Something has been nagging at me for a while now. Not particularly important, but still...

Martial arts, kenjutsu in particular, crop up a fair bit in Undocumented Features. I wonder how many people on this forum practice them? I know that the eminent Lady Cross does, and I do - 1st Kyu in Tsuyoi Ryu karate, 4th Kyu in Seitei jodo and Musashi Shinden-ryu iaido, and just started learning kyudo - but everyone else is a mystery to me. So, who does what and to what level?

LAST EDITED ON May-08-09 AT 06:34 PM (EDT)
 
I am not involved in the ryu, although I like me a good Dave Lowry book or column (as does Gryph).

That being said, I fenced foil for a couple months in college before the expense of getting my own gear and the regimented approach of Olympic-style fencing pretty much stopped that. After my car accident, I went on to become a student of the Black Sword Martial Salon of Oakland, California, a motley band of Bay Area sorts-- former bar bouncers, ex-SCAdians, escrima fighters, axe-throwing Norse Pagans, etc.-- and trained in broadsword and katana styles with them until I moved to Los Angeles.

I can still dump Wedge on his ass at least once or twice every few times we get out to spar, so I guess I'm doing OK. My current state of disability tends to deny me opportunities to hit people with shinai.

Maybe I'll post a pic of my jian later today, if I can get decent light.

(Edit: Since 'Spud went there, I'm a reasonable shot with a rifle, but have not tried handguns. Less call for them in Wedge's family's hunting setup.)

(Edit #2: Here's the pic. Pardon my iPhone.

I have more pics of the castings for the hanger, the pommel ring, and the crossguard, such as it is, if anyone wants them. I have one of the whole blade too, but that'd be better-served with me taking outside tomorrow when Wedge is around to shoot a pic.)

Ard Collier
that Janice chick
Usual Suspect and general menace

Awesome!

I have absolutely no idea what SCA is, Lady Ardaniel, but the axe-hurling beardy blokes sound pretty fun to train against. If escrima's what I think it is then there must be some -saucecore- fights against them, particularly with your jian. Which is lovely, by the way. Wish I could take photos as good as that.

Mister Spud, t'ai chi is something I've been meaning to take up. The calmness of the style appeals to me - I've seen some demonstrations at seminars and sparred against them in the jodo style (mine is a progressive sensei who is developing the free-fighting aspect far more than others), and the practitioners seem slow until you realise they've already hit you seven times in the stomach and everything's gone grey.

Master Wedge, firearm forms can be assimilated into martial arts extremely easily. An example of this is a chap I saw at a recent seminar in Blackpool, whose name completely escapes me. He had adapted the kyudo stances for use with a brace of sporting pistols and repeatedly holed people's small change. It was really what got me into kyudo.

http://www.sca.org - large Medieval recreationist society.

Escrima is Filipino stick-fighting.

--
Geoff Depew - Darth Mephron
Haberdasher to Androids, Dark Lord of Sith Tech Support.
"And Remember! Google is your Friend!!"

>http://www.sca.org - large Medieval recreationist society.
>
>Escrima is Filipino stick-fighting.

One of my favorite SCA shoutouts is in the Honor Harrington series, set in the far future.

One of the protagonist's friends asks how she got so good with an archaic projectile weapon like a 10mm pistol.

Honor responds she used to attend Society events as a kid, like her uncle.

You would probably adore SM Stirling's Emberverse series, then, since one of the two major protagonist factions is basically an outgrowth of an SCA household/ Wiccan coven, and the master-at-arms of the other one is an ARMA reenactor who's suddenly found real-world applications for her core competencies.

Ard Collier
that Janice chick
Usual Suspect and general menace

ooh wonderously spiffy books...john ringo has a series that also has some society types saving civilization after a disaster... There Will Be Dragons is the first one i think.

More for my e'er-expanding library of combat literature, then... One day, I may get around to reading all of these...

I am slightly given towards the Space Captain Smith series by Toby Frost, but that's more Flashman-Stellar than societal repeated-stabbing-with-pointy-objects.

>More for my e'er-expanding library of combat literature, then... One
>day, I may get around to reading all of these...

Different alternate reality, but of all the Domination of the Draka novels by Stirling, Marching Toward Georgia is my hands-down favorite.

Ard Collier
that Janice chick
Usual Suspect and general menace

I studied shuri-ryu for several years when I was younger, and a little bit of aikido and tai chi chuan; the latter two are not really my style, but the control and balance were helpful.

As far as weapons go... shuri-ryu is Okinawan, and favors blunt weapons -- or more honestly, former farming implements *grin* -- over, say, swords, when weapons are used at all (it is an empty-hand style, after all); what little weapon training I picked up was mostly tonfa, with a bit of staff thrown in for good measure. I loves me some good staff work, and wish I was better at it.

I've been teaching myself throwing for the past couple years, as well, and might compete someday. Maybe. Right now it's just knives and axes and spikes thrown for fun in the yard, and as demonstration occasionally for organized groups. (My wife and I used to run RenFaire games, which is where most of that came from).

And then there's firearms. I prefer rifles but seem to be better with handguns, go figure. I've taught rifle safety in the Boy Scouts. My shooting partner routinely pits the ace (so to speak) at 500 yards; I'm aiming to match him someday. Need more range time.

--sofaspud
--

Oh, hell, if we're counting guns I actually have something to contribute besides being a giant thudding target for Ard's shinai. :)

I used to be a decent shot at skeet, and am a pretty good shot without being seriously in training about it- good enough that I trust (and have trusted) my use of them against live targets. Of the shots I'm most proud of, I managed a 125 yard shot in heavy fog on a pretty big wild hog a couple years ago that severed the spine right behind the skull. More amusing, a few years before that, I managed to kill two smaller hogs on a single shot. The second hog walked up next to the first one as I was lining up the shot, I figured what the hey. .308 in both cases.

My first was a ~40 yard shot on an 8-point whitetail with a .54 black powder rifle when I was...~13? Love muzzleloaders. :)

	Chad Collier Smirking Kilrathi The Captain of the Gravy Train

Mmm, muzzleloaders.

I've only fired one on a single occasion, but I'll never forget it. Something about the way black powder smells, I think.

I've only hunted pheasant so far, though that's mostly lack of opportunity rather than lack of desire. The pheasant hunt left me with a long-standing (to this day, in fact) legacy: I'm the Duck Hunt Guy. If you remember that old NES game, when you shot a duck there'd be a puff of feathers. Well... I did that to the pheasant.

In my defense, I think I scared up the stupidest pheasant ever to live. It took off at a 45-degree angle up and directly away from me, and it was fat and slow. I couldn't have asked for a better target.

In theory I'm taking my son out to teach him rifle this summer. It depends on how the rest of the school year shapes up. We'll see. :)

--sofaspud
--

>I've only hunted pheasant so far, though that's mostly lack of
>opportunity rather than lack of desire. The pheasant hunt left me
>with a long-standing (to this day, in fact) legacy: I'm the Duck Hunt
>Guy. If you remember that old NES game, when you shot a duck there'd
>be a puff of feathers. Well... I did that to the pheasant.
>

I had the exact same experience about 5 years ago - the bird just lifted off, and I pretty much just had to pivot and pull - surprised the hell out of both of us!

I really don't hunt much anymore. I used to be in a local pistol target league with my dad, and shot well enough to win a few competitions, but I haven't been to the range regularly since college.

I don't know which taiji style you practiced, but I can tell you that I've had a lot of experience with people who are trained first in other martial arts having a hard time getting into taiji. I've studied the Chen style taiji quan for the last 3 years or so, and with it having been my first real martial arts practice *doesn't count the 3 months of foil fencing practice*, I've gotten a lot of good out of it.

Dude, man, what is it about foil fencing. I swear to God, they show you saber to get you all excited, and then it's "Here, have a glorified car antenna until you prove you're responsible enough to be Sulu." :D

Ard Collier
that Janice chick
Usual Suspect and general menace

Seriously, I totally understand that.

It was especially bad for me, because while I was practicing for those three months, the advanced students of the studio were also off in the corner. I'm doing quick-steps across the floor, getting chastised for my lack of 90 degree elbows, watching two epee fighters and a saber guy sparing off in the corner of my vision. So not cool...

A SCAdian of my acquaintance has nothing but noisy disdain for Olympic fencing because it's all about who can make the biggest noise after the touch to convince the judge that they hit first. I'm not quite there-- I like watching saber, for one thing-- but the restriction of movement and the subsequent restriction of tactics makes me itchy.

Also, the masks made me twitchy back then, and probably wouldn't help me any now with my crap vision-- it'd be like looking out of an Amsler grid all the time, and my visual cortex is not up to the challenge of recreating that in my blind spot.

Ard Collier
that Janice chick
Usual Suspect and general menace

The biggest noise after the touch?

I think it might have been a while since that SCAdian fenced, because I've always seen sport fencing use electronic scoring machines, unless this was at the beach or around the house or something. Goes a long way to eliminate "I scored/No you didn't" fights with the judge.

There might be some restriction of tactics and movement, but, well...for some lots of the basics I suspect Olympian fencing is very servicable. There's minute, if any, difference in footwork between Olympian and classical fencing if I'm getting all my designations right, and knowing how to parry and riposte is knowing how to parry and riposte.

I'm most familiar with epee, however, so I'm not quite as sure about how sport saber tactics have changed over time from their origin. But both saber and epee both have picked up some mutations of 'which technique is most effective for this situation' since it's been practiced with electronic scorers, as a sport, etc, etc.

I'll agree though--darn fun to watch my brother out there on the piste.

>There might be some restriction of tactics and movement, but,
>well...for some lots of the basics I suspect Olympian fencing is very
>servicable.

I tried to watch fencing (I think it was epee) during the last Olympics, and just couldn't get excited about it. I guess I'm spoiled from watching Rose Duels in my mind's eye... :)

Then again, I don't have any combat skill as such myself. I've done a lot of wargaming and studied quite a bit of military history--enough to have been a pretty dangerous company-to-battalion level commander in my Battletech days--but being a fat guy with a known vulnerability to neck injuries doesn't encourage a martial lifestyle. :)

In college, I took a self defense class in Universal Combat Martial Arts (pretty sure that's the right website, but its been a long time), and passed. Later, i took a course in SCA fencing with some friends. That was before the SCA changed the fencing rules, though, so if I joined now, I'd likely have to relearn a few things.

“They planned their campaigns just as you might make a splendid piece of harness. It looks very well; and answers very well; until it gets broken; and then you are done for. Now I made my campaigns of ropes. If anything went wrong, I tied a knot; and went on.”
-- Arthur Wellesley, First Duke of Wellington

Well, since you ask;

I've studied Kung Fu, for several years - a few when I was young, a big gap, and then a few again recently until I've been forced by first time and then money contraints to stop again, so I'm technically just short of brown-belt level, but rather rusty.
Some Chun Quan, some Choi Li Fut, a little Eagle Claw and 7 Star Mantis, and an emphasis on Wing Chun near the end. (Not my favourite style, but it was the only one seperated out while I was still in practice.)

>So, who does what and to what level?

I was an archer. In college 25+ years ago I was a member of the Princeton Archery Club, which while not an official "team" on the athletics roster still competed on a national level against other schools. And for ten years or so after that I shot competitively in the SCA. However, I've not taken up my bow in more than a few years thanks to leaving the SCA and there being a lack of good locations to shoot in anywhere near me. (And my backyard is not protected or isolated enough that an overshoot isn't a danger.)

Of late, I have considered taking up kendo -- there is a kendo-specific dojo a few miles away, and I find myself increasingly tempted by it...

-- Bob
-------------------
Five years ago I was a four-stone apology. Today I am two separate gorillas.

I've studied at one point or another:

Shito-ryu Karate under Hammond Sensei. (achieved 2nd Dan)
Aikido under Barrish Sensei. (achieved 1st Dan)
Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū Iaido under Irey Sensei & later Bannister Sensei. (No belt, due to needing to travel to Japan to take the test/lack of $$$)

I've dabbled in Kyudo via the Pacific Northwest Budo Association, but haven't had the chance to seriously devote time to take classes (that and, again, lack of $$$).

Just a comment on Irey-sensei and Eishin-ryuu Iaido:

I really enjoyed working out with Irey-sensei on the many occasions he has visited Texas, and on my one visit to his Dojo in Everett.

I can only suppose you have not studied with him in more recent years, as the US organization has been doing testings in Texas for the last several years, with direct supervision from a visiting Japanese sensei and video of the test sent to the soke in Japan along with the personal evaluation of John Ray-sensei. I received my shodan in this fashion in 2003. Also, I believe the Canadian Iaido Association still has tests directly administered by Esaka-sensei (10-dan) which may be more convenient for you, if you are in the Pacific Northwest, though I do not know the specifics on that.

The group in Denton, TX also hosts an annual embukai which they coordinate with the testing and guest sensei from all over the country & one or two from Japan. Even if you are not testing, I posit this would be worth the visit alone.

Pardon my ramble,

--Maeglin

Unfortunately I haven't been able to study it for just under 8 years or so now, so I didn't know it had switched to having the testing done in the USA proper. As it is I've probably slowed down way to much from where I was previously, and likely would have to start over almost from scratch. Which is a pity, as I really don't want to give up the iaito I was given, and go back to using a bokken or shinai, while it sits at home on its stand.

If I can find time/money (aka: get past the usual excuses to avoid going), I'd love to get back in. Its especially hard not to find a reason considering they always do a superb demonstration at Sakuracon every year, which I regularly attend/staff at, and a few of them recognize me so we usually end up chatting afterward.

I studied something that vaguely resembled Wah Lum Tam Tui Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu for a couple of years, but then I had to move, and that was a while ago. If I had stuck around for another year or so, I might have been getting close to a black belt.

17 years studying a variation of Kempo, under an independent teacher. Also studied various weapon forms, favorite weapons being dual short blades or tonfa. Am completely serviceable with a katana, staff, spear, and many other weapons, just prefer to be in closer.

Also, been a reader here a long time, just forgot my login/password after being away a long time ;-)

As a sixteen-year-old (albeit not exactly a sheltered one) I feel I should now be extremely scared of everyone here. So I am. Then again, I have no wish to join the Dark Side, what with fear leading to anger and all that. They can keep their cookies, my boyfriend bakes better ones anyway...

>As a sixteen-year-old (albeit not exactly a sheltered one) I feel I
>should now be extremely scared of everyone here. So I am. Then again,
>I have no wish to join the Dark Side, what with fear leading to anger
>and all that. They can keep their cookies, my boyfriend bakes better
>ones anyway...

*Chuckle* Nothing to be scared of. Most everyone who follows martial arts of any flavor is very scrupulous about the use of it. I love the feel of a good workout, and I like being able to defend myself if need be (and I have needed to a few times).

My boyfriend doesn't mind it too much either, though I do get odd looks about the swords, daggers and such.

This amused me, so I de-lurked.

Not that it matters....
- Nidan (Second Dan), Tae Kwon do. 12 years experience
- Second Brown, Tomiki-ryu Aikido. 1 year experience
- Green Belt (mid-rank), Modern Arnis. 18 months experience.
- Un-ranked, Escrima 9 years experience.
- Firearms, all. Twenty years experience.

Good thing I'm single or my fictive spouse would complain about the melee weapons...

- Bodhi

...and yes, my mom still scares me bit just a little. I was trained well.

>Good thing I'm single or my fictive spouse would complain about the
>melee weapons...

Hang in there! The weapon count in my household doubled-to-tripled when Ard moved in. :)

	Chad Collier Smirking Kilrathi The Captain of the Gravy Train

>>Good thing I'm single or my fictive spouse would complain about the
>>melee weapons...
>
>Hang in there! The weapon count in my household doubled-to-tripled
>when Ard moved in. :)

LOL. Thanks, Wedge, I needed that.

- Bodhi