How did you start getting interested into weapons?

[Regulat0r]

Topic says it all, how did you first start getting interested in weapons and/or weapons competitions? Im asking this because I am interested in picking up weapons (primarily bo staff) and hoping to compete sometime in the future.

[parkerlineage]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking how to become interested in weapons, or how to learn to use them?

[Regulat0r]

I'm not sure I understand your question. Are you asking how to become interested in weapons, or how to learn to use them?

I apologize I should of been more clear. What I mean is how did you guys first get involved in using weapons, what made you first want to start? And how would one go by getting into competitions and performing? It's a two-parter.

[Shui Tora]

My sensei put up a poster in our Club's Discussion thread on the net, and I e-mailed him in curiosity about it...

After that, he replied by telling what weapons he'd trained in, and then after that, it went on from there... He teaches Kenjutsu and Kyudo, and I was entered for some compeititions (coming, ironically, both 2nd place in each! )

I wanted to start as it was good to have on my CV for Uni applications and jobs etc, but also it made me different in the fact that my friends at school and others did not understand that use, the why's and how's etc of a katana and a Yumi...

As for getting into competitions, just use Google.com and type it in there! (My Sensei did! ) and it should come up with the relevant stuff...

Hope that helps!

[patusai]

I saw my teacher using a sai and I was hooked. It was also part of Isshin ryu later in my development

[parkerlineage]

I apologize I should of been more clear. What I mean is how did you guys first get involved in using weapons, what made you first want to start? And how would one go by getting into competitions and performing? It's a two-parter.

I first got started because I saw someone using nunchaku, and I thought that I wanted to get in on that. That was about 11 years ago...since then, I've experimented with tons of weapons, and kept working with the ones I really like.

You kind of have to think about what sort of thing you like to do...straight attacks, power, speed, acrobatics, two-handed, one-handed, double weapons (ie sai, kama), and then go from there. If you don't know - try them all! Like I said in one of my posts, if you think of weapons as an extension of yourself, you can learn the basics of most (with an instructor's help), and see with which you want to continue.

As for competition, just sign up for weapons when you go to tournaments. Performing - once you find out, let me know.

If you'd like help choosing a weapon, you could tell me what you like to do, and I could try to help - I'm sure there are others who know even better than I, also.

[Regulat0r]

If you'd like help choosing a weapon, you could tell me what you like to do, and I could try to help - I'm sure there are others who know even better than I, also.

Alright, I'll try and break it down what I think of each weapon I have came across. I also enjoy katas alot for the most part, sparring not so much because how often are you going to find a pair of kamas just lieing around when a fight springs up?

Bo Staff: 2nd most common weapon used in competitions from what I have read, easy to do flash with it and such. I personally would try Bo staff just to build up my forearms and shoulders, and from what I have been told its a good starting weapon to learn to get the basics. However it is pretty common and that is something I want to stay away from, that and having to do to much flash.

Kama: Most popular weapon on the circuits supposely, was told it is fairly easy to learn and it has simple ways of doing flash, but simplicity and taking the easy way out is what i'm avoiding.

Katana: After watching multiple videos of Kalman Csoka (especially his latest video at the Quebec Open 06) I have had a strong interest in it, but it seems to be a advanced weapon that requires large amounts of instruction. A weapon that I would want to learn, but for now, I will try to set it aside for the future unless I could find a instructor in Ohio in the Mansfield area.

Sai: The sai seemed to have had a popular showing in the early 90s in competition and has been rarely been used in todays competition from what i've been told. I forgot the competitor that used it but he dominated weapons forms with it not because of flash, but because of his strong forms with the weapon. I'm not sure if sai would be a weapon that could be taught to beginners but I have a strong feeling with this weapon.

Tonfa: I admit its a fun weapon to use, when I took martial arts when I was 12 in the three weapons classes I attended before my father ruined it all for me we used this weapon and the bo alot (sai once). Simple weapon, safe, can be fun to use, but it doesn't really strike me so much, maybe because of the simplicity of it.

Nunchakus: Reminds me to much of Bruce Lee. I don't enjoy the feeling of it being out of control when learning them. I think katas would be difficult to perform with this weapon at first, thats just me though.

Sad that the nearest school that teaches any type of weapons is an hour and thirty minutes away from me. Unless you count my schools instructer having one of his students master 1 bo staff kata then teaching it to us -_- (some real shotokan right there..)

[parkerlineage]

Bo: It's common for a reason - it's good to learn! It will teach you coordination, and is a good base to springboard into spear. However, that's about the only place you can go, other than learning bo forms - of which there are probably thousands. I reccommend learning at least a few bo kata, so you can know how to use and combat it. Besides, you can almost always find a bo-like object around.

Kama: I don't like the kama because of the lack of versatility, at least with what I know of them. 'course, the flying kama are rad, but it's going to be tough to find a good flying kama instructor. I hear they are rather popular, and also probably rather easy to pick up.

Katana: I know no katana technique or forms, but once you start playing with edged weaopns, you'll love it. However - if you choose to study it, you better be ready for the long haul, 'cause they're not easy! And, yeah, a good instructor is a must.

Sai: I loved sai for a long time, and still do. Perhaps not the greatest for competition, but you can learn some very effective kobudo techniques, and they're rather versatile. I would reccommend starting with them, especially since you do Shotokan (from what I gather) - they go great with hardstyle karate.

Tonfa: Know nothing about them. Don't even ask me.

Nunchaku: Good to learn at least a few things. In fact, we use the Nunchaku as our introductory weapon - before you learn anything else, you have to learn them. It will teach you coordination, and how to spin things, and many other useful weapons techniques. Not too hard to perform with, either.

Hope that helps! If you have any other questions, I'll try to answer them.

[bushido_man96]

Sword fighting has always been an interest for me, not sure how it started, though. Here in Hays, I met some guys that were involved with the SCA, and so I used it as a route to actually start doing something with weapons with a partner. I have never been interested in weapons forms, but rather the actual combat against other weapons.

[lordtariel]

I remember when I was 7 and my grandfather used to make me wooden swords to go attack the bushes with. I've always been into combat, but didn't get my first true training until I was 19 when I learned the Chinese broadsword and straightsword in tai chi. This last year I have started learning the bo and have competed twice, the first being about three weeks after I started learning. I plan on starting tonfa just as soon as my pair comes in and am really excited to get started.