Hi All... Thought it would be interesting to start a thread on the practice weapons of the different WMA stylists.... So feel free to post your pic! I've just bought this nice apple-wood cudgel to practice Irish stick-fighting (BATA) It's also possible to reverse the grip and use it for Scottish single-stick Louie
apple wood......I did no know that it cold be used for cudgels. Awesome. Sadly I no longer have acess to an apple tree. I would post my training weapon picvs but I dont have a digi cam.
I have been using the same applewood bata as my main stick since I made it in 1997. Apple can be tricky but if you find a good pice then it is hard to beat. I think you will find it very good for you...nice looking stick btw.
Single-Stick Here's a pic of my Singlestick with it's wicker basket and it's leather equivelant which protects the sword hand. A peg is drilled into the base of the stick to stop the basket falling off. Traditionally the sticks were made of ash, this one is a more durable rattan. Louie
before I read that post I thought the idea was to swing the basket at your enemy rather than using it as a hand guard.
Here's a website for a company that has helped me greatly with the practice weapons they make (different types of swords): www.rsw.com.hk This Hong Kong-based company makes practice swords weighted and balanced to have the same heft and feel as a real sword, but with a multi-layer-over-core design, so that you can whack somebody without hacking/slicing/killing them. As opposed to typical 'padded swords', these sparring weapons have enough stiffness to allow blocking and parrying, as would happen in an actual sword-to-sword engagement. The company makes a slew of different type sparring weapons, including claymores, hand-and-a-halfs, and dozens more. We have two of their katanas at our school, so us westerners can practice our eastern MA sword art. Interestingly, the company was founded and is run by an easterner who is studying western MA. Search the website for video footage. You will find many sparring engagements recorded, including mixed engagements (claymore vs. katana, etc.).
Basket-Case Hi Goju If you have any Scottish-Canadian ancestors they will be turning in their grave :Angel: {A few people thought it was a extra long-handled collection basket for church services??} Louie
Country Club Cudgel I had two new 'weapons' arrive from ebay today.... A old Ayrshire walking-stick (briar wood?) for practice partners to club me with... and this other item which was thrown in described as a 'country club cudgel' looks like an original version of the old Irish shillelagh Louie
Well I don't have any pictures to post but I thought I would post links to the different training weapons we use in The Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA). ARMA members use wasters (wooden swords) from the following vendors: Raven Studios New Stirling Arms Hollow Earth For sharp swords and blunt swords most ARMA member appear to like Albion Swords Many of us also use the Paul Chen Practical Knight and Hand & Half longsword blunds - sorry, no link. Not pretty swords, but low price and build like a tank. I also own a poleaxe waster from Chivalry Bookshelf
Wow... nice wasters! For a crude home-made waster, here is a how-to. I have one of those. I agree. Not pretty, but will take a beating and hold up well. I had to take some waxed cord for leatherword and sew the leather handle cover along the seam because the leather had worked loose from the glue. How do you like that? I've seen that, but didn't know how well it'd hold up.
