Weaponry

I have been given a challenge by my karate instructor to learn a new weapon that is "out of the box" for me.  As such, he has given me a really unique experience.  It's not a bo, bokken, sai, meechi kaibo, tonfa or anything else.  I have a unique weapon which I would *never* have thought of in a million years.   It is a thought provoking weapon and one that I am going to have a lot of fun learning.
It's Japanese in origin. I really should talk to one of my friends who is a new Shodan and see if she's heard of it.  It makes me want to get it out and work with it.  I have some additional research to do because I feel that it will benefit me to know all there is to know about this wonderful weapon.

I don't know if anyone from my school reads my blog, but until I have clearance to talk about my weapon with others in the school, I have to work on learning the weapon and practice, practice, practice.

I'm excited!  I think it's an interesting choice.  I have several things I need to think about as my Master and I will sit down and discuss this weapon with him sometime soon.  He wants me to think of the reason he picked this particular weapon for me.  I can see at least one reason.   It's a weapon that you wouldn't expect to be a weapon.  It's a bit of a surprise, more of the "unknown quantity".  Since I'm fairly new to the school as well, it suits me because I'm the unknown factor as well.

Choosing your weapons

I am getting together with my instructor and picking out a weapon to learn. I sent him a list of the weapons I currently own, that I'd be interested in. Ultimately, I think I'd like to learn the Bo, but mainly because I have two of them and I'm short...It gives me a reach on an opponent. I may not get that as a weapon of choice, but I've told him what I have at my disposal.
I also have a pair of (cheap) kamas, a pair of wooden tonfas and a pair of wooden kamas. I don't own a pair of sai (YET!), but that's also something that would be interesting to learn. Then there's the idea that a cane is also a weapon, along with the fan and other things....

As I was doing research, I found an interesting article by Scott Shaw about the Korean Long Staff. I'm interested in it and have a strong leaning toward either the bo or Haidong Gumdo (Korean sword). I should see if my brother would be interested in talking to MG about HG.

Weapons

Today I got an email advising me that I need to get together with my instructors and decide on a weapon for weapons training. This will be cool! I'm excited about that. I have a Bo already, but learning more is going to be a great opportunity. I don't know if I want to continue with the bo or if I want to try my hand with kamas or with sais. I have a cheap pair of kamas, plus I 'inherited' some kamas from a girl I used to train with at the old dojang, which are wooden. I'm not sure I want to learn those or try something new.

That makes me wonder...just how many different weapons ARE there in martial arts???