kamas

[phi-long]

well after training on the fan for a while its time to start on a new weapon. i was wondering what you guys though of the kamas? they look like they could be effective, but a lot of the vids i see are ppl just twirling them around and being flashy. info please!!

[marie curie]

I like the kama. I don't know any really good katas though Possibly you could learn some "flashy" ones, and get down how to handle them smoothly, then do your own. I know some tourny's have an entire division for your own katas.

[Tkd_MMA]

the tonfas maybe good i'm not sure if it would be easier or harder than fans i only ever seen someone use them once.

[phi-long]

i already know how to use the fans. ive never seen a tonfa in action. guess ill have to google it. im kinda stuck on the kamas though "there pretty sweet"

[username8517]

When I did kama training (way back in the day), I was never really satisified with the weapon in general. Everything I was taught seemed borderline impractical and just too rigid.

Then one day (over a decade later), when training in a kali class, it dawned on me, the kama was just like the escrima, only shorter and with a blade on the end. That was the spark I needed. From there, I basically threw out everything that I happened to remember of my old kama training and applied some kali principles to it.

Now granted, due to the differences between a kama and an escrima, not everything is transferrable, but the core concepts and most basic parries & strikes are.

My advice would be to get yourself into a kali class and then when you have a handling on how to use an escrima effectively, then go back and adapt it to kamas (and don't worry too much about the flashy tricks you've mentioned).

[Justin Treadaway]

When I did kama training (way back in the day), I was never really satisified with the weapon in general. Everything I was taught seemed borderline impractical and just too rigid.

Then one day (over a decade later), when training in a kali class, it dawned on me, the kama was just like the escrima, only shorter and with a blade on the end. That was the spark I needed. From there, I basically threw out everything that I happened to remember of my old kama training and applied some kali principles to it.

Now granted, due to the differences between a kama and an escrima, not everything is transferrable, but the core concepts and most basic parries & strikes are.

My advice would be to get yourself into a kali class and then when you have a handling on how to use an escrima effectively, then go back and adapt it to kamas (and don't worry too much about the flashy tricks you've mentioned).

Yeah our modern arnis stuff can transfer to a lot of weapons. You can use swords, axes, and I am sure kamas would work. But I think I prefer a rattan stick, it is super fast, decent reach, and if you get good its the most practical weapon that you can find. Unless your in house or somthing. But you can almost always find a stick.

[bushido_man96]

I think that the escrima training transfers in a more practical manner than some of the ways that some weapons are taught today.

[lordtariel]

the tonfas maybe good i'm not sure if it would be easier or harder than fans i only ever seen someone use them once.

I love the tonfa, but they take a little while to get the hang of. You can strike, punch or hook with them. You can also use them as a leverage tool for grappling. As for the kama, I wouldn't put much stock into the flashy "twirl and toss" katas, but they still look like a lot of fun.

[unknownstyle]

have you seen katas with them used in the closed position, they are very effective against a sword welding opponent. and they build up your finger good for fingertip strikes

[bushido_man96]

the tonfas maybe good i'm not sure if it would be easier or harder than fans i only ever seen someone use them once.

I love the tonfa, but they take a little while to get the hang of. You can strike, punch or hook with them. You can also use them as a leverage tool for grappling. As for the kama, I wouldn't put much stock into the flashy "twirl and toss" katas, but they still look like a lot of fun.

Have you seen the tonfa-like weapons that are used in Krabi Krabong? They looked very nice, and seem to be a bit longer than the tonfa, and much wider. They are called the mai sok.