BUTTERFLY SWORDS
HUTI SHUANG TAO - HUDIESHUANGDAO - 蝴蝶雙刀
Butterfly Swords, also known as Red Boat Knives, are traditional naval weapons designed for boarding ships and close quarters combat. These Chinese short swords are carried in a single scabbard and, when true to their combat form, are highly effective weapons that can engage all other weapon types. The blades are about the length of the forearm allowing for fast techniques and greater maneuverability when fighting in close quarters combat.
Butterfly Swords feature brass guards to protect the hands and cause weapons to stop against the soft metal, as opposed to bouncing off. The swords have a protruding cross guard that can capture opponents weapons and allow for a fast reversal of the knife position for close range fighting. Imperial Combat Arts teaches master levels of Butterfly Sword training that includes, forms, sets, drills, target practice, and sparring.
FORMS
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Butterfly Sword forms at Imperial Combat Arts are not like the flashy acrobatic performances you may see in modern form competitions. These combat forms are much more tightly guarded and transfer directly into sets and sparring. Forms are a key method to help develop the familiarity and flow of a weapon, and a way for Masters to pass their knowledge and techniques down to the next generation of practitioners.
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EXCERCISES & DRILLS
To fight well with Butterfly Swords there are exercises that will help strengthen the wrists and body for aggressive weapon interaction. These drills teach and develop the primary cuts, thrusts, blocks, and parries of these weapons. The exercises trained in Butterfly Swords also help develop practitioners for the use of other weapons, and help in preparing them to wield significantly heaver weapons in battle.
BUTTERFLY SWORD SETS
Sets are a huge part of training how Butterfly Swords engage with other weapons. These traditional sets teach all manner of interplay and are a crucial part of all weapon study. Sets lead into sparring, and sparring then into battle. In sets there are also all manner of combat techniques you could not practice on a partner in sparring as they are too aggressive. With good training however one can bring them to use in battle.
TARGET PRACTICE
Throughout all of history till today target practice has been a key part of training for combat. This is a fundamental part of most all arts and weapons, like punching a bag, accuracy mitts, breaking boards, kicking bats, shooting targets for both archery and firearms, cutting bottles or mats with a blade, and striking against weapon pells or dummies. Imperial Combat Arts has a large variety of weapon targets to hone battle skills.
DUAL WIELDING
Dual wielding live blades in combat is dangerous in itself. The exercise, form, sets, target practice, and sparring with these weapons trains the body how to fight with these weapons with second nature habits, that are key to not harming oneself in combat. Many of the same patterns and engagements of these weapons transfer directly into other paired weapons such as dual clubs, axes, combat knives, and larger swords.
SPARRING & MATCHING
Imperial Combat Arts has members with extensive training in both Buhurt and H.E.M.A. and we cross spar with these styles. Butterfly Sword sparring is done vs. all other weapons such as Saber, Spear, Axe, and Shield. Sparring is not fighting however and is practiced with training weapons, protective gear, and control. Beyond sparring is our primary focus on true combat training with all manner of battlefield attacks.
BUTTERFLY SWORD HISTORY
Butterfly Swords originated fairly late in China's naval history and incorporated the D-guard of European naval swords. Blades of traditional swords were only sharpened halfway down with the lower part of the blade used to engage other weapons. These swords were designed for close quarters combat in the tight spaces of ships and were easier to carry while working and moving around onboard.
COMBAT SWORDS VS. WING CHUN/WUSHU
Many Butterfly Swords or Wing Chun Swords have been significantly altered from their combat design. These new swords have lost their point, their false edge (tapered back side of the point), and nearly all of their thrusting ability, leaving only chopping and some slashing attacks. This design in Wing Chun's own words was to make the weapon "less lethal". Our arts use only traditional and functional battlefield weapons.
BOWIE KNIFE & BUTTERFLY SWORDS
The American Bowie Knife is very close in design to Butterfly Swords, likely designed in part off naval swords. The Brass D Guard, which minimizes the bounce of opponents blades, is a staple feature on both. Dueling with Bowie's was common in the southern U.S. States to the point where just that specific design was illegal in many States. Our Butterfly Sword training directly transfers to the use of these effective combat knives.
SWORD TRAINING
Butterfly Swords are one part of the sword training taught at Imperial Combat Arts. There are several types of battlefield and specialty swords that fit with the various arts we teach such as; the Willow Leaf Saber, Hook Swords, the Ch'ien (Jian) or Chinese straight sword, the long and powerful Chan Ma Tao or Horse Beheading Sword, and other well known swords. This study is ultimately the path to complete sword mastery.
EMPTY HAND
Like many Kung Fu Styles, empty hand training comes from weapon concepts, and then relates directly back to weapons. The weapons used in a style fit with the same types of person and movements of the style. For example short and fast weapons like the Butterfly Knives are used with several other martial arts such as Wing Chun, Hung Ga, and Choy Li Fut. Likewise our weapons are taught under a parent martial style.
ANIMAL STYLE
Butterfly Swords at Imperial Combat Arts are taught in the art of Leopard Kung Fu as they fit well with Leopard's fast and dynamic movements. The fierce speed of Leopard transfers directly to the weapon, and in return the weight of wielding the Butterfly Swords makes Leopard faster and stronger when they return to the empty hand. Like the dual swords, Leopard is designed for smaller fighters to fight against superior reach.
MODERN USE
Training Butterfly Swords directly transfers to the use of large knives in melee combat today, as well other weapons forearm length, and dual wielding in general. Even in the modern age of firearms, knife, club, and other short weapons are still heavily used. Unlike many knives today the Butterfly Swords have a distinct advantage with their guard that protects the hand from counter attacks and can block heavy weapons.
WEAPON TRAINING
Imperial Combat Arts is a weapon school, whether armed or unarmed. Our arts have both direct lineage to historical weapons used in martial arts, and to modern U.S. special forces weaponry and firearms. These weapons include; combat knife, club, baton, hatchet, sword, stick fighting, spear, halberd, axe, shield, specialty weapons, improvised weapons, shield, archery, pistol, shotgun, rifle, assault rifle, and more.