Friday, March 13, 2009

Guinness World Record holder Russell McCartney, right, helps student Rusty Hill at Lightning Tae Kwan Do in Seattle.

Seattle samurai marksman holds world record

By BRAD WONG

Seattle swordsman Russell McCartney stands inside a Queen Anne tae kwon do studio, focusing on a rolled-up straw mat that will serve as a vertical target. A mat piece sits on its top, forming a "T" shape.

In the blink of an eye, he swings his 3-foot samurai sword, horizontally slicing that piece in half. Then, he cuts the vertical target at a 45-degree angle. Straw flies in the air. Chunks drop.

McCartney, 52, is the founder of the Ishi Yama Ryu and Peak Performance sword systems -- his own school -- and holds the Guinness World Record for consecutive targets cut with a Japanese sword.

At the Seattle Center on April 22, 2000, he made 1,181 clean slices through straw mats in 1 hour and 25 minutes.

He never missed, as about 750 people watched. No one has broken his record.

Modern swordsmen and swordswomen know they can be misunderstood as overzealous lovers of long blades.

But McCartney, who has trained for about 30 years, views the samurai sword as a piece of art, an instrument that also has protected life.

"True masters never engage in combat," he said.

He is one of about 10 elite sword practitioners in the world.

Centuries ago, Japanese warriors used the swords during civil wars. In the 21st century, McCartney said, swordsmen and swordswomen must choose how they use the instrument.

"The art of cutting targets is symbolic of cutting through things that stop us from doing our best," he said.

And slicing targets properly requires focus, calmness, practice and awareness -- all of which can be used in daily life.

Those who want to harm others, he added, often quit classes because they lack patience.

"In sword, you have to be fully present," he said. "There is no margin for error."

While McCartney has never injured himself with a sword, he has heard of a man who bloodied his hand when he failed to properly put the blade back in its holder.

In the 1980s in Southern California, McCartney enjoyed motorcycle riding, mountain climbing and running. But he realized something was lacking. "Some sports don't have enough spiritual content to bring us back to a center," he said.

He found that spirituality in the sword arts, studying with a Japanese teacher in Los Angeles.

By the 1990s, he had moved to Seattle and started teaching there.

Later, his skills excelled to the point where he met and became friends with Japanese swordsman Mitsuhiro Saruta. In 1998, Saruta set the world record in the same competition -- 1,000 cuts in 1 hour, 36 minutes.

As their friendship grew, Saruta suggested that McCartney try to break his record. McCartney eventually took up the offer.

After breaking the record, though, the repetitive swinging motion caused McCartney massive torn muscle tissue -- and a $4,000 hospital visit. It was months before he returned to training with a sword.

To share his achievement, though, he sent a videotape of the event to Saruta, his friend in Japan. The master has never sent him an acknowledgement.

In Seattle, McCartney has gained a notable reputation among other martial artists.

When Allen Chinn, a Seattle resident and martial-arts instructor, first saw McCartney, he thought: "Oh, just another martial artist."

But after he saw McCartney swing his sword so fluidly, he realized he was different -- he cut targets so cleanly there were no jagged mat edges. "If you make a clean cut, it looks like it was cut with a laser," Chinn said.

Over the years, McCartney estimates he has had about 1,000 Seattle-area students.

He believes he has swung his swords, including a Japanese one made in 1560, or made the motion more than 2 million times.

And he has no regrets.

"I can live the rest of my life as a champion," he said.

His new goal is to help one of his students shatter his world record. If that happens, McCartney knows he will have succeeded as a teacher -- and learned the lesson of defeat.

SAFETY FIRST

Martial artists urge anyone interested in pursuing target cutting with a sword to do so with a qualified instructor, in a safe environment and after satisfactory training. It can take up to 18 months of training before a steel sword is used. Many martial artists will interview prospective students and their parents, if necessary, before they are accepted for study.

To learn more about Seattle swordsman Russell McCartney's martial arts school, visit ishiyamaryu.com.

6 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

Fascinating!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

The Samurai are the stuff of legend, like knights and princes with their swords.

Dutchbaby said...

"The art of cutting targets is symbolic of cutting through things that stop us from doing our best," he said.

I love that! I'm going to go try and cut through a symbolic target today.

This is a great post that speaks to your passion.

Castle in the Air said...

Yes. What can we cut through.
Very inspiring post.
I just found your lovely blog and feel that I have discovered a kindred spirit. SO many of the posts resonate.

And I too was a fencer (even married someone from my college team)

All my best.
Karima

Hajar Alwi said...

The world of the samurais... thanks for sharing this insightful post. :)