Fan

[norther practitioner]

Anyone here practice any fan forms? Just started learning a fan form, it is pretty hard, but a lot of fun, a lot of drunken influence. Any suggestions from anyone on some fan tecs?

[KC Elbows]

Yeah, be careful whenever the fan drops down low, as it can get tied up in your apron and totally make you mess up, which is really embarrassing, well, would be really embarrassing, if you weren't already stooping so low as to do a fan form.:p :D

[Hai_To]

Yeah, what KC said.

[joedoe]

When using the fan during high techniques, be sure not to mess up your makeup. :D

Just kidding. The fan is a pretty cool weapon.

[Chang Style Novice]

For fan to be effective on the street, you need a really long extension cord.

[norther practitioner]

LOL
Thanks guys, can always count on you to tell me how it is....

Oh, CSN, I think mine is battery operated.

Joe, I think my makeup is the non run non smudge stuff, it hasn't come off over the last like 20 some years.

[KC Elbows]

The best part of any fan techniques I've learned were:

-Using the fan to conceal actions by blocking the opponent's view.

-Using the closed fan as a jabbing tool.

-Using the fan to jam kicks at the shin.

However, I haven't worked those techniques a lot. I'm really not into fan. Although they're great on hot days.

[GeneChing]

Here's some resources for you:

Fans -
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-07b.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-07r.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-08b.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-08r.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/kf10fan.html
(don't forget the ninja fan!)
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/16-06.html

Book - http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/b-ww004.html

Videos-
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/pr-ww006.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/vid7tradfano.html
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/vidtaichidou.html

And of course, the master kit!
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/tckprww06.html

Remember, stuff you buy from here goes to support this fine forum. And fans make great gifts for the holidaze!:D

[norther practitioner]

Gene thanks,

I already have
http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/45-08b.html
and as I do Yang tai chi on the side my shirfu knows a tai chi fan form as well.
As you can tell from my name, the form is long fist.


KC I have those pretty much down, I also like the back hand strike while opening the fan.

[GLW]

The fan is a highly underrated weapon.

Its use as a weapon daes back pretty far. Back in the day, it was common for owners of public houses such as restaurants to expect patrons to leave their weapons checked. It is bad for business to have sword fights while dining. However, many did not want to be defenseless....so they would carry a fan. This was not a lightweight fan. It was usually made of at least bamboo but usually metal...with the spins being pinty and sharp...and often having a fold out pike or dagger part at the base.

The opening of the fan can distract...the opened fan can be used to cut and slash. the back of the fan can be used to stab as well as the front. The body of the fan acts just like a short staff....(the fan is proportional to the forearm...usually the length of the forearm or as long as from the elbow to the fingertips).

When used againste a bladed weapon, allowing a blade to go through the fan (made of metal) and then closing the fan and twisting can disarm the swrod wielder and in some cases break a blade...not unlike the hooking part of weapons like butterfly knives.

It was also not uncommon for men to exchange fans with poetry on them in powerful calligraphy as gifts showing respect. So, many would have a fan as a useful backup weapon...it does keep you cool too.

In more recent times, you see people doing Mulan fan --and this version has a link back to dance and is decidedly less useful.

But...if you are walking down the street with a fan...who will notice...and if that fan happens to be metal...and you know how to use it...not exactly a bad weapon to carry around...works well on mean dogs too.

[KC Elbows]

"When used againste a bladed weapon, allowing a blade to go through the fan (made of metal) and then closing the fan and twisting can disarm the swrod wielder and in some cases break a blade...not unlike the hooking part of weapons like butterfly knives."

Hmmm. I don't like playing the skeptic, but how exactly, without mechanical aid, can someone with a fan generate enough tension to do that? Especially considering that most swords would be made from better steel than the rivet that holds the fan together, meaning that it seems unlikely that the rivet would hold out longer than the sword, assuming that the practitioner could, with one or two hands, damage a sword that is being weilded by someone.

No offense meant, just curious.

I'm a big skeptic of some of the applications of the fan. One teacher told me 'with the fan open like this, just move it forward and you cut your opponent's head off', and I just smiled and said 'You mean poke him badly?' and he said 'That doesn't sound as good'. We laughed pretty hard over that one.

[norther practitioner]

'with the fan open like this, just move it forward and you cut your opponent's head off', and I just smiled and said 'You mean poke him badly?'


Thats pretty funny KC....

As far as the technique that GLW was speaking of, I believe it could take a straight sword out of someones hand, as far as breaking the sword, well, if they were in pjs and doing airials with the sword....maybe.

[GLW]

The disarm is the main thing. However, do not compare the blades of today with what was used in the past.

Many of the blades in the past were of extremely high quality and would never break with such a thing as a fan.

Similarly, some of the blades that people used in the past were simply junk. I have actually had a pocketknife or two made out of material that was not much better. Use it on a simple screw and the blade snapped...so- taking a well made fan against such a garbage blade...

Then....if you think about how it would actually work...straight blade through the center of the fan...close the fan and you have...say 6 spines of the blade on one side of the blade and 6 or more on the other. The thickness of the metal when added together on each side may be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch - a closed fan is between 3/4 and 1 inch from side to side.

Placing a thin metal in the middle of a 3/4 inch piece of metal...and then having the thin metal placed there being of por quality...you COULD get a break.

Now, if you ask me if I would bet my life on such a technique....the disarm...maybe...a break...not on your life. I don't believe much in dumb luck...