Has anyone heard of a fitness technique using swords?

Answer 1

I believe you are interested in Forza, The Samurai Sword Workout, by Ilaria Montagnani.

There are videos available.

Answer 2

All sorts of serious swordsmanship training makes for great workouts. Now, I am biased against Olympic fencing a great deal due to it being so diluted a form of swordplay that it hardly is a combattive activity anymore.

However, there are several group and associations that train in historical swordsmanship, and these will provide a much, much better workout. After all, a 3 and a half pound sword does move only so fast, and getting it where it needs to be can be very hard work.

It constitutes a whole body workout, more working on tone and stamina than anything else. And sparring, when done right, is great for cardio. A 20-minute continuous spar is a great challenge, especially when you have to ignore the smarting of the bruises you've received.

Answer 3

Yes it is called learning swordsmanship. Not forms.

Although you can learn to use a sword-like object if you learn sport fencing or kendo, neither a shinai or a foil can be considered close enough to be a "sword" or "training sword" such as a wood replica of the sword designed for training (called a bokuto or a waster).

There are a number of schools and groups that teach it depending upon where you live.

EDIT: by "it" i meant real swordsmanship, kendo is fun, i took it myself for a while but it is not "true" swordsmanship. It is physically trying though if your goal is to play with a sword-like art and use it for fitness. No martial art, even a sportative one geared more towards fitness is a substitute for a regular fitness regimen of weights proper eating (I hate the word diet, it implies some fad or gimmick) or different degrees of cardio depending on your fitness goals. If you are looking for an MA as a fitness substitute then capoeira is very physically trying, however I'm not going to vouch for it's martial applications.

Answer 4

I take a filipino martial art called Arnis. It is also called Kali or Escrima. We pracice using two Raton sticks. You see during the Spanish occupation of the Filipines, the locals where not aloud to have swords, so they would pracice their art with sticks. The Spanish thought they where dancing. Litle did they know they where practicing a deadly martial art. Alot of western boxing's foot work comes from Arnis

Answer 5

Yes. Sword fighting.

Answer 6

Fencing. When taken seriously, it can improve muscle mass in your thighs, calves, abs, and fingers. It can also improve cardio vascular muscle and "brain" muscle.

Answer 7

I notice that only one person has mentioned kendo, and that noone here thought about wing-chun.

Answer 8

Just fencing

Answer 9

Fencing maybe

Answer 10

umu subaritos ill get u in shape