Opps! I've took a long break to write my comment and later found Alan Maisey's update. Interesting comments and points.
Some community (outside Java) believed that an enpowered 'ganja iras' blade could circumvent and penetrate an opponent's defences, warrior mystic magic (if any), and thus making the opponent more vulnerable. Perhaps just another story.
I'll need to look-up for info to support this, maybe it's in Skeat's.
