Weapons

 TMA Weapons Division

 The TMA weapons division began in April of 2005.  It is taught by 8th degree black belts and Master Instructors Michael Kaiser and Andy Bradbury. 

    Originally, the weapons class was offered only as an addition to the regular class, but in 2005, interest was growing and the decision was made to make it a separate, structured program. 

    The program consists of training with the bo, nunchaku, tonfa, sai, and kama. Class is held on Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 9:45 A.M. at Master Stangle's dojang.                                        

Some of the Members of Our Weapons Class.

Mr. Bradbury leading weapons class.

Mrs. Cummins and Mr. Sinclair performing nunchaku drills.

Mr. Sinclair and Mr. Boyd working on a nunchaku form.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Weapons

By: Chris Vieke

                                                                                       The study of martial arts weapons offers a window into the past. The legends surrounding a weapon’s history, as well as the difficulty in mastering it, all add to the weapons mystique.

In the martial arts, the term “weapon” is a large one. To the Traditional martial artist, it brings to mind the sword “katana”- favored by the samurai. Also brings to mind the bo, tonfa, sai, nunchuka, and kama. To the modern “warrior,” the term brings to mind the gun, tactical knife, and other person self-defense tools.

 Most think the granddaddy of all weapons is the staff or bo. Almost every culture has some version of this weapon. Out of this weapon has come the nunchaku, three section staff, and eskrima stick. Many cultures have attached other weapons on the end of the staff, spears, blades, etc.

Blunt weapons are effective, but it’s the edged weapons that get the respect and awe of most people. Practitioners of edged weapons can slice, stab, cut, puncture, and dice their opponents with efficiency. You can do so much more with less effort with similarly sized and weighted blunt weapons. Edged weapons can be a lot more intimidating than a blunt weapon. A skilled practitioner with a blunt weapon is a lot more dangerous than an unskilled practitioner with an edged weapon. No matter what a person’s skill level is, if they have an edged weapon, they should be respected. If you face a person with an edged weapon be prepared to see blood. Once a person sees their own blood, a lot of the time the fight is over.

While most people will never be involved in a real sword fight, weapons training is a vital tool in our self-defense arsenal. Any common object can be turned into a weapon. A brick, broom stick, pen, or even a rolled up newspaper or magazine can be used by you to end a fight. But you have to be prepared. Whether you have trained in weapons or not, the skills you learn in weapons training will improve your self-defense skills and your confidence.

Here is a brief history of the weapons we train with in class. Most of the weapons used evolved from farming tools. The peasants, or common folk, were not allowed to have what the upper clans considered weapons, therefore they were forbidden to carry such arms. As a result, the peasants were defenseless and developed a fighting system around their traditional farming implements.

Bo or Staff

The Bo is generally a six foot long staff, some are tapered at either end. It was developed from a farming tool called a tenbin (a stick placed across your shoulder with baskets or sacks hanging from either end. Also, it could be used as a handle for a rake or shovel. Travelers used them as walking sticks (monks were very fond of having a walking stick). Shorter versions were called a jo and hanbo. Traditionally made  from red or white oak, you can find a bo made from many materials, sizes, and weights. For training purposes, you want a bo as long as your are tall. White wax bos are very strong and good for contact training. For demonstrations the graphite bos are light weight and some are very colorful, but do not use a graphite bo for contact as it will break. The bo is considered the “king” of weapons.

The Bo is usually gripped in thirds, with the right leg in front, the right hand is holding the bo palm up the left hand (close to the left hip) is holding the bo palm down or in towards the body. Power is generated by the lead hand pushing out on the bo and the back hand pulling in. When striking, the wrist rotates or twists, as if turning the hand over when punching. Techniques include a wide variety of blocks, strikes, sweeps, and entrapments.

Several of Jackie Chan’s movies involve the use of bos or similar weapons. Drunken master and Legend of the Drunken Master come to mind.

Tonfa

The tonfa originated as a handle of a millstone used for grinding grain. Traditionally, it was made from red oak (for strength). The tonfa is usually gripped by the short perpendicular handle or occasionally by the longer shaft. Tonfa are usually used in pairs, with the user grasping the handle and having the length of the shaft running along the forearm. Large amounts of momentum can be generated by twirling the tonfa by the handle. You can strike with either the handle or the shaft. You can also “stab” with the end of the shaft.  In the movie GI JOE: The Rise of Cobra, the character “Snake Eyes” uses the tonfa.

SAI

The sai is a three-pronged truncheon. As a farm implement it was used to create furrows in the soil to plant rice and also used when harvesting rice as a flail. Typically used in pairs, (although when carried as a weapon, a lot of the people carried three sai). The reason for this is, in a fight, one sai would be thrown, and you would still have two to fight with. The sai appears similar to a short sword. The shaft is either round or octagonal in shape, not bladed. The end is traditionally more blunt but can be pointed. The sai has two shorter prongs on either side of the main shaft and are used for trapping (a sword or a bo). The sai is primarily used as a striking weapon. You can hold the sai with the long shaft running along your forearm (more of a defensive maneuver) or with the shaft out (more offensive). You can flip the sai between the pointed end or the butt of the handle depending on how much damage you wish to do to your opponent. You can slash, stab, or use the butt of the handle to punch with. The sai is a very versatile weapon.

You can the sai in use in the movies Elektra and Dare Devil.  Jennifer Garner stars in both; her character Elektra’s primary weapon is the sai.

Nunchaku

The nunchaku is two sections of wood (traditional), metal, graphite, or foam, connected by a cord or a chain. It evolved from a threshing flail. Nunchakus can be found with handles in either round or octagonal style. The octagonal shape allows one edge of the nunchaku to make contact on the target increasing the damage inflicted (I personally find the octagonal harder on the hands to use). The ideal length of the connecting cord/chain should be so you could allow the user to lay it over his or her palm so the chuks hang straight down. For maximum control you grip the nunchaku as high as possible near the top of the shaft. Nunchaku need to be properly balanced. If they are off balanced, it can be very difficult to swing (out of rhythm) and to do more advanced moves. You can use nunchaku to trap, do multiple different strikes and blocks, and use either end as a blunt force weapon. Nunchaku is one of the more difficult weapons to master. Any time you have a weapon that is not solid ie: free to swing, ends connected by rope or chain, ect, they are more difficult to master (sometimes it seems like the weapon takes on a mind of its own). The nunchaku does take more time commitment to learn, and they can be very easy to hurt yourself with. Nunchaku training has been noted to increase hand speed, correct posture, and condition the hands of the user.

Bruce Lee used the nunchaku very effectively in several of his movies, most notable are: Fists of fury, Game of Death, Way of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon.

Kama

The kama is a traditional farming sickle, considered one of the hardest weapons to learn due to the inherent danger in practicing with such a weapon. Most of today’s Kamas have “fake blades” (looks like a blade but have blunt or a fake edge). A lot of the demo kamas have holes or designs put into the blade. These holes make the weapons lighter (so you can swing faster), and it makes the weapon “sing” (air flowing through the holes of the blade). You still need to be very careful when using it. As a weapon, it is very sharp and can inflict a lot of damage. The kama holds a large fear factor. Both the point and the edge of the blade are used. Used in pairs, the kama can be used to block, trap, and disarm an opponent’s weapon. Less than lethal use of the kama would be using the butt of the handle (as punching).

The kama is a popular weapon for kata competitions. Most competitors adapt their empty hand routine while using the kama. This might look “cool” but has very little actual kama technique.

Tadashi Yamashita, a 9th Dan in Kobayahi Shorin-Ryu and Matoyoshi Kobudo, is very proficient with the kama and the kusarigama (this is a traditional Japanese weapon consisting of a kama with a chain attached on the end- extremely difficult to master). He has used these in several movies, one of which is The Octagon, starring Chuck Norris.

Eskrima

Eskrima or Kali (stick fighting)- These are from the family of Filipino weapon-based martial arts originally from the Philippines. When the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, they prohibited the natives from carrying swords. Instead of swords, the Filipinos used sticks made out of rattan. Many of techniques of the escrima are similar to that of a sword. Instead of just hitting with the escrima, you pull through with it like a sword. Many of the strikes are aimed at the hands and arms. The reason for this is that you want to end the opponent’s ability to attack ,rather than trying to hurt them, to convince them to stop. Striking the hands or arms, you have a good chance of breaking the hand holding the weapon or severally damage the nerves or tendons controlling it, known as “defanging the snake”. The knee is also an excellent target. Modern use of escrima places the emphasis on joint locks, controls, disarms and many other aspects of self defense. There is also a lot of footwork involved with using the eskrima. Eskrima is used a lot as an extension of the body; the same angles and footwork are used with or without a weapon. Eskrima can be used singly or in pairs.

On the greatest instructors in using the eskrima is Dan Inosanto. Dan Inosanto was also one of Bruce Lee’s first students. Dan Inosanto has several classes of exercises designed to allow partners to move quickly and experiment with variations while remaining safe.

Traditionally in the Philippines, eskrima is practiced without a rhythm, while in the United States, we tend to practice with a rhythm- this is considered a safer way to learn.

Sword

There are multiple,styles and types of swords. Each culture has their own style.  Mention sword, and the one that comes to most people’s minds is the traditional Japanese “Samurai” sword, commonly known as the katana. The katana is a single-edged and usually curved long sword traditionally worn by the samurai from the 15th century onwards. Other types include: tsurugi (double edged sword), wakizashi-medium sized sword, and the tanto- a knife sized sword.