--- title: "Watch this modern-day Samurai slice a BB pellet traveling at 217 miles per hour" date: "2018-04-02" modified: "2020-10-21" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/watch-modern-day-samurai-slice-bb-pellet-217-miles-per-hour/" categories: - "Entertainment" --- # Watch this modern-day Samurai slice a BB pellet traveling at 217 miles per hour ![]() 42-year-old Isao Machii is a Japanese *Iaidoka*, master of Iaido. Iaido is martial art focused on controlled movements in drawing a sword, striking an opponent, cleaning the blood from the blade, and then re-sheathing the sword. Iaido started during the Japanese feudal system and is the foundation of modern Japanese swordsmanship. --- Machii holds Guinness World Records for the most martial arts sword cuts to one mat (suegiri), the fastest 1,000 martial arts sword cuts, the most sword cuts to straw mats in three minutes, and the fastest tennis ball (820 km/h) cut by sword. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qzhs1Z8Rwnk "This is about processing it at an entirely different sensory level because he is not visually processing it," said Dr. Ramani Durvasula, who was on hand for the BB pellet event. "This is a different level of anticipatory processing. Something so procedural, something so fluid for him." Machii agreed, saying he doesn't use his eyes, but can instantly visualize the trajectory of the object in his mind. He is now headmaster of his own samurai school. See more of his swordsmanship, and enjoy the reactions of people watching him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsAC5ni0w6Q ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()