4 Post war Japanese sword arts
Immediately after the WWII all martial arts, including the sword arts and tameshigiri (test-cutting) were placed on the banned list by the occupational forces of Japan and only a gradual lifting of restrictions in the post-war years saw the re-emergence of kendo (sport fencing with a split bamboo sword) which, like judo, was integrated into police training and the education system, teaching students discipline and a strong fighting spirit. In 1968 the Nippon Kendo Renmei (All Japanese Kendo Federation) realized that fighting with a shinai alone was not the answer to continue Japan's sword legacy, and modern iaido (a sword method that implies swift draw and cut actions) was born. This modern type of iaido had its origin in various ko-ryu (classical sword styles) dating back some 400 years to Jinsuke Shigenobu (1546-1621) who is considered the originator of the art of drawing and cutting with the sword in one swift motion.

5 The driving force behind modern tameshigiri
Parallel to the re-emergence of classical sword styles and the introduction of modern iaido, Nakamura Taizaburo (1912-2003), a former military sword, knife and bayonet instructor at the Toyama military academy, named after a suburb in Tokyo, began a personal crusade to make tameshigiri acceptable and respectable again. After the war years most Japanese opposed Nakamura Taizaburo's (militaristic) ideas of incorporating the actual test cutting into the Toyama Ryu curriculum again. In the early 70s he went public on Japan's National TV, demonstrating, for the first time, the power of the Japanese sword in a spectacular tameshigiri display. Many sword masters, including the public, criticized him for it, but he stubbornly refused to back down and continued his campaign towards the acceptance of tameshigiri within the sword fraternity and the public. The rest is history. At the age of 88 he was made a “National Living Treasure” by Imperial Degree and, during his life time was honoured by his students and three Prime Ministers with a memorial next to his parent's burial site.

6 Defining Tameshigiri
The term tameshigiri as we know it today has a long history going back to 1504 when Kaganokami used dead bodies of criminals for testing the durability of sword blades. Since then tameshigiri stands for trying out a new sword or testing a blade. During the early wars samurai would often take more then one sword into battle, using the battle field as a testing ground itself. A damaged or broken blade could yield invaluable information to the sword smith who, having inspected the damage, would go back to his forge to, once more, try to create the perfect blade.
Today's sword practitioners, rather than testing the quality of a blade, test their cutting skills on take (green bamboo) or tatami-omote (the top of a Japanese floor mat). When rolled up, soaked in water and placed vertically on a stand these tatami-omote make excellent targets for assessing a swordsman's true cutting ability.

7 The Shitoka
It was not until the emergence of the Tokugawa Era (1607-1867) that peace finally came to Japan and with it the need to have newly forged blades tested by shitoka (professional sword testers). With no more battles to fight samurai would roam the country side and test their blades on lonely and unsuspecting travelers, an activity termed tsujigiri. This prompted the government of the day to introduce laws prohibiting tsujigiri and severely punishing the perpetrators. In the early days Shitoka would also act as executioners performing the dual role of beheading criminals and the testing of blades on corpses. (Contrary to general belief, no live bodies were used during [official] test cutting procedures.) After a criminal had been beheaded the body was meticulously prepared before being laid out on a sand mount or dodan.

The following is an extract from the book Sword and Samé by Henri L. Joly & Inada Hogitaro (1913), clearly illustrating the seriousness and thoroughness applied to blade testing in Japan.

8 Conduct of Tameshigiri
“... Corpses which are used for tests are supplied by the Machibugyô on the demand of Okoshi no mono Bugyô. On the day of the test two dodan are built, the examiner's seat (kenshiba) is one single thin mat, the ground between the kenshiba and tameshiba is sanded, and on it stand Yamada Asayemon and his followers (tedai, deshi).
"At a fixed time, when an execution (Shioki) is completed, the officials return to their offices, while corpses are lying on the Tameshiba with their heads. Honami the sword expert and his pupils come then, and also the Tachiai Okachi Metsuke (consultant Metsuke).

"The Okoshimono Bugyô comes later and is received by the Metsuke at the entrance to the Sensakusho (searching office). When everything is ready an announcement to that effect is made by a gaoler. All people assemble at the Kenshiba with the Okoshimono Bugyô and his assistant, together with Ondôgu bako (swords in boxes). The Okachi Metsuke is seated on the side of the Tameshiba, together with the prison watchman (Ishide Tatewaki in those days), Okobito Metsuke, Uchiyaku, Yamada Asayemon and his assistants dressed in Noshime Asakamishimo (black kimono with a band of check or stripe at the edge of the sleeves and waist), the others all in Asakamishimo. The entrance is guarded by Machikata Toshiyori Dôshin, Rôya Uchiyaku Dôshin, and the public kept out. The main gate is also guarded by two Rôya Dôshin.

Over the last few years many martial artists have become hooked on tameshigiri and even now include it in non-Japanese martial arts. The popularity of modern-day tameshigiri has now become such that a large number of sword practitioners train in nothing but that and often do so using un-Japanese swords with absurdly long handles and extremely thin blades allowing them to cut through soft matting in flashy styles with little or no combat use.

12 The origins of the teaching of tameshigiri to foreigners
It is highly unlikely that tameshigiri was taught to foreigners before the 80s as it was not practiced at all after World War II in Japan. One has to understand the sensitiveness that, at the time, surrounded swordsmanship in general. During WWII the shin-gunto (neo-army swords) were not only used in battle, but also against prisoners of war and civilians (massacre of Nanking 1937). For that reason the katana or swordsmanship was often called Satsujin-ken the “murdering sword”. This became a very sensitive issue for the Japanese and Occupational Forces alike and for that reason alone took many years to change from Satsujin-ken into Katsujin-ken (the life-giving sword). Nowadays Katsujin-ken embodies the concept of correct sword practice for self-perfection and spiritual growth and as such Katsujin-ken did not include tameshigiri. Little can be found in regards to historical facts relating to tameshigiri practice of the post-war area in Japan and one can only speculate that it was either done behind closed doors or not at all.
It was only after Nakamura Taizaburo's constant lobbying that, in the 70s, tameshigiri became again an accepted part of 20th century Japanese swordsmanship. By then karate, judo, kendo, aikido and iaido had found their way into many overseas dojos, but the old and much referred to classic sword styles, including tameshigiri, remained as elusive as ever; especially to gaijin (foreigners).

In his 1988 article “Thoughts on Iaido”, Nakamura Taizaburo expresses his opinion on this matter: After the war I had the distinct honour on three occasions to meet sensei Nakayama Hakudo. He was from Ishikawa prefecture and told me that in 1917 he once travelled to Tosa in Kochi prefecture to ask the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu headmaster for permission to receive instruction, only to be refused entry simply because "he is from other prefectures." And … even during the post war years sword techniques and forms were prohibited from being shown even to the parents and brothers of a practitioner; this way, the techniques could be transmitted only to the direct students of certain styles. In most styles, techniques were transmitted only to those who were inducted into a dojo and it was typical that documentation regarding the densho (transmitted writings from generation to generation) was only given to the most trusted and senior students. However, one style made an exception to this policy. The techniques of Jigen Ryu were instructed to anybody within the Satsuma Clan of southern Japan, but would not be taught to outsiders; anyone not belonging to the Satsuma Clan.

13 A sword or a saber?
First, we must be clear that, although often misconceived as such, a katana or shin-ken (true sword) is technically not a sword. As the katana has only one cutting edge its correct classification should be as a saber. Only a blade with two cutting edges classifies as a sword. Why then is a katana commonly known as a sword? The only possible reason is that it is a two handed weapon as all other sabers have a one handed grip. Somehow the katana made it into the sword annals only because of its two-handed grip. It would be preferable if reference was always made to a Japanese katana, without using the word sword, but as this is a vain hope we shall continue to refer to Japanese swords, using the word somewhat generically.

14 A hybrid katana for cutting mats only
This brings us to the many types of katana offered for sale today, especially by sword manufacturers outside of Japan.

In looking at the three basic sword profiles (a, b & c) one can immediately see the problems that would have confronted a sword smith.

How could a sword smith combine a shinogi-zukuri blade with big niku needed for armour-splitting (a) and a flat blade needed for flesh and bone cutting (b)? Besides sharpness it was niku (mass) and shinogi (ridge line) that would determine a blade's strength and give it the mass needed to penetrate a target. The blade (c) called hira-zukuri is without a ridge line and having little niku is just a wedged piece of metal that will easily chip, bend or break if exposed to excessive stress.

Another modern craze is the use of oversized tsuka (sword handles), often making up nearly half the length of the blade. Sword handle length should always be in proportion to blade length; either at a ratio of 1:3 or 1:4. For instance, a 34 cm tsuka length would require a minimum blade length of some 102 cm, making it an unwieldy and extremely heavy sword that would have been mainly used for heavy armour cutting or defensive work on castle embattlements etc. But, instead, it comes with a mere 77 cm long hira-zukuri blade, making it totally unsuitable for stylistically correct Japanese sword work. Using such un-Japanese swords is as un-dignified as asking a Geisha to put on roller-skates.

For instance, this modern forged katana (a )

displays some fundamentally [flawed] features one would not find on a nihonto (b);
 

a straight and non-tapered tsuka and a blade to handle radius of almost 2:1

These two features are bound to change the dynamics and handling and would move such a sword into a completely different weapon's category that would have little to do with a real katana as shown under (b). This katana displays all the characteristics of a proper nihonto; a curved and tapered tsuka that continues the blade's curvature (sori) and a blade to handle radius of 3:1

16 21st Century competition tameshigiri
In this day and age true tameshigiri is not performed anymore. Most swordsmen of today test their prowess with the sword by slicing (skill cutting) through rolled up Japanese floor mats (tatami omote) or green bamboo. The term tameshigiri has survived however, and is been applied as a yardstick in testing a swordsman's cutting skills and cutting power rather then the quality of his blade.
Each sword style cultivates its own brand of tameshigiri. Without going into too much detail we shall review some fundamental requirements for tameshigiri.

17 Training
Using a razor sharp katana without detailed knowledge of sword handling, sword control, sword safety and sword etiquette is obviously a risky business. Good and safe cutting skills can only be acquired through constant practice and may take years to perfect.
In any sword school the first lessons should be on dojo etiquette, sword etiquette and sword safety procedures. Beginners will start training with a bokken (wooden swords) till they can demonstrate that they can control and handle a bokken well. The next step up involves practice with an iaito (blunt training sword). At this level students must familiarize themselves with sword forms in Nakamura Ryu Battodo learning all relevant stances, postures, foot and sword-work, as well as all cutting techniques necessary to eventually perform tameshigiri in a safe and efficient manner.

18 Safety in blade design
There is no question but that Japanese blades are best for tameshigiri. They never break but only bend, and if treated with respect will hold their cutting edge for many years. Alternatively, today's katana produced from high carbon steel bars and with the latest in sword smithing and Cryo technology can produce blades of great sharpness and durability. Imitation stainless steel blades are to be avoided at all costs as they are known to be brittle and to snap. On the other hand Japanese WWII stainless steel blades are safe to use due to a secret but forgotten tempering method used by the Japanese during WWII (stainless-steel can't be tempered), but are very hard to come by. Note, however, that the handling characteristics of a Japanese forged blade and a modern carbon steel blade are somewhat different, but this should be of no concern for beginners.

19 Sword safety
Sword safety is a must and should always have priority when practising swordsmanship. Even when training with bokken students should treat it with the same care as in handling a shin-ken (live blade). Each owner of a sword is responsible for its weapon's safety and must periodically check all components for wear and tear, especially the mekugi (pin) that holds the blade in its place in the tsuka (sword handle). Each dojo should have its own safety regulations in place governing training with an iaito or katana. Students must constantly be made aware of their responsibilities towards each other when handling swords so that sword safety will become second nature to them.
Tameshigiri rules do vary from dojo to dojo but deal with the same basic safety rules. Sword safety is first and foremost designed to protect the person training with the sword. Surprising as it may seem, almost all accidents happen to people cutting themselves rather than being cut by others. For this reason, much time and effort should be invested by teachers and students alike in learning the correct way of drawing and re-sheathing the blade, actions called nukitsuke and noto respectively, and only when they have mastered these procedures should they progress to more advanced sword techniques and tameshigiri.

20 Modern target materials
Besides the swordsman and his sword the target is of great importance. In the early days target-material consisted mainly of makiwara or tameshiwara (rice-straw bundled up and soaked in water) or take (green bamboo). Bamboo must be green and fresh. Old dry bamboo can damage a blade and will; most of the time split and splinter. No reeds or other materials were used.
In the mid 70s Toshishira Obata a student of Nakamura sensei introduced tatami-omote (outer layer of a Japanese floor mat) to tameshigiri. Old and used tatami-omote can be very hard to slice through and are often substituted with fresher and softer tatami-omote or Chinese beach mats. For advanced tameshigiri, green bamboo is placed in the centre of a rolled up tatami-omote making it a more realistic target akin to the density of flesh and bone.
Kami-giri (paper cutting) is an exercise designed to hone a swordsman's blade cutting angle and correct point of entry. Paper strips are either hung from the ceiling by a string or a sheet of rolled up paper is placed on a stand. Most blades forged today are up to the task of cutting bamboo and matting but for safety reasons should not be used to cut metal, plastics or other hard objects.

21 Supporting the Target
Three basic stands are used in tameshigiri. They should be made of wood, and not of metal, except for the bamboo stand. The most widely used stands are for single target cutting with a peg on top to support a rolled up tatami-omote in an upright position. Stands with three, four and more pegs are used to power cut through a row of rolled up tatami-omote A trestle-like stand can accommodate rolled up tatami-omote placed on top of each other in a horizontal position and then cut through called suemonogiri. Suemonogiri has the same connotation as tameshigiri but is now mostly used to indicate a vertical downwards cut. Targets can also be hung from a type of rotating clothes line or can be hung from rafters or tree branches. Stands for bamboo are mostly made of a vertically mounted short steel pipe secured to a heavy metal base.