A Brief Look at Martial Arts Weapons
A Brief Look at Martial Arts Weapons
When Bruce Lee twirled the nunchaku in ENTER THE DRAGON in 1973, he introduced martial arts weapons to the public for the first time. Previously, most assumed that karate, kung fu, etc were primarily empty hand systems and this is not accurate as all systems of martial arts possess a significant emphasis on weapons systems. Of course, most still do not understand the relationship between the empty hand and the martial arts weapons systems and this is why a brief look at said weapons can be enlightening.
The Origins of Many Martial Arts Weapons
Many martial arts weapons have seen their origins in the farming industry. In Okinawa, in particular virtually all the weapons (the bo staff, the nunchaku, the sai, etc) all find their origins as farm implements. While some may find this notion bizarre they do so because they assume that most martial arts masters of the bygone eras trained exclusively for fighting and trained all the time. In reality, most practitioners of the martial arts were peasant farmers who feared domination and invasion by foreign forces.
Since they did not have the finances to afford swords and spears they trained in the use of farm implements as offensive weapons. Additionally, if there were any laws passed that barred the possession of weapons the farmers did not have to worry about anyone confiscating their weapons since their "weapons" primary purpose was for farming. The nunchaku, for example, was used to grind grain. The sai, a piecing sword, was used to plant seeds. As such, the farmers did not have to fear about their weapons being confiscated.
The Relevance of Martial Arts Weapons
Sadly, many are quite dismissive of martial arts weapons because they seemingly have to value in the modern world outside their portrayal in the movies. Such an attitude is highly cynical because martial arts are far more than merely a form of self defense. Martial arts are an active hobby that combines history and philosophy and the study of classical weapons adds a unique dimension to training as well as being a fun and enlightening side venture of the study of the arts.
Of course, martial arts weapons have the potential to cause a great deal of harm and there may even be legal issues to contend with when possessing such items. As such, it is always best to check with local law ordinances regarding ownership of such weapons as well as exhibiting extreme care and caution when using them.