Unusual weapons forms?

[mantis108]

I am not a weapon guy. So I don't know that much weaponary like others in my style. GM Chiu has a very extensive weaponry curriculum. Basically there are 5 categories:

Long: Spear, staff, harper, etc...

Short: Sword, Saber, hooks, Tonfa, etc...

Hard: Usually defensive such as the shield or something you can wear on the body such as the iron rings or studded wrist band, etc.

Flexible: Nanchakus, 3 sections, whip Chains, rope dart, etc...

Projectile/concealed: Archery, Darts, chops sticks (throwing), knives, etc...

There are regular weapons and odd weapons in these categories.

I am more a big fan of knives ever since I saw the movie Musa the Warriror. The only guy that lives in end of the movie was the Archer who would use throwing knives as well. My theory is that Archers are like snipers. They depends on marksmanship which relies on keen observation and quick decision making skills. Most of the time they have to be stealth and patience is everything. Now that's discipline. Besides you can get close or stay at long range with knives. So, I rather have a knife (concealed) than other weapon.

In this date and age, besides firearms, I think the best way to equipe yourself is a jacket, belt, keys and a knife without getting yourself into too much trouble. BTW, steel toes boots and halmets are good too if you are working in construction. lol... That's my take on "exotic" weaponry.

Mantis108

[Oso]

ok, I see, take it back to the style of origin to get the original flavor.

wasn't slandering that concept, btw. I mean, most everything in mantis was borrowed in the beginning.


Robert: your description of weapon classification is almost exactly like my old hung gar teacher's was.

Stick (long or short)
Edged
Flexible
Paired

[CCY mantis]

I am not sure what other styles he studied, but I was told by my teacher that Li San Jin added the hook swords and the jien set high noon sword. I think he was a body guard for merchant caravans and probably well versed in kung fu even before he learned mantis. I have heard his nickname was lightening fist Li, or hook sword Li. There is no written record of who added what forms from that time period. In my family system we have a couple of weapon sets that were probably adapted from other systems. This is the natural evolution of kung fu.

[yu shan]

Mantis 108

LOL, you just had to mention steel toed boots! You stole my thunder

I`ve been lucky to have been taught some nice weapons, long list and continuing to add to.

The most unusual was a weapon hand made by a crazy a s s student named howie. A 36" blow dart gizzmo. Very sweet and extremely accurate. At 60 feet, I can get within one inch of target, and 30 feet straight up bullseye. I have no idea where howie learned how to make this precision weapon. If I were to practice, I could probably get better. BTW, the needles are about 4 inches long and penetrate well.

[devout]

chopsticks sound great... one question though... are they thrown end over end-like a knife- or in a manner similar to a dart?

as an interesting aside, my brother and I used to play a game when we were kids back in the swamp involving my father's radial saw blades. We threw them into the fence (that was the game) and at $70 a pop you could imagine my father was none to pleased.

[EarthDragon]

In 8 step, master Wei used something called a sun and moon ring, or moon and star, that slipped over the middle finger and jutted out at both ends... But I have heard this was a popluar weapon in china. but rarely hear about.........


Tainan,
this Shu ming that you spoke about.. Is he the qigong master shuming from Beijing? I have a tape of him form my qigong teacher, that features him doing some incredible demonstrations at the park were he used to teach for free.. heavy set man with grey hair worn in a brushcut and always wore brown outfits.....

[FEELERSTRIKE]

CCY I agree with you about the addition of the hook swords , It would seem that the main mantis weapons came into the system from being either personel weapons or military weapons from an age when they were used as a major part of life

[monkeyfoot]

As for the "two-section" staff I assume it a long staff with a shorter staff attatched by a chain at one end?

Hey man. The two section staff is much like a nunchuku (sp?) but the difference being that the chinese 2 sectioned staff has a longer chain as oppose to the japanese nunchuku.

The weapon you are talking of is called a goong which is actually a family weapon (surname being goong).

On the point of blowdarts. I used to go hunting with my own 40 cal blowpipe back in the day. They are extremly accurate and have a suprisingly long range (shooting mine at a 45 degree angle would get about 75 yards distance). The best size no doubt is about 7 foot as the power and accuracy is doubled as oppose to a simple 4 foot barrel - although the latter is much more suited to stealth.

If anyone wants info on how to make these then give me a shout because I have a fair few years behind me with them.
craig

[yu shan]

A friggen 7 foot blowdart?!?! You think a four foot or smaller is not good? And what do you hunt? Sorry for so many questions. These weapons interest me. I`d like to hear more about if your game.

[Tainan Mantis]

Chopsticks thrown like a dart over the shoulder.
Movement similar to throwing a fast ball.

Wang Shuming is from Beijing but came to Tainan in 1949.

[Oso]

we used to make blowguns and darts almost from scratch.

the blowguns would be made out of a plant called queen of meadow (gravel root or joe pye weed) this is a plant that can grow up to 10' feet tall and has a punky foam looking center to the stalk that can easily be hollowed out. it can be a very straight stalk, ideal for blowguns.

we would take another plant called dogweed and rub it out to get some strong narrow fibers to braid into a narrow twine.

then taking this twine we would next use thistle puffs to make the fletching on the only storebought item we used: bamboo skewers. some of us made some w/ natural twigs.

pretty accurate out to about 50'. never thought I could make a clean kill on a rabbit or squirrel so i didn't try.

but now we are straying waaaay OT and BTL is gonna lay a smack down on us....

unless.....

I have an old document, on deerskin, stating that the cherokee's had developed their own mantis style of martial arts that was centered around the use of blowguns made from queen of meadow....yea, that's the ticket....

[mantis108]

Sorry, didn't mean to steal your thunder, man.

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the interesting info.

Warm regards

Robert

[yu shan]

No problem Mantis 108, I wear steel toed boots for work. I have often wondered how they could kick some cr*p.

Nice story Oso, I`ll bring my blow dart gizzmo when I come over for New Years. Maybe we should shoot before beer...

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

Years ago I worked construction with a guy that had no fight training (other than drinking too much). He showed me a fighting technique he developed on his own where he shuffled his feet (with steel toed boots) while throwing punches. He would target the lower shins and he said he won a lot of fights that way. Looked really weird though.

We also made blowguns when I worked at a company that made electrical heating elements. We would take the tubes that the elements were made from and make darts with sewing pins and cigarettte filters. Peel the paper off the filter and push a pin or needle through it. Then melt the inside end and squeeze it down tight on the pin. Only thing I ever hunted with it was the mouse in my apartment kitchen.

EarthDragon
I've seen that weapon before. I believe Mimi Chan learned it and may have performed it at a tournament in the past.

In Wah Lum we use the Di So Gee (Large Sweeper), a long stick with a short stick attached to one end. We also have Fire Wheels which I haven't learned yet. I believe yu shan may have learned it though.

[yu shan]

Yeah, I was the first to slice my arm open! MC got a good laugh out of that!