What are some Martial Arts that incorporate the use of Fighting with Swords of all kinds?
Answers:
Has anyone heard of this Karate alliance?
There are plenty of martial arts that teach how to fight with swords. They come form many parts of the world where they originated. Japan, China, Europe, India, the Phillipines, the Middle East, and other places too.For authentic Japanese swordsmanship (Katanas and such), do Kenjutsu if a place is nearby. However there are few Kenjutsu dojos outside of Japan. Kendo and Iaido are in a close second, but neither one is meant for actually fighting with a sword, but can still help a bit.
Chinese swordsmanship usually features two different swords. The Dao (Chinese broadsword) or Jian (a sword commonly used in Tai Chi).
Filipino (Kali, Arnis, and Escrima) and Indonesian (Silat) martial arts often include knife and stick fighting, but it is not uncommon for them use swords.
The ARMA (A group trying to recreate western martial arts) can help you with learning swordsmanship of medieval Europe and the renaissance. You can go to their site below.
http://www.thearma.org/
There are also Middle Eastern and Indian martial arts that make use of swords as well.
However, there may be no place for you to learn swordsmanship of any kind nearby, and you may be out of luck. You will just have to search around where you live or travel every now and then to seminars to learn. But do not self train. Get an actual instructor who is qualified to help you and correct your mistakes and bad habits you may have.
I strongly suggest you visit the site below for info about swords and swordsmanship:
http://www.swordforum.com
Kendo, Iaido, Kenjutsu, are just a few. You will probably find a Kendo school more easily than the other two.
Then again you could also just take Wushu and specialize in a Broadsword or Straight-sword form, but you wont really learn any "combat skills" with a sword that way.
And theres always fencing.
As far as I know, the Chinese arts use different types of swords.
However, Kendo (Japanese sword art/fencing) teaches actual 'fighting' with a wooden sword called a shinai.
Take a look at these sites:
Is Judo fallowing the same path as TKD?
Filipino arts of Kali, Arnis, escrima all are based on sword fighting principlies and they are not shackled by traditional budo- if it works- they use it.Who is the best martial artist ever?
Tai Chi also has forms which use the sword (Jian) as well as several other weapons..
More Questions & Answers...