Improve Your Fighting Technique with Training Weapons! We Will Tell You Which Weapon You Need.

Training Weapons Were Used in Ancient Rome

Training weapons are not exclusively for beginners, they are extremely useful for every experienced participant of historical battle re-enactments or LARP events. They help to train and correct your fighting technique, and they are frequently used at training sessions. 

The use of training weapons has a long tradition in history. They were used by gladiators and legionaries in ancient Rome, who used wooden gladius swords (Rudis) for training. When using wooden swords, their armour did not get damaged so fast, and they minimised the risk of serious injury. The wooden sword also had symbolic significance. If the gladiator lived long enough to be granted freedom, he was given the Rudis as a symbol of his newly gained freedom. 

Even samurai used wooden katanas made of hornbeam wood during training. The hornbeam wood is ideally tough to handle sword fighting sessions without breaking.

Another example of historical training weapons is the samurai sword Bokken, which is associated with wisdom passed down from warrior to warrior: 

This training weapon was usually made of extremely hard Kashi (white oak) wood. However, even hard wood has its limits. While wood is durable, it is also susceptible to fungus or rot, dries out over time, and can change shape if stored in improper, humid conditions. All this reduces its strength, which can cause the weapon to break (usually at the worst possible moment) and result in an injury. However, modern technology offers an alternative material for training weapons - polypropylene.

What is Polypropylene

Polypropylene is one of the most commonly used types of plastic. Because of its very good mechanical resistance, you can safely swing it around! Polypropylene is also used, for example, in the textile and chemical industry or in laboratories. The key properties of polypropylene include health safety, slow ageing, toughness, strength, light weight and heat resistance. 

It is used for the manufacture of pumps, valves and seals, but also ropes because it is sufficiently strong and its density is lower than water (it floats on water). Furthermore, it also used in the textile industry during the production of synthetic fibres. Last but not least, it is used in the food industry for the production of various types of packaging.

Do You Want to Train Like a Samurai or a Medieval Knight?

We have talked about why polypropylene is ideal as a material for training weapons. The brand Cold Steel uses it as well. If you want to know more about the brand, you can read our article Cold Steel - Knives for Chefs, Cooks or Warriors! 

You can check out our range of polypropylene training weapons by Cold Steel. Do you need a practice samurai sword? You can choose between O Bokken, Wakizashi Bokken, O Tanto Bokken or Katana Honshu. 

Need a sword to train for a medieval battle re-enactment? Get a medieval practice sword or a Honshu sword. Don't forget the medieval training dagger made of hardened rubber, which has properties similar to polypropylene. 

Protection matters! Get a medieval training buckler or a round-shaped training Targe shield to protect yourself from the opponent's strikes! Both of these shields are made of durable polypropylene.

Safety First - Even During Training Sessions

The weapons and equipment mentioned above are for training purposes. They are not dummy weapons. You can hurt yourself with them if you are not careful. You should always follow these principles: 

1. Only train with polypropylene weapons against weapons made of the same material. You shouldn’t use them against metal or wooden weapons.
2. Train with an experienced master who will teach you proper technique and make sure the training is done safely.
3. Do not use training weapons for self-defence - you should only use them for training purposes.
4. Keep the area around you as clear as possible so that you do not damage any property or injure anyone during training.

Get the Real Sword for Real Battles!

When you have trained enough and are ready to take part in a battle re-enactment, choose from our range of authentic historical sword replicas. And if you don't know what to look for, check out our article Gear up for a Historic Battle!We Will Help You Choose the Right Fencing Sword.