HELP with kamas....

[MollyB]

i was wondering if anybody could just give me some basic kama drills to do with younger students.....like ages 8-11 years old. i have to help teach a weapons seminar tomorrow for a lot of our younger students, and i was told that i would be working with the kamas, but i really dont even know too much about them.

soooo....any help would be much appreciated - thanks!!!

[Gene Williams]

Then what in the world is anyone having you teach them for? I assume they are toy kama and not sharp. You TKD folks are going to kill yourselves messing with Okinawan weapons.

[Eliz]

Hi Molly.

Our class uses real kamas but I do keep 2 pair of foam kamas for bag [Bob] drills. For some reason the owners have a little problem with using real kamas on "Bob." :rolleyes:

If you have access to the foamie ones, Bob drills are great for that age group. I do a lot of add-on's - beginning with a single strike, than adding on each time through.

I also use a bo or Escrima so they can practice different blocks with the Kamas. I strike with the bo because there are no sharp edges [in case they miss the block!].

I also begin class with a brief verbal presentation of the various weapons, their history, and practical use.

Good luck. :)

[Cliff Hargrave]

I was wondering.....

Why would you teach kamas to kids that young?

Why you would teach anything that you didn't know? Seems kind of like a rip off to those paying for lessons.

Why are you teaching Okinawan weapons in a TKD school?

Do you really think you can learn something in one day, on the internet, and then teach it?

Now that being said...........if you just want to wing it with those kids, and they are using toys, pick a few moves from a form and do them with the kamas in your hands. They will never know the difference and think they are learning something cool. Works with just about any weapon.

[Gene Williams]

Toy weapons for toy martial artists...

[De_Franza]

I have to agree with Old School. If you don't know Kama, you can't teach them. It's a complete waste of time for everyone involved. About the only thing you should teach them is how to find a qualified teacher. Then give your teacher a stern talking to about flinging you into the deep end of the pool to your own detriment and that of those attending the event.

[Gene Williams]

It is a bit annoying to see these commercial ATA type dojo and many of the American karate types trying to adopt and teach Okinawan weapons and Japanese sword. They are only doing it for marketing reasons ("Hey, we offer all this and you can buy your own plastic kama and plastic nunchuka, even with a noise maker!") I've seen bo that are rubberized or foam coated, "tournament style" kama with holes in the blade and all kinds of crap. Most of these people don't know what they are doing, have no idea how the weapon is supposed to be used, have never learned an orthodox kobudo kata (they make up their own, or they bootleg one from some traditionalist, then mess it up putting high kicks and spins in it). Of course, it only shows what idiots these instructors are, but the public sees that nonsense and thinks that is what all of us do.
In my dojo, no one touches a weapon until they are brown belt, we do not even allow toy weapons in the building. You learn with sharp kama, heavy sai, heavy tonfa, and real bo. You learn focus, and when you attack your partner, you aim your weapon at his body, not at his weapon like so many do. So, learn to block if you come visit.

[Webmaster]

What I find amazing is that some folks have forgotten how dangerous weapons can be to train with, and the kama is one of the more dangerous! I once saw a high ranking (rokudan) from Odo's organization (they train heavily in weapons) cut his forearm to the bone while doing a basic kata. One small slip of attention and he nearly crippled himself for life. Weapons are not something cute to play around with.

[Jeff C.]

Damn! I guess I should cancel my "Pistols for Tots" seminar.....

Jeff Cook

[Gene Williams]

I think I'll start one and call it "Kamas for Mamas." :D

"Guns for Nuns" would also be good.

[Andrew Green]

I've seen bo that are rubberized or foam coated,


I had a few of those, We tried them for sparring. It was fun while they lasted, but sadly they broke fairly quickly. Left some good bruises before there time was up though. After that we went back to home made ones...

We have hand made sparring weapons for everything, staffs, sticks, tonfa, kama, sai, nunchaku, 3 sectional staff, timbae, even gave a sparring suruchin a go.

They are toys, but they are really fun, and really educational ones :D

[Andrew Green]

i was wondering if anybody could just give me some basic kama drills to do with younger students.....like ages 8-11 years old.

Don't bother, if you don't know the skill nothing anyone can tell you here will help.

But I can give you a replacement drill.

Get some foam noodles, ones with a whole down the middle.

Get some pvc pipe.

Cut both down and glue the pvc firmly into the center leaving some foam overhang on one end, and a handle on the other. Cover the whole thing in duct tape.

Make up some sparring drills with those. They will have a lot more fun, and no one will get hurt. If you structure your drills right you can get some useful skills taught in there as well.

But don't try to teach a weapon you are not familliar with.

[Gene Williams]

Just as long as everyone is having fun...

[jjaje]

I think I'll start one and call it "Kamas for Mamas." :D

"Guns for Nuns" would also be good.

Sais for guys

Bo for Bo (Derek that is)

Nunchuks for charles

Throwing Stars for Bars

Canes for Dames

Sticks for .... well you get the idea

[De_Franza]

KAMAS FOR MAMAS!!! ROFLMAO! :laugh: :laugh:
Pistols for Tots...
I remember well my dad always teaching me to respect firearms, and always treat them as if they were loaded and chambered. Even squirt guns and such I was never allowed to event point at anyone or the dog. Sounds a tad kooky, but it instills the idea that this is a serious instrument that injures or kills and must be respected. I know people who don't even let their kids play with toy guns because they're afraid of guns themselves. Then they panic when their kids discover toy guns at their friends houses. And I'm like, better to educate your kids yourself and control their attitude about it than to leave it to the drooling idiots next door.

[Gene Williams]

KAMAS FOR MAMAS!!! ROFLMAO! :laugh: :laugh:
Pistols for Tots...
I remember well my dad always teaching me to respect firearms, and always treat them as if they were loaded and chambered. Even squirt guns and such I was never allowed to event point at anyone or the dog. Sounds a tad kooky, but it instills the idea that this is a serious instrument that injures or kills and must be respected. I know people who don't even let their kids play with toy guns because they're afraid of guns themselves. Then they panic when their kids discover toy guns at their friends houses. And I'm like, better to educate your kids yourself and control their attitude about it than to leave it to the drooling idiots next door.

This is no joke. One of my dan, Mr. Davis (he's on here some, ask him :D ) who has been using kama for years, sliced himself up ( I mean had to have stitches) doing Hama Higa no Kama. For a long time after that, we called him "Kama Suture." :laugh: :laugh:

[Kamikaze aku]

If you want to buy foam kamas ckeck out www.AWMA.com

[De_Franza]

Kama suture! that's priceless.
I believe it. I've heard of someone impaling them into their body. An Experienced person ata tourney, probably hopped up in adrenaline and rushing. eek!

[DragonMind]

"Guns for Nuns" would also be good.
You mean these folks... http://www.tomah.com/dorr/

[DragonMind]

Molly,

Just out of curiosity, how did it go?

[Gene Williams]

You mean these folks... http://www.tomah.com/dorr/

Now, THAT'S funny :D

[Ron Davis]

This is no joke. One of my dan, Mr. Davis (he's on here some, ask him :D ) who has been using kama for years, sliced himself up ( I mean had to have stitches) doing Hama Higa no Kama. For a long time after that, we called him "Kama Suture." :laugh: :laugh:


Yes it is true no matter how long you have been praticing. if you are using a real pair of kama one small slip and you will be tring to explain to a doctor on how you have a razor clean slice in your leg or arm.

You may want to start with a wooden or unsharpened pair and eventually move in to a real pair. However it is important to pratice wiht a real weapn if you are in it for the combat applications. Why? Well you dont pratice or site your gun in with balnks it is important to use real weapons. unless all you want to do is play.

Personally i dont believe that some one who is an under belt should not be useing a bladed weapon. there are many bo, and tonfa kata to pratice. if they want something shinny teach them sai .

Just my 2 cents worth

[TonyU]

However it is important to pratice wiht a real weapn if you are in it for the combat applications. Why? Well you dont pratice or site your gun in with balnks it is important to use real weapons. unless all you want to do is play.

Somehow I don't see combat applications being viable in todays soceity where there is a need for kamas, but that's just me.

[Ron Davis]

tradition!!!! and you never know when a mad scarecrow might jump out of a corn field.

[De_Franza]

But officer, I always carry my 9 inch ancient okinawan war sickles in the park. Don't you?

[Gene Williams]

Somehow I don't see combat applications being viable in todays soceity where there is a need for kamas, but that's just me.

Yeah, Tony, but just think how bad you could mess up some thug's afternoon if you happened to have a pair handy :)

[Ron Davis]

actually I do carry my kama's with me sometimes. However I am now tired of posting things in a korean forum. So now I will return to the okinawan and japanese section.
As far as it not being pratical. I said it earler you dont site in a gun with blanks . what is the point of having a gun we dont really need it to hunt. you can get just aobut everything you need at the supermarket. or here in Georga the Wallmart. But people still hunt why? for the thrill and the fun of it. The same can be said for using a real or legit weapon to practice with the fun and thrill of using something and keeping the tradition alive.

again just my 2 cents worth. to each person his or her on.

[Andrew Green]

Well, I've seen some military folk do some pretty fancy gun twirlin, whats wrong with some performers doing some fancy kama twirlin?

How does the XMA performance work in any way effect those doing traditional stuff? It's fun, it's hard to do, and it's what they want to be doing. The "My kama is sharper then yours" "Yeah, well my dad is stronger then yours" thing is rather silly.

Let people do what they enjoy, it only becomes a problem if they think they are doing something they are not. And I'd wager most people that have holes in there kama and like to spin them DON'T think they are learning how to fight with them.

[s.henson]

Hey thats fine, you wanna twirl a kama, bo, hell fling a sword around you neck, go for it. The problem is to many kama twirlers push it like it's real martial arts. Twirl whatever you feel like, just don't lie to yourself and others about what it really is.

edit: when I use the term "you" I am not directing it at any one person.

[Andrew Green]

So what... it's like imaginary martial arts?

Not everything has to be traditional to be "real" most "traditional" martial artists do little more then dance with weapons too, very few have attempted any sort of free sparring. The real difference, the XMA dance is fancier and more athletic, the traditional one is a folk dance.

Some people like one, others the other. Neither is better then the other.

[s.henson]

No, it's not any kind of martial arts. It's gymnastics and baton twirling. Now don't get me wrong, I respect gymnasts for what they do, many of them are amazing athletes, but they are not martial artists. Of course one is not better than the other, it's like comparing apples and oranges.

[total-immortal]

Well, I've seen some military folk do some pretty fancy gun twirlin, whats wrong with some performers doing some fancy kama twirlin?

Guns have safeties ;).

[DragonMind]

Guns have safeties ;).
Nor are they loaded when doing twirling.