Arabian shamshir with Hungarian blade

A.alnakkas · 12th July 2013, 02:13 AM

The Ardha dance is carried out with real combat swords to this day. The weight and balance of a sword made for combat is something that an ardha player likes to have instead of a sword that waves like a crowbar.

Certain moves in the ardha dance are only done with a slightly curved blade and are not done in highly curved wootz blades for example. That move is when the sword is held over the head from the middle and is usually whirled around with agile finger movement although some would just hold it over without whirling. In my observation of the dance, I have never seen anyone hold a wootz blade over his head like that and yes, plenty of wootz blades leave the closet once its time for ardha! ;-)

Here is an example of the movement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZcDStJPXU

1:00 +

You see King Abdullah throwing the sword up and grabbing it from the middle and whirling it. One of the best performances I have ever seen, he is a professional. Also, from the videos I watched of him doing the ardha, he would always do it with a slightly curved sword and heard from the dancers that he prefers Abu Askiri (clauberg)

12th July 2013, 02:13 AM	#7
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,340	The Ardha dance is carried out with real combat swords to this day. The weight and balance of a sword made for combat is something that an ardha player likes to have instead of a sword that waves like a crowbar. Certain moves in the ardha dance are only done with a slightly curved blade and are not done in highly curved wootz blades for example. That move is when the sword is held over the head from the middle and is usually whirled around with agile finger movement although some would just hold it over without whirling. In my observation of the dance, I have never seen anyone hold a wootz blade over his head like that and yes, plenty of wootz blades leave the closet once its time for ardha! ;-) Here is an example of the movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZcDStJPXU 1:00 + You see King Abdullah throwing the sword up and grabbing it from the middle and whirling it. One of the best performances I have ever seen, he is a professional. Also, from the videos I watched of him doing the ardha, he would always do it with a slightly curved sword and heard from the dancers that he prefers Abu Askiri (clauberg)