| Achievements | |
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View Master Saruta’s numerous achievements, photos or videos. Choose from one of the categories below. ・Guiness Book of World’s Records: Senbongiri (1,000 perfect cuts) ・Sword used for Senbongiri ・Splitting Four Iron “Peach” Style Helmets ・Collection of Episodes About Links Currently, this website is line free. For those who wish to use our banner, please save the image below
Splitting Four Iron “Peach” Style Helmets
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| Guiness Book of World’s Records: Senbongiri (1,000 perfect cuts) |
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| Splitting Four Iron “Peach” Style Helmets | |
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Modern swords are made primarily with appearance in mind. While beauty is important, these swords are blunt and can’t cut well compared to swords made in the Warring States period. Master Saruta says, “A celebrated sword is a sword that can cut!” Unlike a western saber, a true Japanese sword can split an iron helmet. (Helmet splitting demonstration from the World Martial Arts festival in 1997)
Iron can cut iron!!! By the particular process by which Japanese swords are forged, they are both flexible and strong. The sword used to cut the helmets, Nagamitsu Ichiryushi Ichihara, is still in perfect condition and is in safe keeping to this day. |
| Nagamitsu Ichiryushi Ichihara or “the Sword that Returned Home,” was a sword found by the head of the family on a trip to America. When the grand master was able to obtain the sword, he was also able to find out the name and address of the original owner. Amazingly, the former owner happened to live in Senshuu, which is very close to where the master lives. Master Saruta was able to visit the residence of the former owner, but unfortunately he had already passed away. The owner’s family who continued to live there believed that a string of fate had connected this sword to the master and asked that he please keep it and cherish it. That is the heartwarming story behind the Sword that Returned Home. |
| Disciple: Koichiro Tada |
| Currently, the swords mainly used by the Saruta head family are modern swords. These swords are not simply beautiful swords that begged to be looked at; their first and foremost purpose to cut. They are the result of many years of researched conducted by the head family. The swords are custom made using steel and a special type of steel called, “tamahagene” (steel made from black sand or iron sand). The difference between the Saruta family swords are compared to almost every other sword is like the difference between an F1 racecar and a common 4-door sedan. As the explanation will become too complicated, I’m going to cut this explanation short here.
While it is regrettable, modern swords just do not cut well in my opinion. However, a government issued, military grade sword it like the Sunobe-to swords or even the spring-loaded swords used in the days of old have their drawbacks. There is a high risk of breakage making them dangerous to the wielder. Not all swords made in the past are quality swords.
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| Collection of Episodes |
| Episode 1 | |
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In February of 2001, a request came to us from the mayor of Laguna Pira City in Laguna Prefecture in the Philippines asking if we would consider contributing to the local hospital. The hospitals are run by the government and have various logistical issues. Unfortunately, these problems are not something individual citizens can do anything about. This is when Master Saruta proposed “Project X.” The master decided to donate an ambulance to the hospital to save the lives of local residents. Stories about people dying in the back of a jeep while en route to the hospital are well known among even children and the elderly of the community. We were able to supply them with one fully equipped ambulance. Now, more than 1,000 people have been saved by the ambulance. Those saved by the ambulance ride send us their thanks. |
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| Episode 2 |
| The sword used to split helmets, Nagamitsu Ichiryushi Ichihara, or “the sword that returned home” was a sword that Master Saruta found in America. When the Master obtained the sword, he also found the previous owner’s address. Because the Master just happened to live close to this address, he decided to visit the previous owner at his home. Unfortunately, the previous owner had already passed away, but his family continued to live at the same residence. The family said that fate must have played a part in bringing the sword and Master Saruta together and asked that he please keep the sword. Master Saruta agreed and decided then to use the sword to split helmets at the next World Martial Arts Tournament in Osaka. That promised was fulfilled in front of more than 1,000 people in March of 1997. The sword delivered spectacular results without a single chip or dent left on the blade. This is the story of our family and a promise we made. |
| Episode 3 |
| We decide to give a second ambulance to the children in the Philippines.
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