How to learn sword fencing?
At all times, the katana was considered the symbol of the samurai. Katana is a purely civilian version of the samurai sword. The military version of the samurai sword was called tachi and was never used in civilian life, although in fact it is a copy of the katana.
It was hung from the belt rather than from the belt, was sharpened less sharply and the angle of its sharpening was greater, since it was designed for cutting through armor, where the razor-sharp blade of a katana would deteriorate after several blows. However, it was the samurai sword - the katana that rightfully became the symbol of the samurai.
Fight with a sword. What does a beginner need to know?
The sword as a sporting equipment is simply incredibly effective. With its help, strength (almost all muscles above the lower back), endurance, agility, and reaction speed are excellently developed. Starting with simple hesitant “shoulder” strikes, you can quickly achieve such skill that all the Jedi from “Star Wars” will smoke nervously, staring at the smooth and refined movements of your blade. But for this you need to train hard.
To begin, take the sword in your hand, lift it up at arm's length, and evaluate the weight. It should not be too heavy to lift or fall in different directions, but the weight should be felt constantly. As soon as during training you feel that the blade has become lighter, immediately replace it with a more massive one. And when you understand the basic principles of working with a sword, choose the heaviest possible one for training. You may be tired within three minutes, but the heaviness will soon subside, and your hand will always firmly hold any bladed weapon.
Don't forget to do a little warm-up for your hands; to do this, take a sword in both hands and simply wave them from side to side - like scissors. After a while, ask your partner to throw small branches in your direction, and you use these “scissors” to beat them off. It is very important to learn such an exercise as the “eight”: to do this, simply move your hand in front of you, as if describing this number (vertical - “8” and horizontal - ∞); when you get more or less used to it, take the sword in your hand - and remember that in this exercise the shoulder should work primarily, and not the forearm, and especially not the hand. It’s a good idea to do several push-ups or pull-ups before exercise, or you can walk on your hands. It is extremely important to stretch your wrist, since, as practice shows, it is most often injured.
Next you should start practicing strikes. The best choice for this is a “balda” - a block of car tires (outwardly it will look like a large punching bag and it must be hung at the same distance from the ground). Take the correct position: legs slightly bent, raise your outstretched arm with the sword to 45 degrees, then bend your elbow at a right angle. From this position, strike the bulldozer until you get tired. You can complicate the task and move around the target in different directions. Training with a bulldozer is very effective when another person delivers blows from the other side.
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The next stage of training is ligament strikes. For this, it is best to choose a partner, but in extreme cases, a bulldozer or a tree will do. A sequence is a looped order of delivering certain blows. For example, first you deliver a directed strike from top to bottom, and your opponent blocks, then he hits, and you defend yourself - and so on without interruption, increasing the speed and power of the strikes. The combinations can be different, it depends on your imagination and capabilities. Just carry out blows from different sides, and your partner will reflect them (do not forget that the movements must be repeated from circle to circle).
Now the hour of the battle itself has come. This is the most important thing in the whole training - here you get the opportunity to develop the best possible reaction to unexpected blows; develop strength, agility, breathing; learn to catch the fleeting prerequisites for the movements of an enemy strike; hone your sword technique by eliminating unnecessary movements. Strive and do not be afraid to participate in battles with a stronger opponent - at first it will be difficult, but your training will be much more effective. The battle has its own nuances:
1.
Watch your legs - it is very important not to get tangled in them and to take a comfortable position relative to the enemy in time so that you can swing your arms more comfortably, relieve tension, and most importantly, quickly change position when attacking, repelling a blow or retreating.
2.
Move more. Jump, crouch where possible (even fall and somersault), go around the enemy from different sides, quickly change the position of the sword. Exhaust and confuse your opponent, but most importantly, don’t exhaust yourself.
3.
Use deceptive movements - swing in one direction and hit in another, “play” an artificial fall.
4.
Don't look at your opponent's blade or hands, but catch his gaze. Only his eyes will show what he wants to do at the moment. But, nevertheless, the enemy's weapon should not leave your field of vision so that you know where to point your sword.
5.
When fighting with several opponents, you must know (feel in the back of your head, one might say) what is happening behind you. After all, “in war as in war” - an attack from behind is not prohibited.
This is the basic thing that a person who is planning to start training with a sword needs to know. This is a very beautiful, original and useful activity, but never forget about your safety - use protection and monitor your condition; timely rest will only be useful. Take care of yourself, good luck in battle!
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