KUNG FU POST, I swear!!!

[African Tiger]

So I'm going to try this again, and hope that the REAL KFO'ers out there can help a brotha out.

I just picked up a set of twin tai chi swords off ebay, and I'm eager to start training with them. Granted, twin tai chi swordplay is pretty rare - I think I saw one photo on one website - but I was wondering if someone can put me on the right path.

Can anyone recommend a good video/vcd/DVD for some serious home training? I'm not sure which sword forms I want to learn (besides tai chi, of course) so throw them at me. How about a link?

Thanks and keep KFO for Kung fu!

[Mojo]

AT
have you gone to the SUP bookstore in Monterey Park ? They have a large and ever changing supply of VCD's from China that show many different CMA's. Most sell for about 5 to6 dollars.
I'm sure I've seen a few double straight sword instructional videos for sale.
They are located in a shopping center on the corner of Garvey and Atlantic. NW corner.

[count]

If you come on a Saturday, let me know.

[kungfuyou]

Do they happen to have a website??

[Laughing Cow]

AT.

Didn't someone point you to some Chen Videos on the Taiji Forum.

Here is another one:

Jiang Jian-Ye (http://www.tai-chi.com/catalog/weapons2.htm)

I think Gene is also offering a "generic" double sword Video.

Cheers.

P.S.: I would recommend to start with wooden swords.
;)

[African Tiger]

Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about! Hell yeah!

So why should I start with wooden swords? I would think that the metal swords would be harder. Or is it that the wooden ones are heavier, and thereby would develop wrist and arm strength?

[Laughing Cow]

Originally posted by African Tiger
So why should I start with wooden swords? I would think that the metal swords would be harder. Or is it that the wooden ones are heavier, and thereby would develop wrist and arm strength?

Wooden swords don't normally carry an edge.
;)

[dezhen2001]

chen double swords are VERY difficult from my limited experience. im sure u would have a lot of fun/frustration with them :D

dawood

[Laughing Cow]

AT.

You can also try the Cyberkwoon online store.

They might have some more vids there.

Cheers.

[GreyMystik]

did ya get the ones from that "master wu" in china? the 'long quan' ones that have pics all over the pages of how they're made and etched, etc?

[Guile]

Originally posted by Laughing Cow
AT.

Didn't someone point you to some Chen Videos on the Taiji Forum.

Here is another one:

Jiang Jian-Ye (http://www.tai-chi.com/catalog/weapons2.htm)

I think Gene is also offering a "generic" double sword Video.

Cheers.

P.S.: I would recommend to start with wooden swords.
;)

He has a lot of tai chi videos. You should check em out.

[African Tiger]

Grey, actually no. Someone found them in the garage of a recently deceased martial artist. She - the seller - had no idea what they were or how to use them, so she put them on ebay with her other antiques.

The swords are pretty cool, actually. They're twin swords that fit together into the scabbard, so they look like one sword when they're drawn. And they're not sharpened, so I can play with them all day! Wahoo!!!

[GreyMystik]

nice... sounds like you were fortunate to find them :) congrats, and good luck finding the training you seek!

[MasterKiller]

Recently, my Sifu ordered a set of double-swords, and got a set just like you described. However, he intended to get double-broadswords.

He kept the double-straight swords because they are cool, but he doesn't know a set for them.

[Shaolin-Do]

May want to look on amazon.com,
I know dr. yang jwing-ming has 1 or 2 single sword forms in books and on dvd, but Im not sure about double swords.

[jon]

A gim is usualy considered a long piercing weapon. Using Gim in a pair would take away much of its ability as a weapon, kinda like using two spears. Have you ever seen a western fencer or an old fashioned duelest using two strait long thin blades?

Im not saying this is a law or anything but honestly anyone comming at such things with a combat mind would never take a gim over a dao if it was being used as a pair.
Think about it, what possible advantage would having a gim be over a dao if your using both at the same time?

I hate to say this but becouse of this i would honestly doubt that you will find any real combat forms for a double gim. I would venture a guess that if there are any then they are probarly addaptations of double dao sets or simply made up for performance.

I guess this all falls back on why you want to learn weapons in the first place. If its just for fun then im sure you can dig up a good wushu form or something from somewhere. If its for combat then i would do some research on swordfighting and try to get an understanding of the usage of the blade and the circumstances in which it holds its advantages. I wont pretend to be anything of an authority on such things but im fairly sure that a double gim form would not be combat viable.

[dezhen2001]

there are some really heavy duty gim though... some that are 2 handed as well... im sure they were pretty good at cutting/crushing as well as poking :)

i seen the double chen gim form and its much different to the double dao form.

dawood

[Ether]

I also cannot see the martial value in a double Jian form. Its much the same as the use of 'akimbo' pistols in John Woo movies. It looks good to the untrained eye, but is a really bad idea.

Just to clarify, I also think the use of two Dao's at once is not recommended. The 'spare' hand performs so many complementary functions during the use of any sword that to fill it with the same weapon as the other hand is to squander its potential.

That said, there are definately good reasons for using a complementary but different weapon in the second hand. Many european martial arts do this, as did Kensai (if legend is to be believed!).

AT, are you looking for practicality or just the 'cool' factor? I personally find practical, technically sound techniques far more impressive than flashy, weak ones. But that could just be me.....

[GeneChing]

Actually the double straight sword (shuang jian) is fairly common in Chinese KF, usually a woman's weapon. It requires a lot of flexibility and grace and most of us guys are just too clunky for it.

FWIW, these to exist in the west too. When two swords are placed in the same scabbard with 'halved' handles so they fit flush like one, it's called swords 'in case.' There are historic examples of case of rapiers, in fact, they are highly valued since it requires great technical expertise to make a case of weapons. It's hard enough to make a sword true. To make two swords both parallel and true is ten times as hard. This is hard to explain to anyone who has never made a sword, but common knowledge to anyone who has. Anyway, the Chinese love 'in case' weapons and you see many examples.

We don't have a double jian video yet. I'll put that on my list.

[MasterKiller]

Just to clarify, I also think the use of two Dao's at once is not recommended.

I don't know about that. I've free-sparred with double-swords verses other weapons, and against long weapons like staffs and Pu Daos, double swords can be very effective when you use one to block and the other to cut.