Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Janx" data-source="post: 6057800" data-attributes="member: 8835">I kinda thought Danny answered it.  Maybe we're just not getting the OP's point.civillians in a weapons-controlled society are going to choose weapons that don't look like weapons.  Staves, clubs, hammers, axes.whereas, a sword is clearly a weapon and in certain societies, it's possession would be controlled (like forbidding guns in today's society).additionally, civillian weapons may be homemade or adapted from conventional items.  A club, axe or hammer is something you can make with scrap materials.  A sword tends to require a sword making blacksmith (not the usual kind of blacksmithing for horseshoes and nails).In my martial art style, we were taught that many of the weapons we train with were adopted by peasants, in order to arm themselves against samurai.  I don't fully buy the origin of some of these, but Sais, Tonfa, Jo and Bo sticks are in this category.  Jo and Bo sticks are walking sticks and quarter staff respectively.In my personal weapon collection, I have a number of Hollow Earth SwordWorks sparring weapons.  I just aquired a spear, and haven't had a chance to test it. I reckon it will be interesting as a thrusting weapon, but vs. my sword, I predict it will be no different than facing other swords in a thrusting attack.  Block and step to the side, trap, and attack from the inside against the spear holder.Since the spear only has it's danger zone at the end, this move should be easier than vs a sword.A line of spear men (pole arms really ) would be a different challenge to face for a swordsman.But one on one, not so much.With a hammer, the concern is the weight.  Even in sparring, two men can control their strikes so they don't hurt much.  That's out the window with a hammer, as for it to be effective, the wield needs to put muscle behind it just to get it to move.  This is then hard to pull back.  It's chief disadvantage is that it is hard to change direction for another attack or to adapt to a situation, So, once you swing from upper left to lower right (diagonal smash), you are mostly committed.  If I can avoid the hit, I have more time to counter attack vs the hammer, than if the guy had a sword.The axe is really the same problem as the hammer, just a differently shaped head.  Once again, it's front heavy (unlike a sword, which balances closer to the hilt).  You don't want to get hit by one of these, as unlike the hammer, the force is concentrated along the edge.  That means more damage when it hits.Clubs and maces are just variants of hammers again. Club being makeshift and primitive, mace being all gussied up.So, for axe/hammer, they do more damage, but are less adaptable to course correction/reversal.  They don't swing slower, so much as commit the wielder to one attack, before doing something else.For staves (quarterstaff, jo, bo), these are actually balanced weapons (unlike a club or hammer type thing).  As such, the move and adapt quickly, like a sword.  But they are lighter, so they'll do less damage.  Still dangerous in capable hands.  The Bo/Quarterstaff is held in the center usually, so it can strike or block at 3 different points (center between hands and the 2 ends).  It can block with one end, and quickly twist to attack with the other end, while still maintaining the block with the initial end.The Jo is meant to be deceptive.  It's an old man's walking stick.  Planting it in front of your feet, with your hands at the top, it looks like you're just talking to the magistrate.  Then you snap the end up into his balls.  Like that, he's down.  Rotate your hands and slide the stick out for a side jab at his compadre, arc it up and over to crack his guard's collar bone, and then spread your hands out on the stick and block and overhead sword strike.The sword, as it turns out, can do a lot of these same Jo attacks.  I've been taught a few advanced sword moves, and they have commonality with the same trick I can do with a Jo.  Except of course, that I can poke your brain out with my sword tip, once I'm in close and in position, or cut your throat as I slide my sword edge past.Suffice it to say, advanced sword fighting is not just you and me trading blows, trying to hit the other guy after his sword swing misses, or trying to block his sword with mine when it comes in.  It includes blocking and stepping in toward him, trapping his sword hand with mine as his sword stops against my blade, then rotating my sword so it points at your head or throat and sliding it in (or turning my pommel toward your face and slamming that in).I am, by no means, a weapons expert, but these are a few of my observations from training with some of these weapons.  assuming I'm mostly correct, it should shed light on the mindset and strategy one would adopt when choosing one of these weapons.Personally, I'd choose a sword if I could.  Failing that, a Bo or Jo stick for the innoccuousness and cheapness.</blockquote>

Verification