WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS AND THE WEAPONS OF CIVILIZATION .....

When all else fails and the weapons of civilization sre not available the we must turn to the natural world for our ancient, basic weapons.....HALFORD E. JONES

ANCIENT TIBETAN WEAPONS:THE PHURBA & DORJE

The weapons, I had intended to depict here in the photos I had planned to add, are available through various catalogs and are only replicas of the actual ones used in Tibet and surrounding areas,such as,Nepal, Bhutan,etc. But a few things must be said about the authentic weapons. One thing that many ancient weapons ahve in common is the fact that they were either actually or reputedly made out of meteoritic iron. Modern-day martiala rtists who emphasize weapons simply do not appreciate the fact that iron and steel are fairly recent accomplishments by mankind and that early sources of iron came from meteorites found on the grouns rather than from mines(those dug deeply into the earth,save in rare instances, perhaps). But more importantly. the fact that meteors came from the sky, from the heavens, gave them a celestial importance,an unearthly power, and so could be considered divine of sacred..... Consequently, all phurba from Tibet are said to be of celestial origins, that is, made of meteoritic iron, whether they actually are or not. Most of the ones finding their way to the West nowadays are not. Nevertheless, they are interesting objects like so many other things imported from Tibet, such as, singing bowls....now more popular for various reasons... Although Westerners can obtain replicas of these weapons, even though they are not really that inexpensive, lelarning about them is another matter entirely. Certainly Tibetan Culture is now fairly widespread,with Tibetans found on nearly every continent, but finding any of them versed in these weapons and willing to impart what knowledge they may have, is another matter. It might be safely said that the present Tibetan political leaders and those around them are not willing to release such to the general public nor perhaps even versed in the use of these implements even though they may posssess such. PART II, HALFORD E. JONES 2010

ANCIENT TIBETAN MARTIALA RTS WEAPONS: THE DORJE & THE PHURBA

Two unusual and unique weapons, generally considered as ancient Tibetan, are the DORJE and the PHURBA, sacred implements found in the often strange and misunderstood rituals of Tibetan Buddhism, which is of considerable interest nowadays, particularly to certain martial arts groups, such as, ninjutsu for one...... The DORJE has found its way to Japan where it is sometimes called a 'yawara' stick(erroneously called the 'yawara-bo',although the term, ;'kashi-no-bo' is often substituted. It is also called a 'kongo' and 'vajra'. This latter term points to its apparent Indian origins as 'THE THUNDERBOLT OF INDRA". The Phurba has gained some attention due to the movie,'THE SHADOW',a crime fighter whose powers of invisibility came from the Orient and whose exploits dramatized on radio and some earlier motions pictures, including a serial, as well as in comics and novels,seem more akin to ninjutsu than the yoga of India perahsp. Nevertheless, few persons realize the significance such a weapon nor the existence of groups practicing rituals with the Phurba. This writer makes no pretense to be versed in either the rituals or the techniques of the dorje or the Phurba per se nor to have any specific initiation into Tibetan Buddhism or any of its various sects or cults other than an 'academic' interest. Still, it would be wise to point out that interest in yoga and Tantra are increasing, making a rather confusin array of practices and techniques which do not really specify the differences between Hindu and Buddhist Tantra. Without entering into the controversial aspects of these topics, martial artists who take up the various forms of yoga should be more aware of the implications... END OF PART ONE by Halford E. Jones, researcher and writer of the article.....2010

PRIMITIVE ARCHER

The latest issue of PRIMITIVE ARCHER has some articles of interest to martial artists. This is an interesting magazine and one that martial artists and others will benefit by reading articles there and also submitting things, no doubt.

BACKWOODSMAN MAGAZINE

For those interested in ancient, primitive, and traditional weapons,etc. as well as survival, outdoors lore,etc. I suggest a they subscribe to BACKWOODSMAN MAGAZINE at their earliest opportunity. The website is www.backwoodsmanmag.com and you can e-mail the editor at bwmmag@charter.net Thanks in advance and let me know your comments on this. The present issue has several articles on blades and sticks,etc.

THE CANE & WALKING STICK

Many are aware of the cane or walking stick as a weapon and also know about sword canes, pistol canes,etc. More on this topic later.

THE UMBRELLA

The umbrella,hardly carried or used by Americans of both sexes, is not only a shade from the sun(parasol) and rain and other things, but an excellent weapon if employed properly. In the Philippines, the umbrella is called 'PAYONG' and in Arnis, Eskrima, and the 'Kali" the 'payong' is a technique used by many who practice stick and blade fighting arts.