Thanks for those links, Mickey! I wasn't only concerned with weight for what I thought was authenticity's sake, so it's nice to see that my heavy weapon training idea wasn't so unrealistic. You know, given time. I'd read about it some, but I hadn't actually seen it done like this until now.
Oh! In that case, I can't wait for the magazine to arrive. I really wanted to get a closer look at that spade.Originally Posted by GeneChing
I did read your article about the questionable history of the monk's spade, but regardless of how or why they came about, there were originals. Like, ones that were made by blacksmiths for martial artists before everything became so commercialized. Maybe I shouldn't have said "that monks actually carried", but you understand.
It doesn't actually bother me a bit that these weapons might be a product of nothing but popular legend. If anything, I think that makes them more interesting. I like spades so much because of the ideas associated with them - that they were tools for helping people before they were tools for hurting people. You know, like, weeding crops, or digging out foundations for houses, or burying the dead. I'm new to all of this, but the monks who invented these martial arts were Buddhist, right? And isn't the whole point of Buddhism compassion? So monk's spades, even if they were never really used, seem to embody that nicely.
I don't really care if they're practical weapons or not. When will I be in a situation where I need to defend myself with any kung fu weapon? As an aside, I find it ridiculous that someone said these would be good for killing zombies. But it is true that practicing with a big, heavy weapon would improve my strength and coordination, which would help me use any hand-to-hand weapon more effectively, including those I might actually have nearby in a pinch.
*steps off of soapbox*
EDIT:
Oh, hey, I missed this post. ...That is a very intimidating man... But what do you mean? It's his favorite because it's not a weapon? Like, how so?
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