tameshigiri

thumb|Tameshigiri using a goza target on a stand (2006) Ren Kuroda demonstrates Shofu at the Mugairyu Meishi-ha dojo in Tokyo, Japan is the Japanese art of target test cutting. The kanji literally means "test cut". This practice was popularized in the Edo period (17th century) for testing the quality of Japanese swords. It continues to the present day, but has evolved into a martial art which focuses on demonstrating the practitioner's skill with a sword.

== Origins == thumb|Tameshigiri on a convicted criminal (illustration from a 1927 book) During the Edo period, only the most skilled swordsmen were chosen to test swords, so that the swordsman's skill was not questionable in determining how well the sword cut. The materials used to test swords varied greatly. Some substances were , or , bamboo, and thin steel sheets.