As a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy style films, I am looking forward to geeking out on a lot of movies coming this summer. As I say this, I can't help but notice that even our super-heroes need some sort of weapons to help them in their fight against evil. While it's fun to watch two individuals go at it in hand-to-hand combat, there is something particularly exciting about seeing weapons being used. It comes to upping the ante in a fight - when weapons are involved it immediately turns to a life or death conflict. Take Thor for example: A Norse God who uses a hammer. While not exactly the most subtle of weapons, it can prove devastating in combat!
Then there is Captain America, who manages to fight with a shield.
We also can look forward to Green Lantern and his ... er ... um ... ring. But, it's a really cool ring!
Finally there is that new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, On Stranger Tides. I am a big fan of the other Pirate movies, but the first two in particular had spectacular sword-work. Here's hoping that the new film will return to that style!
If you were to ever carry a sword with you, it would be wise to at least inform yourself of the ways it could be defeated. Better still, to go out of your way and learn some of those other methods. You certainly wouldn't want to be caught unprepared!
When it comes to weapons combat, it doesn't matter who is the bigger or the stronger - weapons can level the playing field so that it all comes down to speed and skill. With that said, there are far too many people out there who have a myopic view of swordsmanship. There is always someone who wants to say that there way is the best, or that their school is the best, or even that their weapon is the best. The fact of the matter is, it all comes down to how good you are with whatever it is that you are holding your hands. To paraphrase Jet Li in his film Fearless, "Every school has its champions." To try to decide which one is the best would be impossible.
I try not to take such a short-sided view of things. That is why I like to watch other people practice their skills with different weapons. If possible, I might even try to practice those techniques just to deepen my understanding.
Below are a couple of clips showing people practicing with the kusarigama. The kusari is a chain that would have a weight at one end of it, though in practice it often consists of a rope and a leather ball. The kama is a handheld scythe that farmers would have used to harvest rice. The two together formed a formidable weapon that could be used in defense of aggressive ronin or bandits with swords.
As a side note, I have heard of people who routinely practice with a kusari and can shatter clay jars at 20 feet. Think of what that would do to an unprotected human skull!
