Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse

[Madnuga]

My mom always says that there's no use doing something if you just have to go back and clean it up later.
A katana cutting power isn't limited to shallow cuts -- it's design makes it much more effective at severing joints, and the spinal collumn doesn't stand much chance against it.
Hamstringing a zombie would be ineffective because they lack two things that people do -- 1: the ability to feel that dehabilitating pain a severed tendon gives and 2: The need to stay on their feet to move forward towards a target.
If we take a standard zombie model (mindless drive to feast on human flesh, headshoots are the only solution, etc, etc, standard Romero zombie archetype), if you get close enough to slash low and disable the legs, you run into the problems of "Does it collapse onto me?" or "Do i get distracted before i can finish it off, and then it bited me on the leg?" Remember that slashing the zombie may slow it down (if severing the tendon even makes it falter), but why take the chance? It won't pause and reflect on its wound -- as soon as you get close enough to grab, there's what it'll be trying to do.
It's just be easier and more efficient to take off the head if you're going to swing -- katanas and other swords aren't designed to be swung low. A level, shoulder-height swing is the perfect operating procedure for such a weapon.

It's good thinking though, puzzling over a method of increasing battlefield effectiveness. And you're right about the utilization of katanas against living people -- bleeding is a major part of why bladed weapons are effective. But the katana, with its shape and mechanics, is one of the most effective martial weapons in the business of head-lopping.

[KWill]

My mom always says that there's no use doing something if you just have to go back and clean it up later.
A katana cutting power isn't limited to shallow cuts -- it's design makes it much more effective at severing joints, and the spinal collumn doesn't stand much chance against it.
Hamstringing a zombie would be ineffective because they lack two things that people do -- 1: the ability to feel that dehabilitating pain a severed tendon gives and 2: The need to stay on their feet to move forward towards a target.

The second part isn't that important. While you may not have made them immobile, they are now prone, and slower (a lot slower if they're not the regular slow type). If you've got proper footwear that will prevent them from biting, all you need to do is watch out that they don't trip you before you can smash their skulls with something else.

If we take a standard zombie model (mindless drive to feast on human flesh, headshoots are the only solution, etc, etc, standard Romero zombie archetype), if you get close enough to slash low and disable the legs, you run into the problems of "Does it collapse onto me?" or "Do i get distracted before i can finish it off, and then it bited me on the leg?" Remember that slashing the zombie may slow it down (if severing the tendon even makes it falter), but why take the chance? It won't pause and reflect on its wound -- as soon as you get close enough to grab, there's what it'll be trying to do.
It's just be easier and more efficient to take off the head if you're going to swing -- katanas and other swords aren't designed to be swung low. A level, shoulder-height swing is the perfect operating procedure for such a weapon.
It's good thinking though, puzzling over a method of increasing battlefield effectiveness. And you're right about the utilization of katanas against living people -- bleeding is a major part of why bladed weapons are effective. But the katana, with its shape and mechanics, is one of the most effective martial weapons in the business of head-lopping.

If you take the Romero archetype, severing the head is also an option, in which case the katana becomes useful again. Also consider that if you cut the arms or hands off, and so long as amputated limbs aren't capable of independent movement, the zombie becomes a lot less of a threat.

[Killbert-Robby]

It may be crawling, but its arms are fine. You may have boots but it'll grab your leg and hoist itself up. You know, one of those deep sea diving suits would be PERFECT for surviving amidst zombies well except that you wouldnt be able to move, eat, pee, or whatever, and slowly die of starvation in your own faeces covered in zombies........

I don't know about katanas. For people who know how to use them, wahey, go for it. But for the untrained, sure, they can swing for the neck, but if they miss totally, the strength in the swing needed to sever a head would make em still rotate uncontroably, and suddenly they have their whole back exposed to the zombie. But the thought of this made me think of something else (the whole swinging a blade)
Ever wonder how the severing of the jaw muscles would affect a zombie's effectiveness? Sure, we can still (if you pretend your jaw has no muscle) jam our top set of teeth into an arm, but it isn't nearly half as strong without the pressure from the bottom, and might be enough to keep em from breaking the skin.
I'm not saying its an indefinite solution, but it would certainly buy you a second to toss a zombie who grabbed your arm, but is having some trouble actually biting it.
Like I said, not a totally serious solution, but an interesting idea to mull over.

[Jim North]

How 'bout a sledgehammer or mini-sledge, then? Straight to the face! That oughta take the bite out of 'em.

[Killbert-Robby]

Missing would send you off balance worse than the katana

[Madnuga]

I don't know about katanas. For people who know how to use them, wahey, go for it. But for the untrained, sure, they can swing for the neck, but if they miss totally, the strength in the swing needed to sever a head would make em still rotate uncontroably, and suddenly they have their whole back exposed to the zombie. But the thought of this made me think of something else (the whole swinging a blade)

This is the point I sort of tried to make. Katanas require a lot of training to get good at. Otherwise, you may as well just take a 38 inch piece of rebar and swing it as hard as you can -- physics are about the same. Having little experience but much enthusiasm in the field of martial weapons, i can safely say that unless you've gone out and spent hours and hours playing with it to see what it's like, you're better off with a baseball bat. It's lighter, and if you miss it's easier to recover from it.
Not a good idea to put everything you have into a swing with anything, anyway. You're liable to hurt yourself, or hurt others. Calm, controlled movement is your best bet in any emergency, whether it be fire or zombies.

I like the shark-proof suit idea, but it'd get heavy fast. ANother good protection would be a firefighter's bunker coat -- very thick, impossible to bight through, and the extra bonus of being flame retardant.

And sledgehammers would be a good thing to carry, especially if you were in a group, not neccessarily because you need to kill zombies, but in case you need to break into other things. That, and the fact that a downward swing with a hefty sledge will obliterate any zombie in its path.

[Killbert-Robby]

Oh I wasnt talking about sharkproof, although now you mention it, being in a suit like that WOULD help
I was talking about one of THESE

Hence my complete lack of seriousness

[Madnuga]

but it would make you completely invulnerable. and those pinchy things on the ends? Pro.

[Jim North]

Missing would send you off balance worse than the katana

Nah, it would just set you up nicely for the second, even harder-hitting swingaround!

Plus it's not like zombies are the greatest dodge artists in the world! They pretty much just come straight at ya.

[Killbert-Robby]

Missing would send you off balance worse than the katana

Nah, it would just set you up nicely for the second, even harder-hitting swingaround!

Plus it's not like zombies are the greatest dodge artists in the world! They pretty much just come straight at ya.

Yeah but I have a feeling people with katanas who arent trained wont want to get in close enough to hit the guy with the middle of the blade, so they'll try to do it from as far away as possible, meaning they could swing short and whoops.

[Jim North]

I'm still talking about a sledge, what's got the important bit on the very end.

[Brockway]

Head chopping with a katana would be unneccessary. A zombie still has to use the tendons and muscles to move (assumming viral based non-magical zombies, skeletons would be a BIG hurdle for katana users.) Disabling their mechanical ability to move should be sufficient until later headstomping is viable.

[Killbert-Robby]

I'm still talking about a sledge, what's got the important bit on the very end.

Ah, my bad, I misread. Resume your praises of the hammer.

Head chopping with a katana would be unneccessary. A zombie still has to use the tendons and muscles to move (assumming viral based non-magical zombies, skeletons would be a BIG hurdle for katana users.) Disabling their mechanical ability to move should be sufficient until later headstomping is viable.

Well yes... but zombies never come one by one. If you have like 10 coming at you (which, if theyre all in katana range, is no joke), you wont worry about the headstomp, you'll put it off. Unless you sever ALL mechanical muscles, they'll still find a way towards you, and even if they dont bite you, they could perhaps trip you over, making you easy prey.

[Brockway]

Crap, I'm stupid. All it would take is to pull off a Highlander. You sidestep, hamstring them with the sidestep/dodge/downward slice when they fall to their knees, take their head from the side (this move is actually the 1st kumitachi, complete with the neck slicing.)

[Jim North]

I'm still talking about a sledge, what's got the important bit on the very end.

Ah, my bad, I misread. Resume your praises of the hammer.

[Brockway]

I think we can all agree that the best anti-zombie weapon would be some kind of tractor-combine. Nothin' would clear out a zombie infested town like one of those! Well, other than the obligatory nuke.

[KWill]

The only problem I can see with that is the weight issue tiring out your arm really quickly.

[Jim North]

No problem!

*kisses magnificent muscles and flexes*

[Killbert-Robby]

If you cant swing a sledgehammer for a couple of hours straight, you dont DESERVE to survive *flexes*

[Dr Legostar]

if you can't find some muscley idiot to swing a sledgehammer for you for a couple of hours straight you don't deserve to survive.