Weapons forms (Attn. ABandit)

[Radhnoti]

This is mostly a question for ABandit, but if anyone else wants to mention what weapons their school trains that would be great. I was looking at the main forum and saw ABandit posted this list for "dream weapons":
Broadsword
Staff
Sai
Tiger fork
The Sai is what really threw me, as I've heard it argued that it's a strictly Japanese weapon and that shaolin-do lacks "purity" for having a sai form. Our school teaches staff first, then short stick, broadsword, sai and kwan-dao...after that it's advanced black belt stuff and I have no idea. Does your school teach sai, or were you just having a "Gee, that's a cool weapon I'll never learn." moment? :)
Thanks in advance.

[joedoe]

No, our school teaches sai. I have heard the same thing about sai being strictly Japanese but I was told the Chinese used the sai as well, though it may not have been the same sai.

The sai I use are the standard Japanese ones, but I have been told the Chinese sai have only one side prong and are a little shorter.

Given the wide diversity of weapons in CMA I would be surprised if there were any weapon that you could call strictly Japanese. Given that there are fighting forms for chopsticks, I hardly find it surprising that a CMA would have a fighting form for a gardening implement like the sai :)

cxxx[]:::::::::::>
You're fu(king up my chi

[Shaolin Master]

Sai is common in Fujian.
some Japanese styles come from fujian.
Thus it is so...

[GeneChing]

I wrote an article on Sai in Kungfu in SEP/OCT 2001. The chinese have a version. In Mandarin it's called jian (different tone from the sword jian) - Cantonese it's gen or gan. That was the same issue I wrote about Iron pen!s, so most people overlooked the sai article, but it's one I've wanted to do for years. Actually, there are lots of versions of sai and the Japanese will quickly point out that they are all Okinawan.

Gene Ching
Asst. Publisher
Kungfu Qigong Magazine & www.KUNGFUmagazine.com (http://www.KUNGFUmagazine.com)

[joedoe]

If it makes you feel any better, all those weapons you mentioned are also taught at our school. :).

Sai is actually one of my personal favourites, along with broadsword.

cxxx[]:::::::::::>
You're fu(king up my chi

[Radhnoti]

I didn't feel bad before, just curious about your mentioning sai. :D
Figures that the one KFQ I've missed in recent memory would have some info that I'd be REALLY interested in. :rolleyes:
Thanks to all who answered.

[Nich Gunn]

My school teaches, Broad sword, double headed spear, fan, walking cane, short stick, dong bong(sp?), and can't think of name but it is a a chain with a weight on each end...

[joedoe]

Don't think I have ever seen a double-headed spear set. Our school teaches stacks of weapons, but I have only seen a handful of them.

cxxx[]:::::::::::>
You're fu(king up my chi

[Dark Knight]

john Allen teaches them also, he is big on making it clear on what is Chinese.

[sean_stonehart]

After the weapons you mentioned, they slow down in being introduced to you, but you get 4 spears, hook sword, more broadswords (2 or 3), straightsword (jian) (3 or 4) & more stuff after that. Chain whips, Li Guai axes, drunken weapons, I think there's a dagger set mixed there somewhere, etc...

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats.

-- H.L. Mencken

[Starchaser107]

staff , broadsword, gim, daggers , spear, butterfly swords, three section staff, tiger fork , steel whip, fan, long handle broadsword, monk spade...

"everything is everything"