The Value Of Training With Traditional Weapons

[MJS]

Many times, when the art vs art debates are going on, someone always brings up the use of weapons, such as a sword, bo staff, sai, tonfa, etc. and asks why someone would train with those weapons because they serve no purpose in todays world.

Of course, usually those people who make those comments, don't have any understanding of tradition. While those weapons may not serve a purpose in todays world, they can be studied for historical purpose as well as perhaps an application of a modern weapon. While it will be slightly different, a broom can be used in similar fashion to a bo. A walking stick or cane, while it won't be able to cut, could be used in similar fashion to a sword.

So, what are everyones views on the use of traditional weapons?

 

[Andrew Green]

Smacking people with sticks and other instruments is great fun. That's enough of a reason for me to enjoy it right there.

Besides that, you get to pretend you are ninja turtles.

 

[Xue Sheng]

They can also assist in teaching the internal side of a CMA Neijia

 

[Flying Crane]

swords are cool
spears are cool
bows and arrows are cool
clubs are cool
axes are cool
staffs and sticks are cool
knives of all kinds are cool
bizzarre club/staff/knife/sword hybrids are cool

sometimes the cool factor is enough.

that, and it can really enhance your emptyhand training as well.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Hanbo is one of the more interesting weapons in ninpo. You won't get far, carrying shuriken, tanto, or other edged weapons. And a bo is mighty conspicuous as well. But a hanbo (or jo) can serve a double purpose both as a walking stick and a weapon.

On the 'art' side of things, TMA use weapons to help learn techniques. For example, a bokken is used in ninpo for training on tai sabaki (body movement to get out of the way of an attack). So in a way they complement the unarmed training.

 

[bowser666]

I believe that in any TMA it is ESSENTIAL to learn weapons. Weapons help you see your open hand style and vice versa. Since one tends to compliment the other. From my experience in Chang Chuan (Longfist), open hand is pretty much a intro to fighting with a weapon. ALot of the stance and foot work in open hand is the basis for the movements in weapons usage. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Keep in mind that even though yes, you wont be walking around with a sword, training to use one can be helpful if say you got into a predicament and all you had was a steel pipe , or a 2 x 4, it still helps you understand general movement and common battle sense.

 

[suicide]

i think in todays world fighting with a knife is still of great value :jediduel:

 

[sparky12]

Most of the open hand forms I learn are also weapons forms for the more advanced students. The weapon is an extension of the hand. It helps you to gain perspective when seeing the different aplications for the same movements.
Regards, Don

 

[bluekey88]

Lots of good point sbeing made. I agree totally.

My answer is however more visceral...

Whacking thing with other things is too much fun and should be done as often as possible.

that's why traditional wepaons should be a part of MA training.

Peace,
Erik

 

[Nomad]

Weapons complement the empty hand training, can make you look at a given technique in a new light, and work very very well for focusing the mind (for some reason, people pay more attention to what they're doing when they have a potentially deadly weapon in hand, or when their opponent has one).

They are also very useful for teaching and understanding different distancing concepts... a bo is generally effective at a completely different distance than tonfa for example.

 

[JadeDragon3]

The application of traditional weapons could be applied to other object in the modern world. But traditional weapons also teach eye hand coordination and body mechanics as well. Teaching traditional weapons has its purposes. Besides swords and stuff like that are cool for demonstartions.

 

[Aniela13]

Weapons complement the empty hand training, can make you look at a given technique in a new light, and work very very well for focusing the mind (for some reason, people pay more attention to what they're doing when they have a potentially deadly weapon in hand, or when their opponent has one).

Have to ditto this...even just in learning how to handle my tonfas I pay much more attention (after just one day, my feet were begging me to pay more attention lol!) We train in nunchaku, bo staff, tonfas, sai, and kamas during the kyu ranks...having never done weapons training before, I love branching out into the new perspectives.

That said, though, my favorite weapon is the 3" pocketknife I carry in my pocket. I may be able to find a broom or such to use as a bo if the need arises and mine isn't around, but I know I can have my knife out in less than 5 seconds if I need to ^_^

~Ani

 

[jks9199]

Training with weapons can reinforce and support the principles of the empty hand; the empty hand reinforces and supports the weapon hand. The two should be able to feed off of each other. For example, the long stick reinforces and teaches the use of the two hands working together, and the importance of solid stances.

 

[Sukerkin]

For me, given that permanent injuries prevent me from making use of my empty-handed arts, self-defence has to be 'armed' - I have no other choice.

As many here know, I study Iaido, one of the arts of Japanese Swordsmanship.

Now, I am highly unlikely to ever be carrying my sword in a situation where I might need to fight (tho' at home is a different matter).

However, in most of the places I am likely to be when out of the house there is probably going to be a pool table. After the first stroke, I'm sure that a pool cue will down to about the right length I need it to be to act as a substitute bokken - and the butt end is just about the right size, if the wrong shape, too :lol:.

 

[suicide]

the reason i say knife is because i was stabbed from under the left armpit all the way up towards the top of my shoulder , to tell you the truth i didnt even know i was stabbed even though i was stareing at the guy in front of me holding a knife ' it was after i noticed my white shirt starting to turn red that i reacted , the whole thing took about 10 seconds - thats when the adrenaline kicked in and my survival mode went into full effect...

 

[CanFightIt]

[FONT=verdana, arial,helvetica, sans-serif]Traditional weapons should be part of MA training. [/FONT]Weapons help you see your open hand style and vice versa. Weapons [FONT=verdana, arial,helvetica, sans-serif]help you defend and protect yourself when you need it most.[/FONT]