Horrbile cutting accident...

[H. Watanabe]

Hello everyone. I do not know if many of you know my husband, Watanabe Hakujou, but I am writing in this forum using his account. My name is Loraine Yang Watanabe. This past Friday my husband was involved in a horrible cutting accident that should teach a lesson to all who practice this art.
It was around 6 PM when he got home from work and received a call from a friend of his, whom he knew for no less than two months. His friend claims to know the Japanese arts of swordsmanship, despite being self-taught in his own backyard. This friend of my husband, whom I shall call T.J., wanted my husband to go teach him a few cutting techniques, so off my husband went.
I got a phone call later in the evening from the local hospital, saying that my husband has been hospitalized due to a chest injury from a samurai sword. This was what happened at T.J.'s place:

First of all, let me say that my husband is a very careful man and has never hurt himself badly with his swords before, so this accident was a freak accident that is due, in part, to my husband's momentary lapse of judgment and his friend's carelessness. My husband was teaching his friend some more proper cutting techniques with his Chinese-made samurai sword. I recall him saying that his friend's sword is a Chinnesk He-go? His friend was trying to cut some pretty thick bamboo, but my husband insisted he cut something light; pool noodles, I think? But T.J. was being stubborn, so he refused. He attempted a few cuts, but could not cut through. So my husband tried to teach him the proper techniques, but he couldn't manage it. So in a fit of rage, he swung at the bamboo as hard as he can and the metal blade just flew out of the handle. It lodged into my husband's chest, puncturing his right lung and breaking two ribs. My husband was rushed to the hospital and was in the O.R. for over 5 hours (I lost track of time.) He is still healing up, but I will not allow him to be new this T.J. and swords for a few months at least. He's lucky that I don't take away all of his swords.

I hope this is a good lesson to you all: please be safe when test cutting, especially with someone around. Also, don't think that you are better than you really are; please have a trained instructor teach you...AND LISTEN TO HIM/HER TOO!!! Have a good day; for those who know of my husband, he is a good man and I hope you can wish him a fast recovery.



- Loraine Yang Watanabe

[Anthony Densmore]

That's horrible.
My hearfelt condolences to you and your families.

[Timo Qvintus]

Oh my God...

All the best to both of you.

[Michael Tinker Pearce]

You'll both be in our prayers, and you have Linda and my heartfelt best wishes for a speedy recovery for your husband! Thank you very much for sharing this experience with us- I hope that in doing so you will save some one else from a potential tradgedy such as this.

I hope that Lorraine's points will be taken to heart by all who read this-

My wife Linda wished me to add the following commentary-

"If you are instructing some one and they refuse to listen, WALK AWAY. If you are practicing with some one and they are loosing their temper, tell them to stop until they get it together and if they don't- or won't- WALK AWAY. NEVER practice with some one who is angry or when you are yourself angry. The potential for tragedy is just too great."

[Skip Gardner]

Hello Loraine,

This is a horrible and tragic thing to have happened. I hope and am praying for your husbands speedy recovery. Thank God his injuries were treatable, and he will again be able to join us all here at SFI.

Your posting this may indeed help prevent such a horrible accidant from happening to someone else. I truely hope all who read this take great caution in their future attempts of cutting. It's horrible thing to have happened, but I for one will redouble my efforts to make sure this never happens to anyone I know. Thank you very much for sharing this.

Skip

[Rubem Bastos]

Oh God...

Really sorry to know that...
I do hope he recovers well

All the best for your family

[AdamTNesvick]

Oh my god...

I hope your husband is alright.

My prayers to you both.

[Bill Duncan]

Our prayers to you both.
Dunc and family

[Wayne C]

damn, sorry that had to happen. yeah i don't think i'd let him hang out with that punk. if he don't have self control then he shouldn't have a sword. but please don't take your husbands swords from him.

best wishes.

Wayne C

[Jennifer Yabut]

Originally Posted by Michael Tinker Pearce

My wife Linda wished me to add the following commentary-

"If you are instructing some one and they refuse to listen, WALK AWAY. If you are practicing with some one and they are loosing their temper, tell them to stop until they get it together and if they don't- or won't- WALK AWAY. NEVER practice with some one who is angry or when you are yourself angry. The potential for tragedy is just too great."

Linda is a wise woman. Anger and swords are definitely NOT a good mix.

Thanks for letting us know about your husband, Loraine. I'm glad that he's doing better, and pray for a speedy recovery.

[rich klaas]

Loraine and Hakujo, my condelences on this horrible accident.Thank god it didn't turn out worse,i will pray for hakujo's recovery.Hope all goes well,please keep us informed of how he is doing.

[Michael Olsen]

Mrs. Watanabe,

Though I never conversed in company with your husband, I would ask you to let him know that he is in my thoughts and his quick and complete recovery are on my mind and in my prayers. You too, are considered, as having one's loved one hurt is never a light occurrence. I hope very much that he recovers with speed and that he does not have to go through much pain during the healing process. Hopefully he will be able to return to his normal life without significant consequence.

It is terribly unfortunate that this occurred, as it does not seem without precedent - it is often the 'new' student that hurts the elder. Your husband was no doubt attempting, at least to some degree, to teach TJ the safer and proper way to use a sword, ironically to prevent something similar from happening to himself. As we all know, bad things happen to good people.

Best wishes to you, Mrs. Watanabe, and your husband. I hope the two of you can work on healing the stress and the flesh together.

Michael

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Loraine, please give my best wishes for a prompt healing to Hakujou-kun.
Take care.

Carlo

[Chris Thomas]

I hope and pray for a speedy full recovery

[David Buck]

Good God, I am glad he is okay, that is a horrible accident, I hope he gets better asap, I am glad he did not get more seriously hurt.


I hate to bring this up here but I believe she is most likely talking about a Cheness Higo. (If I am mistaken I apologize in advance)

This is the third or fourth story I have heard recently about a faulty Cheness product. This is something that I think we as a board should bring to the attention of Mr. P Y Chen. This is not acceptable, one blade broke in at the habaki/nakago, and the handles were the biggest complaints. I believe this is the last straw. Somebody needs to say something to Mr. Chen about this. This is unacceptable quality in a weapon. Am I wrong?

Again I am assuming this is a P Y Chen Cheness sword.....


This is truly messed up, my best wishes to you both.

[Laurence J.]

I only registered on this forum a few weeks ago, but during that time I came enjoy reading H. Watanabe's posts. It feels like a rather empty gesture, but I just wanted to say that I sincerely hope he recovers in swift time.

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

Originally Posted by David Buck

Again I am assuming this is a P Y Chen Cheness sword...

David, even if understandable, is better to avoid such statements without
strong evidences, for the sake of this board.

[David Buck]

Originally Posted by Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini

David, even if understandable, is better to avoid such statements without
strong evidences, for the sake of this board.

That is true, but I still feel obligated to say something, I understand if a mod wants to delete what I said. I'll remove it if somebody truly wants me to.

[Sam Salvati]

Get well soon!

[J.G. Grubbs]

I'm truly sorry to hear of this tragic event. Best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery!

[tom_urso]

You have my prayers for a speedy recovery.

[J. Hedgespeth]

A sad event indeed.

The gentleman should understand the moment a temper flares, is when an accident is sure to occur.

My heart and prayers go out to you and your husband. For the short while I have had conversation with Hakujou, he has been very helpful in my development of understanding about JSA. I certainly will pray for his speedy recovery. I hope the both of you will pray for the person you refer to as T.J....to learn patience and respect.

God Bless you both
John

[Ed K.]

Hello Loraine,

I will keep both of you in my thoughts and prayers, and wish your husband a speedy and complete recovery.


Ed K.

[Diane Mirro]

Dear Lorraine,

I will add my sympathies to the ones above. Your husband is a very lucky man to have an understanding wife who is willing to take the time to share such a horrible experience in hopes of helping others in the sword community. For the sharing, our profound thanks to you both.

There is a two-year-old thread in Japanese Sword Arts by Don Rice--" Why the best piece of advice is "Get an Instructor" WARNING--DISTURBING PHOTOS ON P.2" with a similar message:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=53083

I made that post "sticky" several years ago for similar reasons to what you discuss here. Mr. Rice was kind enough to include some grisly photos of the aftermath of his accident. Since then, I have gotten plenty of feedback from Forumites who agree that the thread--and especially the photos--really made a huge impact on their opinion regarding training without an instructor. Adrian, Angus and Karl may well decide to do the same here in the General Forum with this thread.

Again, thank you, and please keep us updated on Hakujo's recovery.

[Angus Trim]

Originally Posted by Diane Mirro

Dear Lorraine,

I will add my sympathies to the ones above. Your husband is a very lucky man to have an understanding wife who is willing to take the time to share such a horrible experience in hopes of helping others in the sword community. For the sharing, our profound thanks to you both.

There is a two-year-old thread in Japanese Sword Arts by Don Rice--" Why the best piece of advice is "Get an Instructor" WARNING--DISTURBING PHOTOS ON P.2" with a similar message:

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t=53083

I made that post "sticky" several years ago for similar reasons to what you discuss here. Mr. Rice was kind enough to include some grisly photos of the aftermath of his accident. Since then, I have gotten plenty of feedback from Forumites who agree that the thread--and especially the photos--really made a huge impact on their opinion regarding training without an instructor. Adrian, Angus and Karl may well decide to do the same here in the General Forum with this thread.

Again, thank you, and please keep us updated on Hakujo's recovery.

This will be a sticky, but for whatever reason threads get more attention when they have the opportunity to "roll" for a while.......

Mrs. Watanabe, thank you very much for posting this. I'm sorry for your husband's injury, and your pain...... and it took a deal of courage for both your husband, and you, to post this..........

Thank you.......