Bhassler wrote:Yup, I remember you talking about the relation between tools and IMA mechanics years ago, and it's part of what led me to my question. It was going from sword to truncheon to bayonet to palm-sized weapons in rapid succession that kind of made certain things click for me, and made me think that small weapons are not just an add-in, but quite possibly more integral to the formation of the arts themselves (along with swords and spears, etc.), similar to how it is in Silat and other styles. I think it has to be more that just picking up the tool and asking "how would you hit someone with this?"-- there have to be the follow up probing questions, like what do they do in response and how you account for that, etc. That's where you can see the difference between folks that have learned in theory and those who have actually been there. I'm (thankfully) in the theory category when it comes to the type of lethal force situations that make the differences really important, but I'm also not claiming expertise or teaching anyone.
I worked landscaping in the past, and ever since then have felt that the short handled drain spade is just about the most formidable non-weapon weapon I can think of...
Yeah, I like the offset and slighter curve of the elongated blade on a drain shovel but don't like the D-handle.
The more important question in my post was to see how one would use either a framing hammer or spade to defend themselves. Hitting is the progression/follow-up from their posturing and manner of holding in addressing their idea of how they'd use it.
As tools, they're used in very different ways - aside from breaking up ground to dig a starter hole with a framing hammer, or to pound a stake with a spade. The hammer is single-handed and the spade is two-handed.
As self-defense items, once you follow up on the person's perception/understanding of what a weapon represents in posing the first question, in asking them to show you how they'd use either tool to hit someone is naturally going to have them (almost always) default to the tool's designed utility in how they hold it and wield it. In my meager understanding of improvised weapons, and how to use those two tools for their intended purpose, I've found that both the hammer and the spade can be used in almost identical manner - training long weapon with the spade being mirrored by training short weapon with the hammer.
It isn't so much to do with the utility of those items as 'weapons' as it is to do with adjusting the perception of what a weapon represents be it a punch, kick, rock or stick. My Yang style instructor was also a fencing coach and started a club in our town when I opened my training hall. I hated the formalized training of competitive fencing so never trained with his group - no lateral movement, grabbing, kicking etc allowed. He and I did lots of 'freestyle' with those other tactics included, as well as Florentine style.
His motto having to do with what a weapon represents is/was "It must be de-emphasized before its use can be understood"