are there any blacksmiths here?

[Jaron Bernstein]

I will definitely be checking those out as well. I have yet to really work with metal but knives, swords, and different blades are what I love. Along with sparring. By the way do any of you know what the best item to use for sparring is? At the moment a group of us are using bamboo rods but they don’t last long and tend to shatter and hurt a bit. I thought about foam but that doesn’t seem like it would work that well. Or should I post this question in another forum?

Please don't use shinai for this art. I suggest With Intent plastic wasters or wooden ones from Raven or New Stirling Arms. Jeanry Chandler and Lance Chen make the best commercial padded swords I have seen so far if you want to use paddeds. Albion makes the best steel blades I have encountered, with the Meyer or Lichtenaur being optimal for controlled blunt free play. Wood, plastic, paddeds and steel each have their own advantages and minuses.

[Alan Abu Bakr]

By the way do any of you know what the best item to use for sparring is? At the moment a group of us are using bamboo rods but they don’t last long and tend to shatter and hurt a bit.

If your talking about shinai I can say this:
They might hurt a little more then foam variants, but, if anything, they harm less.
Also they suck utterly, unless you modify them.

I thought about foam but that doesn’t seem like it would work that well. Or should I post this question in another forum?

Well that depends.
What they use in LARPs, are no good for martial arts training.
These, though, or this foam longsword can be used.

Wasters can be used as well, for careful sparring. But not for full speed and full force, though plastic ones apperantly come close (as far as I can tell, wood is better for all kinds of solo training, whilst plastic is better for semi-sparring)

In any case, one should use sparring weapons, wasters, and steel blunts (and sharps for test cutting), and not just stick to one kind.

[Jaron Bernstein]

Hi Alan,

The issue with Shinai is that they tend to be overly whippy and light by comparison to the real thing. I have found that the plastics bind very slickly (closer to steel than the other tools). Secondly, plastics may sting like heck, but they do not cause nearly the amount of actual injury that wooden wasters do, so you can go at with more intent.

[Robert Allen]

ok i will check these things out. but the rods i was talking about that we have been using is a bamboo rod bought at the local fred meyers with some ductape holding the handle. but i will check out the other things and i bet they will be much more useful than this

[Jeremiah Backhaus]

Ah, Freddy's. I haven't heard someone talk about a Fred Meyer's in years. Thank you so much Robert. You made me think of home.

Yeah, you are really working against yourself in the Western Martial field by using that. You would be better off making some more accurate ones out of wood. Just remember, sparring with the wood wasters will have to be toned down a bit from whipping each other with Bamboo.

-Jeremiah (GFS)

[Robert Allen]

i agree with that. the only real thing we have been able to work on is a kind of defence. parrying the attacks but still i diddnt think it would be that useful.