Weapons Workshop, Sep 2011

Peculiar weapons offer peculiar perspectives

 

Now and then there was a need to slice through a horse and rider in armour, so it was a good idea to keep a sturdy Guandao handy. 

Guandaos originally weighed from one to two hundred pounds. Each. The weapon was named after legendary hero General Guan who invented and wielded it. He was big.

The Pudao was designed to cut a leg out from under a horse during battle, or at least to give him a really sore shin. It can also be used to retrieve a pizza from an oven.

 

Seriously... 

In practice with these weapons there are many decorative flourishes and 'flowers' (named combinations of movements) which have no use in today's society. The purpose of performing them is to instill confidence in handling the difficult weapon, and to promote concentration, awareness, balance and strength.

If I feel that a weapon has become part of me, then I have expanded myself to include it. I have grown. Each new weapon is a chance to grow in a particular direction. 

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