Do you do any weapons training?

Hello folks,
I have been gone for a minute because sometimes life gets hectic, even for the extraordinarily handsome :) Anyhow, after watching a horrific display of the watering down of martial arts at a tourney, I wanted to ask you a question. That question is, do you guys train with weaponry at your dojo? Now, before I jump all over anyone, I want to give my take on the thing. First of all, I personally think that it can be a good thing. But like anything else, it is all a matter of context.

Now as a traditionalist at heart, I love the idea of training with weapons. It is a way to preserve the old ways. Now when I say that, I mean that our roots should definitely be preserved. For all of you history fans out there, you know what I am talking about. Think about one of the most famous American sayings," Those who forget their history are DOOMED to repeat it". Weapons training can provide a historical link, and a little understanding about the history of our martial arts.

I love to see young kids, and adults really who spend dedicated hour after hour perfecting a craft. I love to see kids scream out in frustration, only to pick up their bo again keep practicing. I laugh when a grown adult limps around from talking a nunchaku to the knee, only to keep going with an ice pack tied on. I love the artistry involved, the aesthetic beauty, the grace of the practicioners.

That said, I think that tournaments are ruining it. In the search for more "spectacular" ( read marketable) feats, non-traditional weapons are used. I mean, they are still bos and sai and whatever, but it is different now. They are not regulation sized weapons. I don't think that the ninja would have been half as stealthy, or as difficult to spot with glow in the dark nunchaku. And I may be wrong on this, but I dont believe that the old bo were built out of graphite. Now I hope that you can really hear the sarcasm here, because I think that this stuff has gone on way too long. Do you think that the sword masters of old were able to toss their swords up into the air and catch them, before delivering the coup de grace? Not very likely. If you are into weapons training, practice will regulation weight weapons, and do real weapons training.

Ummm, is that it? oh no, I have something else. For all of you weapons fanatics out there, do yourself a favor. Practice weapons that are more concept based, rather than based on particulars. This is what I mean. If you train with a 3 sectional staff, (and you are braver than me) than you are training a very specific skill. There is nothing of practical value that emulates the movements of a 3 sectional staff. Conversely, if you have done any practice with sticks, then you have a host of practical skills. An umbrella, a chair leg, a stick, even a rolled-up newspaper can be very deadly weapons. If you haven't seen Dan Inosanto break a 2X4 with a rolled up LA Times, then you are missing something. If you have practiced with a knife, try thinking about how you could use a fountain pen, or a pencil. It works, and I think you owe it to yourself to try. Well, that is all folks, take care of yourself....and each other.