staff

[TjD]

well.. im lookin to get a new staff to practice with :)

currently im using just a long piece of pine from home depot, its about 8' long and kinda thick and not tapered at the end

anyhow, im lookin for suggestions for a kick ass staff :) id like something good to train with; mabye longer than what i already have, and heavier - do they sell metal staffs for wing chun?

anyhow, to anyone with good suggestions as to what to look for or perhaps links, i'd appreciate it


peace
trav

what some people call "dishonorable", i call "not being stupid"

[dzu]

I get my poles from Brendan Lai's up in San Francisco. I don't think he has a web page, but you might be able to find his phone number on the web somewhere. You might try some other online MA supply stores. Don't buy a bo or jo staff as they are too short. Ideally the pole should be as long as your hand when stretch overhead.

For skill training I use a waxwood pole. It's light and flexible, yet sturdy enough to endure most things you would do in training.

For body structure training, I use a much heavier pole made of some dark wood. I'm not sure what it's made out of but my roomate also bought it from Brendan Lai's.

I used a long dowel bought from Home Depot in the beginning but it's only good for remembering the form. It's too light for body structure training and too weak for serious skill training. You can use a heavy metal rod if there are no other options, but it will feel and transmit energy differently. STick with wood IMHO.

regards,

Dzu

[TjD]

i'd think for the staff you wouldnt want to use something flexible - especially if you were using it to do chi kwun or other drills...

i'd think a flexible staff would be a bit too hard to control


peace
trav

what some people call "dishonorable", i call "not being stupid"

[dzu]

Waxwood is not as flexible as rattan. It is not a wushu pole. The pole doesn't flex when I do biu gwun and hit a target straight on. When I sink my horse and strike down, however, there is a slight flex just before impact as the tip of the pole tries to catch up to the end I am holding. The tip won't flex if the right ging is not being used and the pole is not directed by the pelvis.

Chi gwun has very little to do with pole flexibility, but everything to do with feeling pressure on the pole.

regards,

Dzu

[TjD]

yeah, but if your pole is flexible, i'd think that would hurt your sensitivity.. thats what i meant


peace
trav

what some people call "dishonorable", i call "not being stupid"

[EmptyCup]

traditional Wing Chun poles have always been hard and heavy - not soft and flexible. That's because our pole techniques were derived from spear techniques. Therefore if you want to maintain the Wing Chun "flavour" :) get a hard heavy one.

However, I see nothing wrong with a "northern staff" that is flexible and longer.

[GLW]

I don't see the connection...

The spear is flexible. It is supposed to be. The LA NA JA technique which is a block back entwine and then thrust to vital area (often eye or throat) depends upon the spear flexing around the opponents weapon to add a bit of disarming quality to it.

[EmptyCup]

now that I think about it, there is some truth to that :)

who knows then? Maybe it's from when the Red Boat people used it to move their rafts :)

[chongnoi]

I have found a few places that sell good long poles: Ling Ting's AWTO (i don't know if they have dissolved here recently or not) and the Wing Chun Kung Fu Council (www.wckfc.com) This is watchman's parent organization and they make nice oak long poles for around $100.