Hi guys
I really like to propose to the Chinese Martial Arts community worldwide to setup an International Chinese Swordsmanship Federation…I think the setting up of such a dedicated and specialized organization would be helpful to promote the various styles of jian and dao forms…it could also conduct classes/courses and organize forms, free-sparring and test-cutting competitions…
What do you guys think?? Does anyone know of anybody influential in the States or in China that I could approach to get the ball rolling ??
Thats a cool idea and I wish you luck, the western sword arts have been doing something similar for awhile and it would be cool to see the Asain arts do the same thing.
There is a new craze out their now called “Chandra???” where weapon fighters of different systems can go at it with each other using special made weapons, gear and vital point related scoring systems.
I am trying to find out where one of their groups is out by me as it is the only place where you can see a Spanish fencing student with a rapier and main guche go head to head with a kenjitsu student armed with a katana or a karate guy with chucks.
Count me in! Another thing we have here inthe states are rennaisance fairs put on by the Society for Creative Anachronisms. It’s kind of hokey, but these guys dress in medeival costumes and armour, and go at it with padded swords and sheilds. Every once in a while, I see a guy with two swords, and I watch hoping he knew double broadsword technique, or Phillipino double stick, only to be dissapointed to see him flailing away miserably like an idiot, and get his head handed to him. I keep telling myself I will get in there, but it seems you have to join their entire organization, go through their heirarchy, call yourself Frodo, or Gandalf or some garbage-I just want to play with swords and have fun! These guys need a life.
I think it would be great. There can be alot of sharing, seminars, etc. Let’s do this.
Just a thought, but this forum is sponsored by Kungfu Magazine. Have you thought of contacting them about this idea? They would know the people to talk to. Also, a new event like this would give them something fresh to write about. They could cover it from it’s inception. So it could be a mutually beneficial partnership.
Thanks for the positive feedback and support for the idea. I have just written an email to Gene Ching to request for assistance. You guys are right…Let’s do this thing and perpetuate Chinese swordsmanship arts throughout the world…
Hell yeah, that’s what we need!!! Excellent idea, and a sure mean to keep up the beautiful art of chinese swordplay…It’s not too late, there are still some guys genuinely trained in sword in China and abroad…
TTT
Nobody helps you to form an organization in the Martial Arts. It’s all grass roots. It comes from you. Other organizations are usually to busy running themselves than to try to help get another organization off the ground. After you’ve establihsed yourselves, after you have a real budget and bank account, then maybe another organization will acknowlege you, but as I said before, they have their own concerns. There are hundreds of CMA organizations across the country, some have international recognition, some are no more than a fancy name for someone’s personal school. All you really need is some people and a letterhead.
It’s worthy of note that a sword federation was attempted in the late 80’s or early 90’s, if memory serves. Actually two were founded simultaneously - both promoting weapons sparring - they weventually came to some cooperative agreement. I think it was Sung Baek on the East coast and Adam Hsu out here on the West. I’m not sure that either is still in existance, but they certainly made a good effort back then.
It sounds like you guys have the right intentions. If you want this to happen, you have to make it happen. And if you’re good to your words, I’m sure you will.
Yeah adam hsu’s org. is still going. I am a member. It’s the traditional wushu association. there is a link on the home page of my site. The web site is a little behind though. Hsu is real big on getting weapons sparring as a regular event at Kungfu tournaments. He is very anti contemp. wushu though and allot of his effort goes into debunking misconceptions that contemp. wushu and legends cause so I don’t really know what he is working on at the moment.
" A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do…and somebody has got to do the dirty job…but it ain’t gonna be me "…just JOKING…
Anyway, I hope to work with interested individuals to setup this organisation. If there is a price to pay…then as the saying goes, when you want something badly, you will achieve it at any cost…
It is my most intense desire that such a organisation be setup to uphold and promote Chinese swordsmanship arts: forms as well as sparring. I observe that in China, modern wushu weapons forms in competitions do have their own value…however, the other aspect of weapons sparring (to improve/enhance reflexes and instincts and the ability to anticipate/read an opponent’s mind) is sadly neglected. A competition champion who is excellent in weapon forms may not necessarily be skilled in real sparring…and vice versa. It is my personal desire to see weapons sparring as standard curriculum in CMA around the world.
In the hope that such a fighting competition can become a real event I have been teaching my students traditional methods of:
Double(and single) broadsword vs DB
Spear vs spear
stick vs stick
Short stick vs shortstick
and jian vs jian
Some problems that make such a competition difficult:
-affordable safety gear
-for long stick and spear it seems that competition is impossible unless some of the best techniques are eliminated.
For example; I have seen the videos of the long spear competition where they wear a small amount of armor and can compete safely. But their lance is over 10 feet long. My spear technique uses a shorter spear that incorporates a lot of stick moves. Some of the moves like a slam to the top of the head or back of the neck would require more cumbersome armor.
Broadsword(1-2) and short stick
The way these weapons are used in reality is high level MA, but in competition it is very easy to degenerate into a power smashing contest that is incomprehensible to bystanders.
Jian
It may be possible to create an excellent scoring system with this weapon where the “blade” leaves a mark on the opponents uniform only when designated areas are hit or sliced.
This would make the student of crude bashing technique lose in a hurry while high level technique could shine forth.
Problem with jian. Sadly most kung fu schools have nice jian form with imaginative application, but the traditional method of learning to fight with this weapon is rare.
If the school has preserved at least one jian 2 man form that is exceptional and yet it won’t be enough info for the person to compete using the techniques in a freestyle fighting competition. At least not very well.
One possible solution is to hold seminars teaching the traditional method.
(the way I learned)
solo form
becomes partner form
3.partner form breaks up into several drills that go round like a merry-go-round
drills are recombined in different order. Not forced, but a natural pruduct of proper instruction of #3
In CMA there is a tendency to want to keep things secret. Insiders and outsiders. This atitude may be an obstacle for getting the different schools to share their methods for competition.
