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Laughing Monkey
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ngtigerstudent
newbie
Joined: 09 Dec 2007
Posts: 32
Location: Hartford City
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 Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject: Weapons |
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Do you think that someones Kung Fu is incomplete or suffers if they dont have an interest in weapons. It seems to me that almost everybody has interest in multiple weapons and weapons forms. But for some reason I have never been all that interested in weapons. I want to learn all of the NG Fam tiger sets and I know that this involves weapons and I fully intend to do them and become proficient, but I wonder if I am not keeping with Chinese or family tradition by not being interested in all of the weapons of Shaolin Kung Fu.
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MichaelKinnett
newbie
Joined: 08 Dec 2007
Posts: 23
Location: Muncie, Indiana
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| Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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To me it seems as though the weapon sets have a many great advantages to your kung fu training, but many of these have changed in our day and age.. I don't train ALL of the weapons I train for self defense or combat ability with them. I'm not saying it can't happen but I doubt I will get into much combat while using a spear.. The knife fighting however can be very helpful, and anything you learn about defense from weapons can translate to almost any weapon, be it a knife, club, baseball bat, or even a gun..
So basically, yes I think weapons are a great benefit to fighting ability and self defense... Also, I think the sparring with Jians has helped me gain a better understanding of how footwork kills.. Emptyhand many times I find myself just BSing my way through footwork, and doing the sword sparring has made me realize how valuable footwork is, and any boxing or MMA fan can attest, footwork kills... Guys like Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr., Floyd Mayweather, and many other slick and VERY successful fighters have superb footwork and make other professionals look like stumbling, untrained, amateurs..
Just my take on the whole thing, I think it all flows together so well that without one thing, the other suffers a little or isn't as greatly improved. |
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bizzarrokennon
newbie
Joined: 30 Dec 2007
Posts: 19
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| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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When I first started I was not interested in weapons. I still dont feel like a weapons person, But I do have to say when you spend some time on a weapon, you begin to see new things about your fu. I was completely beat up by my three section steel whip. Which in turn made me work harder to control it. I put no padding on it. If it hit me (and it did many of times) it *blanking* hurt. Now, it is one of my favorite forms. Short, sweet to the point.
With the jianshu we are doing. I can see how it is helping with ranges, movement, speed, footwork. You also get to see where your weaknesses are. This in turn makes me want to learn more weapon sets because I can see how it helps broaden your ideas of fighting.
kennon |
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TheMonkey
Site Admin
Joined: 06 Dec 2007
Posts: 68
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| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 10:13 pm Post subject: |
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My pov is this.
While weapons training may be fancy and pretty and nonapplicable in many areas, there are many areas where traing with weapons teaches you to be more direct, more brutal and can help to build strength in areas like the wrists, hands and shoulders, help you develop awarenes, refine footwark and timing. Many people feel that weapon training is not necassary. As you will most likely never be walking down the road with a 15 lb kwans knife on your shoulder in case someone attacks you. On the other hand, the benefits you gained from training with that knife may be just the thing you needed to overcome your attacker. Weapons, especialy real weapons, force you to develop body awarness and control that you do not find in empty hand sets. Is weapons training needed, no. But it is desireable.
Looking at tradition, While many of the old masters did know a huge array of weapons, there were several others that only had a few weapons that they knew. The basic weapons have always been Staff Saber, Knife, Spear and Sword. And the most famous weapons masters in China's History used these weapons. Liu De Kan was Famous for his Spear usage, Li Cun Yi for his broadsword. Wong Hon Fun however was most well known for his three section staff. Few if any masters were well known for thier proficiency in multiple weapons.
I don't belive that you need to practice weapons to be a traditional martial artist. I know many who do not. I do however feel that training with weapons is needed in order to be a complete martial artist. In that respect I think it is also the most overlooked aspect of training.
there you go |
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