I am gravely disappointed. Again you have made me unleash my dogs of war.

September 8, 2009 3:59 AM

From out of the shadow a red sword leapt flaming...Fire swords and how to make them (from scratch if you like). For performance or flaming sword fights.

More fire performances here. Also fire whips for all your Balrog needs. And fire floggers. Maelstrom has some other interesting homemade stuff (Mae Soks) and background and history on Pekiti-Tirsia kali and other southeast Asian weapons (some stuff on the Dog Brothers in there as well).

posted by Smedleyman (18 comments total)

Fire whip in action.
posted by zanni at 6:15 AM on September 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

This doesn't seem dangerous at all.
posted by HumanComplex at 7:14 AM on September 8, 2009

Dammit, more shit I didn't know I needed.

I'm on a budget, man.
posted by codswallop at 7:21 AM on September 8, 2009

FIRE!

Yet, seeing those guys take down (sometimes epicly) dudes with sticks in the Dog Brothers video was even more harrowing and exciting.
posted by ignignokt at 7:48 AM on September 8, 2009

Favorited for post title.
posted by adamdschneider at 7:51 AM on September 8, 2009

I once saw a guy juggling fire while standing on 8-foot stilts...which were also on fire.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:53 AM on September 8, 2009

Also: flaming jump-rope.
posted by fuq at 8:02 AM on September 8, 2009

Man, these guys ain't got nothing on Manjusri, who's flaming sword cuts through ignorance.
posted by khaibit at 8:02 AM on September 8, 2009

That said, I want one of these. I'd burn down the house, but I really want one of these.
posted by khaibit at 8:03 AM on September 8, 2009

Just take a motorcycle gas tank, a motorcycle hand brake, a lawnmower blade, and a pilot light to the nearest workbench.
posted by Liver at 8:13 AM on September 8, 2009 [2 favorites]

Back in my metal working/ knife smithing days, I designed a blade that had a hollow tube running down the spine with little outlets which would be used to pipe butane or propane, allowing for an actual sharp edged flaming blade.

I never built it because when I sobered up the next day and looked at what I'd drawn, I thought "Yeah, there is no scenario where this won't end with someone bleeding and on fire."
posted by quin at 8:20 AM on September 8, 2009 [3 favorites]

Go to zanni's link. He failed to mention that when you crack a fire whip it makes explosions.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 8:39 AM on September 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

I once saw a guy juggling fire while standing on 8-foot stilts...

Yeah, seen that. Awesome combi--

which were also on fire.

*mouth agape in admiration*
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 8:43 AM on September 8, 2009

"YOU SHALL NOT P---"

*Balrog pulls out fire whip.*

"Well, alright. Go on about your business, then."
posted by SPrintF at 11:55 AM on September 8, 2009

Love the Dog Brothers stuff - it'd be good to see some Kali Tudo used in MMA.
posted by the cuban at 12:14 PM on September 8, 2009

Full contact aparently doesn't mean what I think it means, because there are about eight fight ending moves that begin with your opponent hitting the strong of your blade (down toward the quillions) with the weak (up by the tip) of his. None of them end in your opponent's favor.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 12:16 PM on September 8, 2009

(thanks zanni)
posted by Smedleyman at 12:20 PM on September 8, 2009

I was about to dismiss the fire sword folks as anemic hippies, but then I saw zanni's fire whip video. I jumped at that first crack!

Seriously though, I'd pay to watch a Chinese wushu athlete do taolu with a flaming sword. Broadsword would suck for the performer, but straight sword would be pretty workable.

As far as the dog brothers clips, if they're gonna go the MMA route, they should dispense with the padding and fight like the original eskrimadors. No padding, no nothing. They'd wind up fighting very differently if broken fingers were on the line.
posted by fnerg at 1:10 PM on September 8, 2009