My intro at last

norse_dragon · White Belt

Hey there, I thought I'd finally get around to an actual introduction and chronicle my history as a freestylist.

I have no professional training, having only read about it and watched video tutorials and demonstrations. But loved martial arts and ancient combat of all kinds as far as I can remember. To this day I practice them as a means of exercise and a means of study.

It was when I was about 17 that I received my first sword as a gift, a cheap but cherished katana. I didn't have the internet, but a good friend of mine gave me a printed off article on Japanese sword play and how to grip and wield the sword. It explained that one should 'use the same muscles as one would use to cast a fishing rod'.

Ever since when I demonstrate and/or talk swordplay with friends and family, I explain that just as its suggested to squeeze the trigger and not pull it, that I sling the sword, and not just swing it.

Another two years or so, another pointy gift came in the form of a medieval long sword. Again affordable but presentable. Heavy and best wielded with two hands, but still wield-able enough to get a workout with one.

Then I got my own two-handed 15th century long sword replica, and began to train more seriously with German longsword principles, and began to delve more into HEMA. (Historic European Martial Arts) Western medival martial arts in other words.

From here I started learning more about using both edges. I even adapted this in the form of spinal parries when practicing with single-edged weaponry such as my bowie.

I have since retired my longswords as showpieces, and use a Cold Steel subrito for pell training (stake striking dummy).

Yes a bowie, which I use as a make-shift falchion in practice, the thing is damn well big enough...

Almost 10 years ago I began studying Okinawan martial arts as well as FMA sinawali drills. Namely nunchaku and bo, and recently, sai and sansetsukon.

With the nunchaku I started with a foam pair, and subsequently ones of hard rubber for when they wore out.

As for the bo, I ordered an iron Chinese staff, but after a couple of weeks of waiting, I grew impatient and ordered a red oak bo. It arrived in a week while the iron took a month.

With all these weapons came a new regiment that I use to this day.
What I do is switch off to a different weapon focus, and if I have multiple of at least a similar weapon, I use the heavier form on heavy work out days every other day, and use the lighter form in between.

My training regiment to date. Again, I rotate the following three forms week to week. Parentheses denote the form I use:

Iron staff and oak bo
Santetsukon and Nunchaku
Suburito (German longsword and arming sword) and bowie knife (falchion)

When the weather isn't permitting (or it's gotten late and wish to sneak in some training):

Sai (partial kali) and tanto

Over the weekend I avoid heavy workouts aside from any work needing done. Instead this is when I do taichi, some of it in the form of empty handed sinawali.

I intend to expand and elaborate on my otherwise simple and fun training system sometime soon.