Training for heavy weapons close combat

**Thallian** · Posted On: 10/19/2012 2:03pm

Hi everyone! This is a bit of an unusual inquiry and I'm after something quite specific. Sorry if it turns into a ramble, bear with me. :tongue:

After having failed to find a quality escrima school I've gone back into western martial arts, longswords in particular, sometimes in armour, and I've now started looking into big knives and tomahawks/hatchet systems. It's all good fun.

I'd like to think I've got pretty good all-round fitness. I run and cycle for about an hour every day and have for the past 8 or so years and I enjoy any and all variations of body weight exercises you could think of.

Now I'm seriously starting to think I might benefit from something more specific to my art, as it were.

What I'm doing mostly involves fighting with some sort of metal weapon and I'd love to develop more stamina and explosive power. The obvious answer is, of course, to train more with the weapon, but the training venue is only open to me once a week and I don't fancy taking sharp, pointy things out into public places on off days.

What sort of exercises might be beneficial for me?
I haven't got a right lot of training gear at home since I just moved house but I've got a good selection of weight plates for my dumbbells and barbells. I've also got improvised equipment such as sledgehammers, club hammers, shot puts and the like - but no tyre, since I haven't got a backyard anymore.
I'm hoping to pick up a kettlebell cheap in a yard sale eventually. =)

Any and all pointers for an efficient and specific training routine would be very welcome.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 10/19/2012 2:13pm

Originally Posted by Thallian

What I'm doing mostly involves fighting with some sort of metal weapon and I'd love to develop more stamina and explosive power. The obvious answer is, of course, to train more with the weapon, but the training venue is only open to me once a week and I don't fancy taking sharp, pointy things out into public places on off days.

What about a lead pipe that is as heavy or heavier than what you are using? In my experience, the only thing that has helped me to increase my fitness level in a specific area is to focus on that area more. For stick fighting, I use a heavier stick than I fight with and do workouts with that. Sometimes I use a suburito for good heavy workouts.

I don't think much else is going to translate as well to what you are trying to do. Yeah, you will get funny looks out in public, but it is what it is.

**Thallian** · Posted On: 10/19/2012 2:34pm

The tricky thing about longsword systems is that a lot of them use the balance point of the weapon for techniques. Nothing but a longsword-like training device will do for training longsword. =P

But I think some generic principles surely carry over for all weapon arts? I'm thinking endurance for drills and speed/power with some sort of heavy object in your hands. Core stability, too, while swinging it around.
I like sticks, hence why I'm still trying to get into escrima.

Of course, the internet is full of interesting methods and training videos, but I'm reluctant to try anything until it's been discussed for a while. The potential for injury and misshap is high. SO I'm hoping for some recommendations. =D

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 10/19/2012 2:46pm

Just go to the park with your big dull trainer sword. Organize a practice with some of your class chums. That way it's obvisouly a group activity and not "some weirdo swinging a large blade in the park". Some kind of club clothing helps too. T-shirts or training gear. Whatever...

Don't worry about what people think. When the zombies come the joke will be on them...

**Fuzzy** · Posted On: 10/19/2012 2:48pm

Pity you don't have a tyre, since you've already got a sledge.

Like Diesel_tke mentioned, swinging something heavy in roughly the same motions as your usual basic cuts (don't stress too much about technique, just a good clean cut should do it) will significantly improve your speed and endurance (I know personally since I started doing all warmups with a bahi stick I've become substantially faster with rattan and can work the tyres/heavy bag pretty much continuously for ages).

Also, as much as I hate to draw attention to my shameful past, when I used to train Aikido we'd do a couple of aiki-ken (sword) classes a month, with one particularly awesome (read: agonising) excercise, where you perform a downward cut and squat as low as you can while doing so, then come up and repeat until you can't move. For extra awesomeness use a suburito or axe handle instead of a bokken.

Lastly, just in case you're not already familiar with them, Lonely Dog's workouts are pretty damn awesome: http://www.youtube.com/user/LonelysDen?feature=watch

**Thallian** · Posted On: 10/19/2012 3:30pm

Oh! Interesting link that! Cheers.

**Permalost** · Posted On: 10/22/2012 12:22pm

You should look into Indian or Persian club swinging. Look up zurkhaneh (Iranian old school gym) or pehlwani (Indian wrestling). More specifically, the clubs in pehlwani are called Meel.

**Dickhead** · Posted On: 11/28/2012 10:47am

They sell wooden replicas of many different types of swords online. Maybe this could help at least some with the technique practice. Get some wooden replicas, get your buddies together, pad up and spar, I guess. Not as good as the real thing, though this way you won't be slipping all over the place on your own blood, or, maybe just as bad, not training at all.