Is there any evidence that CMA, or any other MA for that matter, trained the use of a sword (Any type) with both hands? For example, using the right and left hands to practise one or two-handed sword techniques, alternating between the two to train both incase say your right hand was cut off. I have never heard of it in any sword fighting system except Arnis. Any thoughts?

- Maarten Sebastiaan Franks Spijker

I am not sure what you are talking about. Are you saying whether CMA people practices a sword with their left hand in case their right hand got cut off ? Well, the answer for that would be a generalized 'no'. By the time your right hand is cut off, you ain't in much of a condition to continue a fight anyway. If the wound havn't thrown you into shock, the bleeding will certainly cause you to pass out.

But in case I am mistaken about your enquiry, try this

http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=10412

You are not mistaken. I guess my meaning isn't only if their hand is cut off - I tend to exaggerate. My meaning is training both hands to handle swords. If not any CMA, are there any other sword fighting systems that do? I never heard of left-handed rapier fencing. And the langeschwert (Longsword) and Katana were held with two hands so is there ever an alternation between dominant hands for let's say left handed people (I hear that during training they are taught to conform)? Also the sheath of swords (In the East) was often used as a weapon as well (To my knowledge), whether to block or strike. I think that training two hands is useful in these regards. Also, if your dominant hand is "unable to wield" a sword it would also come in "handy" (Pardon the pun ;D). I imagine there must have been some left-handed swordsmen somewhere in the world. If no one trained with or against such people that would really put them at a disadvantage in battle! To my knowledge there is no system, outside of the FMA, that train both hands. Is it because it will decrease your overal level of skill? As in, training your left hand as well will waste energy that could train the right to be even better? Or is it another reason like a difference in application of techniques that stops them from training both hands?

- Maarten Sebastiaan Franks Spijker

A small section from my Daofa article

(Essay extract removed)

The free hand on the jian acts in a similar way. The Jianjie which the free ahnd forms acts both as a balance and as a secondary weapon in which can be used to strike at the enemy. Although not as important to the jianfa as it is to daofa, the free hand none the less serves some degree of purpose for both offence and defence.

Also, training with the other hand is not a part of any system. It is just a preference of the people to practice that system. There is no advantage for practicing with the other hand as far as the techniques are concerned but it does serve to make the practitioner more versatile. So to answer your question, no CMA generally does not practice with the other hand



(btw, please note that discussion of Non Chinese martial arts are to be conducted in other forums.)

In your personal opinion, do you think that more versatile means more skilled, more dangerous? Or do you think that versatile is like being a Jack of all trades?

- Maarten Sebastiaan Franks Spijker

I have no opinion on this matter

Does it matter?

It comes down to experience and killer instinct.

@ the end, experience results.

True, but assuming both are equally experienced I would think that the more versatile fighter would be more cunning and therefore dangerous. If one fighter is handling his sword with the right hand and the other suddenly changes to the left hand all of the techniques, though mirrored, would have a different application due to the change in position of the former fighter's body and sword. That means that the number of ways the latter can attack would be almost doubled. My biggest concern, though, is whether or not training both hands would hamper your overal skill, I.E training only your right hand would mean superior skill with that hand to training both hands for mediocre skill.

I guess it's just unfortunate that many of the worlds sword arts have been lost due to lack of necessity. You see it in films and on television programmes everyday, but it is basically choreographed dancing. I would be interested to know if there were still any teachers around, or people that are trying to re-construct the systems like some associations in Europe.

- Maarten Sebastiaan Franks Spijker

The fact that you have never seen them does not mean they have been lost. As they are still around, there are no need for reconstruction.

I said many. And I did not specify that I was talking about China. As soon as gunpowder was invented the decline already began. Many styles seen today are sports or merely for show. In this day and age it is nearly impossible for anyone to master swordmanship because his skills will not be constantly tested by his enemies. The best way to learn anything is by trial and error - battlefield experience. If you know anyone that slays people with swords everyday please point me to them. Of the ones that are "still around"... Where are they?

Swords have been replaced by guns. Though I never liked guns, this is a glaring fact that we must all face. Unless people start carrying swords again there will only be decline in the martial arena. As far as sports or hobbies are concerned, that is another matter. Contrary to swordmanship, other, mostly un-armed, MA can still be mastered in this age. One is always allowed to carry their hands and feet with them, but laws forbid us from carrying most weapons and always from using them. The "gun-kata" from "Equalibrium" is probably the closest thing we could get now to making a martial art with modern warfare technology, but it would still be limited only to soldiers and perhaps police, as swords were in years passed.

That said I am still interested in learning the use of the sword, particularly that of the Chinese.. But I still admit that what I am learning has probably never been tested on the battlefield and that I will never have a chance to. It will improve my health, let out the fire of my fighting spirit once in a while, but not turn me into a master swordsman.

- Maarten Sebastiaan Franks Spijker

No serious military training of weapons teaches both sides (i.e. right and left side). In modern times when you are taught to shoot a rife, a pistol, use a knife, a baton or anything else; it is taught one sided, i.e. your dominant hand controls the weapon. The reason being combat is ingrained reactions and training a weapon both sided (e.g. shooting a pistol with both the left and right hand or holding a saber in left and right hand) causes neural confusion (same reason baseball players bat one way, and you do not switch the hands your glove is on) and neural confusion=getting killed on a battlefield.

The ancients understood this too. For combat, train on one side.

Take care,
Brian