circumstances
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All the same we take our chances.. laughed at by time..tricked by circumstances
Posts: 94
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Post by circumstances on Aug 1, 2022 20:23:13 GMT
I'm just curious as to what other folks like to train/practice with. What weapon and weapons combinations that people find enjoyable and a fun way to spend time. I think the most of us here of course use swords to one degree or another in various ways but there's lots of other stuff that's a blast to use. My personal items are short and long stave (bo and jo if you prefer) bull whip baton, bow and arrow and tomahawk and knife. With the latter I'm playing around with combining the hawk wit my APOC cutlass as well. That's an awesome combo and many an enemy watermelon will perish as I advance with it.
Also on the more practical side since I've had a game leg since 1983 and just recently that became an artificial leg I practice using a cane and hiking staff so I have an LTL option to my firearm always at hand. Figured that is a good idea since even as I progress to not really needing either to walk I still have a legitimate reason to carry either in public. It's always good to have an LTL tool handy for dealing with obnoxious drunks and idiotic punks that fall short of having to shoot but still need a lesson in manners. The ones that harass your lady and you in a parking lot and mistake trying to ignore them and walking away for fear.
A cane is a very effective self defense tool as it a hiking staff. With a cane though I think that there may be more options in how to employ it as compared to a straight staff. That hook on the end in a handy feature. Anyway I would really like to hear what other people have on hand they practice with for practical purpose or just for fun.
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Post by pellius on Aug 1, 2022 21:25:00 GMT
Handgun Carbine 6’ staff
I like sword (niuweidao), but staff is probably my favorite. No doubt, handgun is most useful to me.
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Ouroboros
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Imperial, Mysterious In Amorous Array
Posts: 570
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Post by Ouroboros on Aug 1, 2022 21:37:28 GMT
Staff (long or short, dont care--was my first weaponly love, will always be my first weaponly love for after all--a sword is just a more effevtive stick) Bokutu/bokken Suburito Stick Pool Cue Tire Iron/Breaker Bar, Knives of many kinds & Powders Oh, theres bow as well but i consider her "sporting/hunting" i suppose it points out a subtle yet discernable distinction in internal hierarchical or tree based classification of sharp n pointies...one as a "weapon" and the other a "tool" ....and yet i practice with a breaker bar (tool as weapon?) and a deepset socket of incredible heft. The Quebec air makes me wax nostalgic...
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Zen_Hydra
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Born with a heart full of neutrality
Posts: 2,629
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Aug 1, 2022 21:41:45 GMT
circumstances You mentioned recently upgrading to a prosthetic leg. Have you dedicated much time to specifically adjusting to how the footwork has changed for you? I can imagine that it must put a new spin on what you may have already been practicing for a while. When I have the energy, and chemo isn't kicking my butt, I love to practice with a wide variety of weapons. I particularly have enjoyed adapting the various staff forms and techniques I've collected over the years to my Monkey King staff (an octagonal hickory staff with ends capped in bronze mace heads). I also have another, less elegant mace-staff with a more halberd like balance, and an asymmetrical set of steel mace heads on the ends (the larger end is flanged). I have a custom "knightly" poleaxe that combines the face of a large Chinese ge with more traditional European poleaxe features including set of top and queue spikes, as well as a crow's beak face. It's a real monster of a weapon. It feels like a murder pry-bar. I have a few different spears I like to train with on my tire pell, and I've recently included some Han era ji reproductions, and they really move very adroitly for a weapon with the added utility of a dagger-axe combined with a spear. These LK Chen reproductions have effectively demonstrated how well thought out the Han ji designs really were, and how efficiently the mass of the weapon's heads are distributed in order to achieve the almost spear-like agility these weapons manage to attain. It would take very little effort and a small amount of movement to drive the ji's beak into a target like the brachial plexus (and there was often a convenient gap to be found around the neck or where the armor straps come together at the shoulder). It takes surprisingly little effort to drive the beak or spear point through vulcanized rubber, which is much tougher than our squishy human flesh. The Han style ji has really become one of my favorite weapons. I have a variety of axes of varying size I will pull out to train with on occasion. My current favorite consists of a finely crafted francisca style axe head I mounted on an approximately three foot haft, and to the haft I added leather grip wraps, just under the head and also at the bottom. The multiple risers I added to the grips make it easy to change hand positions by feel alone, and provide a superior hold on the weapon. I also added a braided leather thong as a lanyard, which is particular useful when pairing the axe with a shield. The smallish axe head provides a deadly degree of penetration while still being relatively light. I picked ash for the haft because of my desire to make this fighting axe as nimble as I could manage for a weapon of this length, and ash has a good strength/toughness while being relatively light.
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Post by Lord Newport on Aug 1, 2022 22:41:24 GMT
Handgun Rifle Carbine knife staff (Jo)
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Yagoro
Member
Ikkyu in Kendo and Kenjutsu Practitioner
Posts: 1,578
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Post by Yagoro on Aug 1, 2022 22:53:19 GMT
I have an old m48 mauser i shoot occasionally(ammo isnt common enough to shoot it all the time) Did bo staff when i still did tangsoodo Also learned so kama blade techniques when i did tangsoodo
thats about it
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2022 23:17:13 GMT
Bow Spear Knife Machete Tomahawk Fist
That covers it I think
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circumstances
Member
All the same we take our chances.. laughed at by time..tricked by circumstances
Posts: 94
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Post by circumstances on Aug 2, 2022 3:26:20 GMT
circumstances You mentioned recently upgrading to a prosthetic leg. Have you dedicated much time to specifically adjusting to the footwork has changed for you? I can imagine that it must put a new spin on what you may have already been practicing for a while. When I have the energy, and chemo isn't kicking my butt, I love to practice with a wide variety of weapons. I particularly have enjoyed adapting the various staff forms and techniques I've collected over the years to my Monkey King staff (an octagonal hickory staff with ends capped in bronze mace heads). I also have another, less elegant mace-staff with a more halberd like balance, and an asymmetrical set of steel mace heads on the ends (the larger end is flanged). I have a custom "knightly" poleaxe that combines the face of a large Chinese ge with more traditional European poleaxe features including set of top and queue spikes, as well as a crow's beak face. It's a real monster of a weapon. It feels like a murder pry-bar. I have a few different spears I like to train with on my tire pell, and I've recently included some Han era ji reproductions, and they really move very adroitly for a weapon with the added utility of a dagger-axe combined with a spear. These LK Chen reproductions have effectively demonstrated how well thought out the Han ji designs really were, and how efficiently the mass of the weapon's heads are distributed in order to achieve the almost spear-like agility these weapons manage to attain. It would take very little effort and a small amount of movement to drive the ji's beak into a target like the brachial plexus (and there was often a convenient gap to be found around the neck or where the armor straps come together at the shoulder). It takes surprisingly little effort to drive the beak or spear point through vulcanized rubber, which is much tougher than our squishy human flesh. The Han style ji has really become one of my favorite weapons. I have a variety of axes of varying size I will pull out to train with on occasion. My current favorite consists of a finely crafted francisca style axe head I mounted on an approximately three foot haft, and to the haft I added leather grip wraps, just under the head and also at the bottom. The multiple risers I added to the grips make it easy to change hand positions by feel alone, and provide a superior hold on the weapon. I also added a braided leather thong as a lanyard, which is particular useful when pairing the axe with a shield. The smallish axe head provides a deadly degree of penetration while still being relatively light. I picked ash for the haft because of my desire to make this fighting axe as nimble as I could manage for a weapon of this length, and ash has a good strength/toughness while being relatively light. My footwork really isn't changing that drastically. The real leg hindered me worse I think. Tis new prosthetic isn't much different than my realleg was. It had a fused ankle as well and I'm accustomed to that. The prosthetic is actually better in a couple ways not the least of which is when I'm fully broke into it I won't favor it the way I did my real leg. This is only my first prosthetic. In a few months when I'm fully broke in they are going to make me a really nice one with an active ankle. Hydraulic pressure sensing active ankle. THAT will screw me up. I've had a rigid ankle for the last 40 years. I haven't gotten to crazy yet with blowing the dust off my weapons skills. I'm still breaking into the prosthetic. But it sure is nice to be standing like a real person again. But I have some conditioning to do. Muscle atrophy in the leg from the knee up. My thigh is considerably weaker than it was before they took my foot and ankle. I do have to adapt my footwork some being as I can't feel with that foot. I'm still a bit clumsy with it but that will pass. I've toyed with the idea of putting a rubber tip on a bokken and using that for a cane. An actual cane is an effective self defense tool. Converting a bokken into a walking assist would be devastatingly effective.
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pgandy
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Senior Forumite
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Post by pgandy on Aug 2, 2022 13:39:13 GMT
I have a list but my favourite is stick. I was fascinated with a bo for a while but found them not practical for EDC, at least for me. They will not fit in a taxi and were awkward on a bus. And with no wrist strap is inconvenient at times. Bringing me to a cane. I love them and have about a couple of dozen in my collection. But of course, only use only a couple as EDC. At first for self-defence, for which they proved most effective but these days I find a great aid to balance. A wrist strap is needed on only a few chiefly straight jobbies such as sword canes. The rest for the most part have oversized crooks that conveniently fit over my forearm or in a strap on my back pack. As for placing a cane w/crook over my forearm, I can place it over the arm in which I’m carrying it and back to the hand all without employing the other hand, which is of course convenient when needing both hands for some task. As far as an aid to balance, you might consider, if not already, using a prosthetic leg a balance act.
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Post by joe_meadmaker on Aug 2, 2022 17:16:57 GMT
Mainly sling and bow & arrow. I also bought some throwing sticks recently. I haven't tried them out yet but I'm looking forward to it. I have a pretty big yard, but I'd to try them out where there's a little more space first. I'm playing around with combining the hawk wit my APOC cutlass as well. That's an awesome combo and many an enemy watermelon will perish as I advance with it. It's funny you said this. I take on watermelons in a completely different way. :D
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Post by markus313 on Aug 2, 2022 18:16:46 GMT
Besides swords I enjoy a lot of stuff, from knives to quarterstaff, and the bowie knife in particular.
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Post by howler on Aug 2, 2022 20:19:05 GMT
Oodles of gun, blade, impact, tools and I really need to practice more with all of it. Will need to focus on the handgun & rifle stuff first.
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Post by kung on Aug 4, 2022 1:07:55 GMT
I train with compound bow, and I can hit a paper plate at 40 yards and I consider that good enough. I have harvested a caribou and a moose with it.
I also play with nunchuks. No specific training, a friend of mine gave me a set 30 years ago and I was able to twirl and spin them with little effort and little practice. It just came naturally for me, but most folks I've seen really struggle with them. I need a new pair, if anybody has a good source please let me know.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2022 1:14:16 GMT
I train with compound bow, and I can hit a paper plate at 40 yards and I consider that good enough. I have harvested a caribou and a moose with it. I also play with nunchuks. No specific training, a friend of mine gave me a set 30 years ago and I was able to twirl and spin them with little effort and little practice. It just came naturally for me, but most folks I've seen really struggle with them. I need a new pair, if anybody has a good source please let me know. Not bad man, way better than I can. I can barely hit my target from 20ft lol. I don't practice enough with my bow
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circumstances
Member
All the same we take our chances.. laughed at by time..tricked by circumstances
Posts: 94
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Post by circumstances on Aug 15, 2022 0:36:27 GMT
I train with compound bow, and I can hit a paper plate at 40 yards and I consider that good enough. I have harvested a caribou and a moose with it. I also play with nunchuks. No specific training, a friend of mine gave me a set 30 years ago and I was able to twirl and spin them with little effort and little practice. It just came naturally for me, but most folks I've seen really struggle with them. I need a new pair, if anybody has a good source please let me know. Not bad man, way better than I can. I can barely hit my target from 20ft lol. I don't practice enough with my bow My bows are another thing I'm quite fond of. I'm just getting back in the saddle with archery now that I have two feet again. I shoot traditional. A PSE Sequoia 72 inch 60 # flatbow and a Bear Grayling Grizzly 45 # 52 inch recurve. The latter is an old school Bea. Made in Grayling MI between 1972 and 74. That's as close as I could pin it's make date down but that's close enough. I make all my own arrows and bamboo is my favorite shaft material but there's nothing wrong with POC. Before the surgery I was hitting well and had the holdover down for out to 50 yards but I would be hesitant to test myself on game at that distance. The 3D course is one thing but I but I don't want to bobble a shot on a live animal and cause the critter needless pain. Traditional bows are nowhere near as capable as compounds at longer distance. As far as firearms go (I was aiming at non go bangs in my OP but since it came up they do count. I shot pro competition with handgun for 10 years of my50 years of shooting. My Dad shot for the Navy and broke me in at 7 shooting rimfire bullseye. I went to the action disciplines in my early 20s. I used a 1911 Government model for everything but revolver specific stuff like ICORE. My son got to be better with a revolver that I was with my auto and got picked up my the S&W youth squad when he was 15. He shoots a 625 45 ACP and he could handily beat me and a lot of other very good shooters with autos even on mandatory reload arrays . He's still blazing fast with those moon clips. He could have gone on to the adult team easily but along came a girl. (sigh) I also shoot rifle. Bolt action and an AR 15. 30 06and 223/5.56 respectively. I got into cavalry reenactment and my unit competed in pistol and saber course. Mounted weapons craft is a totally different (and VERY fun) discipline. I always wanted to try the lance but never did. But I'm still spry enough to maybe give it a go when I'm 100%with my new leg. Nunchuks were mentioned earlier and I have been using those since I was 15. I didn't have a manufactured set till I was 19. I got pretty good with them and I still do better than OK for an old guy but I've come to see them as a bit less effective as a combat tool. I'd take a hawk and knife over chucks any day but I wouldn't hesitate to take on a mugger with a switchblade with a set of chucks. There's just so many different weapons a body can play with and just have a ball doing so. And you never know, the skills you develop may just save yours or more importantly a loved ones life someday.
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circumstances
Member
All the same we take our chances.. laughed at by time..tricked by circumstances
Posts: 94
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Post by circumstances on Aug 15, 2022 0:41:40 GMT
Mainly sling and bow & arrow. I also bought some throwing sticks recently. I haven't tried them out yet but I'm looking forward to it. I have a pretty big yard, but I'd to try them out where there's a little more space first. I'm playing around with combining the hawk wit my APOC cutlass as well. That's an awesome combo and many an enemy watermelon will perish as I advance with it. It's funny you said this. I take on watermelons in a completely different way. Oh man!! That's to cool for school. I've seen people do that with water balloons but you take that next gen. Serious and massive reactive hydro artillery. I love it.
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