We live in modern times, when carrying nunchaku, sai, kama, katana etc…isn’t a feasible option for self-defense, so why do martial artists still study and practice them? The answer might surprise you… Take a read with me and I hope this answers your questions by the end of the article, if not, leave a comment below and ask.
Weapons offer a host of benefits and in this article, I’m going to touch on just a few of them (for the sake of space and time).
Firstly, weapons from days long past, help to connect the modern practitioner to those who came long before them. This creates a feeling of connection between the old and the new and lets the modern student, feel a deeper attachment to their ancient counterparts. This serves as motivation and brings a student beyond the empty-hand portion of the system they’re studying.
Second, training with weaponry helps build greater hand and eye coordination, which directly helps in all other avenues of the martial arts. Better hand/eye coordination helps the individual to utilize their arms and hands independently of one another, which leads to better blocking and countering.
Third, training with weaponry helps develop better timing, which again helps empty-handed training and utilization. In a combat-oriented situation, timing plays a large role in striking an opponent, the better the timing, the better the strike.
Fourth, weapons training helps develop better dexterity and flexibility in the arms, wrists, and upper body, which is often not as prevalent as the lower body’s flexibility. Better flexibility leads to fewer injuries and better movements and techniques.
Fifth, swinging and controlling weapons, helps build greater strength in the arms, hands, and wrists, which allow for fewer injuries, more powerful techniques, and stronger blocking. This also helps with being able to train more often and harder and overall better martial performance.
sixth and possibly the best, weaponry just looks AWESOME! That’s right, swinging a pair of nunchaku or cutting tatami mats with a katana looks cool as heck as well. While impressing others may not be the goal, weapons certainly do so without even trying.
So what do you think? Is the study of weaponry worth it? I believe it’s paramount to being a well-rounded martial artist personally.