DownloaderOfTheMonth said:
I never said the Western martial art was less proficient in its use of its weapon of choice. Mabye one of the other people you quoted said that, but don't lump me in like that.
Also, seeing as the longsword is much, MUCH bigger, even though it's well-weighted and such, it's still not as manouverable as the Katana.
The superiority of the Katana is shown in this video. This does not make the Longsword any worse, it still does the job very well - it's just the Katana is ... well, watch the video.
sorry for the delay in reply - i was finding videos to make a case with
Both the longsword and the katana had manouverabilty. The long sword was certainly not MUCH bigger, and from all the sources i've read - both swords weighed about 4-5 pounds. As for speed, see here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwYi_uOwGtY
as for cutting - indeed, the shape of the swords here may well set them apart somewhat, but in more subtle ways than what the video suggests. I see no credentials of this guy's actual swording technique. But if you want to see someone i do respect here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rqP1F36EMY
Of course, i doubt the katana allows for half-swording, and using the pommel as a hammer (a german technique known as mortschlag), for use against people in armour; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy9OQoqW_MA
so, the superior weapon? well, again, as tools for their specific purposes, they are both equally adept. However, when it comes to versatility, and range of uses, i'd say the longsword is still superior.