Swords

So I've been spending a lot of time over the past few months working with the sword.

The Mameluke sword, specifically. It's a terrific weapon that is part of the dress uniform of every Marine officer. Marine NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers, like myself) have their own sword, but I really prefer the look and the feel of the officer's model. I tell people that it's because it lacks a hand guard and so students can see my hand motions more easily, but that is bullshit, because you really don't need to see how my fingers move. They don't.

I just like the look of the saber.

The crazy thing is, the Marine Corps has included swords in their dress uniforms since at least the 1820s, but there is absolutely no training offered for them. No combative training, anyway. You are taught to draw the weapon, to salute with it, to make crisp motions on the drill field, and to re-sheath it. At no point does any Marine get any training on how to straight up Highlander off a head with one of these things.

It makes me sad. And I'm not the only one.

So back to training. Why the hell do you NEED to learn how to use one of these things? It's not like you carry one regularly, or are likely to be challenged to a duel. 

You need to learn how to use one because it's a goddamn sword and swords are awesome, that's why.

Fencing was taught for centuries as a critical part of a young man's education, a refining step to turn a young lunkhead into a braver, faster, more competent, and more physically fit lunkhead. Teddy Roosevelt fenced. Aldo Nadi (1920 Olympic triple gold medalist in fencing, considered one of the best fencers of all time) commented that America was a perfect match for fencing, as our citizens were naturally athletic and enjoyed physical exertion (he wrote that in 1941. A lot has changed).

Even the Boy Scouts of America had a fencing merit badge (actually, a "Master at Arms" merit badge. It included fencing, archery, quarterstaves, and wrestling.) until about 1911, when a bunch of 1911 soccer moms decided it was a Bad Idea (it wasn't).

So anyhow, it builds character.

And it starts with weapon familiarity. Saber spinning gives you that.

There are a few really good resources out there for getting you started with this kind of work:

1) Spyro Katsigiannis has an excellent video on the basics of stick spinning for power generation.

2) Jim Keating has forgotten more about bladework than most instructors ever learn. Here's him breaking down a flourish from western saber fencing.

3) Your own eyes. I like to use VLC Player to slow down videos to 1/4 speed and analyze their motion on my own. It's an invaluable tool, and something that is inexplicably discouraged in some schools of systema. Use it anyways.

Happy training.