Sword Play: The Boyhood Dream

“No! My boys will not play with weapons.”

That’s right, I spoke those words long ago.

Probably when I was a new mom and had only 1 boy so far.

It was back in the days that we had no TV, no guns, and no idea what we were doing.

Fast forward to today.

Ladies, I have 5 boys.

That’s a lot of testosterone!

Boys love to play very differently than you and me. I came to this realization reluctantly, but have finally crossed over to what they call “the other side”.

Why our boys Play with practice swords:

Because they are awesome! That’s right. There is an absolute coolness factor that speaks volumes to every single male person that we come in contact with. Swords are just cool.

They cannot kill themselves. (Well, I guess they could if they tried hard enough, but these practice swords are not meant to cause mortal wounds.) Just watch boys at play. Every boy needs a sword, even if it is a nerf sword!

Hand-Eye Coordination. These swords are meant to be real training swords. They are heavy and are balanced like the swords they resemble. Pretty cool huh?

They are learning history. Each of our boys has chosen a different style practice sword. Each is a slightly different length and weight and each has its own history. They boys are delighted to learn about their swords place in history.

Our Safety Rules:

Do not kill each other.

Never pick up any weapon if your heart is not right. If you are frustrated or angry, you are done for the day. Period. No exceptions.

Practice is about discipline. Practice. Practice. Practice. (The Japanese practiced with wooden swords to become expert swordsmen before they would wield a razor sharp blade!)

When you get hurt, take a deep breath. If you practice with a sword, your fingers will get hit.

Play in slow motion until you master the moves.

Moms, you cannot take the warrior out of your sons. Embrace that.

There is something primal and beautiful about a strong man with a sword or bow.

Think Joshua (Biblical), William Wallace (Braveheart), Legolas (Lord of the Rings).

I want my sons to be like them. Don’t you?

Are you ready to join me as a mom of sword-wielding, arrow shooting, and courageous sons?

Here is how you begin. Click here.

Comments

Lisa Nelson says

March 26, 2014 at 1:15 am

Haha! I love your first rule. That's a great rule! Haha!

Yeah, kids who are denied will run outside, pick up a stick and use it as a sword. I think it's better to encourage their interests (just as long as they don't break rule number one) than try to squash it. Trying to inhibit will only want them to do it more.

I am the same way about guns, but they have nerf guns. Although I was very very reluctant to let him do the bee bees at boy scout camp. I still don't understand why they do that. I relented after 4 days though. I don't think it's a good idea for young boys to go around shooting bullets.