So you've got yourself a nice-looking
katana and you feel like
strutting around with it. Or maybe you're doing a
samurai costume for
Halloween or some other reason (
cosplay!). Perhaps you just want to scare some people as you walk down the
street (just a note that I believe wearing a
katana is illegal in most states).
Here's how the
blade should be worn at the hip, so you can give off the
impression that you know what you're doing. It's not very hard really, only
two basic things to remember.
1. Tuck the
katana into your belt on the left hand side. This was done because everything in
kendo and
iaido is taught starting with a right hand drawing out of the
weapon, and it is easier to draw a blade from the
left hand side with the
right hand (think about it for a moment, it makes sense).
Interesting anecdote: In the
olden days of yore back when people still wore
katana as they walked around, people would always pass each other on the right. Since the swords were tucked into the left, passing on the right gave people more time to react if someone decided that this was a situation that only sharp
steel could solve. Passing someone on the left back then could have been interpreted as challenging someone to a fight.
2. Make sure the
edge is facing up. This allows a
swordsman to go into three cuts when he draws the blade, and drawing is smoother as opposed to when the
edge is facing downards.
Additional Note: Another reason the
katana is tucked with the edge facing up is so that it would not be worn down. The
razor-sharp edge would constantly be rubbing against the
scabbard if it was facing downwards. Thanks,
Neuromantic.
And there you go.