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The Tachi is a Japanese sword a little more curved and longer than the Katana and hangs from the obi (belt) with the cutting edge downwards. It was the first long sword forged in Japan. It is the direct ancestor of the Katana and continued to be used many years later as a type of ceremonial sword by the highest ranking Samurai and as a cavalry sword designed to cut from the bottom up.
It is a fast sword, extremely sharp and can be drawn in a single fluid movement from the belt. It is generally wielded with two hands and unlike Western swords, it is rarely used in the company of a shield.
The Tachi is an older style of Japanese sword, popular in Japan from the end of the Heian period (794 to 1185) through the Kamura period (1185 to 1333) to the end of the Muromachi period (1568 to 1603). Its sheath was designed to be carried with the cutting edge downwards hanging from the belt.
