# Weapons Training in Connecticut



## Forever Training (Dec 10, 2013)

Does anyone know where I can receive MA weapons training in Connecticut?

Not looking to change styles, just take weapons classes/privates to add to my training.

Already found Modern Arnis, now looking for...

bo, kama, nunchaku, sai, etc etc. How about the more exotic weapons?

Thanks.


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## Blindside (Dec 10, 2013)

http://www.psdtc.com/


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## Forever Training (Dec 13, 2013)

Thanks, Blindside.

Anyone else from CT??     :lookie:


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## Flying Crane (Dec 13, 2013)

my suspicion is that you may have difficulty finding someone who will teach you their weapons methods, without you being their student, and without having built a strong relationship and trust between you.  The more traditional minded teachers probably won't just teach this stuff piece-meal to whomever walks in the door.  There is a foundation that you need in order to be able to properly understand the weapon, and that generally comes from the time spent training in the main system first.  Trying to learn someone's weapons methods without the foundation results in a very shallow understanding, limited to mimicry at best.

If you really want to learn solid weapons methods, find a good teacher who can teach that, and then become his student on a genuine level and be willing to put in the time and effort to build the foundation first.  And don't ever feel like you are entitled to learn what he knows.  He will decide when and IF he is willing to teach it to you.


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## MartialMellow (Dec 18, 2013)

^ I agree with the post above.  I am just a beginner who wants to someday learn a couple weapons, but I figure it will be a few years before I do.


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## Forever Training (Dec 19, 2013)

Flying Crane said:


> ...If you really want to learn solid weapons methods, find a good teacher who can teach that, and then become his student on a genuine level and be willing to put in the time and effort to build the foundation first...



Unfortunately, I cannot add the time commitment of a new style to my schedule, or the desire to change styles, hence my original post:
"Not looking to change styles, just take weapons classes/privates to add to my training."


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## Blindside (Dec 19, 2013)

The good thing about the various FMA systems from that perspective is that the main system is the weapon system, we expect to start with knife, stick, and sword.


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## Flying Crane (Dec 19, 2013)

Forever Training said:


> Unfortunately, I cannot add the time commitment of a new style to my schedule, or the desire to change styles, hence my original post:
> "Not looking to change styles, just take weapons classes/privates to add to my training."



well, what i"m trying to point out to you is that you may run into some roadblocks, then.  What you are hoping to find may not be open to you.


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## clfsean (Dec 19, 2013)

Flying Crane said:


> well, what i"m trying to point out to you is that you may run into some roadblocks, then.  What you are hoping to find may not be open to you.



Gotta ditto that especially since the OP pointed out all kobudo tools. I don't know any serious JMA/OMA practitioners that study kobudo until they've reached yudansha under that teacher's empty hand system generally first. In CMA you can just about hang it up.


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## Forever Training (Dec 19, 2013)

Blindside said:


> The good thing about the various FMA systems from that perspective is that the main system is the weapon system, we expect to start with knife, stick, and sword.



Did not know that! Very cool.
I haven't come across any FMA schools in my area yet.


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 19, 2013)

Flying Crane said:


> well, what i"m trying to point out to you is that you may run into some roadblocks, then.  What you are hoping to find may not be open to you.







clfsean said:


> In CMA you can just about hang it up.



A yup

what they said


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## Flying Crane (Dec 19, 2013)

clfsean said:


> Gotta ditto that especially since the OP pointed out all kobudo tools. I don't know any serious JMA/OMA practitioners that study kobudo until they've reached yudansha under that teacher's empty hand system generally first. In CMA you can just about hang it up.



yeah, it's a bit like wanting to study algebra but wanting to skip over the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.  without that foundation, you can't make sense of what comes later because if it is structured and taught properly, then they are building blocks that support each other and are built on the foundation of each other.  removing them from that larger context provides very limited understanding and very limited skill.

having a background in some other system may not be good enough.  the different ways that different systems approach their training can make a huge difference.


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## MJS (Dec 19, 2013)

Forever Training said:


> Did not know that! Very cool.
> I haven't come across any FMA schools in my area yet.



Seriously?  They're around, you just need to know where to look.   Middletown Kenpo has an Arnis class a few times a week, Ct. Kenpo in Newington also offers an Arnis class.  My teacher, Brian Zawilinski, offers private lessons out of his home.  A good friend, and one of my first teachers, lives in Wallingford, and trains people privately.  If someone was really interested, I'd be happy to teach them.  And while it's not around the corner, Ron K in Waterbury is a fantastic teacher.  

So, like I said, the teachers are around.  If you're looking for some quality instruction, I just pointed you to a number of people.


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## Blindside (Dec 19, 2013)

Forever Training said:


> Did not know that! Very cool.
> I haven't come across any FMA schools in my area yet.



Just so you understand, the issue may be similar to the potential obstructions you may face from other traditional arts.  What a Filipino martial arts system teaches is just that a system.  I get requests from various traditional instructors or students who ask "do you have a kata on sword."  My response is no, if you actually want to learn about the weapon, our system provides a much stronger foundation, and that I won't really waste both of our times teaching you a form so that you can have a half-assed addition to your system without the necessary foundation material and associated drill training that go along with it.  I would say that a year of private lessons with a decent FMA teacher will give you a strong foundation of understanding a wide range of weapons and weapon combinations.


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## Xue Sheng (Dec 19, 2013)

Flying Crane said:


> having a background in some other system may not be good enough.  the different ways that different systems approach their training can make a huge difference.



Watched a guy who was very good at Uechi-ryu (not sure what rank but he was above the standard black belt) learn Yangshi taijiquan...took him years to get close to the proper way to do the long form...most don't want to take the time and quit


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## Carol (Dec 19, 2013)

Forever Training said:


> Did not know that! Very cool.
> I haven't come across any FMA schools in my area yet.



Have you met Sensei Frank at Cromwell Martial Arts in Middletown?  Great guy and good school - he has a Modern Arnis class.  Last time I visited they only met once a week.   There's a couple other FMA folks in the state as well.


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## Forever Training (Dec 19, 2013)

Carol said:


> Have you met Sensei Frank at Cromwell Martial Arts in Middletown?  Great guy and good school - he has a Modern Arnis class.  Last time I visited they only met once a week.   There's a couple other FMA folks in the state as well.



I haven't yet. They are not that far away. I should stop in.

I have often heard that Modern Arnis is a great fit for those practicing Kenpo. Many Kenpoists study Modern Arnis. 
I'm curious what makes them such a good fit?


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## MJS (Dec 23, 2013)

Forever Training said:


> I haven't yet. They are not that far away. I should stop in.
> 
> I have often heard that Modern Arnis is a great fit for those practicing Kenpo. Many Kenpoists study Modern Arnis.
> I'm curious what makes them such a good fit?



They are both a very good fit. Both are close quarters arts, and both have some devastating strikes. I've blended MA into many of my Kenpo techs. One of the things that I like about MA, is the fact that you can adjust accordingly to whatever is happening. 

I've got a question for you. You've been given some very good suggestions as to FMA in CT. Your location is pretty central to all of the locations that I suggested, with the exception of Waterbury. Have you followed up on any of these places?


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## angelariz (Dec 10, 2014)

Cromwell Martial Arts has a Ko-bujutsu class that teaches some traditional weapons.

Looks like Carol beat me to this.
Except that as I said, Sensei Frank teaches staff, nunchaku, sword, etc in the ko-bujutsu class.The FMA is a seperate class.


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## angelariz (Dec 10, 2014)

Foreveining said:


> I haven't yet. They are not that far away. I should stop in.
> 
> I have often heard that Modern Arnis is a great fit for those practicing Kenpo. Many Kenpoists study Modern Arnis.
> I'm curious what makes them such a good fit?


In my opinion Kenpo and modern arnis work well together because most kenpo styles do not train the ju jutsu that modern arnis has.


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## donald1 (Dec 10, 2014)

MartialMellow said:


> ^ I agree with the post above.  I am just a beginner who wants to someday learn a couple weapons, but I figure it will be a few years before I do.


weapons are cool. personally i lije the chinese weapons like the different dao, niuwei dao, quan dao, pu dao. in my opinion weapons in general is something that makes martial arts interesting. if you do chose to join theres a lot of good training out there


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