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People are always asking me about Martial Arts Weapons. Why are they funny shaped and how do they work? What's the best Weapon in Tai Chi Chuan Karate, or Pa Kua Chang, or whatever.
The truth of this is contained in a thought so simple that most people never figure it out. There is, you see, an easy way to quantify what the various implements are, and this will give intuitive understanding as to how they work. That simple thought is...geometry.
Self defense weapons, no matter what the shape, are based on a straight line. The simplest and most basic is a pole. The pole is used for two things, bashing and poking.
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.
Shorten that pole and sharpen it all the way, and you have a sword. A Jian, or Chinese Tai Chi Chuan sword is a rather lengthy knitting needle. It is used for poking, and for extremely delicate one inch bashing using only the tip.
Curve the Jian and you have a samurai sword. Or a cutlass or some other big sounding name. Good for poking, but especially bashing.
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...the tool is ultimately described by a line. The line can be hinged not at all or many times, or handled with little handles (a tonfa) poking out the side, and in other ways. And the the ultimate geometry of all martial arts weapons is merely assessing whether the shape of the tool best supports poking or bashing.
The truth of this is contained in a thought so simple that most people never figure it out. There is, you see, an easy way to quantify what the various implements are, and this will give intuitive understanding as to how they work. That simple thought is...geometry.
Self defense weapons, no matter what the shape, are based on a straight line. The simplest and most basic is a pole. The pole is used for two things, bashing and poking.
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.
Shorten that pole and sharpen it all the way, and you have a sword. A Jian, or Chinese Tai Chi Chuan sword is a rather lengthy knitting needle. It is used for poking, and for extremely delicate one inch bashing using only the tip.
Curve the Jian and you have a samurai sword. Or a cutlass or some other big sounding name. Good for poking, but especially bashing.
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...the tool is ultimately described by a line. The line can be hinged not at all or many times, or handled with little handles (a tonfa) poking out the side, and in other ways. And the the ultimate geometry of all martial arts weapons is merely assessing whether the shape of the tool best supports poking or bashing.
About the Author:
There is a lot 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. Mouse on over to Monster Martial Arts.
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