In Hanthawaddy Bando, the system brought to America by GM Dr. Gyi, the number “nine” is the way much of the knowledge is structured. And so it probably wouldn’t be a surprise to you to know that there are nine basic weapons in empty-hand fighting. These are:
- Your two hands
- Your two elbows
- Your two knees
- Your two feet
- Your hard thick skull
In future Bando minutes (and in future classes), we’ll be spending some time exploring these weapons. Hands, for example, don’t just include fists for striking; and with the foot there are multiple surfaces that might be involved in a strike. There is a 9-count elbow drill and a 9-count knee drill. We have nine kicks, and 9 basic punches.
Start to explore your own body and figure out where your best weapons are. Your weapons need to be trained and hardened to be effective, and so you’ll want to decide where to put your emphasis.