No, I like them too much to abuse them that way. I reserve that for cheap crappy swords.
How many weapons have you broken?
- Thread starter Christopher Adamchek
- Start date
lklawson
Grandmaster
Yeah, me too. It's a traditional term and there are a few Fencing Maestros who get a little prickly when others use the term "sparring." That's a boxing term, not fencing. To them, it's a little like hearing someone talk about "numb-chucks" or "bo staff."
Very interesting. I recall reading of a period in Europe where many forests were denuded to fuel the charcoal furnaces used for making armor and weapons during a part of the medieval period. There were apparently similar complaints about getting suitable quality wood for housing, tools, and weapons; or sometimes even coming up with sufficient wood for heating and cooking. I guess there's a reason that a Woodcutter is prominent in Little Red Riding Hood and other fables.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
lklawson
Grandmaster
I have a heavy redwood walking stick. A friend sent the unfinished stick to me to finish out and then do destructive tests on. It ended up looking so neat that I couldn't bring myself to destroy it. It's now sitting in my over-stuffed basket of walkingsticks and canes. The "daily use" basket, not the "bash about for practice" basket out in the salle nor the "too beautiful/antique/special to actually use" basket.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
I have broken many weapons but most of them are rattan and designed to be used up. According to Sharkee knives my group is the only group to have ever broken their training knives and we have done it twice. I broke a polymer training sword through repeated spine hits that delaminated the HDPE. Fortunately I haven't broken any steel training weapons, they are expensive and that would suck.
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isshinryuronin
Senior Master
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During my mid twenties I was studying fencing with a friend (privately from an ex-Olympic coach) but we would practice (foil) on our own without any protective gear (luckily we both still have two working eyes). Our arms would get sliced up a bit as we worked more on ferocity and fun than form. We decided to join our community college fencing team just for extra practice. Of course, the instruction there was very proper and nice - they were not ready for two brawlers to enter their midst.
It was the first or second day when my friend had his first match. He lunged and promptly broke his foil in half from the impact on the other guy's chest. The "snap" of the broken metal was loud and crisp. The entire gym suddenly went still. Many mouths hung open - mine was in a smile. It seemed our "style" was not appreciated in formal fencing society.
It was the first or second day when my friend had his first match. He lunged and promptly broke his foil in half from the impact on the other guy's chest. The "snap" of the broken metal was loud and crisp. The entire gym suddenly went still. Many mouths hung open - mine was in a smile. It seemed our "style" was not appreciated in formal fencing society.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Ive broken a couple foil blades when I was taking a fencing class in college. Could very easily skewer a training partner when that happens.
Interesting story that you guys reminded me of-I've probably shared it on here in the past. Back in college I fenced, primarily epee. On one particular day, myself and another fencer were having a friendly epee bout, after practice ended. we wore masks and gloves, but I believe on this day we didn't have any of the other protective gear (no plastron or jacket, and epee doesn't require a lamee). I might be wrong on this, but like I said pretty sure that was a day where we just were in tshirt/shorts/mask after official practice.
My practice mask was also not safe, and at least I (I think him too) tended to use less flexible blades during practice. Somehow throughout all of college none of us really got hurt.
But there was one instance where we were sparring, and he was 'jabbing' rather than lunging/extending properly, which understandably happened after 3 hours of So he did a 'jab' during his fleche (a very aggressive and IMO the most explosive technique in fencing), and got me right in the neck. As he hit my neck, the blade snapped in half, and pressing against my neck as it did, I made a gargled sound. He froze for a sec, not turning around, while I caught my breathe. When he turned around he got extremely relieved, as he apparently through the combination of his move, the location he hit, the epee breaking, and the sound that I made, thought he had impaled/killed me. He told me later the only word he could think of while he was like that was 'f**k'. After that I started using a better mask, and wore my jacket more often. Still not as often as I should have. I was a class A idiot.
My practice mask was also not safe, and at least I (I think him too) tended to use less flexible blades during practice. Somehow throughout all of college none of us really got hurt.
But there was one instance where we were sparring, and he was 'jabbing' rather than lunging/extending properly, which understandably happened after 3 hours of So he did a 'jab' during his fleche (a very aggressive and IMO the most explosive technique in fencing), and got me right in the neck. As he hit my neck, the blade snapped in half, and pressing against my neck as it did, I made a gargled sound. He froze for a sec, not turning around, while I caught my breathe. When he turned around he got extremely relieved, as he apparently through the combination of his move, the location he hit, the epee breaking, and the sound that I made, thought he had impaled/killed me. He told me later the only word he could think of while he was like that was 'f**k'. After that I started using a better mask, and wore my jacket more often. Still not as often as I should have. I was a class A idiot.
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
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isshinryuronin
Senior Master
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2019
- Messages
- 2,481
- Reaction score
- 2,690
Please hit "Click to expand" to my post above to read reply. My computer is haunted. Thanks.
Oni_Kadaki
Green Belt
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I broke a Browning M2 machine gun during familiarization training once!
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Ha, it's not haunted... you've managed to accidentally put a space between the "E" and "]" in the last quote brackets, so the coding didn't close the quote for you the first time... if it's within a short time, you can go back and edit such things, but it's a bit late now... oh, well, next time, neh?
hoshin1600
Senior Master
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reading these posts i did a quick search and man are weapons expensive now. the kingfisher woodworks "enhanced" bokken is about $400. and a Japanese made ebony like i had is $1200.
there was a time i enjoyed buying various wood bokken. so beautiful, seems like it would be a very expensive hobby to collect them now.
there was a time i enjoyed buying various wood bokken. so beautiful, seems like it would be a very expensive hobby to collect them now.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Holy crap. I recently sold a hickory bo that I made, for about $60 plus shipping. I think I need to revisit my business model...
OP
Christopher Adamchek
Purple Belt
- Thread Starter
- #34
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Well... that's certainly a different use for a bo! Never seen anything like that in any Ryukyu kobudo system... or really, outside of Chinese theatre... whereabouts is this from (as in the source of the method)?
OP
Christopher Adamchek
Purple Belt
- Thread Starter
- #36
@Chris Parker
you are correct, its mostly Chinese theater technique
It does entail good coordination
you are correct, its mostly Chinese theater technique
It does entail good coordination
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Yup, that’ll break it.
Is that from some kind of monkey system? I know little or nothing about Chinese Theater methods, other than it is designed to entertain an audience.
OP
Christopher Adamchek
Purple Belt
- Thread Starter
- #38
That staff took quite a few of these before it broke lol
This was from a collection of shaolin staff training vids, could be a mokey sub style technique
Techniques are mostly for coordination, timeing, strength etc - looks good for demos/theater but can have some mild practicality
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Oh yeah, a good staff can last for a while. Until it breaks.
When it flexes like that, you know that eventually it will break.
Yeah. I’ve been wanting an exotic bo (perhaps purple heart), and have concluded it’s much less expensive to buy a dowel from a niche woodworking supplier.
