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View Full Version : Your first weapon.............



Ross
10-08-2000, 10:21 AM
From what I can gather the staff appears to be the first weapon for TCMA practitioners. What was your first weapon(other than a "sharp" wit /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif)and how soon did you start to learn it. If it was a staff set was the staff used as a two ended (like the okinawan bo) or a one ended weapon (more like a spear). I'm assuming you are a southern sytlist unless you say otherwise.

R

meltdawn
10-09-2000, 05:11 AM
I started in a northern system, and did indeed learn staff first. a six foot rattan wood thing that makes a cool ****zing sound the faster you go. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I was dying to learn sabre first, since I've always loved swords. Alas, beggars can't be choosers. My dad had to lock his Navy dress sword up so I wouldn't play with it... and that was when I was four! I studied some stage combat and "ye olde cumbersome hunk of steel" style, then graduated to fencing. Think it's a "fancy lad" art? I would come home with dime-size welts and bruises all over the right side of my body. Man, those were fun days!

Back to staff: my northern style uses the staff as a double ended weapon. I thought it a simple, boring weapon when I first began. Now I think it one of the best out there.

After sabre came daggers. Now I'm starting some spear.

In my southern style, I first learned butterfly swords. You would think that finding some to fit my small frame would be easy, since kung fu is after all a Chinese martial art. But I had to search everywhere to find a pair short enough. Finally Canada yeilded them. Seems nice stuff comes from Canada. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

I've also played around with sais in a two man sai/staff set. There were some really interesting things to be learned about countering the staff. My master has also shown me some southern staff and trident work. I'm really anxious to learn the staff. I also thought the guy doing the sabre form in Yip's first dragon video is amazing, and REALLy want to learn that!

Oh, and I own a 7' spear I like to pretend I know how to use (good thing I have some space) and I just bought a nine-section steel whip. I don't know if I'll ever learn a whip form from either teacher, but would love some input here.

My house is like a kung fu candy store! Word to the wise: stay off eBay.

Meltdawn

LongfistMantis
10-09-2000, 06:31 AM
Well, my style is a nothern style (Longfist Praying Mantis), and as far as I can tell (I have only recently started) the weapons training begins after the first sash is awarded, and goes in this order: Staff, spear, straight sword, broad sword, three-section staff. So as you can see, the first weapon I will learn is the 'basic' staff.

LongfistMantis /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Grays Anatomy
10-09-2000, 06:37 PM
In my Northern Studies I learned the Staff first. My Sifu would then pick a weapon which suited the practitioner - I moved from there to the garden hoe. It was dissapointing at first (I too am a fan of swords and the 9 section steel whip) but I found it to be a wonderful weapon. This was followed by the spear and then the broadsword.

In my Southern School (where I am now) we start with the Broadsword followed by (I think) the staff, spear and then Kwan.

Ross
10-09-2000, 11:51 PM
I forgot to answer my own post /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif Actually I started with butterfly knives and staff almost at the same time. AND we started to spar/do 2 man series with these within a very short period..... So if you are going to answer you might add if you actually fight with the weapons you train with. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Cheers R

Paul Skrypichayko
10-10-2000, 01:25 AM
I learned double headed staff (kwun) first, then single headed staff (pang), then broadsword (do), then straightsword (gim), then trident/tiger fork (dai pa), then spear (cheung), then butterfly swords (wu deep do).

To me, it makes most sense for someone to learn staff or broadsword first. Almost all of the other weapons are based upon these two. It also makes sense to learn the single weapons first, and then the double.

Anybody have differring views on this topic?

Bastet
10-10-2000, 04:02 AM
it makes sense to start with the "root" weapons. the elements of the staff (for example) can be applied to all long weapons.

My Sifu teaches 2 ended staff first - you start learning this when you pass the first grading. From there he will decide what would best suit the student, taking into account body shape, strengths, weaknesses etc. He recommended that i dont do the butterfly knives yet because i can't do the no-hands flip off the ground yet /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif Ive started the gim, my Sifu likes the way it looks when a female does it, and until recently I was the only female in the class.

Meltdawn - ive always been fascinated with the 9 section steel whip - my Sifu said he'll teach me ONE DAY, but he's a little reluctant. Its his least favourite weapon, apparently he had a bad experience with it once. He told me to try swinging around a doubled up skipping rope to get the feel. i ended up with red marks all up my legs, and i would have decapitated myself if it was a real steel whip! /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif I think ill stick to the sword for a while!

blessed be,
a.

Je Lei Sifu
10-10-2000, 05:54 AM
The first weapon I learned, was the spear. And yes I am a southern style practitioner (Hung Ga).

Sifu taught this weapon to me first because most of our two man forms are done with one person using the spear. At that time, not too many of us knew the spear, and most of the students who did where very advance and worked with other weapons.

Sifu doesn't teach weapons until you have had 18 months or more of basic gung fu training. From there I learned Sui Lum Dan Do and the Hun Je Pang.

Peace

Je Lei Sifu
/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

The Southern Fist Subdues The Fierce Mountain Tiger

Tekarius
10-10-2000, 07:09 AM
Je Lei Sifu 18 months wow! you must be really good in gung fu. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
My first weapon is broadsword which is really hard and the form is so long. Similar to the first form in hung gar gung ji fok fu kuen its very long and complicated. I dunno about the second form tho.

LIN Q
10-10-2000, 04:15 PM
Definately the pole is good for a first weapon, certainly helps your hand forms too and visa versa(relating to waist power).Though I enjoy the Dai Kwon Do at the moment, imagine thousands of warriors facing each other with weapons like these(you'd want to have trained your guts out).Two man forms (both weapon and hand ) are essential for development.Do all styles have the left handed pole forms?¬

Je Lei Sifu
10-11-2000, 05:13 AM
Tekarius;

I've been studying Hung Ga for 15 yrs now. Not 18 months. But in our school, it takes aprox 18 months of basic training before you go onto weapons training. Some people have been the for close to 3 yrs and still have not learned weapons. That just that rate at which they're able to learn.

By the way, when I was aprox. in my 6th yr of Hung Ga, I though I was good. Now that it has been 15yrs, I realize I am not that good at all. And that is so upsetting.

Peace

Je Lei Sifu
/infopop/emoticons/icon_cool.gif

The Southern Fist Subdues The Fierce Mountain Tiger