World of Deadly Valor and Tempered Beauty: The Japanese Sword Paradox
Master swordsmith and martial arts expert Kunimasa Matsuba to delve into the elusive character of Japanese swords
Date: Tuesday, September 3, 2013, 7:00 pm
Speaker: Master Swordsmith Kunimasa Matsuba
Venue: The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, 5700 Wilshire Blvd. #100, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Admission: Free
RSVP Required
Note: Lecture only; no performance or demonstration.
On Tuesday, September 3, 2013, the Japan Foundation, Los Angeles (JFLA) will host master swordsmith and martial arts expert Kunimasa Matsuba to talk about the place of Japanese swords and martial arts in contemporary society, including the history of these weapons, the philosophy of their craft and use, and their intrinsic beauty.
Powerful, flexible, and subtly beautiful, Japanese swords have evolved with the society around them for hundreds of years, and continue to be revered as representative images of the warrior spirit of bu.
In this lecture, Matsuba will discuss the essential paradox of an ancient and deadly weapon in a peaceful society, and the enigmatic place of a modern swordsmith in between art, craft, and weapon.
Born in February 1959 under the abundant sunshine of Miyazaki Prefecture that would propel his training from a young age, Matsuba is a master swordsmith who has won numerous awards for his craft since he began exhibiting his contemporary Japanese swords.
At the same time a talented expert of martial arts, Matsuba holds black belts of the sixth dan in aikido and of the fifth dan in kendo, and gives lectures and demonstrations around the world, notably in the United States and Europe.