Sparring with tiger hooks

[Tholf]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGAKjoh0kNQ&feature=PlayList&p=B371F050F13041EC&index=0[/youtube]

Footage of some sparring I did on the weekend using tiger hooks/fu tau seurng ngau vs a German longsword. The rule was one hit means you lose the round. A lot of hits were on the hands.

I didn't use many techniques from the Hung Gar tiger hooks form I have recently learned because they were not much use against a longer range weapon (or, at least, I am not proficient enough to use them properly). Using the hooks to snare the longsword did not work that well, largely because the longsword has the benefit of a two handed grip, which allows it to change directions a lot more easily, and can also thrust and pivot in a way which makes trapping and controlling it difficult.

This footage is of the first time I've sparred with these weapons after learning the form. I sparred some other guys later in the day - each with two handed longswords which gave them a long range - and got better, particularly with using the hooks more independently. I haven't done any weapons sparring since last December and even then did not do much, whereas these guys do it every week, so take pity on my performance.

I found the tactics which worked best against the two handed longswords were:

* thrusting the hooks straight towards the head. Using the downward arcing movements that feature in the form did not work so well, as it is harder to change direction in the event that the opponent's weapon attacks. Also, thrusting directly towards the head (often with multiple thrusts - first one or two to setup, third covering more distance) tended to work well with less experienced opponents, as it would put them on the defensive, with them backing up rather than counterattacking. Did not work so well on the more experienced guys who did not get flustered and instead stepped back and counterattacked simultaneously.

* lateral swings towards the head and upper body, followed by closing the distance and dropping down to strike lower. Again, this worked better on less experienced guys who got flustered/defensive.

(the approaches above had the same effect as set up jabs in boxing followed by the committed strike)

* hooking the weapons together and swinging, using the combined length of the hooks to get superior range. This was most successful when aimed at the legs. I do it pretty badly in the video, but it later match ups managed to recover a lot better when missing. I didn't use this technique much largely because it was too easy to win the round that way and I wanted to work on snaring and/or close range attacking.

All my opponents were using two handed longswords** and I think sparring against someone using a dao, jian or paired dao would be a lot different and would probably feature more techniques from the form I've learned, which features more circular and arcing movements.

** With one exception - I did about 2-3 rounds against opponents using a sparring version of a chain whip (rope with padded weight - more like a rope dart or meteor hammer and I suspect not that representative of how a chain whip would work) and the use of the hooks was completely different. There I could use the hooks to intercept and trap the rope, with the rope wrapping around the hooks and allow me to counterattack with the other hook without any risk.

[PM]

hello Tholf,

nice video, good to see such events. we do not practice "double tiger hooks" in our lineage, so i cannot ad any comments or tips that are specific for this weapon.

as you wrote, most of the hits were to the hands - and it should be like that. most of the wepaon techniques are aimed at the opponents (front) hand - after you disarm him, you can kill him any way you like. another tip (but you know that anyway) - using the pair as advantage

thnx for the clip, all the best in your practice!

[Fu-Pau]

Tholf,

Take this for what it is worth bearing in mind:
(a) I do not study Hung Ga
(b) I have not learned Double Tiger Hook Swords as it is not taught in our school.

However, I have learned the double broad swords and, if I can, I will draw parallels between that and Double Tiger Hook Swords (or any other double weapon) for it is the principals that apply most.

In my view you did not utilise in any way the advantage that you had in having double weapons. For example:
-Most of the time both of your swords were doing the same thing at the same time, therefore in blocking one of your swords he was in effect blocking both, and negating your advantage (when using double weapons your two weapons should be doing almost the counter of each other – so if the left is blocking up the right should be attacking below. One attacks while the other defends.)
-Often when he attacked you successfully parried with one sword, but the other did nothing – it should have been attacking as the other parried. If you were out of range for this you should have compensated by closing the distance as you parried to bring the other sword into range. This would have forced him to retreat or risk being hit (easier said than done – granted).
- He had a longer range weapon but you let him dictate that to be the range of the fight. It is hard to do, but you have to close down that range to bring your shorter double weapons into range. The best way to do this (as said earlier) is to keep both weapons doing the opposite of each other (one engages steel, the other engages flesh) couple this with switching from left to right as the attacking weapon and you keep him guessing (and on the defensive rather than on the offensive).
- One off strikes are too easy for him to counter with the control that a two handed weapon has, since you had two weapons you should try to have him using all his efforts to parry them continuously, eventually one will get through (and it is better that he spends most of his time parrying rather than striking).

Excuse the lack of coherence, I am typing on the fly as I am at work!

Cheers
Fu

[Tholf]

Thanks for the tips Fu-Pau. I'm hoping to get more confidence to use these tactics the more I spar with double weapons. At the moment I find it like when I started boxing sparring - the apprehension of a second attack/counterattack kept me focused on defense and anticipating strikes rather than attacking. That said, the tape doesn't show my improvement in later sparring where I was sparring more in line with your recommendations (or, at least I'd like to think that was the case).

[Tom Bayley]

Although I have not yet learned the tiger hooks I understand that in reality fighting hooks were short. The long hooks you are using are a more recent development for display.

I have done a little double weapon work against medial European weapons. The key is to pass the point of the attacker either by stepping into the void after an attack or by moving in behind a guard or a parry. Having two blades means that you can guard/parry and attack simultaneously. So once you are in close its just like fighting from the inside. Bridge with one weapon and hit them with the other.

[Tom Bayley]

[Tholf]

[Tom Bayley]

[mok]

[Tholf]