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Post by Groo on Feb 15, 2012 21:26:42 GMT
Greetings my fellow swordsmen/women!
I am new to the site, and really loving it. I have bumbled my way through a little bit and posted a couple things, one might be in the wrong place....
Anyway, I like martial arts mainly for health and longevity... so I am interested in what kind of training you all do, for example, do you train in Kendo? ,do you do sprints to train, jog, Filipino Martial arts, Taiji Quan, weight training, yoga, sword forms, sparring? , just back yard cutting, Qigong, zen meditation, etc and how do you find it helps your swordplay? And how do you find swordsmanship helps you?
Nice to meet you all!
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Post by Neovenetar on Feb 15, 2012 22:04:29 GMT
welcome to SBG!
I don't do all that much in the way of training, I do form every few hours, I use a suburito bokken a bit, and obviously, test cutting. I sprint, and I jog a little. But that's not really much related to my training. I spar a little when I can, but really it's almost always against someone not trained in the use of a sword.
How does swordsmanship help me? Well, I find that it's quite useful in a country where guns are not commonplace. I think it helps vent anger, not in a physical way like beating the crap out of something with a sword, but the knowledge that you could easily destroy the source of your anger with a sword.
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Post by Dr. Whom on Feb 15, 2012 22:32:04 GMT
I also use Suburito Bokken to strengthen my sword hand's anger!
I do alternate leg thrusts and jumping jacks for cardio...I hope to add squat thrusts soon.
I also lift free weights and curl bars maybe 2-3 times a week as I found this was more effective then lifting every other day or everyday with different parts each day
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Post by Groo on Feb 16, 2012 1:00:28 GMT
WOW! Every few hours! Awesome! How do you manage that? Do you use a stick or something if you are out and about and want to practice?
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Mikeeman
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Posts: 2,904
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Post by Mikeeman on Feb 16, 2012 4:23:03 GMT
Kali class. Once a week. Though most of the guys there could beat the crap out of me with a stick, their edge alignments are really bad. I would try to correct them on this but I'm the "new guy" and... Well.... The sticks... Our class doesn't even have a "live cutting" part in it.
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Post by Groo on Feb 16, 2012 6:52:16 GMT
I like to do Wudang sword forms several times a week, 20 minute runs twice a week, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu once a fortnight, MMA once in a blue moon, and heavy bag training once a week mostly doing Muay THai drills, and sometimes some Escrima drills with sticks. I love the confidence and energy swordplay gives, and I am recently interested in the Zen-like mindfulness of the Japanese tameshigiri stuff! I am thinking of getting Takuan Osho's book "The Unfettered Mind".
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Post by Groo on Feb 16, 2012 6:54:59 GMT
cool! I really like the FMA! I only learned some basics But I really like the 2 stick/sword drills and combos. I really like the Espada Y Daga as well, I just learned a couple of forms and 2 person drills
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Post by lamebmx on Feb 16, 2012 11:55:25 GMT
Personally, I practice daily 10 minutes minimum. Minimum would be around the clock cuts, tachikazi 3 times for each cut w/bo-hi katana. Normally practice the draw cuts also (normal time is 20 minutes) I like to get tachikazi at least once for each 90 degree twist and 180 degree twist of the saya. Though I am still more focused on getting it out of the saya properly & more consistent noto. Here and there I add in some speedy cutting, like down diag right then left then right. Doing a lot of cuts fast with a very very high attention on blade alignment during the cuts. A lot less often (weather permitting also), I add in stepping while cutting, and a couple block/attack forms. Even more rare is some sparring. Lastly, for all cuts I practice proper breathing.
Well the cut training, for me, isnt really helpful. But maintenance and customizing tasks are pretty calming. Something like tsuka-maki is a nice indoor activity I have an interest in, and requires attention and energy. So if I had a bad day, its a good way to get my mind off things for a little while. Works good because while it takes focus and energy, it is not a whole lot of either. Just enough to block out problems for a bit, but not enough to be daunting in its own right. Same goes for polishing. Exception being the first chunk of the learning curve for these things, do need a lot more focus and to enter them calmly until a decent level of proficiency is achieved.
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Post by Lukas MG (chenessfan) on Feb 16, 2012 12:04:50 GMT
I have Kali Silat once a week and longsword course also once a week. Both are very different in the way of training. In Kali we don't do sparring very often at all, every few months only, mostly because you need more protection equipment than when sparring with nylon wasters. There a mask and gloves are enough and we always spar an hour a week after forms and technique in longsword course. I have to admit for me it's the most important aspect, technique is all good and necessary but nothing teaches you better than getting beaten up. Most elaborate techniques from the manuals rarely work anyway unless you're REALLY good. Every two weeks I do some sword and buckler work as well.
Apart from that, cutting stuff up and running. I don't have the time to do that now but as soon as I have vacation (in two weeks), I'll start going to the gym and running again.
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Post by Neil G. on Feb 16, 2012 14:57:52 GMT
I do German Longsword once a week - hour and a half to two hour class. The first 2/3 are usually spent doing forms and practicing keeping distance and timing and whatnot and then the last third is sparring with nylons. On top of that I used to do P90X, but I quit once I got married and lazy (and seemingly instantly gained 20 pounds). I've dropped most of the excess weight now and am about to start up P90X again too... already dreading the plyometrics portion. I'm going to do more longsword drills and whatnot in place of the YogaX portion though. I can't seem to get into that particular exercise set.
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Post by Krelian on Feb 16, 2012 19:44:05 GMT
I attend formal Japanese swordsmanship classes two to four times a week and formal aikido classes one to three times a week. Additionally I practice my swordsmanship on my own once or twice a week and hit the gym for cardio and strength training one to three times a week. So in a week total I normally spend 4-9 hours specifically on sword and an additional 4-12 hours on general fitness.
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Post by Neovenetar on Feb 16, 2012 19:54:31 GMT
Well, on the occasion I'l use a stick. If there's really nothing better at the time. Generally I'm almost always at my house, so I simply get up from my chair, pick up a sword, and go out to do form. Or I'll do form inside with a short sword.
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Post by deejay on Feb 16, 2012 20:56:23 GMT
I train once a week outa town for an hour and a half at Eshien Ryu Iado class.I alternate a night of weights,than the next day I do forms from class and concentrate on tachi kaza-then weights again..take Sunday off...
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Post by HouShe on Feb 19, 2012 21:13:11 GMT
I normally do sword forms. Not once or twice, but 10 times, in a row. That usually takes about 45-50 minutes to complete. Empty hand training, then solo drills. If I have a friend who wants to train we often do partner drills and/or sparring.
Honestly, I'm fairly bored of empty hand fighting, but that's ok, because this is a sword forum and you guys understand.
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Post by Groo on Feb 21, 2012 8:15:16 GMT
Awesome! I bet you are making lots of progress! What forms do you do? Taiji Jian?
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