World Of Swords

People are always asking me questions about the various Martial Arts Weapons. Why are they odd shaped and does a person use them? What's the best Weapon in Aikido, or Kenpo, or jujitsu, or whatever.

The truth of this matter of sharp and shiny things is expressed in a concept so simple that most people never really figure it out. There is, you see, an easy way to understand what the swords and knives and things are, and this will give intuitive grasp as to how they are used. That simple notion is...geometry.

A killing implement, no matter what the shape, is generally based on the idea of a straight line. The simplest and most basic straight line is a pole. The pole is designed for two specific things, poking and bashing.

Fix a knife to the tip of the staff and you have a spear. Decorations, grips, or whatever, this is just a pole with a sharp end. It is great for bashing of a delicate sort, and plain, old, simple poking.

Cut that pole in two and sharpen it up a bit and you have a sword. A Chinese Tai Chi Chuan sword, commonly called a Jian, when you think about it, is a rather lengthy knitting needle. You can use the tip for extended and rather delicate bashing, as of the throat, or you can just poke with it.

Put a bend on that Jian, thicken it up a it, and you have a samurai sword. Or a cutlass or some other type of thick sword. Good for poking, but bashing is more suited to the thicker tool.

Shorten the sword, shrink it down a bit, and you have a knife. Good for poking and Close Quarter bashing, if the guy is within arm's reach. Easily hidden, great for opening boxes or prying lids, and swell for playing matador with that mugger who tries to take your wallet, grab your wife, invade your home, and so on.

So, knife to sword to pole to even gun...there is a line that defines the tool. The line can be hinged not at all or many times, or handled with little hand grips (a tonfa) poking out the side, and so on. And the the ultimate geometry of all martial arts weapons is making the decision as to whether the shape of the tool best supports poking or bashing.

There is much more to Martial Arts Weapons, and the most important work on their use, how to teach them, and so on, is available through the Blinding Steel course. Head on over over to Monster Martial Arts.

The samurai is often considered the best warrior to have ever lived, and his weapon of choice was the Katana. On the other hand we have ancient Chinese gentlemen, who wave their delicate Jian, which isn't much more than an overly large knitting needle. Interestingly, the contest between the two, young samurai and Peking noble, comes down to an analysis of the weapons involved.

To start, we should specify that the duel is between two men, not between armies. To be honest, the Samurai sword has weight and can take the abuse that a large scale engagement inflicts. But, that said, we are talking about a strict comparison between weapons.

A long blade has three potentials of use: slicing, stabbing and using the handle. The handle of either can be used for simple smashing, so we must concentrate on stick or slice. Thus, the question is going to resolve down to the 'clubbing' attack, or the wicked poke.

A samurai sword is better suited to slicing, to bashing, and to the large movements which take advantage of weight and the long curve of blade. It can be used to stick, but the whole body must be used to project the weight, and that makes it slightly unwieldy. The working part of the Chinese tool, on the other hand, is the last inch of the blade, and it can only be used as a long distance scalpel, or a sticker.

The key to the contest is going to be in forging better angles. Angulation is when you shift to the side and take a tactical superiority. The lighter you are, which means the less weight you have to move about, the more effective you will be when it comes to taking the superior angle.

Thus, the Katana sweeps around in a large circle, and the Chinese straight sword must rely on the slight shift of weight, and then flick or stab in. The timing must be exactly on the money, for the straight Asian blade is to slender to take a severe blade to blade bashing. Timing adequate, however, and a quick flick of the tip of the blade across the throat, or perhaps a stick into the armpit, and the comparison is over.

Now, the real crux here is center versus circumference. This is to say that the ancient Chinese gentleman must achieve the central position, watch the arc, and strike from the center of the circle. Simply, watch the opponent, don't be fooled by motion or emotion, and concentrate on the part of the body closest to the center of the body.

The interesting thing is that it always comes down to physics, analyzing the angles, and just watching how things work. The Japanese Katana versus the Chinese Jian, two ancient weapons which illustrate this subject of physics. It would be an interesting match up, wouldn't it?

Analyzing the physics so that you can have the best martial arts in the world. Mouse on over to Monster Martial Arts.