Far too many kiddies -- especially on MT-- run around screaming "SWORDS ARE
MORE HONORABLE!11 I AM TEH WARRIOR!11".
Kiddies, grow up.
Firstly, I'm going to stop using the word "honorable". This isn't
feudual Japan. Please put down the Rurouni Kenshin manga. Now, I will not jump
up and say "No murder is honorable!" because that's a matter of
personal opinion. I'd take distinct honor in killing Osama bin Laden, as our
jihadist friends to the west (in America, at least) see great honor in slicing
off our heads. I'll call that a draw and leave it alone. Moving on...
- Both Weapons Can Kill You
Just one method is going to be a whole hell of a lot more painful than the
other. I highly suggest you watch the beheading of Nick Berg.
If you think dying by a sword is better, think again; it's not truly about the
weapon, it's about the person holding it. You're not going to descend to hell
First Class if you die by a sword. You're still going to wind up being nearly
molested by an undertaker and stuffed in a wooden box, or for our
enviromentalists out there, shoved into a fire.
Where's the honor in that?
No where, folks, no where.
- You Are Not Kenshin
If I have a gun and you have a sword, unless I fuck up, you will die. Bottom
line. You will not be able to dodge my bullets Matrix-style, nor will you be
able to backflip 30 feet over my head, land behind me, rush up faster than the
speed of light and stab me. By the time you pull out your sword I can have
already loaded a round into you. I can shoot randomly into the night or shoot
perfectly at you.
Either way, you will get hit.
This is Reality. Welcome it and accept it, because there's no way around it.
- You Are Not Gene Starwind
On the other hand, handling a gun is easier said than done. If you can't hit a
broad side of a barn, and the "swordsmen" gets lucky, you might be
missing a hand or two. If your gun gets jammed, or if it's not maintained
properly, you are screwed.
- Both Weapons Require Skill
You think being a sniper is easy? Think being a swordsmen is easy? Think again.
Both require skill. Anybody can randomly shoot with a gun or randomly slash with
a sword. Anybody can get lucky with a gun or get lucky with a sword. Both
weapons require proper maintenance, or else you won't have said weapon for very
long.
The more you train with both weapons, the more tricks you will learn, the more
skill you will gain, and the better you will be.
- ....That said, using a sword does not make
you more honorable
If you're going to hurt or kill somebody, you're going to hurt or kill them.
Stop using the pathetic little "I want to see my enemy as he dies!11!"
slogans. Chances are, when you do actually see somebody die, you're going to be
so tramatized by it all that you're going to end up in a psych hospital. Death
is not pretty, and anybody who grew up "normally" will have a hard
time handling it.
A weapon is a weapon. A weapon doesn't hold some holyness to it that makes it
any better than another one. Using a certain weapon doesn't make you better than
anybody else. What it boils down to is skill and how you use it. THAT'S what
makes the weapon -- YOU make the weapon.
...
Overall, I'm incredibly sick with the debate over using a gun or a sword. Today,
the former will kill you faster. I'm yet to hear a current story of Gun vs.
Sword, Sword Wins without some drastic error on the Gun's part.
Kids, if you're dead, you're dead. Stop living in a fantasy world.
Anybody can use a gun.
Anybody can use a sword.
But not everybody can master them.
Good job! I congratulate you on a good post and willingly taking on any people
with closed minds who read too much Samurai X.
As with most words, honor is simply up to the individual to decide. Therefore
IMO a sword could "be more honorable then a gun", but it is up to the
individual even if their reason for their choice is illogical. 2 Cents.
Quote by Lacuslover81I feel a sword
is more honorable. Heck you just turn around a shoot and kill with agun. While
you can be in skillful sword fight for along time.
true
that. and there is honor! not just in manga, but it would take to long for a
noob like you to understand. with swords you go see the person you fight. plus
you control the swrod. it's not as ramdom or reckless as a gun. swords are more
honorable than guns. much better. wish guns were never made. you could kill
someone by mistake with a gun! not a easy with a sword.
ah, lacus....your obvious not very smart or else you've spent to much time in
anime. Everything was just pointed out and to come and say that kinda degrades
you a bit.
Anyways Arinami, i've always avoided those topics because i agree its a stupid
debate as most the people who want to kill and have honour have probably never
been in a normal fight, let alone won. I hope this kills out some of the stupid
debates in MT and congratulations on covering every aspect of the topic.
littlejonny100, it isn't nice to flame poeple who are just stating their
opinions. If you disagree do it civilly instead of saying the person is
"obviously not very smart".
Just a friendly reminder, please don't let this thread degenerate into a
conglomerations of insults. I think the original post raises some important
issues that has several larger implications that need to be explored. For
example, the anime/manga/tv/game pop culture's fascination with swordsmanship
and the effect of it on the development of youngsters.
Therefore, please remember to read the original post in order to keep your
responses on topic and please refrain from making pejorative comments about
others. Thank you.
Very nice post indeed. Killing is killing. Blood and massive amount of it will
be part of the results. Truly not pretty. [You guys should see what they can do
to a person... definlly if it high powered... you will become blow up and become
dust... good thing I only saw nightvison of it.]
On usefulness, guns will save you the most. Swords do got their uses but only in
close combat. Could take out some tough bullet proof vest easier than a bullet
can.
I have yet to see the video of Nick Burg... I think my brother did and he got
sick for hours.
A really nice post. I'm glad someone sees the same thing as me But then
it's not just swords and guns, any weapons is not honorable, and when I say any
weapons, I mean ANY. In case you haven't got my hint yet, I'm talking about
martial arts or even ourselves. Martial arts is basically using your body as a
weapon. You can still kill people, but it's justified and honorable depending on
who learns it. For some, they only learn martial arts to defend themselves and
the weak.(cliche, but true); others seek to gain the upperhand, drunk for power.
I dont think swords and guns have alot of difference as they fall into the same
"killing" category. Personally i think the comparison between swords
and guns are the amount of "coolness" derived from them. honour has a
different meaning from cool and um youngsters make the greatest deal out of
seeing cool moves>>>then takes it as honourable. in terms of honour
(abit out of topic here) both are the same>> let me remind u of hara-kiri
(jap suicidal method of stabbing their abdomen) and the russian code of honour
(commit suicide with pistol). therefore, both weapons are obsolete in this
conversation OF honour because after all honour is created and owned by humans
and humans alone (oh ya and sry for going way off topic again -.-'')
This was one really good post and topic is brillaint!
Killing is wrong be it by gun or sword, murdering people is not good and can't
see anybody thinking it's fun!
Anyway mastering a sword would be great fun just for the sake of being able to
wield it, that would be cool!
I can't add much more most of what must be said has been said!
Do my eyes deceive me? Finally I find someone who thinks exactly like I do on
the issue of "Guns vs. Swords". Although the people who condone the
latter over the guns have either shown themselves to be:
1. Completely idiotic or detatched from reality.
2. Hyperactive twelve year olds who watch far too many movies or play way too
many video games, or simply watch or read too much Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X
was by far better).
In the end, stylization, fantasy, and idiots just don't mix well, and of course
you end up with the product of this process being a mass of twelve year old
morons who believe they can deflect bullets with a sword (bullshit), and kill
people who wield guns easily by doing the thirty foot leaps of doom and
light-speed rushes as you state.
For guns, it's almost likewise. In multiple anime worlds you get characters such
as Madlax who simply plug off entire batallions of soldiers armed with automatic
weapons with something like a pistol (maybe anime soldiers just can't shoot for
shit?), all fatal shots, and all done in stylized fashion, and almost all
impossible given that you're a visible target.
It seems in this day and age of commercialism, nobody listens to the die-hard
fans, physicists, or people who actually know what would happen in those
scenarios, instead they choose to watch something and attempt it because
"It looks cool". If it doesn't look cool, it probably doesn't sell to
the stupid masses, who outnumber anyone in possession of a functional brain by a
factor of five.
You are absolutely correct about the "honor" portion as well, there is
no holiness doctrine that says I must kill my enemy with a sword (then again
does it really matter what I kill my enemy with to start?). The gun is just
another tool crafted of wood or composite and stamped steel, no different than
the sword in essence except for the fact that it utilizes chemically fired aimed
projectiles to deliver kinetic energy to the target, as opposed to the wielder's
own strength being focused onto a wedge to inflict damages. "God" or
any other deity or guiding spirit has no bearing on which weapon does what as
far as any form of honor is concerned, meaning the decided outcome would be
based solely on distance to the target (the gun has a definitive advantage in
range, obviously) and skill.
From what you state, I also agree that many of these self-deluded kids like to
think of themselves as hardened killers with their Katanas, simply running
around, hacking off limbs like Jubei, killing lots of people like in their Halo
2 games (just the game has more 1337-speaking morons), and being all-around
awesome in their own minds. Sadly this is the world we live in today, chock-full
of these same kids and morons who think the laws of physics dictate that it is
possible to stop bullets with a sword, or that they can dodge them like Neo if
they duck fast enough, or that there is such a laughable notion as honor coming
from which weapon a warrior uses. In the end, honor is just a word, survival is
what is important in the long run, not some notion of how the sword is cooler or
holier than the firearm. Inherently though, the firearm will forever have the
upper hand, just because of the fact that it is a ranged weapon, and in the case
of the modern firearms: it can be fired repeatedly before needing to be reloaded
and from behind cover (note that primitive firearms can be fired from behind
cover, load amounts vary depending on era, design, and type).
Unfortunately, here I am caught in the middle of this observation, quite
possibly one of the few remaining people who choose practicality over looks and
hype. The sword as a weapon is frequently abused in anime, as are it's
capabilities overestimated by the people who wish to support it as being
superior or more honorable than the gun. This debate will continue on and on
without my input for years to come, as will this post be more than likely
ignored by some other person who posts in favor of the sword. Tragic really.
Killing is killing, murdering is murdering. If you think swords are
"honorable" something is a little wrong with you. A person can act
honorably, with or without a weapon. A sword is only a tool, just as a gun is a
tool. Both work on the same basic principle-make a person bleed and cause enough
internal injury that the victim dies. Both are man made pieces of metal, only
one is more efficient in performing its task. So, lets say you slice down a man,
or shoot him point blank...what is the difference. He will suffer, then die just
as much, if not more from the sword. There are no brave last words, just agony
in either case. If you think you are some glorious warrior, go to war and then
come back...you'll see the lessons that some of us learned the hard way. There
is no honor in taking a persons life.
I totaly agree with Arinami.
Depends on the terrain and area of battle..if its in close quarters and cramp
coridors then the sword has a good chance of wining...on the other hand if its
in a street or plains....well.......lets put it this way....
Story...In open street
Guy:(unshethes sword)Your going down!
Girl:WTF....Thats the last time I go out with u,PERVERTED HENTAI ECCHI!
Guy:You little...*charges!
Girl:*fires gun...Bang!
-end of story-
Another story...This time in a close quarter enviroment
Arnold.S:I`m gonna take you down baby...Say bye bye to your mommy hastolo vista
baby....
Kenshin:...........You talk too much...*runs off to hide in shadows and in
coridor rooms..
Arnold.S:Thats it I`m going to TERMINATE YOU!Huh where are you you creepy
little.....
Kenshin:here...*appears from behind him and takes off Arnolds head....
Ok that sounded more of like batman thingy..anyway ya thats what might
happen...
Quote by julian1well, Cloud can block
gunshots with a sword...
Which of course given the intrinsic velocities of the rounds in question is
pure, stylized bullshit. Cloud's buster sword in reality would weigh close to
one hundred four (104 or 47.27Kgs) pounds, meaning it would be impractical to
even try to block the rounds via concerted swing (unless he felt like
dislocating both of his shoulders).
Furthermore, many of these said rounds in question would be traveling at speeds
in excess of 1100 fps (~750mph) making moving the sword into their path a
nigh-impossible feat for the human body and neuro-muscular control alone to
handle, let alone see as a coherent image. Cloud would be gunned down like any
other sorry human being caught within an experienced shooter's sights
irrespective of the size of his sword, of course it's "un-heroic" for
him not to survive this, although truth's a bitch, ain't it?
This is just the low-end of the spectrum also, other weapons have higher round
and muzzle velocities that dwarf these figures three-fold (I.E. High-powered
rifles) and in many cases automatic fire capabilities which would leave Cloud
truly screwed. Then there's the question of other things such as anti-material
grade rifles that can shoot through an armored vehicle (there's been an ongoing
debate between a few friends and myself on whether Cloud's sword would stop a
.50 BMG from killing him on a square hit. Sources point to "no"), so
even if he did manage to block it, he'd either have his sword shot clean through
with him on the other end, or he would die from shock, or he would be knocked
head over heels from the impact itself before either being dispatched by a
follow-up shot, or confirmed as a kill.
In the end Julian, what you have just witnessed is an entertainment point which
stylizes the fight to make it sell. No, Cloud in a real-world physics setting
could not stop bullets, no, his possession of those reflexes is anatomically
impossible and therefore cannot be feasibly done in a real-world setting, and
lastly, no, he could not swing that sword like he does without tearing both his
hamstrings and causing other severe damages body-wide, therefore making it
impractical to even try. 'Nuff said.
And I'm being dead serious.
Neither is more "honorable."
Far too many kiddies -- especially on MT-- run around screaming "SWORDS ARE MORE HONORABLE!11 I AM TEH WARRIOR!11".
Kiddies, grow up.
Firstly, I'm going to stop using the word "honorable". This isn't feudual Japan. Please put down the Rurouni Kenshin manga. Now, I will not jump up and say "No murder is honorable!" because that's a matter of personal opinion. I'd take distinct honor in killing Osama bin Laden, as our jihadist friends to the west (in America, at least) see great honor in slicing off our heads. I'll call that a draw and leave it alone. Moving on...
- Both Weapons Can Kill You
Just one method is going to be a whole hell of a lot more painful than the other. I highly suggest you watch the beheading of Nick Berg.
If you think dying by a sword is better, think again; it's not truly about the weapon, it's about the person holding it. You're not going to descend to hell First Class if you die by a sword. You're still going to wind up being nearly molested by an undertaker and stuffed in a wooden box, or for our enviromentalists out there, shoved into a fire.
Where's the honor in that?
No where, folks, no where.
- You Are Not Kenshin
If I have a gun and you have a sword, unless I fuck up, you will die. Bottom line. You will not be able to dodge my bullets Matrix-style, nor will you be able to backflip 30 feet over my head, land behind me, rush up faster than the speed of light and stab me. By the time you pull out your sword I can have already loaded a round into you. I can shoot randomly into the night or shoot perfectly at you.
Either way, you will get hit.
This is Reality. Welcome it and accept it, because there's no way around it.
- You Are Not Gene Starwind
On the other hand, handling a gun is easier said than done. If you can't hit a broad side of a barn, and the "swordsmen" gets lucky, you might be missing a hand or two. If your gun gets jammed, or if it's not maintained properly, you are screwed.
- Both Weapons Require Skill
You think being a sniper is easy? Think being a swordsmen is easy? Think again. Both require skill. Anybody can randomly shoot with a gun or randomly slash with a sword. Anybody can get lucky with a gun or get lucky with a sword. Both weapons require proper maintenance, or else you won't have said weapon for very long.
The more you train with both weapons, the more tricks you will learn, the more skill you will gain, and the better you will be.
- ....That said, using a sword does not make you more honorable
If you're going to hurt or kill somebody, you're going to hurt or kill them. Stop using the pathetic little "I want to see my enemy as he dies!11!" slogans. Chances are, when you do actually see somebody die, you're going to be so tramatized by it all that you're going to end up in a psych hospital. Death is not pretty, and anybody who grew up "normally" will have a hard time handling it.
A weapon is a weapon. A weapon doesn't hold some holyness to it that makes it any better than another one. Using a certain weapon doesn't make you better than anybody else. What it boils down to is skill and how you use it. THAT'S what makes the weapon -- YOU make the weapon.
...
Overall, I'm incredibly sick with the debate over using a gun or a sword. Today, the former will kill you faster. I'm yet to hear a current story of Gun vs. Sword, Sword Wins without some drastic error on the Gun's part.
Kids, if you're dead, you're dead. Stop living in a fantasy world.
Anybody can use a gun.
Anybody can use a sword.
But not everybody can master them.
Good job! I congratulate you on a good post and willingly taking on any people with closed minds who read too much Samurai X.
As with most words, honor is simply up to the individual to decide. Therefore IMO a sword could "be more honorable then a gun", but it is up to the individual even if their reason for their choice is illogical. 2 Cents.
Wow! That is really thorough post, and I agree, there is never really any honor in killing anyone or dieing for that matter.
I feel a sword is more honorable. Heck you just turn around a shoot and kill with agun. While you can be in skillful sword fight for along time.
true that. and there is honor! not just in manga, but it would take to long for a noob like you to understand. with swords you go see the person you fight. plus you control the swrod. it's not as ramdom or reckless as a gun. swords are more honorable than guns. much better. wish guns were never made. you could kill someone by mistake with a gun! not a easy with a sword.
ah, lacus....your obvious not very smart or else you've spent to much time in anime. Everything was just pointed out and to come and say that kinda degrades you a bit.
Anyways Arinami, i've always avoided those topics because i agree its a stupid debate as most the people who want to kill and have honour have probably never been in a normal fight, let alone won. I hope this kills out some of the stupid debates in MT and congratulations on covering every aspect of the topic.
littlejonny100, it isn't nice to flame poeple who are just stating their opinions. If you disagree do it civilly instead of saying the person is "obviously not very smart".
Yosh! Put those kids in their places Arinami. Well written post. ^__^
yeah! use gun to kill ppl can be cowardish, although use sword to stab from behind too, but use sword needs guts and skill to sneaky behind. :P
yea, it might be cowardish, but it's so much more practical
and like anyone's gonna give a damn when the other person's dead and you're not
surely its the best way to kill or die, with the chance to fight without a bullet in your body.
well, Cloud can block gunshots with a sword...
Have you EVER read the first post?
Kenshin, Clown...Cloud or whoever uses sword applies there. We are talking about real life here. NOT game or anime. Sheeesh.
I think he was being sarcastic...
Just a friendly reminder, please don't let this thread degenerate into a conglomerations of insults. I think the original post raises some important issues that has several larger implications that need to be explored. For example, the anime/manga/tv/game pop culture's fascination with swordsmanship and the effect of it on the development of youngsters.
Therefore, please remember to read the original post in order to keep your responses on topic and please refrain from making pejorative comments about others. Thank you.
hehe wow nice one
very very nice 
it's good
to hear that no murder is honorable 
Very nice post indeed. Killing is killing. Blood and massive amount of it will be part of the results. Truly not pretty. [You guys should see what they can do to a person... definlly if it high powered... you will become blow up and become dust... good thing I only saw nightvison of it.]
On usefulness, guns will save you the most. Swords do got their uses but only in close combat. Could take out some tough bullet proof vest easier than a bullet can.
I have yet to see the video of Nick Burg... I think my brother did and he got sick for hours.
A really nice post. I'm glad someone sees the same thing as me
But then
it's not just swords and guns, any weapons is not honorable, and when I say any
weapons, I mean ANY. In case you haven't got my hint yet, I'm talking about
martial arts or even ourselves. Martial arts is basically using your body as a
weapon. You can still kill people, but it's justified and honorable depending on
who learns it. For some, they only learn martial arts to defend themselves and
the weak.(cliche, but true); others seek to gain the upperhand, drunk for power.
I dont think swords and guns have alot of difference as they fall into the same "killing" category. Personally i think the comparison between swords and guns are the amount of "coolness" derived from them. honour has a different meaning from cool and um youngsters make the greatest deal out of seeing cool moves>>>then takes it as honourable. in terms of honour (abit out of topic here) both are the same>> let me remind u of hara-kiri (jap suicidal method of stabbing their abdomen) and the russian code of honour (commit suicide with pistol). therefore, both weapons are obsolete in this conversation OF honour because after all honour is created and owned by humans and humans alone (oh ya and sry for going way off topic again -.-'')
This was one really good post and topic is brillaint!
Killing is wrong be it by gun or sword, murdering people is not good and can't see anybody thinking it's fun!
Anyway mastering a sword would be great fun just for the sake of being able to wield it, that would be cool!
I can't add much more most of what must be said has been said!
Do my eyes deceive me? Finally I find someone who thinks exactly like I do on the issue of "Guns vs. Swords". Although the people who condone the latter over the guns have either shown themselves to be:
1. Completely idiotic or detatched from reality.
2. Hyperactive twelve year olds who watch far too many movies or play way too many video games, or simply watch or read too much Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X was by far better).
In the end, stylization, fantasy, and idiots just don't mix well, and of course you end up with the product of this process being a mass of twelve year old morons who believe they can deflect bullets with a sword (bullshit), and kill people who wield guns easily by doing the thirty foot leaps of doom and light-speed rushes as you state.
For guns, it's almost likewise. In multiple anime worlds you get characters such as Madlax who simply plug off entire batallions of soldiers armed with automatic weapons with something like a pistol (maybe anime soldiers just can't shoot for shit?), all fatal shots, and all done in stylized fashion, and almost all impossible given that you're a visible target.
It seems in this day and age of commercialism, nobody listens to the die-hard fans, physicists, or people who actually know what would happen in those scenarios, instead they choose to watch something and attempt it because "It looks cool". If it doesn't look cool, it probably doesn't sell to the stupid masses, who outnumber anyone in possession of a functional brain by a factor of five.
You are absolutely correct about the "honor" portion as well, there is no holiness doctrine that says I must kill my enemy with a sword (then again does it really matter what I kill my enemy with to start?). The gun is just another tool crafted of wood or composite and stamped steel, no different than the sword in essence except for the fact that it utilizes chemically fired aimed projectiles to deliver kinetic energy to the target, as opposed to the wielder's own strength being focused onto a wedge to inflict damages. "God" or any other deity or guiding spirit has no bearing on which weapon does what as far as any form of honor is concerned, meaning the decided outcome would be based solely on distance to the target (the gun has a definitive advantage in range, obviously) and skill.
From what you state, I also agree that many of these self-deluded kids like to think of themselves as hardened killers with their Katanas, simply running around, hacking off limbs like Jubei, killing lots of people like in their Halo 2 games (just the game has more 1337-speaking morons), and being all-around awesome in their own minds. Sadly this is the world we live in today, chock-full of these same kids and morons who think the laws of physics dictate that it is possible to stop bullets with a sword, or that they can dodge them like Neo if they duck fast enough, or that there is such a laughable notion as honor coming from which weapon a warrior uses. In the end, honor is just a word, survival is what is important in the long run, not some notion of how the sword is cooler or holier than the firearm. Inherently though, the firearm will forever have the upper hand, just because of the fact that it is a ranged weapon, and in the case of the modern firearms: it can be fired repeatedly before needing to be reloaded and from behind cover (note that primitive firearms can be fired from behind cover, load amounts vary depending on era, design, and type).
Unfortunately, here I am caught in the middle of this observation, quite possibly one of the few remaining people who choose practicality over looks and hype. The sword as a weapon is frequently abused in anime, as are it's capabilities overestimated by the people who wish to support it as being superior or more honorable than the gun. This debate will continue on and on without my input for years to come, as will this post be more than likely ignored by some other person who posts in favor of the sword. Tragic really.
Killing is killing, murdering is murdering. If you think swords are "honorable" something is a little wrong with you. A person can act honorably, with or without a weapon. A sword is only a tool, just as a gun is a tool. Both work on the same basic principle-make a person bleed and cause enough internal injury that the victim dies. Both are man made pieces of metal, only one is more efficient in performing its task. So, lets say you slice down a man, or shoot him point blank...what is the difference. He will suffer, then die just as much, if not more from the sword. There are no brave last words, just agony in either case. If you think you are some glorious warrior, go to war and then come back...you'll see the lessons that some of us learned the hard way. There is no honor in taking a persons life.
I totaly agree with Arinami.
Depends on the terrain and area of battle..if its in close quarters and cramp coridors then the sword has a good chance of wining...on the other hand if its in a street or plains....well.......lets put it this way....
Story...In open street
Guy:(unshethes sword)Your going down!
Girl:WTF....Thats the last time I go out with u,PERVERTED HENTAI ECCHI!
Guy:You little...*charges!
Girl:*fires gun...Bang!
-end of story-
Another story...This time in a close quarter enviroment
Arnold.S:I`m gonna take you down baby...Say bye bye to your mommy hastolo vista baby....
Kenshin:...........You talk too much...*runs off to hide in shadows and in coridor rooms..
Arnold.S:Thats it I`m going to TERMINATE YOU!Huh where are you you creepy little.....
Kenshin:here...*appears from behind him and takes off Arnolds head....
Ok that sounded more of like batman thingy..anyway ya thats what might happen...
Which of course given the intrinsic velocities of the rounds in question is pure, stylized bullshit. Cloud's buster sword in reality would weigh close to one hundred four (104 or 47.27Kgs) pounds, meaning it would be impractical to even try to block the rounds via concerted swing (unless he felt like dislocating both of his shoulders).
Furthermore, many of these said rounds in question would be traveling at speeds in excess of 1100 fps (~750mph) making moving the sword into their path a nigh-impossible feat for the human body and neuro-muscular control alone to handle, let alone see as a coherent image. Cloud would be gunned down like any other sorry human being caught within an experienced shooter's sights irrespective of the size of his sword, of course it's "un-heroic" for him not to survive this, although truth's a bitch, ain't it?
This is just the low-end of the spectrum also, other weapons have higher round and muzzle velocities that dwarf these figures three-fold (I.E. High-powered rifles) and in many cases automatic fire capabilities which would leave Cloud truly screwed. Then there's the question of other things such as anti-material grade rifles that can shoot through an armored vehicle (there's been an ongoing debate between a few friends and myself on whether Cloud's sword would stop a .50 BMG from killing him on a square hit. Sources point to "no"), so even if he did manage to block it, he'd either have his sword shot clean through with him on the other end, or he would die from shock, or he would be knocked head over heels from the impact itself before either being dispatched by a follow-up shot, or confirmed as a kill.
In the end Julian, what you have just witnessed is an entertainment point which stylizes the fight to make it sell. No, Cloud in a real-world physics setting could not stop bullets, no, his possession of those reflexes is anatomically impossible and therefore cannot be feasibly done in a real-world setting, and lastly, no, he could not swing that sword like he does without tearing both his hamstrings and causing other severe damages body-wide, therefore making it impractical to even try. 'Nuff said.