A Pole or a Stick? The Great question...
After only reading a few posts here I find a 'junmo' practitioner! Hey there jun mo! I feel that we know eachother lol!
"Personally i have trained with some senoir practioners who could definitley use the pole techniques in active combat."
If this is true, I may have helped to train you!
I have to say that your post is not only a breath of fresh air, it is thought provoking and meaningful. I only hope that I can write just as well Bruv, but I only joined this forum today...
Oh! I almost forgot to mention. ANYONE who has trained in the Lee Shing Family has a rare insight into sick plays and pole techniques as it was, after all, Lee Shings favoured weapon. There is a massive difference in interpretation, maybe even in translation regarding this 'form'.
The Six & Half Point Pole or Six Points & Half Pole. I'll leave that to be discussed.
Okay, let's start at the beginning!
This has become an interesting thread for two reasons I think:
1. Everybody here seems to want to find the true 'History' of Wing Chuns Pole plays, but have evaded the obvious.
2. It seems to me that most try to devalue the pole without actually having been taught its relevance to the style, let alone how to use it.
Let me start with the 1st point. It actually doesn't matter where you 'think' the 'form' comes from as I believe tjwingchun mentioned a 6 1/2 & 3 1/2 version which to my knowledge is understandable. Yip Man devised the modern techniques by collaborating with other elders at the time, like he also done with the forms, wooden man and knives. Condensing all these complex moves into its simplest form is a massive challenge adn something that should be remembered and respected by all of us! According to old folk stories the most prized piece of equipment in a Martial Art School were its array of Flags. After all they were the schools identity. I'd only like to ask at this point that you consider this idea. A Flag bearer is expert in the Pole and that the history of this weapon may be closely linked to Jee Shim, but it is definately not his work. I hear you mention Leung Yee Tai, the Opera Performer. I hear this all the time but can only say that he is not responsible for the Lee Shing stick or pole plays according to my research, although all of the Red Junk would have been superb Flag technicians!
And the 2nd point is far more interesting. I've heard that maybe the late Wong Shun Leung may have been one of the only students back in the day to really understand the weapon and link its theories into his hands. I can't see why anybody would feel it useless in todays modern society, but I guess that the guys that belive this go to the gym and lift weights (attached to an iron pole lol!) The pole IS your straight line, a definitive central point of focus, just like your fist being thrown 3 times in succession. Its also interesting to note the importance of the number 6, but thats another matter.
I'll leave this to be thought over, but I feel that I have to mention AGAIN that stick plays are not pole plays and you do need to have trained both to understand either! But more importantly Luk Dim Boon Gwun does NOT translate as 61/2 point pole, but this I know has been adopted as the way to refer to the 'form'...