Foam Weapons

[Bob Hubbard]

The padded weapons allow you to go at it full speed and not kill or maim your opponent. You do still know you've been hit, and on occation can get a nice bruice or welt.

So far, the ActionFlex have the best safety factor. I've made my own outta PVC and foam, and its not the same. You can still break bones with the wrapped PVC stuff. I dont worry about the actionflex gear.

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

Originally posted by TallAdam85
foam is a pain why do you want to use foam?

Being able to work the next day.

:asian:

 

[XxSweetFacadexX]

why i'm not really allowed to use foam in training...

-so that i learn control

-i learn to take hits

-it really does become like a realistic fight.

heck, even wrapping my hands for bags and pads is still in question.

i have high threshold for pain anyway.. learn to take it. learn to love it.

 

[Datu Tim Hartman]

I feel that you must train with as many different tools as possible. I use wood, foam, plastic & metal. They all have their place.

:asian:

 

[Banana Man]

I agree that tools like padded sticks are great for allowing full speed, full intent sparring to be done more often. As far as commercial products go, we’ve had the best results with Actionflex, as they allow for the hardest, fastest hits, and are reasonably sturdy. (Another commercial padded stick we’ve tried actually fractured a knuckle of one of our instructors.) The downside to Actionflex is that they are much lighter than a fighting stick, although the weight is comparable to the light sticks used at WEKAF style tournaments.

The best padded sticks we’ve used were homemade using rattan, pipe insulation and duct tape. The pipe insulation was layered on the striking edge and the tape was used extensively to add enough weight to give the feel of a blade-heavy short sword, such as a barong. These worked well until the padding deteriorated from use. To resolve this, I tried fixing the foam onto the rattan using strapping tape (tape reinforced with fiberglass filament) and so far it’s held up in our Blade simulator sparring.

I’m going to try using floatation foam or high-impact foam for my next swords, as was recommended on the ARMA website. Hopefully, this will be sturdier, and allow me to make the weapons closer to sword weight, maybe a pound and a half or so. I’ll post later regarding how it turns out.


Allain Atienza
atienzakali.com

 

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by TallAdam85
foam is a pain why do you want to use foam?

I dunno, I've been enjoying having the use of my hands the next day recently

 

[XxSweetFacadexX]

even with all these wonderful reason to use foam sticks and padding... i will still get laughed at by my instructor if i bring up the idea... i swear.. him and my father think alike...

"no one gets hurt if they block. what are you a sissie?"

 

[Master of Blades]

Originally posted by XxSweetFacadexX
even with all these wonderful reason to use foam sticks and padding... i will still get laughed at by my instructor if i bring up the idea... i swear.. him and my father think alike...

"no one gets hurt if they block. what are you a sissie?"

Only padding I use is on the back of my hands when we use sticks, but thats because I usually have school next day

 

[arnisador]

I'm always surprised when I meet a physician who practices the FMA. With one exception I think they're all been practicing medicine not surgery!