Congratulations on earning your new belt and starting your new weapon!
 
This will be an exciting and challenging part of your training!
 
Before being improvised as a weapon, the sword also known as a katana (刀 or かたな) is a Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands. Developed later than the tachi, it was used by samurai in feudal Japan and worn with the blade facing upward.