There are many benefits in training with martial arts weapons. Weapons work as light weights as well as weapons. Using them will help develop muscle tone and strength. Performing forms with weapons also helps develop coordination.
We teach both short and long range range. An example of a short range weapon would be a pair of kamas. The bo staff is a long range weapon.
Martial arts weapons are thought of as extensions of your arms. Strikes and blocks with weapons are basically traditional martial art techniques with the extensions. So, martial arts students need to learn martial arts techniques using their own bodies first before learning to use weapons. This helps students understand the applications behind weapons techniques.
Bo (Staff)
Bo Staff is our primary weapon. All students are required to learn bo staff at intermediate rank. If the student chooses, they may begin earlier but it is not required until 6th gup.
Kali Sticks
The Kali stick form is also required curriculum. We teach it in our regular classes as well as our weapons classes. It is a basic form that can be learned as early as white belt, learning stick low blocks along with traditional martial arts low blocks.
We also teach many stick to stick Arnis techniques, based on books by Master David Sgro.
Sword
We use bokkens and katanas to teach basic techniques and forms. When you reach advanced level, basic defense and sparring is added to the curriculum.
We start teaching with the 8 basic strikes, which is used to understand spatial awareness and to learn to use a sword to defend yourself from attacks coming from different angles. You will also learn correct breathing techniques and good posture from practicing sword.
Fighting Fan
Fighting fans are our latest obsession. We are learning, teaching and creating forms. We first discovered fans at a tournament where we heard a big snap, almost like a gunshot. All eyes turned to the noise, and it was one small woman with two big fans. We immediately went online and ordered some.
Since then we have tracked down videos, lessons, techniques and forms at all levels and it has become part of our weekly routine, practicing both tricking and forms.
Other Weapons
Although not as frequently as the other weapons, we also learn and give lessons in nunchaku, kamas and knife.