The Whip as a Martial Tool
Posted by James Maxwell on Saturday, March 19, 2011
Was searching through and old forum and came across one of my posts I think deserves to be it's own entry. Enjoy!
I've found when it comes to martial arts and whips there are two types of people. Those that do, and those that don't. And I don't care to listen to those that don't. If you have a question about martial arts and whips, the best advice I have is to seek out those who are actively using the whip as a martial tool.
That's right, tool. The whip never has been, nor will it ever be a weapon. But as a martial arts training tool (My preferred term) there is not a better one for any style, system, or practitioner.
Coming from a Korean MA background, I was introduced to the robe as a weapon, as well as the Dan-bong (Short stick). Lo and behold, both are in the whip. The thong as the rope, the handle as the stick. It simply gave me another avenue to explore the use of these two weapons. Did that make my whip a weapon? Nope. Still just a noisemaker. Now heading into a Chinese influenced art, I was shown a bit of chain whip. A short bullwhip does the job quite nicely. Does that make my whip a weapon? Nope.
Look at the Escimadors, who for hours train stick on stick. Who in their right mind carries around a stick on a daily basis? You have to look deeper then the tool to find out it's true use. And the whip is a great tool. I can use all of my arsenal in it's many forms and apply it directly to the whip. I can show relationships between weapons and systems, show concepts and help understanding. That is the greatest use of a martial tool.
"This connected the dots for me" Anthony is heard saying in one of his DVD's. And it will do that. To those who are dead set against it, the reason in my mind is you've never really explored what the whip is capable of in a martial context. But not the context of a street fight, or a life and death struggle. But in the context of a training tool and something that will allow an artist to further express themselves through their art, no matter what it is.
Anthony and Tom are on the leading edge of this, and it's been a pleasure and a joy to watch. The whip isn't some "Wild West Art" or a relic of a bygone age as many seem to think. It's been with us for millennium and will stay with us long after we are gone. And there are people out there evolving the use and practice of this "One of man's oldest tools". If anything we all should be looking for ways to keep the whip relevant to the modern age and look forward not backward.
I myself use the martial whip and am a proponent and a vocal member of this minority. I leave you with a quote from SGM Ed Parker "To hear is to doubt, to see is to be deceived, but to feel is to believe". We need more believers and less doubters and deceivers.
I've found when it comes to martial arts and whips there are two types of people. Those that do, and those that don't. And I don't care to listen to those that don't. If you have a question about martial arts and whips, the best advice I have is to seek out those who are actively using the whip as a martial tool.
That's right, tool. The whip never has been, nor will it ever be a weapon. But as a martial arts training tool (My preferred term) there is not a better one for any style, system, or practitioner.
Coming from a Korean MA background, I was introduced to the robe as a weapon, as well as the Dan-bong (Short stick). Lo and behold, both are in the whip. The thong as the rope, the handle as the stick. It simply gave me another avenue to explore the use of these two weapons. Did that make my whip a weapon? Nope. Still just a noisemaker. Now heading into a Chinese influenced art, I was shown a bit of chain whip. A short bullwhip does the job quite nicely. Does that make my whip a weapon? Nope.
Look at the Escimadors, who for hours train stick on stick. Who in their right mind carries around a stick on a daily basis? You have to look deeper then the tool to find out it's true use. And the whip is a great tool. I can use all of my arsenal in it's many forms and apply it directly to the whip. I can show relationships between weapons and systems, show concepts and help understanding. That is the greatest use of a martial tool.
"This connected the dots for me" Anthony is heard saying in one of his DVD's. And it will do that. To those who are dead set against it, the reason in my mind is you've never really explored what the whip is capable of in a martial context. But not the context of a street fight, or a life and death struggle. But in the context of a training tool and something that will allow an artist to further express themselves through their art, no matter what it is.
Anthony and Tom are on the leading edge of this, and it's been a pleasure and a joy to watch. The whip isn't some "Wild West Art" or a relic of a bygone age as many seem to think. It's been with us for millennium and will stay with us long after we are gone. And there are people out there evolving the use and practice of this "One of man's oldest tools". If anything we all should be looking for ways to keep the whip relevant to the modern age and look forward not backward.
I myself use the martial whip and am a proponent and a vocal member of this minority. I leave you with a quote from SGM Ed Parker "To hear is to doubt, to see is to be deceived, but to feel is to believe". We need more believers and less doubters and deceivers.
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