刀 "Sword" Radical Mnemonic

[subcouture]

Just a minor wording suggestion, for the ‘Sword’ radical, the name suggestion is -

If you look at this radical, it looks like the bottom part of a sword - the handle, more specifically.

It took me a few seconds to work out that it meant the grip and a basket-hilt shaped handguard.

Perhaps a change to something like -

If you look at this radical, it looks like the bottom part of a sword - the handle, more specifically, with a curved guard to protect the hand.

Would make the mnemonic slightly more intuitive.

[Syphus]

I think it should say the Tsuka

[subcouture]

To my knowledge, japanese weapons never used a curved handguard. The image the comes to mind when I look at 刀 resembles more the hilt of a cutlass than a katana.

[atzkey]

@lewdmeister

with a curved guard

I imagine the guard here is a straight horizontal part (with the right leg being a knuckle guard, and the left one as a handle).

I don’t think that the wording should be changed. You’ve came up with a mental image in the end, so good for you, but there’s no need to impose your personal vision on others.

[Junior117]

Personally, I think it looks like the handle of a fencing sword, so the current mnemonic works for me.

… “fencing sword” is the right terminology, right?

[acm2010]

I was thinking of the tip …?

[bladepoint]

There’s three kinds of fencing swords; foils, epees, and sabers.

[rhet]

This is what I see too.

[Junior117]

@bladepoint

foils

Whoops. Then I used the wrong word. x_x

I meant this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/MuseeMarine-sabre-p1000456.jpg

Thanks for the clarification and sorry for my stupidity in sword terminology.

[Belthazar]

Reckon the bottom line here is that if the mnemonic isn’t quite working for you, you should use your own instead.

[creativefeather]

Here’s how I look at it. 力 is supposed to be a steroid pumped guy flexing his arm–meaning ‘power’. I just imagine someone came along and cut his steroid injected head off with a sword (刀) because he was a short tempered jerk that bullied everyone. That’s why you don’t do steroids folks, lol.