Why Your Training Should Incorporate Edged Weapons
A consistent part of my personal training is to take a few minutes afterwards to process what happened in the session. Think of it as a meditative review: transitioning from a warrior mindset into a scholarly one. This review allows me to step outside of myself and critically analyze my performance. What moments felt right? What felt off? Why? Did my dedicated time align with my training goals? What value did I gain...or was I just aimlessly moving?
Today's session reminded me just how vital edged weapons training is to a complete warrior study. Not only does edged weapons training grant us some ability to defend ourselves from an attack, but it also refines physical attributes that can elevate our performance in multiple areas of combat. These attributes are fundamental - to borrow language from my teacher Sifu Alan Baker, they are universal principles. They exist as part of human physical interaction, not just as a style of martial art.
We can simplify these concepts into three major categories: Range, Timing, and Position. There are more but we can stick with these for now.
Range is the ability to visually discern critical distance. Just how far away can I be and still make good contact without sacrificing good posture? Edged combat highlights this idea because we can’t afford to stand and trade hits. I know I can absorb a few punches...but I can’t tough-guy my way out of a critical stab wound.
Position is the strategic placement of the body around an opponent. You can think of this as tactical or strategic movement. Knowing where to be can place us outside the arc of attack and force our opponents to remain within ours. Position during edged weapon combat is more complicated, because we have to keep track of not just the bodies in the combat equation but the weapons as well: their style, size, weight, blade type, and so on.
Timing is ability to read the combative rhythm, like an attack or taking a step. Developing our sense of timing can allow us to interject a strike, counter a strike, or adjust position. To the opponent, it’ll seem fast; to us, we’re just moving at the right moment...and hopefully, with the right side of our weapon.
All three of these principles, when combined appropriately, help us put an opponent off-beat, out of position, and struggling to keep up. Since these ideas are not techniques that are easily handed down in a list, they have to be a part an intelligent training design. For that kind of training I prefer the methods taught through the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). FMA methods are excellent at developing fighter attributes along with showing techniques. The remarkable pace at which you develop long term integrated skills seems unique to FMA systems, exceeding other experiences I’ve had.
Good training tends to be cyclical and regenerative, made up of practical drills that allow you to put in vast amounts of repetition in a short period of time. Incorporating edged weapons into my training has given me the opportunity for improvement in all of the universal principals of the combat equation. When the tools in my toolbox are sharp, my mind and body become sharper as well.
Today's session reminded me just how vital edged weapons training is to a complete warrior study. Not only does edged weapons training grant us some ability to defend ourselves from an attack, but it also refines physical attributes that can elevate our performance in multiple areas of combat. These attributes are fundamental - to borrow language from my teacher Sifu Alan Baker, they are universal principles. They exist as part of human physical interaction, not just as a style of martial art.
We can simplify these concepts into three major categories: Range, Timing, and Position. There are more but we can stick with these for now.
Range is the ability to visually discern critical distance. Just how far away can I be and still make good contact without sacrificing good posture? Edged combat highlights this idea because we can’t afford to stand and trade hits. I know I can absorb a few punches...but I can’t tough-guy my way out of a critical stab wound.
Position is the strategic placement of the body around an opponent. You can think of this as tactical or strategic movement. Knowing where to be can place us outside the arc of attack and force our opponents to remain within ours. Position during edged weapon combat is more complicated, because we have to keep track of not just the bodies in the combat equation but the weapons as well: their style, size, weight, blade type, and so on.
Timing is ability to read the combative rhythm, like an attack or taking a step. Developing our sense of timing can allow us to interject a strike, counter a strike, or adjust position. To the opponent, it’ll seem fast; to us, we’re just moving at the right moment...and hopefully, with the right side of our weapon.
All three of these principles, when combined appropriately, help us put an opponent off-beat, out of position, and struggling to keep up. Since these ideas are not techniques that are easily handed down in a list, they have to be a part an intelligent training design. For that kind of training I prefer the methods taught through the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). FMA methods are excellent at developing fighter attributes along with showing techniques. The remarkable pace at which you develop long term integrated skills seems unique to FMA systems, exceeding other experiences I’ve had.
Good training tends to be cyclical and regenerative, made up of practical drills that allow you to put in vast amounts of repetition in a short period of time. Incorporating edged weapons into my training has given me the opportunity for improvement in all of the universal principals of the combat equation. When the tools in my toolbox are sharp, my mind and body become sharper as well.
Sifu Mitchell
If interested in training opportunities, please reach out to me at sifumitchell@gmail.com
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