Untraditional or Unusual Weapons?

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

I hope this title doesn't offend anyone, but I was wondering who here has used untraditional (or weapons that aren't normally found in ninja arsenal) for training.

My class has started holding workshops on warhammers (War mallets, more like), and it's been pretty interesting, but I can't help but wonder how one would go about carrying one of those things around. It's good training, but some of the better techniques I learned were sword vs. warhammer (since the sword seems to be one of my better weapons)

Lately I've really wanted to learn how to use the tonfa and incorporate it into my taijutsu (I'm not entirely sure if we use tonfa in training, either we simply don't, or no one has a pair so sensei doesn't think it would be useful to teach)

So, my friends, I ask you, have you ever trained with any untraditional or unusual weapons? What were the pros and cons of training with weapons other than the sword, staff, rope etc etc.

 

[Cryozombie]

Lately I've really wanted to learn how to use the tonfa and incorporate it into my taijutsu (I'm not entirely sure if we use tonfa in training, either we simply don't, or no one has a pair so sensei doesn't think it would be useful to teach)

Tonfa aren't exactly traditional to our art, so that may be why your instructor doesn't teach them. That's not to say that they cannot be incorporated into Taijutsu, I have trained with a PR-24 which is basically a tonfa. We also train with Canes, bats, (the Baseball kind, not the eek eek kind) ASP batons and other sticks... and I have played around with a Claw Hammer as well. (The carpenters tool)

Personally, I see the advantages in doing some training with modern weapons and traditional taijutsu, since one is more likely to do Muto Dori against, say a bat, than a sword. Not to say that if you only practice against a sword you can't do a bat... just that it can psychologically change the feel of the training a bit.

Now, when you train with your Warhammer, is it Tomb Kings or Space Marines? Heh heh. Sorry. One of those days.

 

[Tez3]

Tonfa aren't exactly traditional to our art, so that may be why your instructor doesn't teach them. That's not to say that they cannot be incorporated into Taijutsu, I have trained with a PR-24 which is basically a tonfa. We also train with Canes, bats, (the Baseball kind, not the eek eek kind) ASP batons and other sticks... and I have played around with a Claw Hammer as well. (The carpenters tool)

Personally, I see the advantages in doing some training with modern weapons and traditional taijutsu, since one is more likely to do Muto Dori against, say a bat, than a sword. Not to say that if you only practice against a sword you can't do a bat... just that it can psychologically change the feel of the training a bit.

Now, when you train with your Warhammer, is it Tomb Kings or Space Marines? Heh heh. Sorry. One of those days.

Oi, don't knock Space Marines, my sons a professional painter of those and the other little thingies, makes a fortune lol!

Tonfa question...do they make women sized ones? I find them too big to use comfortably.

 

[Kreth]

I've worked a little bit with the monpa, which is that giant freaking hammer you see in a couple of the Quest vids.

 

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

Tonfa question...do they make women sized ones? I find them too big to use comfortably.

I hadn't even considered that tonfa aren't made one size fits all. You just rocked my world.

 

[theletch1]

The tonfa should extend just beyond the point of the elbow. I have extremely long arms and have a hard time finding ones that are long enough to fit me properly. Tez, being a vertically challenged person would need them shorter than some folks so that they wouldn't extend too far beyond her elbow.

 

[Aiki Lee]

I would suggest getting a weapon you are interested in figuring out how to use, then reading about how other arts use that weapon. If it's tonfa your after, find a book on okinawan karate that shows how they use it.

Warriors should be able to pick up any object and figure out how they would use it, whether it was intended as a weapon or not.

 

[Kreth]

I would suggest getting a weapon you are interested in figuring out how to use, then reading about how other arts use that weapon. If it's tonfa your after, find a book on okinawan karate that shows how they use it.

Warriors should be able to pick up any object and figure out how they would use it, whether it was intended as a weapon or not.

A few years ago I was on a Cold Steel kick, buying all kinds of toys from them. I had fun working on henka of Bujinkan kata using an assegai, sjambok, and warhammer, among other things.

 

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

You ever used a kusari-fundo? I saw them used in a movie earlier this week and thought it would be really interesting to learn to use one myself.

 

[Kreth]

You ever used a kusari-fundo? I saw them used in a movie earlier this week and thought it would be really interesting to learn to use one myself.

Yeah, they can be fun. If you ever get to try striking against a target with a real one, it's a good test of your tai sabaki, as it has a tendency to rebound straight back at you. :lol:

 

[Cryozombie]

Yeah, they can be fun. If you ever get to try striking against a target with a real one, it's a good test of your tai sabaki, as it has a tendency to rebound straight back at you. :lol:

As my badly bruised shins can attest to when I first started working with one.

 

[Aiki Lee]

You ever used a kusari-fundo? I saw them used in a movie earlier this week and thought it would be really interesting to learn to use one myself.

This is my favorite weapon. It has so many uses and applications, and is easily adaptable into a modern weapon like a belt or bike chain.