Hi Blog:"To mixed response, the UK government announced new legislation this month banning the sale and ownership of replica Japanese swords.
At least five people have been killed in as many as 80 individual attacks involving the use of these replica weapons in recent years. The swords will be added to the UK offensive weapons order in April and will join such items as brass knuckles and nunchaku..."
What about broadswords? Foils? Sabers? Where's the cultural pride?(via Japanprobe)
5 comments:
nunchukas were banned, were legalised, i'm sure.
funny thing is, the ban on samurai swords is on replicas, so as to not tread on the toes of legitimate original swords finding their way into the hands of those who happen to be collectors - even if they could also be a bit mad.
Ah, you're absolutely right. I completely read right over that point. We wouldn't want to alienate any of the serious collectors...
Wow, so is this classism? If you're poor and can only buy replicas then you're a potential killer? I wonder how much a 'Hattori Hanzo' costs? Would that make a difference?
i don't think it's against class. we have at least three classes, even they're vague ideas not entirely capable of capturing the shift in dominance towards middleclass from workingclass of even half a century ago. it's about trying to deal with things without offending those who might feel hard done by, those who voice opinions regularly on how it's a nanny state that lets the majority suffer for a minority issue being legislated against.
when they showed the reports on the news, lots of the stuff hinted at a kill bill connection - a replica yellow/black handled sword and the mention of how such attack rose dramatically from 2003 onwards. that made me chuckle. lots of those things on ebay. still, you could go to YAJ and get a much less obvious zatoichi cane i suppose.
You see, I think they got it all wrong then if Kill Bill was the instigating factor. It's not the knock-off Hanzo blades you've got to worry about, it's blonds in track suits. (I understand that there're a bunch of those in the UK, btw.)
(*_* )~!!
it's much harder to wield a samurai sword when pushing a small child down the high street...
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