefully) been properly cared for. Hunted game is often dressed in the field – stripped of skin, bled dry, and gutted – within minutes of death, thus alleviating much of the problems noted above. Even if not gutted, it is generally bled and delivered immediately to a butcher for preparation. Such game is also often butchered (or frozen in preparation of butchering) upon receipt. Next … “What about the hunters and warriors of old?” Well, first off, hunters of old generally prepared their fallen game as stated above, and often butchered it quickly. The meat was needed quickly, and there were few methods of preservation, so the game was often not given the chance to putrefy. As to warriors, they where cutting up live people on the field, not corpses, so decay and rot was not an issue. Next … “What about coroners – surely they don’t deal with all that?” Yes, in fact, they do. Morticians and coroners deal with all that foulness every time they deal with a corpse. Thankfully, there are modern amenities such as respiratory aids (varying from creams to alleviate the stench to full masks to block noxious fumes), protective clothing, masks and goggles, embalming fluids and freezers, etc. Even at that, they are faced with a long period of adjustment wherein they have to acclimate themselves to dealing with dead bodies – overcoming the nausea and the stench, for instance. Ask any medical student whose worked on a cadaver, and I’m sure they’ll tell you a story or two about one or more students who’ve gone running from the room, overcome by the smell. If you have any doubt, find yourself a road kill deer or such that has an intact gut, cut it open abdominally, and spray the contents on yourself. See how much fun it is. For those I’ve offended, I apologize. I just can not understand people’s fascination with doing the repugnant things they have no concept of simply because they read in some book that once it might have been a common practice. ”Oh, I’d love to cut through a corpse or two.” What? Please. Get a grip. I’d like to test my skills, and I’d like to know I’m a good swordsman but I’ve no desire to cut up a human corpse or even a deer corpse for that matter. Practice. Cut tatami and goza and wara. Get your forms and your tactics down. Improve your skill and your mind. Expand your consciousness. Above all, examine yourself and determine what your really want form your martial endeavors. Is it really that your supreme goal is to cut up bodies? As to the concept of using live, condemned criminals, I’m all for it. Line up the rapists, child molesters and drug dealers and I’ll be happy to take a swing. I’d prefer that they not be prone and helpless, but hey … that’s just me. Let them try to defend themselves and it’ll be more fun. Have a nice day. |
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