# FMA, Wing Chun, and their weapons...



## Ronin74 (Apr 9, 2009)

A few years back, I was doing a little exchange with a friend who did Wing Chun. We'd usually alternate days on woh taught who, though we often found ourselves finding areas where one art might compliment the other.

Something interesting he mentioned was that he found some points where he felt the stick could be substituted with a butterfly sword, and told me to give it a try. Oddly enough, when it came the more close-quarter techniques, I found that the a butterfly sword could be useful at times (I never really got the handle of flipping the direction the blade was pointing). That said, has anyone ever tried the weapons from other martial arts in FMA?


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## geezer (Apr 11, 2009)

Ronin74 said:


> ...has anyone ever tried the weapons from other martial arts in FMA?



I'm generally not a big fan of "martial arts weapons" as compared to "improvised weapons" (unless they are a traditional part of an art I train).
I train Wing Tsun, so the long pole and bart cham dao (butterfly swords) are part of the system and their training also helps our empty-hand technique. BTW we never flipped the WT bart cham dao over into a reverse grip like a sai. My old sifu, Leung Ting insisted that that kind of movement wasn't part of Yip Man's system and was adopted from other systems by students who never really learned the actual set. I suspect he was right about that.

I also do a bit of rapier fencing... and I'm pretty clumsy at it. I tend to try to deflect my opponents tip, move in and slash... probably handling my weapon more like an itak, or maybe a cutlass than a rapier... but sometimes it works for me. Today was a good day. I just have to chill on the infighting. Our group frowns on hitting with the guard, pommel, elbows, knees and a lot of other good stuff. Too bad.

As far as the FMAs go, as I said, I really like their adaptability to improvised weapons. So while we train stick and blade, I feel comfortable translating the movements to whatever ordinary objects are at hand. After all, isn't that what those old Okinawan weapons like the nunchaku, tonfa, and kama really were... the improvised weapons of their day? Why train with archaic (and often illegal) foreign tools when our modern environment is replete with tools and other objects that you can use just as well?


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## arnisador (Apr 11, 2009)

We often play around with other weapons but especially, as mentioned above, improvised weapons, like baseball bats, tire irons, axe handles, brooms, flashlights, etc. The principles from the FMAs are very flexible (and mesh well with WC in any event).


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## Ronin74 (Apr 11, 2009)

geezer said:


> Why train with archaic (and often illegal) foreign tools when our modern environment is replete with tools and other objects that you can use just as well?


Why train at all? It was just something to try.


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## Ronin74 (Apr 11, 2009)

arnisador said:


> We often play around with other weapons but especially, as mentioned above, improvised weapons, like baseball bats, tire irons, axe handles, brooms, flashlights, etc. The principles from the FMAs are very flexible (and mesh well with WC in any event).


I've found that when working close-range that the karambit is a very nice weapon. As far as everyday "improvised" weapons, I love pencils.


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## arnisador (Apr 11, 2009)

The kerambit is a favorite of mine!


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## Ronin74 (Apr 11, 2009)

arnisador said:


> The kerambit is a favorite of mine!


Especially those folders. I really like Cold Steel's fixed-blade one, but Mantis makes a really nice folding one.


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