Chi Kwan

[TjD]

Originally posted by hunt1
TJD I have done knives vs knives and knives vs pole. Knives can be dangerous even blunt ones. A friend once need about 40 stitches to close a gash on the arm from a blunt edge knife using hockey gloves for protection. I usually just use my kali sticks for training so stick vs stick. May get bruised but no emergency room trips. Try explaining to the ER folks that you were just having fun with knives the size of meat clevers so there is no reason to call the police.

you did knife vs knife with metal knives?? yeah thats pretty dangerous i hear they make wooden knives for that purpose... those might be a little more safe

[Phil Redmond]

do you guys do any pole vs knives, or knives vs knives (chi do) drills?

Yup?

hunt1
I also had some REALLY good wooden knives made by a friend in Canada. You can train with them without worrying about cuts. I can email you a jpeg of how they look if you like.

[AndrewS]

Check <www.ebmas.net> for the number at the LA Headquarters. We have some killer Lexan machetes which just happen to be very similar to butterfly knives. They've survived every piece of abuse I've put them to, which is fairly impressive.

And of course, were you to take the screws out of the wooden handles, use some good glue instead, and sharpen the edge, you'd have a fun little thing which wouldn't register on a metal detector.

Andrew

[KPM]

Hi Guys!

Just some random thoughts brought up by this thread:

1. I have made excellent plastic training knives that anyone can do. Just buy a sizeable kitchen cutting board. Come up with the shape you want, trace it and cut it out with a jigsaw. Then get rid of the rough edges and finishing shaping it with a wood rasp. Finally, sand it smooth just like you would a wooden knife. The result will be virtually indestructible. I have also made some nice ones from red oak.....one of which broke with heavy use. That's why I went with the plastic cutting board material and won't go back.

2. I have worked with the Chi Kwan methods. Lots of fun! I have written in the past and still believe that too many WCK people just look upon the pole as the Wing Chun equivalent of lifting weights. They don't consider it a serious weapon and therefore don't train it as such. A great many people just consider the pole a conditioning exercise only. That's a **** shame in my opinion, because the pole is an excellent and efficient weapon. I also think it should be introduced in the curriculum earlier than most teach it. There are likely a sizeable number of people that are very good at WCK, but that just never got around to learning the pole.

3. Sparring with the pole.....stay away from PVC. It will break, and when it does it will leave sharp and dangerous edges on the end. Forget about padding the pole itself. This will make it too heavy and change the balance, feel and handling characteristics. Your best bet is to pad the person, not the weapon. Head gear options include a fencing mask, or the padded tae kwon do head gear that includes a face plate. I've found that the best torso protection is either hockey or motocross chest protectors. They are tough and lightweight. I have a motocross chest protector that also covers the upper arms and sides of the chest. These things are designed to keep the rider cool while protecting him from big rocks and other debris thrown up by the bike in front of him. Therefore they are well capable of handling any blow one would dish out in sparring sessions. Street hockey gloves seem to work the best for hand protection. They aren't quite as bulky as ice hockey gloves.

Keith

[Phil Redmond]

The plastic knives are a good idea Keith. I broke the guard on one of my wooden ones doing techiques against another wooden knife.
Thanks for the tip on the PVC pole. Body protection sounds like a better idea, sort of like Kendo.
Phil

[Phil Redmond]

I've been practicing striking objects with the kwan to train accuracy in my strikes. Is anyone here doing that and what are you striking at?

[TjD]

i've trained this a little... but as i said before, too little time and too much to work on.

i've found a ball attached to a string hanging from the ceiling works wonders. the lighter the ball the better, as it's movements are less predictable.

[teazer]

Originally posted by Phil Redmond
I've been practicing striking objects with the kwan to train accuracy in my strikes. Is anyone here doing that and what are you striking at?

Nuts for accuracy!
Old bag of walnuts to be precise. Just like in Warriors 2 with the date stones! The ball on a string is good. Dangling one of those iron rings is good to poke through too.
Then old car tires for power.

[Phil Redmond]

I like the old tire idea, especially for lateral and other strikes.

[teazer]

Originally posted by Phil Redmond
I like the old tire idea, especially for lateral and other strikes.

Or even poking through then hooking up. 2 or 3 tied vertically cover enough distance to work all heights. An added bonus is they're very cheap & durable for practice chopping and slicing with knives.

[GeneChing]

Ving Tsun's Devastating Chi Kwan: One Sound, One Hit, Fight Over! by Robert Dreeben