Weapons

What is the opinion of people generally with weapons?

Traditional, or at least standardised systems of weapons useage are quite effective, and were abttle tested....e.g, samurai Kenjutsu, military pistol tactics and drilling....

Does anyone have a program they use? Or a plan for weapon skills/different weapons?

I am aware of "reality" based weapon systems, the integration of Kali into JKD and also knife fighting.

I train with all kinds from traditional weapons like swords and Nunchuckas to modern weapons like knives and guns. Obviously i will not ever use a sword bt weapons go beyond and object in your hand and translates directly to hand to hand fighting. I practice a different weapon everyday after my drills and shadowboxing.

At my dojo it is compulsory to learn atleast some weapons and you must use them in gradings. There are also weapons that you can learn but dont have to. We use kali sticks during our gradings from yellow belt up and we are taught to use a bo during class but it isnt used during gradings.

Chris

We have a stick fighting curriculum and a empty hand vs. blade/blunt instrument curriculum.

I also advise people to learn to use firearms if they so choose.


-John

What styles do these come from. I would imagine Escrima and Wing Chun?

This may be a little weird, but who knows what a Falchion is? This is what I think a Wing Chun butterfly knife really is.

I think you can break it down to short stick, long sick and blade. Short stick can be adapted for various weapons, such as other blunt instruments, such as the telescopic baton (based on the jute). Long stick has other applications and is useful in itself. Blade is self explanatory. As for traditional weapons like sword, the gun is more efficient, but the long stick (jo) can be used to defeat this easily.

So I say you can break weapons down to three components, besides firearms and the weird and wonderful. Would your approach be that of Kali, where the system is boxing for armed and unarmed fighting, taught as one?

Any type of weapons training can be of value. Some of the more arcane ones have much less of a "practical" value in modern life. But as Chen mentioned, I also think there is an intrinsic value in handling anything. I have done traditonal weapons suchas the bo, jo, tonfas and kamas. All of these were common ultilitarian items in the cultures where they would/could also used as weapons. I spend what time I have now with the ones that have modern applications such as escrima, Korean short stick (dan bong)and the cane (designed for combat). I find these can be very effective and do not require lengthy periods of time to become reasonably proficient with. Knives and firearms are what they are.

IMHO, John K. is 100% on the money with the stick fighting and knife/blunt instrument corriculums. People can quible about the value of one disarming technique over another but the reality of modern life is that these are commmon in our society and you have to learn and practice something to address knife/blunt instrument attacks.

- KiDoHae [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/cool.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE] Originally posted by Mark Hill
This may be a little weird, but who knows what a Falchion is? This is what I think a Wing Chun butterfly knife really is. [/QUOTE]

I would have to say that if you want to compare any chinese weapon to a European Falchion, then the chinese broadword would be a better comparison. Mind you all three of these are great weapons and I have trained with all of them.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chen Zen:
What styles do these come from. I would imagine Escrima and Wing Chun?[/QUOTE]

Sorry for the delayed response, I've been away for a bit.

These styles were originally influenced by kali/escrima, but in truth, it's just the style of "hitting with the stick". That sounds funny, but it's true.

I was influenced by the Dog Brothers when it came to stick fighting. Then I adopted Burton Richardon's approach to it and that's where I've stayed. It's stripped down without forms/katas, etc. Just straight out training with sparring and equipment -- just like our approach to empty hand stuff.

Our empty hand versus the blade (STAB -- Survival Tactics Against Blades) comes from Karl Tanswell in the UK.

-John

URL, John? [IMG]http://www.fightingarts.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif[/IMG]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by JKogas:
Sorry for the delayed response, I've been away for a bit.

These styles were originally influenced by kali/escrima, but in truth, it's just the style of "hitting with the stick". That sounds funny, but it's true.

I was influenced by the Dog Brothers when it came to stick fighting. Then I adopted Burton Richardon's approach to it and that's where I've stayed. It's stripped down without forms/katas, etc. Just straight out training with sparring and equipment -- just like our approach to empty hand stuff.

Our empty hand versus the blade (STAB -- Survival Tactics Against Blades) comes from Karl Tanswell in the UK.

-John [/QUOTE]

How much Dog Brothers do you use John? Ive seen you mention them before.

Javaman,

[QUOTE]Originally posted by javaman:
I would have to say that if you want to compare any chinese weapon to a European Falchion, then the chinese broadword would be a better comparison.[/QUOTE]

I would have to concur on that point--the falchion is essentially a saber variant, as is the Chinese dao.

[QUOTE]Mind you all three of these are great weapons and I have trained with all of them.[/QUOTE]

When you say you have "trained" with the falchion, what exactly do you mean? Are you talking about employing a falchion in an existing martial art, or are you talking about studying a reconstructed Western martial art?

Just curious.

Peace,

A_M_P

In our JKD classes we learn mainly Kali and learn to Defang the snake