Why do that with a staff?

[Judge Pen]

I've seen a couple of southern staff forms that have a particular move in it that I don't understand. They spin the staff above their head with one hand and with an open palm. the staff is just spinning unsupported but for the open palm. It has no power or stability. I've only seen it in some CLF forms and on David Jameson's website. Can someone tell me why you would do that and why it is in these forms?

[PangQuan]

cause its purty?

[MasterKiller]

Is the move preceeded by them yelling "Go Go Gadget Helicopter"?

[sean_stonehart]

Is the move preceeded by them yelling "Go Go Gadget Helicopter"?

****!!!!!! THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSING!!!!!!

[David Jamieson]

In training term, it helps to see the control of the staff by the exponent.

*ding*

weapon control is a large part of weapon training. there's lot's of drills and practices that don't apply to usage but do apply to control of the weapon and overall balance, strength, etc etc.

in the instance of the clip from my site you mention, it's a control method but also part of form closure which is generally stylized techniques denoting where the set came from or who it came from.

[Sow Choy]

Judge Pen,

In the Lee Koon Hung school of Choy Lay Fut we do not have this move, maybe it was taken out or maybe other schools developed it....

Every once in a while in various styles you will see a move that was added somewhere down the line to show the control of the weapon, either for a show or just basic handling...

But I have seen this move before, usually by someone who is not very good, so I am not a good judge... But I like practical more than pretty...

I have seen some people use the tiger fork where they roll it around there arms and shoulders to get the fork to spin and look cool... Again another move for looks... And we dont have that one either...

Joe

[- Human]

Is the move preceeded by them yelling "Go Go Gadget Helicopter"?

LOL, that's the funniest thing I've read on this forum to date.

Yeah i'ev seen this also wone with that weapon that looks like a devil's pitchfork... Tiger fork?

I agree, although it's a "controlled" spin, when its just rotating on your palm I can't see much actual use in that move in combat.... But I guess general weapon control is always a good thing to have.

[David Jamieson]

there is no use for it in combat.

just like your school bow really doesn't have a practical combat use, or bowing, or lighting incense or some other ritualistic practice that is part and parcel to every single school of chinese martial arts that ever there was.

not everything that is in martial arts practice has martial application and people who say everything should are taking the anus point of view of martial arts. lol

ask about combat stretching. everyone does it, no martial application, or how about combat situps and pushups? combat cardio anyone? combat sand can lifting? combat weight lifting? anyway...you get the inference.

There are entire forms that are more or less a string of different chi kungs. Then, amonst the gongs, a couple of combat moves, then back to the string of gongs. These types of practices are quite common across many styles of chinese martial arts. It is a design of efficient use of time in practice more than anything.

If you have 50 moves in a set and you practice that set 1000 times, then you have practiced each of those moves 1000 times. Now, this build takes a while, but you will effectively have more usable things in the long wrong an hence the variant heavy nature of chinese martial arts.

[IronFist]

Is the move preceeded by them yelling "Go Go Gadget Helicopter"?

rofl

10 character limit.

[mantis108]

It would help to have the context of the move such as what comes before and what's after. I have a few explanation for that.

1) In modern term, it looks cool to use that move and it will score higher with the competition judges.

2) In training term, it helps to see the control of the staff by the exponent.

3) In pratical/traditional term, it was design not to be flinging loosely. Rather it should be well controlled spinning so that you can create space between you and opponents riding on horses. The southern staff or spear for that matter is after all considered more or less a long range weapon. This would also applied if you are in a city/town setting (ie restaurant) where multiple people can make use of tables to jump down on the staff user. It's rare these days but it could happen in the old days where the conflicts between the government and underground societies were more common.

Just some thoughts

Mantis108