Question re: Dog Brothers

[stump]

I believe I read somewhere about the dog brothers sparring stick and dagger and possibly even single dagger.

If this is the case I'm assuming they are training daggers or not sharp at least. Does anyone know how they do this? Is there any point in doing knife sparring with non bladed weapons?

[Matt_Bernius]

Yoda can answer the Dog Brothers questions better than I can. However as far as doing knife sparring with non bladed weapons, yeah, I think there is a lot of value in that if both parties treat is seriously.

In fact, possibly one of the most hubling drills is to get sharpy markers, and wearing clothes that can get ruined, try either knife fighting or free form knife self defense. You get an immediate sense for how realistic (or non realistic) some defense are. This also begins to show you how easy or difficult it may be to execute certain attacks with a knife.

- Matt

[Scotty Dog]

they do spar with rattan dowls at the begining of the gatherings (I've been told it's a really good warm up :) ) but any time I've seen any fights (on tape of course) they make a big deal about the Difference between sport knife fighting & REAL knife fighting.

As far as I know they try & stay away from Stick & dagger as the dagger doesn't get the right amount of respect due to the fact it's the stick that hurts you more that a wooden dagger.

[YODA]

Hi all

Stick and dagger fights are done at Dog Brother gatherings using aluminium training blades. Blunt? Yes. Hurt lots and keep the fear and respect for the weapon? Yes.

As Ehligitto rightly says - wooden knife sparring is often used as a warm up but is done as such and not as a pre-cursor to "knife fighting."

[DeeTee]

Hi Hig,

Happy new year - if it's not too late to say that!!

"As far as I know they try & stay away from Stick & dagger as the dagger doesn't get the right amount of respect due to the fact it's the stick that hurts you more that a wooden dagger."

That's the way it should be with Olisi Y Baraw and Espada Y Daga.
The Daga was / is only ever employed as a back up weapon used to parry and block when absolutley necessary. The real damage is done with the longer weapon because of the range advantage.

[Martelo3000]

From training Espada E Daga (which I initially didn't like), I realized the implication for solo baston sparring. Doing the thrusts and parrying with the Daga side made my left hand more active, stronger, and offensive in solo baston. The active hand is not just for checking, striking is often overlooked (at least by me previously when I played solo baston thinking I had only one weapon).

Anyone else have a similar experience?

As for the aluminum blade knife sparring, I have only tried it once but the difference was huge. Less careless exchanges, more hand targeting (cuz you feel it), and much much more adrenaline than I'm used to. It's a good litmus test if you think your knife work is progressing.