Weapons have always been a part of warfare and man’s ability to defend himself or herself. We are going to cover three very popular weapons used in martial arts and in fighting. The sword is one that I think of as a major weapon when you talk about martial arts.
The history of the sword is very interesting and is steep in war and battle folklore. The sword is basically a large blade a hilt which is another way of saying handle with a guard. The sword is meant to either strike or cut or even to thrust at a person to hurt or injure them. On a personal note I think that the Japanese sword is perhaps the greatest swords ever made. The Katana sword is a generic term for the one sided sword with a curved blade typically 70-90 centimeters long and is slightly curved. This sword was used on the open battle field and was heavy to wield but is very powerful. If you ever see an expert swordsman take the sword and slice through the air it is almost mesmerizing.
The nunchuku is a weapon that originated in Okinawa, Japan and even though the Chinese use it primarily for their martial arts practice. The nunchaku is another favorite of mine because it is not very easy and you can really hurt yourself if you hit your groin or possibly your face. The more important thing is when you start getting the nunchaku moves down, you make yourself and the weapon essentially sing and look incredible. There is nothing cooler than when an experienced martial artist wielding the nunchakus and have the light reflect off of the weapon while they are swinging methodically in the air. If you have any doubt you should watch Sidekicks starring Chuck Norris. In that movie the nunchakus are represented very well. I have experimented with the nunchakus and they are definitely the most fun to try and maneuver but man do they hurt when you mess up.
The third type of weapon is the tonfa which is a weapon that is suppose to not look like a weapon. Just like in African martial art Capoeira which is a martial art disguised as a dance. The tonfa is a weapon that came about on the Okinawa Island streets because the people of Okinawa were generally poor and were not allowed to have a weapons such as swords but the people needed to defend themselves somehow. The tonfa started with two pieces of wood that fit together. The weapon can be also found in China and the Indonesia. It must be of the right weight and length to provide proper maneuverability. The weapon is three centimeters that extends from the elbow and the handle is about six inches long. The really great thing about the tonfa is its simplicity and ease of use. It is just two pieces of wood but when you use it properly it is a formidable weapon to anyone in your face. Another thing about the tonfa is that it’s such a good blocking weapon for defense. If you put it against your forearms you have a solid piece of wood between you and the assailant and his/her weapon. The tonfa can swing out and really reach out and hit someone or something with a great amount of force and you can rest assure it is going to hurt someone so make sure you use this weapon and all the other weapons with caution. Please make sure that you do not use these illegally and have fun in the presence of professional teachers.
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