Live blades

[Aefibird]

For those people who have done knife and/or sword work, have you trained with a live blade or just used a rubber/wooden weapon?

Is using a live blade in training a good or a bad thing? Too risky or a necessary step when using bladed weapons?

[MasterH]

Wood, we have to many kids around. On my own I use a live blade.

[AngelaG]

LOL... me and live blades... BAAAAADDDD Combination......

I've only ever worked with a rubber knife, and I'm happy with that.

[MasterH]

Any cuts? Ever try a saftey blade? You get the same feel as a real knife, only no edge. You can poke yourself..........

[Aefibird]

I was once at a competition in Sheffield and there was a guy the performing a weapons kata with a live katana. His form was great, but as he was resheathing the sword at the end of the piece he cut through the base of his thumb on the supporting hand. Blood everywhere, and I mean everywhere. He had to go to hospital for it to be stitched. It looked as if he'd almost cut his thumb off with the katana, it was so sharp.

I've used a live Iaito before, and it does add that extra dimension to training, better than training with a bokken or even an unsharpened sword does.

However, I'm like Angela when it comes to knife training. I'm too much of a danger to myself or others to be allowed to use anything other than a rubber or a wooden knife (both of which I've trained with before).

I can just imagine me teaching knife defence with real blades...

"So, you grab the wrist like this and twist it to the left and...ooops, can someone call an ambulance please?"

[MasterH]

Again just for realism I would get ahold of some safety blades. You can also look into the Krav Maga training equipment, if you're looking for a knife that is.......

[AngelaG]

I've never been particularly bothered about training with knives. They are not really prevalent where I live, and if I was confronted with a knife I would take up the acient art of Running Away Screaming Do, and if that was not possible, Hit Hard and Hope Do.

[shadowplay]

I was once at a competition in Sheffield and there was a guy the performing a weapons kata with a live katana. His form was great, but as he was resheathing the sword at the end of the piece he cut through the base of his thumb on the supporting hand. Blood everywhere, and I mean everywhere. He had to go to hospital for it to be stitched. It looked as if he'd almost cut his thumb off with the katana, it was so sharp.

i train in Iaido and the chance of doing this kind of injury can be really high if the martial artist hasn't been training for a long time and is not completely focused on what he is doing,

i wouldn't recommend live blades until you are fully competent with a dummy weapon,

[Aefibird]

shadowplay said:

i wouldn't recommend live blades until you are fully competent with a dummy weapon,

Yes, I totally agree. I've trained in Iaido too but did most of my training with a bokken or an unsharpened sword. I only used a live Iaito on a couple of occasions and that was under careful supervision of my Sensei!

I have a live katana at home, but it is (mainly) for decoration. It hangs on the wall but comes off occasionally if visitors want a look at it. I still practice my Iaito forms (although I no longer have a teacher) but that's with an unsharpened weapon. I'm too much of a hazard to my own health to practice with a live blade without an instructor watching me!! lol

[MasterH]

Anyone here train with a Kama (Sikle)? Live or not?

[Aefibird]

Yes, but my pair of kama are unsharpened. So are my Sai, which after I once dropped them on my foot when I was first learning, I was very grateful for!! lol

[pasmith]

I have very strong opinions on live blades. Sorry if any of them offend.
When using a weapon solo then a live blade is the natural progression to your training when you gain experience. A katana for japanese sword arts or a kris/barong/kampilan for filipino arts. No complaints there. If you mess up you only hurt yourself.

Where I hold a strong view is in the realm of knife or sharp weapon defence with live blades.

For me partner live blade training is an absolute no-no.

I look at it this way...

If your knife defence drilling is realistic you will be getting tagged with the weapon regularly. No matter how good you are. If you are drilling in an "alive" manner with resistance then the attacker will eventually get you with the weapon. In the same way that if you are training striking (properly) you will be hit so it goes with a knife. That is reality. If the attacker has a real weapon then he could kill you. I'm not willing to die for my training. Nobody would be willing to fight a round of boxing where their opponent had knives rather than boxing gloves. Why does knife defence have different rules to striking? The answer is that it doesn't unless false ones are imposed upon it.

If your knife defence training is such that you can use a real blade safely then that training IS NOT TEACHING YOU ANYTHING ABOUT REAL KNIFE DEFENCE.
That training will undoubtably be contrived, follow a pattern, restrict attacks or have some other "safety mechanism" to safeguard the defender from being tagged. A safety mechanism that is certain to compromise the validity of the drill in question.

So the two choices for me are...

contrived and dead training that enables live blade or dynamic, alive and realistic training that does not.

I know which I would prefer to rely on.

PS..By way of an example...I once knew a guy that did a very robust style of Aikido that used live blade randori for high grades. While doing this type of drill one of the black belts was stabbed in the outer thigh when he deflected an attack. He went to hospital, had it stitched up and limped about for a week.
That attack could have killed him.
Damilola Tailor was killed by a stab wound to the inner thigh.
Bear in mind that as this was Aikido the attacks were fairly limited (not all out). With an all out attack including striking, grappling etc the results would be horrendous.

[andym]

I carried a sword in the Army on ceremonial duty, doubt I could have ever swung it around but it was really nice to bop tourists with the hilt on the head that got too close though! ;D

[MasterH]

I wish we had swords, in the US only the Marines officialy have them.

[andym]

Is that cos they can't be trusted with guns? ;D
























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