Test Cutting

Test cutting is an important aspect of western martial arts training. The application of the drills to cutting of test materials shows if a student is using good edge placement on their cutting attacks.

For our test cutting drills we use tatami mats. These types of mats are used in Eastern Martial arts for test cutting. I would suggest you check out http://tameshigiri.com/ as a source for your mats. The mats may be either set up as full mats or half mats. A half mat simulates an arm while a full mat simulates a leg.

The following links are video of a number of test cuts we made with various swords. Right click on the first link in each entry to save the video to your PC.

• Test cut using an Arms and Armor Milenese Rapier. (http://armor.com/rapier162.html) This transitional rapier cut very well through the mats. Both half and full mats.
• Test cut using an Arms and Armor Elizabethan long rapier. (http://armor.com/rapier190.html) Even though this rapier is primarily a thrusting weapon, it still cut better than half way through the mat.
• Test cut with a CAS Iberia Baskethilted Broadsword.
• Test cut with a Tinker Pierce single handed sword. The weight and balance on this sword is wonderful. It sliced easily through the mats.
• My son Tieg cutting with the Tinker Sword.
• My son Rhys cutting with the Tinker sword.
• Longsword & rapier cutting of full mats. The longsword is weilded single handed. Full mats were used to see the efficeincy of the cuts.