Senjata Tradisional

Posted by aris rahman on January 15th, 2019

Senjata Tradisional Just about every martial art has some type of weapon that is sometimes dramatically demonstrated at a dojo or at seminars. The weapon will be whatever that particular martial art has utilized it for in the past to either defend oneself or to go into battle with

It should be noted that most martial arts weapons are illegal to carry or use on the street in most parts of the country and I am sure this also applies to the rest of the civilized world so to speak. This means that all your training with a weapon or weapons will be confined to the dojo, training hall or possibly your home.

Displaying the weapon in other more public places may get you arrested and also have your weapon confiscated. The other alternative is that a police officer will treat you as a possible threat and deadly force may be accidentally applied which means you could possibly be sprayed with pepper, shot or even both.

A person with a weapon that is in public is treated very seriously by law enforcement and they will not take chances when dealing with an unknown situation. So the first rule is; use your martial arts weapon only in the dojo, training hall or your home.

This rule may not apply to stick weapons such as a hanbo, jo or bo which just indicate the different lengths of the wooden sticks. Use common sense when carrying any type of martial arts weapon to and from the dojo or training hall because what seems innocent to you may look entirely different to someone else.

You should be cautious when dealing with handling weapons at all times. A simple solution to carrying wooden weapons is to get a carry case to use when transporting them outside in public. These carrying cases are relatively inexpensive and can solve many issues before they arise.

The wide range of weapons found in martial arts is quite varied and their roots usually come from ordinary objects and tools that were readily available to the common man. This was important because many of the weapons were developed to use against occupying forces such as the Japanese in Okinawa. Since obvious weapons were outlawed by the government authorities simple farm tools were adapted such as the bo, sai and tonfa.

With these weapons in plain sight yet hidden the common man was able to gain proficiency in defending themselves with such simple tools. Flash forward to the present time and you will still find these weapons being trained with in dojos all around the world. A true testament to the effectiveness of these types of weapons.

There are other types of ordinary objects that have been used as weapons such as chains, nails and walking sticks. Add sharpened items such as sickles, spears, knives and even swords and you have quite a list of usable tools for defensive and offensive actions.

Regardless of what weapon is used the basic principles of martial arts are needed to utilize the weapon in the best way possible. The body movements, the feet placement, the strikes and defensive blocking techniques are all used when training with a weapon in your hand or hands.

Obviously when first handling a particular weapon expert instruction is advised to prevent injuries to yourself or to others. On the surface weapon usage seems rather straightforward and this is where the first mistakes usually occur.

Even cleaning a katana with the powder and cloth can result in a serious cut since the blade is razor sharp and does not allow mistakes to happen. So if possible find a qualified teacher for all types of weapons training. There is much more to mastering any type of weapon than is remotely obvious.

Anyone can swing a stick or try to cut something with a sword but to be able to do it efficiently and consistently is a whole different story. There are so many nuances and body movements that turn an awkward strike into a graceful and fluid motion. Since there are so many types of weapons I'll just focus on some of the Japanese weapons that I am familiar with and have trained in.

These include the hanbo, jo, bo, weighted chain, tanto, bokken, naginata, yari and the jutte. All these weapons are traditional in nature and have a long history of use by the samurai and the common man. The samurai is most associated with the long sword often referred to as the katana. Then as is now sword training was with a bokken or wood sword as to prevent serious injuries or death.

Even after seven years of training the bokken is still a very difficult weapon to wield with precision, accuracy and control. Add to the basic bokken requirements; balance, fluid movements, timing and focus and you will get an idea of what is needed to even get a decent understanding of the weapon and it's use.

My suggestion is to practice fifteen minutes a day on one particular weapon which will eventually lead to developing muscle memory, weapon familiarity and natural body movement while handling the weapon which should be your ultimate goal.

There are rules of etiquette when handling or using weapons which should be understood and remembered throughout your training. Here are some of the basic rules:

1.) Never step over a weapon that is laying on a mat. Step around it and this is usually to the left of the weapon.

2.) Never play with a weapon in the dojo and always use it in the manner prescribed by the instructor

3.) Never play with a weapon against a fellow student even in jest

4.) When handing a bladed weapon to a fellow student always have the blade facing you. This also applies to wooden knives and swords even if the blade is wood

5.) When using weapons with a fellow student use caution and control because serious injuries can occur

6.) When bowing in or out of class the weapon should be on your right and if it is an edged weapon the blade faces you

7.) If you have your own wooden sword or knife make sure that the surface is smooth and sanded down. Splinters will hurt a fellow student and periodically check to see if there are any cracks in the wood which can result in the wooden weapon spitting and flying across the dojo.

8.) Do not open someones katana without permission and definitely do not touch the blade with your hands or fingers. The moisture on your hands and fingers can cause rust if left unattended.

9.) Do adhere to the rules of the dojo when it pertains to weapons and weapons training.

One thing to consider when you are working with weapons and another student is to maintain your focus & awareness at all times. I will repeat this once more, your focus and awareness should not waver while training with weapons. It is imperative that you stay completely in the moment to prevent injury to your fellow martial arts student and to yourself.

A wooden weapon can easily crack open your head or break a bone if it hits you which is not supposed to occur. This also applies to bladed weapons that usually are not sharp but which are sometimes used in practice to demonstrate a bit more realism.

When practicing Iaido with a sharp katana then total focus is an absolute must because it can cut quite deeply with even the slightest mistake. When cutting bamboo mats also known as tamishigiri you must be totally aware of your surroundings and who is within the cutting distance of your sword. A good analogy would be to treat these weapons as you would a gun.

This is not a game or the movies where a mistake affects no one and is not real. Serious injuries can and do occur when training with weapons and this usually is the result of lack or awareness or respect for the weapon itself.

Another thing to consider is that in many traditional dojos if you turn your back, look away from your training partner or display a lack of awareness that training partner has the unspoken permission to attack you. This attack usually does not result in contact but it shows that if it were real you would sustain needless injury. A light tap or contact is all that is needed to remind your partner that they weren't focused and aware of anything that was going on. This state is called zanshin in Japanese and advocates eye contact at all times with your awareness taking in all your surroundings at the same time.

It's better to be reminded of your break in awareness & concentration in the dojo rather than on the street where the consequences can be life threatening.

You will notice that when training is weapons many people will have a haphazard approach to weapons training. Their attacks will be unfocused, their posture poor and their attacks lacking any type of true intent. This type of training is totally useless!

These types of attacks adversely affect the ability of the defender to adequately utilize the techniques that that have been taught. Without a focused determined attack it is impossible to create any sense of realism and both the defender and attacker do not gain valuable feedback.

The attitude of the defender is " if you hit me, stab me or strike me then it's my fault". This onus is on the defender so the attack should be real and without hesitation. Conversely, the defense should be equally focused and with full concentration. If concentration slips then the defense will be poorly executed and with possible injuries to the defender.

Best to start slow with deliberate movements that are repeated over and over to develop muscle memory. Going fast in the beginning usually results in a very poor & sloppy technique that won't get better with age. But regular consistent practice will give you a greater understanding of the weapon, it's capabilities, your body's movements in relation to the attack and how to best neutralize the attack.

Once a week is the absolute minimum you should be training in any particular weapon and also supplement your training at home.

The question you should ask yourself is what is the practicality of training with a weapon that was used hundreds of years ago in another country far away. Another point is that it is not usual to find a razor sharp blade being used to attack you nowadays.

Besides training yourself to utilize weapons as an extension of the body there are practical applications to training with ancient weapons. Many of the weapons you see in martial arts can be adapted to real life scenarios. A wooden sword is interchangeable with a stick and a rope is a great substitute for a chain weapon or any similar object.

Ordinary items can easily be turned into weapons that are absolutely legal to have on your person and are not illegal until they are used to defend yourself in a manner that causes injury to the attacker. The transition between a martial arts weapon and a ordinary item is not difficult to bridge especially when you have a grasp of your body's movement in relation to the weapon and the attack.