Keep inwardly calm and clear even in the midst of violent chaos.
(Miyamoto Musashi)
Do we use weapons in tai chi?
Chinese martial arts have produced a massive range of
weapons over the centuries.
Many of these weapons are used by
tai chi schools.
The invention of the gun rendered most of these weapons obsolete.
As a consequence, our school sees weapons as being redundant and commits
very little time to their practice.
We only use weaponry as a means of improving wrist flexibility, building
strength and exploring
energy release.
They are a training tool.
Ancient weapons are not a viable form of
self defence.
Weaponry in our times
Real life
opponents are likely to use knives or guns, so there is little point in
learning elaborate weapons forms.
Whilst the forms may enhance your tai chi, you will never be able
to legally defend yourself with a sword/spear/cudgel/mace/fan without the risk of arrest.
In England, it is illegal to carry a weapon on the street.
The time committed to a weapon might be better spent developing
empty-hand self defence
skills.
Whole-body
In our school, weapons practice is limited.
Weapons are seen as a means to develop other skills, rather than an end in
themselves.
They can help to train
whole-body usage and improve
fa jing.
We only really work with sticks and improvised weapons.
Primal
weaponry
The first
weapon ever used by humans was probably a blunt instrument such as a short
stick or a bone.
It would have been something that was to hand.
We adopt the same approach and train with sticks because
they can be replaced by any suitable object you might find.
More...
Page created 13 January 1999