Tai Chi Stick Form?

Discussion in 'Tai chi' started by New Guy, Jul 23, 2009.

  1. New Guy

    New Guy I am NEW.

    Anyone practice it here? Is there a special Tai Chi Stick or do you just use anything that you can wrack with? :evil:
     
  2. 19thlohan

    19thlohan Beast and the Broadsword

    Not sure what you're asking. Stick = Staff in many Chinese arts and Tai Chi has their own stick/staff form but they use a regular staff just like any other style.
     
  3. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    If you're speaking of a short stick,like a kali stick or police baton,it has never been a part of any " traditional " TC curriculum to my knowledge.Some people have made some forms and drills. Most are based on the sword,which is not something to base stick work on,but that's the norm.And the failing.

    The "whip", a flexible wooden item about the size of a cane,was a weapon in the curriculum of some TC folks..Not practiced by most folks these days.

    The staff is nowadays practiced w/a standard 6', but is meant to be a lance,so should actually be looonng.This is reflected in both the techniques/drills practiced,and certain common staff moves which are not employed.(ie "flowers".Impossible to do w/a 9 foot pole/lance). There is no (again) "traditional" TC staff/lance form.Any forms,as opposed to drills,are most likely creations of the 1970's-(if that early)- and after.

    So, I'm guessing you're talking about a baton size stick?
     
  4. New Guy

    New Guy I am NEW.

    Yes, I think so, but I am not very familiar with all the sizes and their names.
     
  5. lominna

    lominna Valued Member

    I usually run through my tai chi 'kata' with some weapon in my hand -usually in my backyard, while my dog looks for squirrels, early in the morning; most often a small one-hand-openable lockblade pocketknife (closed), but sometimes a small peppersprayer, on rare occasions my legally-owned little revolver (unloaded, inside the privacy of my home), and sometimes my cane. I didn't learn any special stick kata, I just go through my usual kata while holding the cane. I think it helps maintain those muscles and bones involved in using a weapon for defense, and increases familiarity.

    Canes are great in that they can even be taken through airport security right into an airliner cabin, unlike most other self-defense tools. This cane has seen the sands of some nice beaches, the pavements of some old cities, and the glories of nature on some fine mountain trails. At home, I usually bring my cane when taking the dog for a walk, especially in snow and ice.

    I have seen some good training films on using a cane. I'm thinking of one especially by a Russian ex-Spetznaz guy -Vladimir Vasiliev IIRC. The title was Improvised Weapons I think.
     
  6. russell-NWFA

    russell-NWFA Valued Member

    I've seen both stick/cane forms and staff forms. My personal practice has only involved the later. Though when I first got into Tai Chi I trained at a place in Minnesota that taught the cane form. Do you have an instructor or are you going off of a video? The cane form I'm familiar with was simple enough to learn the mechanics of from a vid but, as always, the finer points and applications are tough to work out with some help.

    -Russell
    Northwest Fighting Arts
     
  7. lominna

    lominna Valued Member

    Russell-NWFA,

    Your MN tai chi cane class sounds interesting. My tai chi class was by a Chinese instructor in Toronto. No canes, but he did introduce us to the tai chi fan. It makes a startlingly loud noise when you open it suddenly and can block the opponent's vision momentarily, hopefully allowing you to slip in a sidekick or something. I find I carry my cane far more often than my tai chi fan.

    I did see a cane video some years ago by a black belt in TKD, I believe, who was a retired woodworker who started a business crafting canes and videos. I have no commercial interest in his business, but you can see his wares at www.canemasters.com. Click on 'packages' then 'self-defense packages' and you can see a 'Tai Chi Package'. The asking price is $135.00 and this includes a carved cane, a 'Buiding the Foundation' video and a Tai Chi video. Pictured on the cover is someone holding a cane pointed outwards, left hand in high guard, and standing on one leg as the sun either sets or rises silouetting a mountain in the background. It's a tempting deal, I think.

    You can see some free videos of cane self-defense as part of an interesting site, the site where I learned of this forum; www.mouseguns.com
     
  8. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    $135.00? No too tempting. I'd wanna see the videos first.Know where the supposed TC cane came from.

    Not that the cane is a bad weapon-just that most things presented as TC cane are generally not anything from TC, or they tend to be based on the sword, which REALLY makes very little sense.

    "TC" fan is modern puff stuff,any moves with the fan open which purports to have any meaningful application...doesn't.I guess you might get lucky and open the fan and "slip in a sidekick or something"-but it's probably easier and quicker to spit in the adversary's eye.We had a discussion a while ago on fan,use search.And keep your fan closed if you have to use it as a (last ditch) weapon.Hopefully it's solid enough that way to use as a pocket/yawara stick.
     
  9. Fire-quan

    Fire-quan Banned Banned

    For cane fighting, check out canne de combat - that looks TOP!
     

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