Teaching your children to sword fight

Chris Pierce

Chris Pierce

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Nov 15, 2006
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I'm wondering if any one can help me with advice. I have a 5 year old boy who is really into ninja Legos. Which I want to exploit and turn into an interest in martial arts, particularly sword training.
I'm going to handle the training myself, that way I learn too.
How old we're your kids when you started their training?
Any good resources that I shouldn't miss? I'm mostly looking for medieval resources/examples.

Thanks.
 
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Hey man, I don't have kids so I hope it's okay to give my input. I know as a kid (like 5 or 6 on) everyone in my extended family would make swords out of sticks and boards and just go at it in the woods or our barn. For me, that progressed into actual pseudo training with Miyamoto Musashi's book of five rings (given to me by my or brother) and an instruction book on kendo (given to me by my mother). Those two books can be had for like $20 on certain large online book retailers.


EDIT: what I'm trying to say is just let it happen, everyone likes sword fighting.
 
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My daughter started with 3.The Nerf stuff is really good.
Made her a shield out of a round aluminum pizza tray. Was cheaper than the plastic stuff in Target or Walmart and sounds cool when being hit.
At that age I don't care about technique, just keeping it fun. Still she figured out very fast to go for my legs since I cant block so fast down there when I use my short baby sword.
 
At our dojo, we will not accept children younger than 13 unless they have extensive training in something like Karate, Tae Kwan Do or Kung Fu. One of the problems is that manufacturers don't often offer acceptable "real" weapons that are scaled down for smaller sized people. It's difficult to "unlearn" habits that came about because of improperly sized weapons and then transition the "right" size without having some issues. If you can find the right size of weapon for your smaller than adult student....it is possible to train them well.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Maybe should have asked first.:o
What is the goal of the training. Being able to fight with real swords at some point? Performing nice moves at martial arts competitions with lightweight show swords? Or maybe you want to stick with bamboo swords Kendo forever for safety reasons? Is it all just for fun, to increase strength and agility etc.
Once you know what it's for it should be easier to figure out how.
 
Athleticism. And realism. I'm not interested in fencing or kendo. Sword fighting should include wrestling and boxing I think. Obviously for a 5 year old Im going to start slow and keep it fun and easy
 
Chris Pierce said:
Athleticism. And realism. I'm not interested in fencing or kendo. Sword fighting should include wrestling and boxing I think. Obviously for a 5 year old Im going to start slow and keep it fun and easy
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Sounds great. :)
From what I read about Samurai, their kids were first trained by their moms and nannies in weaponless fighting. I guess that wasn't very focused and just the usual kids messing with each other and once in a while an adult giving a few hints. After all the average Samurai mom had to cook and keep the house in shape at the same time. Some big shot Samurai of course would have hired a real teacher even for his very little ones but that's probably an exception.
When they turned older (~4) they turned to sticks or sword shaped sticks. Later dull swords and then the real deal. Most trained together with other students in a Dojo some might have afforded a private teacher. Now is this all true? Can't be sure but it sounds plausible and the progression from tumbling around on rice mats to the more dangerous practices makes sense to me.
Of course even once proficient at sword play most would still not stop training weaponless fighting.
Somewhere in this schedule they must also have learned to ride horses, shooting arrows, throwing spears, and many other things in parallel.

Training in a medieval setting should be very similar. Kids of knights of course would have started weapons training earlier than a farmer who was just forced into the army. Heard about some German king who as a kid started training sword fighting before he knew how to write. I am sure he had private lessons and didn't spend his time in a fencing school.

So basically early is good and 5 sounds ideal! Start out with some wooden swords and then see when he is ready for more.
 
Chris Pierce said:
What do you all think of John Clements? Is he for real?
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He is for real.

He is one of the few people in European Swordfighting to take the time and research to justify his movements, patterns and choice of weapons.

He is an egomaniac, and in many ways a maniac, but he is absolutely for real.

I put him up there with Hank Reinhardt, may he rest in peace.

Chris Pierce said:
I have no problem making weapons for him. I'm a journeyman ship fitter by trade.
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If you are going to teach him JSA arts, specifically my style, Iai Heiho, you will need to make a suitable scabbard as well, as the vast majority of our forms start with the sword in the scabbard.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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I started training in Martial Arts when I was 6. I was told when I was a kid that it was Shaolin, but technically it's called Indonesian Kuntao (basically a mish mash of shaolin arts that were passed on in Indonesia by the chinese that went there to avoid persecution). There were plenty of weapons forms, Swords were only taught to higher belts though - you'd need 3-5 years to train with a sword.

You start with hand to hand, and continue that adding in first a bo, then nunchuka, short stick, and I think sai, and eventually chinese broadsword, the then a Gim. At the highest levels you would specialize in other weapons like a spear, chain, certain knives.

It's a really good way to handle training children. They should walk before they run.
 
Interesting progression. I always thought that spears were the weapon of the novice.

I think that if I try and start my boy with hand to hand he'll loose interest quickly. I home school btw, so I do know a little about his learning style.
 
I studied Kendo for many years

God has a sense of humor and has blessed me with 3 daughters

My youngest two 9 and 11 just asked about my extensive sword collection and if they could learn to use them

We have started classes with Boken in the basement

We start out with basic calisthenics

Push ups,crunches , duck walks, etc

They are already very athletic and the youngest took districts in track last year

Before they can do any work with the Boken they must do their physical warm ups and exercises

At his point they are learning foot work and building strength in their upper body by learning to control the wooden swords

Just like their archery and firearms training it is very serious because sword training does not suffer fools

They are learning respect for the art

If they take their lesson serious I will give them Shinai and let them come at me

I will only block

I show them that timing and distance is everything

Early training must be developing the strength and concentration that is required not flailing around with a wooden stick

It must never be treated like a game or play time

Just like archery and firearms

There is no rewind button in life
 
Ps also show him some footage of the reverence that is given the sword in its crafting

Weather it be Asian or European craftsman they must learn reverence for the blade
 
Exactly. Great points Joe.
If my boy can't stay clam enough to stay in control then it'll have to wait. So far he's been good with his pellet rifle though. So I have high hopes.
 
JParanee said:
I studied Kendo for many years

God has a sense of humor and has blessed me with 3 daughters

My youngest two 9 and 11 just asked about my extensive sword collection and if they could learn to use them

We have started classes with Boken in the basement

We start out with basic calisthenics

Push ups,crunches , duck walks, etc

They are already very athletic and the youngest took districts in track last year

Before they can do any work with the Boken they must do their physical warm ups and exercises

At his point they are learning foot work and building strength in their upper body by learning to control the wooden swords

Just like their archery and firearms training it is very serious because sword training does not suffer fools

They are learning respect for the art

If they take their lesson serious I will give them Shinai and let them come at me

I will only block

I show them that timing and distance is everything

Early training must be developing the strength and concentration that is required not flailing around with a wooden stick

It must never be treated like a game or play time

Just like archery and firearms

There is no rewind button in life
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There's no rewind button, true. There is progress and brain. Please don't underestimate your daughters or other kids. I'm sure even with 9 they can tell the difference between toy and play and weapon and real killing if they are taught properly.
I learned it and so did probably everybody who I played cowboy and Indians with before I ever handled a real weapon...
 
In my world I grew up on a farm and we did not play with toy guns

We had real guns at very young ages and there was no even pointing toy guns at people

When you have a house full of guns I do not believe mixing in toy guns

I have been preaching weapons safety since they could walk so I see no reason to ever make it play time

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This is my middle one at about 6 or 7

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Don't get me wrong I know most kids play with toy weapons but if my nine year old cracks her sister in the face with an oak Boken I'm gonna have some big dental bills and a pissed off old lady :)
 
Chris Pierce said:
Exactly. Great points Joe.
If my boy can't stay clam enough to stay in control then it'll have to wait. So far he's been good with his pellet rifle though. So I have high hopes.
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Chris everything I've ever read from you shows me you understand what I'm saying

Enjoy this time with your son it is so fleeting. They grow so fast and their interest weins so quickly . Make it gun but like I said there is no rewind button

Definite pics of the little man please :)

A wooden Wak sized Boken makes a great trainer for a kid

I'll post up a pic of my girls next training day :)
 
Don't get me wrong I know most kids play with toy weapons but if my nine year old cracks her sister in the face with an oak Boken I'm gonna have some big dental bills and a pissed off old lady
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I think this is a concern of any parent when considering weapons training. Whacking away at each other with oak boken or a stick for that matter can leave you with some seriously bruised or broken body parts, gashes, concussions and possibly death. Musashi killed several well trained opponents armed with swords, with nothing more than a boken. So, yes they can be lethal.

You may be aware of this already, but another option would be the foam swords used in Chanbara. Chanbara somtimes known as "Spochan" short for sport chanbara, was developed in order to allow all ages to practice sword fighting without sustaining injury. It combines a soft foam sword with a padded wrap around helmet.

Chanbara was established in the 1970's by Tetsundo Tanabe in Japan and has grown into a worldwide organization.
You can read more about it here: http://www.internationalsportschanbara.net/e/spochan/spochan.html

And here: http://www.huards.com/chanbara.html

Equipment is available here: http://www.samuraisports.com/

Of course you can't effectively practice drawing the sword as in Iai, but for children to learn basic strikes, blocks and parries it is a very safe option.
 
SouthernComfort said:
Chanbara was established in the 1970's by Tetsundo Tanabe in Japan and has grown into a worldwide organization.
You can read more about it here: http://www.internationalsportschanbara.net/e/spochan/spochan.html

And here: http://www.huards.com/chanbara.html

Equipment is available here: http://www.samuraisports.com/

Of course you can't effectively practice drawing the sword as in Iai, but for children to learn basic strikes, blocks and parries it is a very safe option.
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I have competed at Fumio Demura Sensei's Tournament before in Chanbara....the equipment is quite "bendy" making blocks and parries "iffy"....strikes are really good.

Just my opinion.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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