Mixed Weapons Sparring.

OOOPSSS!!!
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[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 20 December 1999).]
 
Jason,

I've never been to a tournament, but from the footage I've seen, I'd have to agree with your comment. I'm not a big guy and I don't like getting hit, so the last thing I'm going to do is stand toe to toe and slug it out.

I also agree that "sparring" with a rubber knife can develop bad habbits, so it's very important to maintain the right intent and treat it like a live blade. I will sometimes catch myself doing something and think "Yeah right! Not with a real knife!" and I get back into the right mindset.

Smoke, I agree about knife sparring against someone who's way beyond you in skill. Someone like Grand Tuhon Leo Gaje would "probably" be perfectly safe against me with a knife
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Of course, "even a blind dog finds a bone once in a while"
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Sincerely,

Dave



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


 
That's interesting what you brought up about Leo Gaje. My instructor is Guro Frank Ortega of Tirada Tirsia who studied under Leo and when I drill against him with a knife, I feel hard pressed to even cut him although I know I could probably get someone else. And this is when he is empty handed.

Jason
 
Jason,

I think you misunderstood me. When I said "probably" and ended the sentence with a smiley face, I was trying to convey that I was joking.

If I went against Grand Tuhon Gaje with a knife, he would eat me alive even if he were weaponless. I have no delusions of being anywhere near as good a GT Gaje with a knife, sword, stick, empty hands, or anything else.

The only way I'd go against Gaje would be if he had a knife, and I was 40 yards away and armed with a full-auto M-16 (and several clips)
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Dave.
 
Just had class now and I'm not trying to brag but just now I learned a lot about the spear. My teacher let me play with a real Moro spear with about 5' shaft with a 12"+ blade and for 2 hrs I shot at a cardboard target with a "dull" blade.

This blade on a BAD strike, hit 1/2" deep and wide. Funny thing is that, no matter how I held the spear, no matter which stance I was in, I could penetrate the target. BTW, a good hit was 3-4"+ and 1 1/2"-2" wide.

What I learned was to forget any form technique and drill the move, spear fighting is simple moves with little room for error. Sure, I didn't spar but I was able to hit a child size target at least 5 ft and give it a sizeable hole. It was way fun. If your curious, I could bear down and drive through but that wasn't as fun.

What was also fun was using it one handed because at close range, you've got a dagger. There was other stuff but believe me, there is nothing, nothing like playing with a real weapon from anywhere and using it. I said the spear was "dull" not as a joke but most other spears didn't have a rounded tip and were much sharper than this one but believe me, it does the job.
 
Don't be so modest, Smoke.

You always have class.
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Sigh. More training. Now I gotta find a spear; haven't done any of that since my SCA days, talk about anachronisms (me, not the spear)....

student
 
Smoke,

The spear is one of those weapons that I've always wanted to learn. I'm starting to learn a little about it now and was playing with it the other night in fact. Of course, I was actually using a staff and I'll bet it would been a little more fun if it had been an actual spear.

There's something about a shiney, sharp, pointy piece of steel that just brings out the kid in me
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We did some distance sparring before and after my first lesson in proper sibat technique and it's amazing how much easier it is to keep some at bay (even if they are doing Doble) with proper technique
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Two other weapons that I really want to learn that my teacher has agreed to show me are the 3 section staff (he's started showing me a little of it already) and the whip chain/manriki kusari. I think the kusari, although not from FMA, would make a formidable weapon in the right hands
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Respectfully,

Dave Fulton



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


 
You know Dave, spear practice brought out the issue of simplicity among other things. It's a good weapon for a soldier and hitting a target was nifty b/c normally you'd just practice in the air or do a form. Practice a few blocks and 'chunk'! or do a double hit which was fun. Funny part was that I was aiming too low and basically would have speared a guy's thighs, groin, and feet to death.

After about 2 hrs, I actually tried using one hand and it worked pretty well.

I can tell you that being on the other end of that spear was a little unnerving. You can feel the threat even if it's a foot from your face. Strangely enough, the spear itself was not perfectly balanced but more towards the front possibly due to the spearhead.

I mentioned an entry drill we did with the staff. Class forms a circle around a staff fighter, who feeds us a strike randomly and the stickfighter must close for the kill. I recall it was harder than it looked and that next time they wanted a spear. Well, that woke us up because many of us got grazed on the chest and arms while entering and this was against one strike.
 
Hello,

I've not sparred yet, saving $ for safety equipment.

However, some food for thought:

<ul>
[*]In CMA, the spear is considered the King of Weapons.</li>
[*]Grip names: In CMA, single-headed staff means the spear grip because only one end is used. Double-headed means both ends are used, therefore aka robin hood grip.</li>
[*]The variations of grip is a factor based on length of staff. When you say staff and do the Robin Hood grip, it is probably 6' or so, if it was 8' or longer or about 4', that grip is hard to use.</li>
[*]The variations of grip is also based on range. If you use a 6', you can start with spear grip at largo, but when in medio, you may opt to switch to robin hood as spear grip may not be to useful.</li>
[*]I think in JMA's Jodo, they use the grip Smoke is describing too.</li>
[/list]

Very best,

Hy


------------------
"...grappling happens. It just does." - Top Dog
 
I think the spear was a good weapon for a soldier because of it's range advantage.

The one I really want to learn to fight with is the 3 section staff though. It's effective range is very flexible and it's power is incredible. I'll learn it eventually because it's one of our weapons and part of me wants to learn it, but part of me doesn't.

The reason I don't want to learn it is that then my teacher gets to use it when we fight.
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Dave.
 
Funny the double ended spear is mentioned. The Robin Hood/Quarterstaff grip or 2/3 grip could be used for it. There is a weakness to the double spear in that, the spearman now has a point at him. If he panics or something goes awry, he must deal with his own point.

Dave, I admit I'd be nervous sparring against the tonfa and chain weapons. It's more of a control issue though for me. I get nervous sparring against the mace or bat, the mace brings IMMEDIATE pain even at slow speed.

[This message has been edited by Smoke (edited 01-07-2000).]
 
I have some pictures (JPG) of some full-contact "knife" sparring (w/short sticks actually), on my Photopoint.com account as well as on diskette, but I'm not sure how to post them on the forums from either source.

If anyone can help me, I'd really appreciate it. I have some nice pix, including one of your's truly getting seriously clunked in the head (thank god for that head gear) with a reverse grip thrust.

Pix are courtesy of forum member Keith Myers who attended the seminar.

Thanks,

Dave Fulton.



------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


 
Dave,

Do you have a website already? If so, UL (upload) it to the site. Use the following line of HTML code to put it into your posts:

(img src="www.davesisp.com/dave/davepix.jpg")

but substitute < for ( and > for > and of course, davesisp.com is fictitious.

If you do not, you could send me the pix and I'll post them for you.

stickgrappler@hotmail.com

Very best,

Hy

------------------
"...grappling happens. It just does." - Top Dog
 
BTW, if you haven't seen Stickg's site, shame on you.
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Dave, the 3 section staff is a trip, sinawalli is different when you've got an attachment. I've played(target practice) with a nine section whip against a fence and that sucker had impact. The manriki/kusari is shorter though and haven't touched one.

The whip is used like a dagger primarily in ice pick grip or hurled out like the spear. Way back I got to workout with some Choy Lay Fut folk (Hung Sing branch) who also did FMA. During that time I also had a fascination with the iron fan. (No jokes please.
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)
 
Smoke,

Thanks for the plug :-)

I was going to ask you and Dave if I could archive your vid reviews to my FMA section.

May I archive your vid reviews to my FMA section?

Very best,

Hy

------------------
"...grappling happens. It just does." - Top Dog
 
Ok, I'm going to try posting the pictures from photopoint.com, here goes ....

view




view




The first one is of myself and a fellow student facing off and looking for openings, and the second is me getting seriously clunked in the head with a forehand, downward, diagonal, reverse grip thrust (thank goodness for good head gear)
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Dave Fulton

------------------
Full Contact Martial Arts Association.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."


[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-12-2000).]
 
Dave, I can't see the pics.

StickG, I've got reviews scattered in Prac Tac, FMA, and Common Sense forums. Feel free to save what you like because I don't plan on reviewing my old tapes for awhile.
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Sorry, Dave:

I can't see them either - but my computer skills aren't even white belt!
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student
 
Sorry Smoke,

I followed the directions on photopoint.com, but they're not working for some reason.
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What I was attempting to accomplish was to make the images visible in my post by linking to the original images on my Photopoint.com account.  I've seen others do it, so I know it's possible. 
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One thing I noticed on another forum member's post is that their html code includes a sequence number at the end, that I can't find for my pix. That's the only difference I see.
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I've emailed that forum member as well as photopoint for guidance, but no answer yet. If any of you html gurus can use the "Edit" feature to look at my html code and see if you can figure out what I did wrong, I'd appreciate it.
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I've also emailed Stickgrappler and may end up just sending him the pix to post for me. Only thing is, this is going to bug me until I get it right ... it's a character flaw of mine.
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HELP ... I'm stuck in HTM(hel)L and I can't get out!
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Dave.  

[This message has been edited by Dave Fulton (edited 01-11-2000).]
 
in middle of work and sneaking a quick reply. did not check my email yet.

to link is diff than posting images:

(a href="http://www.xyz.com">type whatever text you want here(/a)

but substitute < for ( and > for )

if youstill cannot do it, i will post b4 i leave work. need time to do it.

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<a href="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/viewphoto?u=201031&a=1477691&p=15087815">pic1</a>

<a href="http://albums.photopoint.com/j/viewphoto?u=201031&a=1477691&p=15114624">pic2</a>


trying for you dAve.
-----
ok, tried both img src and a href HTML tags and cannot get it to work. checked email - did not receive yet. this is eating me alive!

------------------
"...grappling happens. It just does." - Top Dog

[This message has been edited by Stickgrappler (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Stickgrappler (edited 01-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Stickgrappler (edited 01-11-2000).]
 
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