I think some of you might find this unique training tool pretty neat.
http://www.torqueblade.com/home? ?<--- Check out the link to see them in action.
The Origins of the Torqueblade:
The Torqueblade like any other item dreamed into being was inspired by another. My inspiration came from my experiences in various fitness regimes, military, para military, martial, and numerous civilian. The main underlying thread which I came to appreciate was that of strength to weight ratio and specific endurance for the desired tasks. Always looking for the most cost and time effective regime I realized that the fundamentals of fitness never changed only the intent. In essence training motions rather than muscles seemed more applicable to my daily routines.
Torqueblade training has been influenced by the need for adaptability of impromptu weapons. It can be said that Indian club training has long incorporated this practice by increasing the size and therefore the load of the training tool. The British military adopted these exercises in the 1800's.
?Club swinging is believed to have originated in India by soldiers as a method of improving strength, agility, balance and physical ability. During the annexation of India, British officers witnessed the graceful motions and essential property of expanding the chest and exercising every muscle of the body. The British brought the Indian Clubs to Europe where the Germans and Czechs adopted club swinging into their physical training systems?.
Information kindly supplied by DR. ED Thomas of
www.motionrx.com ?The British military, moving with the times decided to upgrade the Royal Navy. The Admiralty at that time replaced sails in favor of steam, to power the new warships. Consequently, labor was not as demanding and the Admiralty perceived a lack of fitness. So the R.N. adopted the training regime of club swinging. To this day the fitness instructors in the R.N. are still referred to as Clubs?.
Information kindly supplied by Warrant Officer Richardson P.T.I. (R.N.)
I amalgamated my appreciation of blade training with medicine ball type exercises and the training regime of Indian club training.
To take you back to the quote of Darwin that ?adaptability ensures a creature?s success? In other words functional training. Or to put it another way ?If you can?t pull yourself out of a hole, what use are you?? (Mind you, seeking and avoiding holes would probably be a better lesson to study?).
The conception of the Torqueblade came from two routes, like parallel lines on train track, both heading in the same direction. The two routes are ?Functional Fitness? and the ?Arts of Mars? Martial Arts does actually mean the arts of Mars, the Roman deity of battle and therefore warlike arts both originating from the need to improve certain desired attributes, and both heading towards a similar goal. I originally started designing the Torqueblade from the desire to develop an awkward training tool to enhance adaptability to impromptu weapons. This would also challenge the body?s equilibrium when in motion. These requirements would aide in adaptability.
The neuromuscular memory of martial motions must become subtle and effortless. This is the same principle for any sport; the specific motions must become second nature to be effective. The double edged sword of refined body mechanics is that only the essential muscles required for the task are used. Once this is mastered the motions become effortless. If no effort is required the body naturally seeks a new state of rest and your fitness levels start to decline as the pounds start to creep back on.
?The human body moves in three planes of motion that of the saggital, frontal and transverse plane. The saggital separates us from left and right, the frontal from back to front and the transverse is a rotational plane that separates from top to bottom?.
Jaun Carlos "JC" Sanatana Director of
The Institue of Human Performance
www.ihpfit.com 561-620-9556
?Everything that we do requires our muscles to work in synergy with each other. Every required task moves through all three planes of motion (multi-planer). Only the intent changes the out come?.
M. Macro
I realized that when training with weapons (swords/clubs), students body mechanics improved quicker than when training empty hands alone. The reason for this is that when the equilibrium of the body is challenged by holding an object outside of its natural range of motion the core of the body has to react more quickly to regain balance. This reaction of muscles turning off and on to regain balance is called proprioception.
If in a fight or flight situation, the ability to adapt by way of proprioception my neuromuscular system for an impromptu weapon (if warranted) can be hindered with out proper training, due to the on coming threat and time constraints.
?So training in a manner which would prehabilitate my body for such an eventuality would seem to be the ideal way to go?.
Training in a traditional gym type setting was not conducive to my requirements. The only exercises which would allow me to train in all planes of motion would be those similar to medicine ball training and those exercises of the Indian Gurus or club swinging. These exercises were be made all the more challenging, with the unique design of the Torqueblade.
Examples of insperation
The Torqueblade adopted the weighted tip of the (1) Nepalese ghukri an elongated belly to resemble the shape of the (2) East Indian club and pistol grip of a (3) Philippine blade (kriss).
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Torqueblade and Companionblade
