The Samurai & Clubbells

[BackAgain]

Question: The samurai have always caught my attention as a child.and still do to this day. I am thinking very seriously about starting some training in the art. A recent incident has cause me to have to purchase a walking cane, so I will be placing a order for a very nice hand carved Paul Chen Bamboo Katana cane sword. I was wondering does anyone here train in the way of the Sword, and how has rmax help or how can rmax help? To me it seems like the clubbells are an obvious choice since when using the sword you use circular motions when striking. Authentic Japanese Samurai swords are not that light I was told, but not to heay as well. The clubbells would seem to give you/me the much needed endurance and grip strength to excel correct? Then throw in Body-Flow and warrior wellness it will add the flow that's needed in between the movements.

[JasonE]

I've had just a little formal instruction in Japanese sword, and that was long ago. Other than that, most of my sword play was just applying the bit I had learned to shinai with some friends that liked to bang around.

A few months ago I was at a BBQ of martial artists, and a bunch of them had katanas and a few dozen tatami mats rolled and tied for cutting. For the first time in years I had a live blade in hand, and I was given the chance to do some cutting. With 3 strokes I had 2 clean cuts and one decent cut. This was a pleasant surprise! Some of the other people present (who are currently practicing with swords) had a much harder time cutting cleanly. I have to give credit to my CST practice.

The blade was very light and easy to control compared to the Clubbells I normally use, and use of Stored Elastic Energy made it easier to flow from the first cut into a return cut. My breathing was excellent, well integrated with the cuts thanks to use of Performance Breathing protocols, and my footwork felt good too.

The only weapon art I currently train in is Inayan Escrima, and it has little to no real similarity to Japanese sword arts (that I know of). However, I incorporate CST and Flowfighting principles into my practice of that art and have been enjoying great success. The area I feel the most difference is in sparring, where spontaneous responsiveness is critical. Though I am not in class as often as others, I am able to dominate all but our instructor when it comes to blows. This is not because I am technically apt (actually I'm not super-clean when it comes to the basic drills :oops: :lol: ), but because my conditioning, weapon control, and poise under pressure are generally superior.

[Ryan Murdock]

Great stuff, guys!

Clubbells would indeed be ideal for the swordsman. For advanced clubbell swingers who want to craft a program for their sword work, and for kendo players looking for an edge (no apologies for the pun :twisted: ), I would advise them to devour Coach Jones Going Ballistic manual and then apply those ideas with two-handed clubbell work (the Japanese sword being mainly a two-handed implement).

[Glenn Sunshine]

Much depends on the training goals. Do you want to use the katana like the Japanese do? Then you'll probably need to study a Japanese art, which would give you the philosophy, mindset, etc., that you may be associating with the Samurai as well. If you're simply interested in learning efficiency, there are other, more direct methods of learning available to you. Either way, RMAX flow principles and clubbells will be a great asset to you. You should also do a search for sword work on the forum--there was a great article on an RMAX approach to katana (I believe) that wasn't orthodox or tradiitonal, but was fun and effective.

Yours,
Glenn

[chris hansen]

A recent incident has cause me to have to purchase a walking cane, so I will be placing a order for a very nice hand carved Paul Chen Bamboo Katana cane sword.

Are you referring to one of those sword hidden in a walking cane things? I'd be careful about going in public with something like that, you might want to check on the laws regarding those. I'm really not an expert but I've heard that the police know how to recognize them.

[Coach Tran]

Great stuff, guys!

Clubbells® would indeed be ideal for the swordsman. For advanced Clubbell® swingers who want to craft a program for their sword work, and for kendo players looking for an edge (no apologies for the pun :twisted: ), I would advise them to devour Coach Jones Going Ballistic manual and then apply those ideas with two-handed Clubbell® work (the Japanese sword being mainly a two-handed implement).

Thanks Ryan for the recommendation.

[StuMcD]

Hi Thomas,

A couple of things.

1. I would check VERY carefully that the law will allow you to carry such a weapon before you do so. Even so, "Disabled Man Beats off Viscious Attacker with Walking Stick" reads much better to a jury than "Disabled Man Kills Starving Attackers with Purpose Built Murder Weapon". A walking stick will likely get you sympathy even if it is a hickory monster. A swordstick will likely get you jail time.

2. Even if you can carry a swordstick in your own area, you probably can't in other areas.

3. Cutting swords hidden in canes mean either an extremely unwieldy cane or a cutting sword that is a very inefficient cutter. Either way, you are dealing with a very thin blade that would have to be prone to breakage. Personally, I would go with a more traditional thrusting blade if I had my heart set on such a weapon. Test cutting with full size swords has revealed to me that thick clothing offers fair protection against cuts and stuff-all protection against thrusts.

4. If you are going to take my advice and go with a thrusting weapon then I would highly recommend against having a blade that can be drawn and just go with a heavy cane. The chances of being able to draw a folding or fixed knife when assaulted are slim, having the space to draw a sword belongs in the realms of fantasy if you ask me. The cool thing about a cane is that you don't have to draw it. Just lift, thrust, repeat.

It might be cool to play Samurai, but if we are talking about Self Defence, we could be talking about your life.

An hour per week spent jabbing and thrusting with your cane at a target or with a partner to supplement your clubbell and wellness training will go alot further than any Japanese sword art will. If you get a nice padded practice weapon, then you could practice against a partner with a padded knife or whack in a mouthguard and have them put on some boxing gloves.

Realistically, a cane is a short, blunt spear and it's only similarity to a sword is that both are weapons.
Cheers,
Stu.

[BackAgain]

Thank you Jason, Sunshine, and Coach Murdock for your responses. Very helpful. Sunshine I think I would like to consume both the mental side and the application principles of a true swordsman, I believe that might greatly aid in becoming efficiently effective. I also believe just with the skills and body awareness I have aquired from Softwork and Warrior Wellness allows for a lot of confidence that, training with Clubbells will truely magnify an accelerate my skills with the sword. Your right Coach Murdock, Coach Szolek dvd seeing how it uses two hands to wheel the clubbells would seem to be a great choice. Chris & StuMcD, It seems to be leagal to carry them in my state. Its really hard to notice, matter of fact here is the web address to the one I'm about to purchase. Just go under Cane swords and you'll see them.


www.japaneseswords4samurai.com

I understand what your saying StuMcD, but going back to softwork, to me its not really a concern about the sword itself or having a weapon. I will regardless of the situtation just focus on flowing in the moment. I thought since I have to purchase a cane, the added affect of a sword hidden nicely inside could be of use. Also its no cheap blade either, very well constructed. But for the last couple of days I've been walking with a bo staff a little taller then my hip. It is a favored of mine, just never thought I would be using it in this manner. But it is also the one I do the stick drills as done on the Softwork dvd. Those drills have along with touch response, allowed me to become very good with using it as a weapon. From take downs , to joint locks, my body seem to just flow along an openings just naturally occured. Seeing how comfortable it feels to walk with, it really might not be a bad idea to just used this but still taken by the cane sword and still very interested in learning about the art of the sword, not that it has anything to do with a cane sword.

Comment to all trolls:

You know the trolls that creep in would say such praise as I an many of the other members here have given would be false, corny, foolish and misleading. My response is ignorance is an infection of the brain and soul that only life experiences, open eyes an an open heart can cure. Truth is truth you can't run from it, the only logical thing to do is accept it. I will praise this tribe and the work Coach Sonnon has done no matter who tends to disagree or what level black belt you have. I can purchase a blackbelt from the store, big deal just didnt have to wait x amount of years to recieve it get my point. ( NOT INTENDED TO DISRESPECT THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD AN HAVE ONE, BUT THOSE HERE IN THE TRIBE I BELIEVE UNDERSTAND THAT COMMENT) The material that RMAX.tv has put together is wonderful and the presentation works and helps one to easily digest it. It's evolution in this field to me at it's best. Time to let go old habits and allow flow to guide the way.