Hmmmm.....don't know about the best weapons..... although shaolin has some cool ones mmmm, what about the military???
Depends what weapons you like... I like the chinese weapons as they appear more exotic... http://www.gwangung.co.uk/products/products_list.asp?Category=12&offset=9
there are also a fair few Japanese arts which train with weapons, most do weapons and empty hand, and you should at least understand the basics of empty hand first(if that ever happens) and then you learn the weapons. Iaido/jutsu, Aikido, Karate (though I'm not sure which styles) I think that collectively it's all called budo, though that might well be wrong.
Chinese martial arts tend to have the greatest variety of weapons. Within the different styles the northern ones tend to have a larger variety than southern styles do. As for best weapons that is subjective, chances are that every person on this forum will give you a different answer. The trick is finding what works best for you, not everybody else.
Yes, apparently the Chinese arts have the most number of weapons. I could be wrong though... I also agree that the question of best weapon style is high subjective. Depends on what you're looking for and what you like.
WMA sports weapons that probably will find it's equal in EMA as well, but if you prefere "european" weapons, you should know that the info is out there... European weapons I know have remains of manuals, or have a living comunity using them in Europe (and probably USA as well) : Dagger Rondelldagger (No cuttingedge, just a very sharp end...) Rapier sax (kind of bowie-knife shape; bladelength up to 45cm) Longsax (Vikingsword with only one sharp edge; vaugely curved) Messer (A relative of the longsax, but differently shaped) Gladius backsword basket-hilt-sword doubble edged 1H sword handandahalfsword (1h/2h) longsword (2H) zweihender (2Hsword) Helebard 1H spear 2H spear Staffs Axe Daneaxe Warhammer (2H) You allso have clubs, flails and maces, but I don't know about any manuals or active WMA'ers using them. There's a douzen variations of two weapons as well; Spear + shield Spear + dagger Axe + shield Axe + dagger Sword + buckler Sword + shield rapier + buckler rapier + dagger Axe + sword Staff + dagger handandahalfsword + dagger/buckler Spear + shield +dagger/axe Sword + axe + dagger (Yes, you can fight with three weapons.)
yes, the stiletto is mostly the same thing. Some are round, some are three edged some are four edged.
For me, the critical thing is to learn the charecteristics of different weapons, & applying it to any other weapon, only the charecteristics have changed it is still a weapon, whether a knife or a frying pan. Ingat ka,
The other thing to bare in mind is that not all schools will teach you sparring with weapons, but only solo forms.
That's very true. Kali's the only one that does that I know of besides, some kung fus, but they stick to coreagraphed moves. Ingat ka,
