Off-hand Training

[william_cain_iii]

What merit is there in learning to fight with your off hand?

I've had a lot of people tell me a lot of different things, but I realized I hadn't asked it here.

Myself, I would think there's plenty of merit, since it would make sure your arms were equally strong, and in the odd circumstance you had to switch arms you could do so, but I've had some people laugh at the idea.

What's the ARMA opinion on this idea?

[Stacy Clifford]

We don't have any official position on it, that's up to the individual, but training is all about making yourself combat effective. Anything that makes you a more versatile fighter better able to deal with an unexpected situation or opportunity is hardly a bad thing. I would say that it's better to have a high level of skill in your dominant hand than to be mediocre with both, but improving the use of your off hand is certainly useful and worth some effort. My advice would be learn to fight well with one hand first, while drilling with the other for exercise, and then concentrate on copying your skill to the other hand.

[Sal Bertucci]

Any Master that I have read that talked about it said it would be a plus.

[Steven Ott]

According to a documentary I saw, Musashi who fought with a long and a short sword, would use his left hand to throw the shortsword and won a duel in this fashion. I think in rapier and dagger combat that would be a viable (though difficult skill to develop). Most people who throw knives hold it in such a way that it obvious what their intention is. If a dagger was thrown from the standard grip accurately it would be hard to detect and hard to counter.

[Stacy Clifford]

The type of dagger most often used with a rapier really wasn't made very well for throwing, it's designed as a defensive weapon to be kept in the hand. Could it be done in a pinch? Yes, but it would require more skill and practice to be accurate than other, better balanced types of daggers. Though I've never handled one, the Japanese short sword looks like it might throw better from the design of it, but then again we're talking about Musashi here, not your average warrior. The masters tended to avoid teaching things with a low probability of success and a high probability of negative consequences, and throwing away your weapons falls into that category. Just because one guy can get away with it doesn't mean you should teach it to everybody (especially because then they would know how to recognize and counter it). There are plenty of things that CAN be done that you won't find in the manuals because 10% of students would pull it off and the other 90% who tried it would come back in a box, which is really bad for your teaching business.

[Steven Reich]

Marcelli describes the method of throwing your dagger in his 1686 treatise. However, that is the only treatise I can think of that talks about it and it's clearly not a primary tactic--it's just a short section towards the end of the work.

Steve

[C.Scott Relleve]

According to a documentary I saw, Musashi who fought with a long and a short sword, would use his left hand to throw the shortsword and won a duel in this fashion. I think in rapier and dagger combat that would be a viable (though difficult skill to develop). Most people who throw knives hold it in such a way that it obvious what their intention is. If a dagger was thrown from the standard grip accurately it would be hard to detect and hard to counter.

I think I know how they throw it, and it'll only work within 5 meters, which is pretty much the range of a typical sword duel. The knife or short sword has to be balanced for throwing for it to penetrate sufficiently, and most short swords aren't meant for throwing. However, it is an interesting and unpredictable tactic, and it definitely merits some time to train to, although it seems that in order to be effective with this, a whole lot of time of training this is necessary, time that can also be used to keep training with your primary weapon...

[william_cain_iii]

Indeed, I am looking to learn rapier and dagger after I gain sufficient talent with the longsword. I don't think I'd be inclined to throw my parrying dagger though.

[Phil Valot]

Althought I am new to this forum, I have trained and studied combat arts for most of my life, training to use your off hand is just as important as training your primary. Let's face it, a sword is a weapon used in combat, during combat your objective is to defeat the enemy before he defeats you which in reality is survival. In order to survive one must be prepared for any situation including becoming disabled during combat. I practice this theory in both martial arts and tactical shooting. It's as simple as letting your arm hang there or having it tied to your side is best to stop you from using it for balance. Apply this concept to your legs and learn the importance of having to strike with your sword without having a firm stance. Things do not always work out in your favor when engaged in combat and a good warrior will always prepare for the worst. I recommend adding Disabled Fighting to your training the reward is great.

[william_cain_iii]

Intriguing answer, Mr. Valot, and well-reasoned. Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to comment on what was really quite an idle question, you're all too kind.

Might you be amenable to contact via email, Mr. Valot? I have some questions I am interested in asking you. Purely in the spirit of inquiry.