NaamKyun.com Discussion Forum

Hi,

I didnt see a thread about the broadsword so I thought I start one..
I would like to hear about principles,history,usage etc.
I have learned the malaysian version of Pek Gwa Daan Do which originally is bat gua daan do so not comparable with the common hung kuen version.
How important is the broadsword in your curriculum ?
I must admit the single broadsword is one of my lesser favourite weapons although its a very southern weapon...

what are your thoughts,experiences etc ?

Although very shaolin, I understood its mostly a northern shaolin wepaon, and not so much a southern weapon.

I understood in Hung Kuen the Pek Gwa Dan Dou is the most used form, but afaik theres not really a standard form like how the 8th diagram pole is accepted as a style wide weapon.

I learned a Moi Fa Daan Dou as you know, its quite different again from the Pek Gwa Dan Dou. Love to play the Dou form, along with monkeystaff my fav. weapons.

I enjoy the dan-dao. Many of the movements are the same as in Kali, (many kali teachniqes came from China)so I borrow some drills to teach my s students before teaching them the form. This way, they understand usage, and have a much better feel and comprehension when learning.
I teach basic angles of attack. then the defense and counters from them, and then disarms off of those. (the disarms are fun, and translate to anything they hold in their hands-stick, pipe, tire iron, etc)
Then I teach two 2-man drills=both of these drills become continuous flow.
After that, I teach a handful of applications from the form. Many of them are counter to spear techniques, going from outside range to inside range.
Once these are learned, then the form is taught.
I plan on including weapons sparring at some time to make it even more valid, perhaps invsting in two sets of FMA sparring gear.

we have 2 different daan dous

- willow leaf pek gwa daan dou; as the name suggests, it come from daai sing pek gwa of Gang Dakhoi sifu, sworn brother of my sigung, grandmaster Lam Jou

- commander's sabre; from Lam Saiwing

i personally do not like pek gwa daan dou that much, however, it is a favourite weapon of many people from Lam Gwun i know

commander's sabre, well, different story, one my my favourites, it perfectly fits the Southern curriculum of Lam Ga Hung Kyun. it is drills orientated (so, o bunch of techniques one after teh other), it has a typical structure of the southern weapons, repeating the drills south north, east, west. very similar structure to the double kives, tiger for, long handled broadsword, single and double chain whip, bench, trident and of course long pole.

the drills are very easily transfered into the 2-man drills, sabre vs. sabre, and sabre vs. spear; we also do some drills with ruber knives and training telescopic batons.

foundation of all of our short weapons, second weapon of our curriculum (after the double ended staff), and one of our five foundational weapons (long - staff, short - sabre, pair - knives, heavy - long handled broadsword, flexible - single chain whip)