Weapons as performance toys- some thoughts

I've been reading the threads lately on fire kamas, sai, hookswords, and all manner of fun bladed things, and it's given me some things to think about.

The issue of using weapons as performance props is a pretty big one. For one thing, there's obviously alot of interest, as evidenced by the number of posts on this forum. And of course, there are other issues as well.

The first one is the Law- Before you take your cool pointy performance toy out in public, know your laws! In some areas, you're pretty much allowed to carry whatever you want. In others, the rules are much more strict. Some areas don't consider a dull sword a real weapon. Others do. Nunchucks are fine in some areas, forbidden in others. I can't stress this strongly enough, know your local laws, including those pertaining to performers before buying weapons or performing with them in public.

Safety is another huge issue, so I'll break it up a little. The first one is something I've seen raised here- does it count if the weapon is not sharp? Legal issues aside, this is a kind of thorny issue. It seems that some people believe that performance weapons must be sharp, or it somehow diminishes the performance. I don't neccesarily agree with this, especially if fire is also involved. I'm aware of the traditional fire dancers who use sharp fireknives. But these people have had a great deal of practice, and goddess only knows they didn't start out by swinging sharp steel around from the get-go.

Personally, unless a performance specifically calls for cutting something, I don't feel a sharp blade is really needed. Safety is a big part of this. If you're not cutting, is the audience really going to be able to tell if your blade's razor sharp or not? Does it matter? Odds are, they're going to be too busy watching you gracefully handle the thing to spend too much time nitpicking about edge or lack thereof. I've got some beautiful swords that look lovely when handled, and they've got no edge. It doesn't have to be sharp to look damn cool.

The other issue I see here is fire. I'm not an expert in metallurgy, but some metals react differently to high heat and stress. Before wicking a sword, know what it's made of, and have at least a rough idea of how it will handle heat. Some metals become very brittle at high temperatures. Another big issue is sword construction. For more on this, please visit www.swordforum.com . There is a world of difference between a pretty stainless steel wallhanger sword and one actually made to be used. Most decorative swords have what's called a "rat tail tang", the tang being the part of the blade that continues down into the handle. Rat tail means what its name implies- very thin, not alot of metal. You DO NOT want a rat tail tang in a sword you're going to be performing with, especially if you plan on using fire or choreographed swordfighting. These skinny tangs have a bad habit of breaking off at or near the handle, creating a serious safety hazard to both you and your audience. Make sure your sword has a full tang before you perform with it. This bit of caution now could save a life later.

The next big issue is training- Some of the recent threads I've seen suggest that the OP's were not terribly experienced with weopons in general. It's been said before and I will say it again- get good with the weapon before adding dance moves, fire, or other extras. For those of you who have this option, martial arts training is a Very Good Thing. Some arts, such as Kendo, specialize in weapons. Others teach empty hand first, and weapons come later. Of these latter schools, there seems to be two approaches to introducing weapons training.

Some schools insist that you reach a certain belt level before they begin weapons, others insist on a set period of time (say a year or so) elapsing before they will give you a weapon. This makes sense- they want to insure that you've learned the basics of the art first, and will be safe with a weapon in hand. This also gives them time to see what kind of person you are- for obvious reasons, most instructors would not involve overly nervous or belligerant people in weapons training. When looking for a school, be honest. Let the instructor know that weapons training in specific forms is one of your goals. Tell them you're also a performer, although you might not want to tell them you're going to light the weapons on fire..at least not for the first little while. You may have to do some shopping around to find a school that is compatible with your goals, but when you find a good instructor, it will be worth every bit of hassle.

But what if you can't get live training? If you can't afford steady lessons, or nobody in your area teaches the style you want to learn? You're not completely out of luck. There are a great many books and videos on the market, teaching the basics of many weapon styles. Some are better than others. Of course, hands on training is best, but if no teacher is available, a good book or teaching video is far better than nothing. There's also a decent amount of material on the net, for those training solo. No matter what your preferred style or weapon, you want to do practice drills that improve your control and precision with the weapon. Not only does it make your weapon play look better, good control is also vital to safety. A good swordsman is a safe swordsman.

For any training, whether from a person, or a book, I suggest wooden and/or blunt metal weapons to begin with. While you're learning the basics or working on new moves, you don't want to worry about cutting yourself. Elements such as fire or sharp edges should only be added once you have had sufficient practice. Sharp swords are nothing to dick around with! I own a katana sharp enough to take a man's head off. You can bet I handle it with much care, even when just oiling it up every so often.

So there you have it- my meandering thoughts and advice for all you aspiring sword dancers out there..Remember, it's worth exactly what you paid for it, and I accept NO legal liability if after reading this, you pick up a weapon and hurt yourself or somebody else with it. It's all about personal responsibility, folks!

"Do not meddle in the affairs of Tower Cranes, for you are soft and would look better when squashed by a full concrete bucket"

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