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I haven't posted about taiji in a while! I've been taking weapons class since the end of March or beginning of April with LaoMa. LaoMa is an ex-Marine, and he was stationed in Okinawa (2Div). He's got a tattoo of the Marine division logo with a torii gate superimposed on his left deltoid. He's a very interesting guy; he studied in China for several years at Wudang Mountain, with Ding Yeye, and he was in Taiwan (I think?) for a bit. He teaches Wudangshan style, push hands, and weapons, as well as weekend calligraphy workshops.
The first thing LaoMa has you learn is a modified stick/broadsword form that one of his teachers (the one in/from Taiwan) made up, based on ... something else. He mentioned it in class the other week, but I can't remember what he said it was based on. Yang style something. It's a good introduction to the idea of weapons, and it helps you get used to holding a 3-foot-long stick in your hand.
I learned all of that in about 6 weeks, then I moved on to Chen broadsword. He suggested it based on my history of studying Chen open hand, because they share some similar qualities. I like it because it's short and violent. It's very up close and personal: the extended postures (sword thrusts) aren't like in fencing, where you're poking your opponent who's standing at the end of your blade. You're running somebody who's within arm's length through. I like that. I learned the choreography in a month or so, then spent the next month on refinements. It's still not perfect, but it's more things I need to work on at home than things I can do in class.
Since the end of August, I've been learning fan. I can't find a YouTube video that matches the one I'm learning. There are a LOT of styles of fan! I'm 3/4 of the way through I think? It's fun, and I like it, though I broke the flange off the end of the pin holding the ribs together, so I need to order a new one and *not* drop it on cement. -__- It still works, but I have this fear that it could fall apart at any minute.
I don't know what I'm going to learn next. Maybe bagua sword? Something with a jian, I think, since that's something I haven't done yet. He also teaches bien and tassel sword, but those (especially tassel) are for more advanced students. He also teaches walking cane, which is kind of awesome, but not really my style. It's very theatrical. LaoMa performs his routine at the New Year's celebration, and he includes a little shopping bag with handles as a prop.
I need to spend some time reading the philosophy/principles stuff and working on Chen open hand, and incorporating some of the things I've learned in weapons class. I'm really lazy about intention, for example, but with a weapon, you kind of HAVE TO have intention. So I should pick a section in Chen 108 and work on intention there, and keep doing that until I get through the whole thing. That'll be a while...
The first thing LaoMa has you learn is a modified stick/broadsword form that one of his teachers (the one in/from Taiwan) made up, based on ... something else. He mentioned it in class the other week, but I can't remember what he said it was based on. Yang style something. It's a good introduction to the idea of weapons, and it helps you get used to holding a 3-foot-long stick in your hand.
I learned all of that in about 6 weeks, then I moved on to Chen broadsword. He suggested it based on my history of studying Chen open hand, because they share some similar qualities. I like it because it's short and violent. It's very up close and personal: the extended postures (sword thrusts) aren't like in fencing, where you're poking your opponent who's standing at the end of your blade. You're running somebody who's within arm's length through. I like that. I learned the choreography in a month or so, then spent the next month on refinements. It's still not perfect, but it's more things I need to work on at home than things I can do in class.
Since the end of August, I've been learning fan. I can't find a YouTube video that matches the one I'm learning. There are a LOT of styles of fan! I'm 3/4 of the way through I think? It's fun, and I like it, though I broke the flange off the end of the pin holding the ribs together, so I need to order a new one and *not* drop it on cement. -__- It still works, but I have this fear that it could fall apart at any minute.
I don't know what I'm going to learn next. Maybe bagua sword? Something with a jian, I think, since that's something I haven't done yet. He also teaches bien and tassel sword, but those (especially tassel) are for more advanced students. He also teaches walking cane, which is kind of awesome, but not really my style. It's very theatrical. LaoMa performs his routine at the New Year's celebration, and he includes a little shopping bag with handles as a prop.
I need to spend some time reading the philosophy/principles stuff and working on Chen open hand, and incorporating some of the things I've learned in weapons class. I'm really lazy about intention, for example, but with a weapon, you kind of HAVE TO have intention. So I should pick a section in Chen 108 and work on intention there, and keep doing that until I get through the whole thing. That'll be a while...
