Does anyone know where I can get one and/or an instructional video? I prefer to find the one that looks like a “T”, rather than the regular cane with a hooked handle. Thanks in advance for any help.
monkeymind
I haven’t seen a tape that is specific to tamo cane, but here are some leads - some of Shi Guolin’s videos have demos (unfortunately I can’t remember which ones exactly…anyone?) on them and there are forms (including a sparring form) in the Taguo books. They call it the T-cane. The form is traditional, short and not too difficult to learn, but like any form, tough to master.
I just did a story on it in our Jan/Feb Shaolin issue. Wa this the inspiration for your question?- http://store.yahoo.com/martialartsmart/kunmagjanisk.html I love the weapon, in fact, I specifically requested to train in it during my first visit to shaolin. Unfortunately I haven’t been practicing it much lately. I’ve been meaning to write that article ever since…
As for finding one, they are really easy to get at Shaolin but that’s the only place I’ve seen them available. They are also really easy to make - all you need is someone with a lathe and a wood rasp. The spike end is a little more difficult but you can just put a spearhead on the end (or leave it uncapped.) My original shaolin one had a white wax wood shaft that got infested by worms, so I made myself a new one. It took me only a few hours labor and was great fun.