wooden sword?
He was shown as an able swordsman with his sabre in the first battle.
Surely he would first of all, hold his ground better.
Secondly his sword fighting style would be much more effective (than shown) against a katana samurai.
I got the impression he wasn't even trying?
What do you think?
When the scene starts he still wants to die, like he did when he ordered the japonese recluit to open fire on him, as the beat down continues he has a spiritual reawakening and the warrior inside him just won't stay down...
When the scene starts he still wants to die ... as the beat down continues he has a spiritual reawakening and the warrior inside him just won't stay down.I agree with a of of the points different posters have made above. One more thing to remember is that Algren still wasn't exactly fighting fit. share
If you've never lived in Japan or studied martial arts, it would be difficult for you to understand. Just like guerrilla warfare when compared to traditional style of massed battle, Asian martial arts whether it is with the open hand, closed fist, or a weapon is a completely different style of battle to that taught by the 19th century US Army. I believe this is sufficiently explained by the months Algren spends training amongst the Samurai. First with children then with men. Also, the movie uses artistic license as to whether or not an American Officer would even be capable of mastering these skills. I lived in Japan for three years and studied martial arts in the US military while there. I didn't master anything...I learned a lot. But compared to a professional Japanese martial arts master...I and my peers would never be anything more than a novice. Just because karate and judo studios make money in the US handing out belts doesn't mean the average American can ever really learn all the intricacies involved. It's a movie, it's pretty loose with the history and culture of Japan. It's like flying to Tokyo and spending 3 days in a hotel room then coming back to the states and telling all your friends and family that you were immersed in Japanese culture. When in all actuality you ate at McDonalds and KFC. :)
shareAlso, the movie uses artistic license as to whether or not an American Officer would even be capable of mastering these skills.Absolutely!We're asked to believe (and I admit I had no problem doing it)that a US cavalry officer had a natural affinity for the katana and kendo and acquired a lifetime of skills, in a matter of months. share
Well it's not really as complicated as all that. Mastering the sword is not so different than mastering the Winchester or riding a horse, which Algren was already an expert at. Both require practice, there's no Zen or magic involved in the art of combat itself.
An art like Iaido or Kyudo is a life-long endeavor, and full mastery is never achieved because it's one of those "the destination is the journey" things. In the old days, you didn't get 70 years to master the sword and spear and bow and rifle, or to learn Jujutsu or learn to swim in armor or ride a horse. You mastered the basics, and by puberty you should be ready to go fight for your Daimyo.
Algren had already seen more combat than probably 90 percent of the Samurai of that era. Learning from someone like Ujio, training the majority of the day over a season, he'd be combat-proficient pretty quickly.
"My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay"
Honestly cavalry sabers were either used on horseback or not at all.
The wooden sword he was wielding was also a boken - a wooden analogue of a katana, which is a versatile weapon meant to be used two-handed or one handed.
So if he had training, it wouldn't have mattered much as the weapon is completely weighted wrong for saber style fighting.
Two, fencing training often has gear. The first time he's hit, he might not have expected to be absolutely demolished without safety gear. European style, and inherited American, style fencing is a lot more prim.
More telltale is the duel with the child. Algren didn't really understand what was going on. The boy duels him and goes for an overhead strike and he grabs it - this is sword practice. It's serious business. He would've lost a hand attempting that - and he shamed the ritual in a way, because that move is suicidal against a real blade.
He literally thinks they're practicing hitting people with sticks. He has no clue.
After that hit to the face, there's also nothing to say he didn't immediately have a concussion. So round 1 is surprise, round 3 he's already taken way too much of a beating.
During round 2 he puts up a decent fight - but honestly, nobody is going to beat a katana specialist at their own game using Western techniques. They fought with guns and bayonets. Not their sabers.
Interesting answers..
The truth of the matter is that it's a completely different situation. With the bokken (sigh, 'wooden sword', he says..), he doesn't know the techniques, the proper form, he has no reflexes or experience with that particular weapon. More importantly, his life is not in danger.
He is also suffering from hangover (I think).
It's a different situation when you prepare for a life-and-death battle and have to ferociously fight for your life just to survive, than 'let's see what this bokken is all about'.
Do you see the difference in situation and attitude? He is not fighting for his life with the bokken, he's just trying to learn how to use it. He's using a familiar weapon in the life-and-death-situation, and he's not even very skillful with it, he's just ferocious and lucky, plus the samurai underestimate him, which they don't do in the bokken fights.
Also, Watanabe's character is ANGRY at him for killing his friend, so he's going all-out against him. No one is particularly angry at him before, in the life-and-death battle, at that point, he's just some nameless enemy.