YOU ARE CORRECT THAT WEAPONS MADE LOCALLY BY A PERSON OR BLACKSMITH CAN BE ONE OF A KIND AND VARY A LOT IN QUALITY OF WORKMANSHIP AND DESIGN. THEY WOULD ALSO FALL UNDER ETHINOGRAPHIC I SUPPOSE AS I WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT OTHER CATAGORY TO PUT THEM IN EXCEPT CUSTOM KNIVES
THE ONLY ADVANTAGE THE COLLECTORS OF MORE MODERN MILITARY EDGED WEAPONS HAVE OVER US IS OFTEN THERE ARE TRAINING MANUALS GIVING INSTRUCTIONS ON THEIR PROPPER USE. WE ON THE OTHER HAND HAVE NO MANUALS AND MUST GO BY THE FEW OLD PERIOD ARTICLES WRITTEN ABOUT THEM. THE MOVEMENTS IN TRIBAL DANCES HAVING TO DO WITH WARRIORS OR OLD PICTURES OR SCULPTURE ON POTTERY OR WALLS ,ECT.
MARTIAL ARTS TRY TO FOLLOW THE OLD MOVES BUT AS NO TWO INDIVIDUALS DO IT EXACTLY THE SAME IT CHANGES A LITTLE OVER THE YEARS. THERE IS NO WAY TO BE SURE IF A MARTIAL ART HAS IMPROVED OVER THE ORIGINAL FORM OR HAS LOST KNOWLEGE AND TECKNIQUE AND MAY HAVE LITTLE RESEMBLENCE TO THE OLD FORM. IT MOSTLY HAS TO DO WITH THE MASTER TEACHING IT AND HIS ABILITYS AS A FIGHTER AND ESPECIALLY AS A TEACHER. IT IS MUCH EASIER TO TRAIN A GOOD FIGHTER THAN IT IS TO TRAIN A GOOD TEACHER AND INOVATORS ARE RARE EVEN AMONG GOOD TEACHERS.
FIGHTING TECKNIQUES WILL STILL REMAIN NEAR THE SAME EVEN IF YOU ARE STARTING WITH NO KNOWLEGE OF THE WEAPON. WE SIMPLY TRY ALL THE THINGS WE KNOW ABOUT OTHER WEAPONS AND TRY THEM AND SEE WHICH TECKNIQUES WORK BEST WITH THAT PARTICULAR WEAPON. IT DOES TAKE TIME AND A PERSON EXPERIENCED WITH WEAPONS AND NOT TOO SET IN HIS OLD TRAINING TO DO IT. FOR EXAMPLE A CHAMPION FENCER WOULD FIND FEW OF HIS TECKNIQUES WOULD WORK WELL WITH SOME WEAPONS AND WOULD HAVE TO BE FLEXABLE AND ADAPT TO BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT HOW IT WOULD WORK BEST IN A FIGHT.
OH WELL! OFF TOPIC I GO INTO THE WILD BLUE YONDER
