Girly weapons........

[Mandeigh Wells]

Although I don't have a particularly large repertoire when it comes to weapons.......I do have a particular fondness for taiji sword and I guess this weapon does have some feminine qualities....its agile and elegant not used for bludgeoning people to bits. I have spent a little time studying a simple Bong form in TSD....a long staff and I thought used in a fairly Robin Hood manner, after that I learned a little Monkey staff...this was a much shorter and lighter staff and used in a very different way in this Wushu form. The shorter staff and Monkey form suited me better, but probably because I am a Chinese MA stylist anyway, I am also only 5'2" so I didn't feel really comfortable with the longer staff. Recently though I have been studying fan and this is a weapon that I really like, again a wushu form, it was dynamic and I really like the feel of the fan, the noise it makes when you open and close it etc...it is definetely a posy weapon. one our training session we also have a load of blokes training with fan and none of them looked out of place or felt daft with what could also be considered a fairly feminine weapon........
Are there particular weapons that you feel are more masculine or feminine orientated, what about weapons such as rice flails or 9 sectioned whip? Any girls training in these?

Mandeigh;)

[Sochin]

The "girlie" weapon of Japan is the Naginata, a serious war tool, as well as small secret knives.

[Jeff Burger]

China sees the weapons as masculine or feminine...example of the 4 basic weapons staff , spear , straight sword and broadsword...straightsword and spear are considered feminine.
The all have masculine and feminine flavors but staff and broadsword are cinsidered more hacking slashing weapons as where staright sword and spear are a bit more finesse.

I practice feminine weapons and I get some weird looks...like the fan....I tell people I have a school I teach women too...also you should build your opposites...i love straightsword...but to be honest i just dont look natural...now give me a braodsword and youd think i was a pirate in my past life.

Mandeigh...we have a really nice Mantis Spear Form...it feels like fast Tai Chi. I have a friend coming from England in september he is bringing me a VCR that runs on the European PAL system so maybe we can make you a copy.
Im part Scot and would love to visit there someday so maybe we can do some spear or you can learn the Mulan Form that goes with that fan.

Ialso do whip chain and rope dart...I really think youd fancy the rope dart...but it takes a long time to learn

JMB

[Mandeigh Wells]

now give me a braodsword and youd think i was a pirate in my past life. :D thats funny cos you give some of my students a straight sword and they start making light sabre noises...we though we would do a light sabre class but decided that the casualty rate might be to high........
I get a buzz from sword, but fan is a totally different buzz, maybe because it is a kind of 'unexpected' weapon, after all a fan is for keeping you cool really. A mate of mind recently started learning a flute form....the flute was about 2' long and a bit like using a single escrima stick.....

we can do some spear or you can learn the Mulan Form that goes with that fan. you know a couple of yers ago I bought a tape of Mulan single fan.........maybe I was just waiting for the right fan....my freinds are all jealous as hell by the way!!! :cool:

I have no experience of spear other than a couple of forms that I have watched......Taiji spear looked a little 'boring' (am I allowed to say that...:eek: It was very long about 8 foot....tell me more about mantis spear....

I just picked up one of the first Wushu book I ever bought.....Wushu basic Training by Bow Sim Mark....do you know of her....I think she is in your neck of the woods......gee whizz I wish I was that flexible!

Mandeigh;)

[Jeff Burger]

Sure I know Bow Sim Mark...$$$$$$...but she is really good. I worked with an instructor under her Rich Wong for awhile.
She had a really good space some years ago...working out of a much smaller place now. Nice lady always friendly and smiling.

What can I say about Mantis Spear...its awesome...lol. Actually it is a nice form...its a good form for the birthday collectors(how do you say old timers nicely). Its a good medium speed form...some fast bits but mostly smooth fast...you dont need to be a super athelte to do it well. We just started doing it at sport tournaments and we fared well.


Flute...well its good for fighting...but the forms are rather boring...if you want to do learn to fight with a weapon that size try Kali.

I have only seen one Mulan Tai Chi Fan tape...and well...it sucked.
She looked like as just walking through a dance sequence.
If you want good Mulan Tai Chi...go to Shanghai....stay at the Pujiang Hotel ($30 for a really nice double room)its right on the waterfront...you can cross the street and practice Mulan Tai Chi on the waterfront.
You gotta go to China...north , south ...central I can hook you up

JMB

[Jeff Burger]

Straight sword is no light sabre...light sabre is a hand and a half.

Straight sword vs broadsword
Straightsword is more finesse...ballet with a blade
Broadsword is more dynamic and swashbuckley (is that a word???)...kinda like Peter Pan on angel dust.

JMB

[Mandeigh Wells]

Straight sword is no light sabre...light sabre is a hand and a half. no light saber a-la starwars


Mandeigh

[Jeff Burger]

yeah I knew you meant Star Wars...
there are 1 hand / hand and a half / and two handed swords...Star Wars was a hald and a half meaning you could use one or both hands...straight sword is one hand...though they do have longer handled ones.


Learning to fight with the flute...rolled up paper or cadboard...its how we practice Kali sometimes...once your stupid enough to believe your ready to go at it with a real stick you are ready...cause you deserve the abuse your about to get.

JMB

[Mandeigh Wells]

ok I get ya! I thought you were on about a light(weight) Sabre...he he he


once your stupid enough to believe your ready to go at it with a real stick you are ready...cause you deserve the abuse your about to get. :D Mandeigh

[fightgrrl]

whip chain can be fun if you don't mind the wierd bruises you get learning it....wraps around elbows and arms can make some oddly grab like bruises if you are doing high repetiotion and inevitably squeeze your upper arm (|><| in purply flesh is an odd tattoo)...i was getting looks like I was an abuse victim when I was playing with mine a lot.

I like the flavor of chinese women's weapons, but i'm a bit large for the super elegant stuff...I will have to be a Kung Fu pirate like Jeff...broadsword's a natural for me any way..my mother is Turkish...

I have a dancing fan too...mandeigh, do you love popping it open like a gunshot??:D

I haven't seen any women do Kwan Do/Pudao truly not a girly weapon, something I want to learn

The naginata is definately the ferocious goddess of japanese weapons ...those chicks are scary!!! but they get to wear the cool hakama...
I learned the bo SOLELY because I wanted to wear a hakama and swagger around like a samurai...and every time I think I'll learn a new weapon for competition I end up at the tournament with a stick in my hand....
I know the Mantis spear form maybe the Super Cool Kung Fu uniform is what I need.

Rope Dart is by far the coolest weapon, the scary factor with the real deal is incredible. We have a safe version for beginning practice, still hurts but it can't pierce holes in a 50 gallon steel drum...bullet on a string is the only way to refer to rope dart when the dart is really flying it is amazing how accurate Jeff has gotten too.

oops! late for work...

[Jeff Burger]

Hits dixy cup with dart....puntures whole in 55 gallon with rope dart...twidles fingers and gives evil grin "eeexcelent":up:


Whacks self in shin leaving permenant dent "WHAAAAA!!!!":cry:


Pudao / Kwan Do can be done feminine...feminine is you moving around it well...sweeps and acrobatics...


JMB

[Mandeigh Wells]

whip chain can be fun if you don't mind the wierd bruises you get learning it....wraps around elbows and arms can make some oddly grab like bruises if you are doing high repetiotion and inevitably squeeze your upper arm mmnn I was looking at one of those myself....but remembering what happened when I tried 'chucks for the first time and cracked myself in the head I am not so sure its a good idea. I went to see the Chinese State Circus in town the other night and their wushu displays were awsome......a guy did drunken boxing and he was fab, funny though most of the crowd didn't really know what was going on....;) the girls were good too, the most amazing strength in those tiny bodies and flexible...I would swear that girl had no back bone, and she could rotate her hips like a kids doll:eek:
I have a dancing fan too...mandeigh, do you love popping it open like a gunshot?? you bet, but I have to do it away from the dogs otherwise Finn tries to rip the fan appart...I had to repair my old one a few times....Jess just runs and tries to climb up my back.....its like having multiple attackers....:D
The naginata is definately the ferocious goddess of japanese weapons what is that?

Rope Dart is by far the coolest weapon, the scary factor with the real deal is incredible I haven't seen that one done....



Hits dixy cup with dart....puntures whole in 55 gallon with rope dart...twidles fingers and gives evil grin "eeexcelent and no accompanying light sabre noises....I bet there are a few wooshes....followed by the ouch as it penetrates you shin.....:eek:

what about the fire wheels or emei?

Mandeigh

[Jeff Burger]

Naginata = Japanese Halberd...long staff with machete at end.

Rope Dart...solid metal spear head at the end of rope( approx 25ft)

Wind Fire Wheel....nahhhh....have you seen Deer Antler Knives. Double Hooks is popular girly weapon. Wind Fire Wheel...reminds me of Freddy Kruger...Deer Antler = Klingons.

For Chinese Weapons Forms we do...
staff , spear , straightsword ,broadsword , fan , bench , 3 sectional staff , broadsword and sheild , rope dart , whip chain ,pudau...would like to learn double broadsword or broadsword whip chain.

To be honest I dont keep those forms in great shape...why would I learn that many forms??? Because Im a teacher and I want my school and students do be able to do different things. I dont let my students learn a whole lot of forms and the forms we do (Japanese or Chinese) are for tournament. Wushu students can learn 1 hand and 1 weapon each year and they have a progressive list to choose from. They need to learn the 4 basic weapons first...staff , spear ,straight sword and broadsword in order of 1 long 1 short and then they can choose any weapon.
For hands they can choose Southern Fist , Longfist or Mantis. Myself I do alot of Longfist even though Im not a Longfist guy...why...its a great workout (flexibility , agility , strength ,percision).

JMB

JMB

[fightgrrl]

[cool naginata pic (http://www.naginata.org/images/naginataPainting.jpg)



hmmmmm, my next super hero phase???

[TenchuDude]

There is a woman in my school who does a lot of double daggers. She likes it because they are weapons yet smaller and easier for her maller hands to control. And when you put the little bright colored cloths on the ends it looks really showy and flowery. You might want to look into double dagger forms.

[Jeff Burger]

Weapons to me breaks down into a couple of reasons for doing.

#1 self defense...Id recommend stick, knife and common objects

#2 hobby, fun exercise

#3 sports competition

I cant see double daggers being good and 2 or 3 and as far as style for knives look into Philipino systems

Jeff

[Jessica]

I was going to say the sabre (third weapon in fencing), but I just remembered that everyone else who uses a sabre at the salle where I study is male.:rolleyes:

[Jen]

I haven't studied all too many weapons, but my favorite is the bo staff. It was just like I picked it up and knew what to do with it right away. What was strange was, since I didn't know too much at first, I got last pick on the bo's the day I started, so I had the heaviest one. When I tried a lighter one it didn't feel right. I'm in taekwon-do now but for some reason I've never bothered to ask about, there are 2 bo's kept there. One happens to be the type I like so when there aren't too many people around before or after class some days, I pick it up and play with it a little bit. I've long since forgotten the patterns, but if I saw them I could probably do them.

[fightgrrl]

I like a heavier bo too...makes a much bigger SWOOSH!

BUT alas, I wander....
I have decided that the ULTIMATE girly weapon is the effective carrying or concealment. When I started learning whip chain we were playing with the idea that I would wear it as a belt...we can have throwing dart earrings, the dagger concealed in the braid is one of my favorites...or all sorts of pointy sharp pins and spikes to hold up that fancy hairdo(!), throwing star necklace a jujitsu ring..no problem carrying a fan anyway when its hot...You can be a walking arsenal without looking like it..thats the girlie part...;)

[Jen]

I don't bother with the fancy hairdo, I get to sleep more that way. However, I could use a belt that would actually hold up pants. I've always wanted to add some ribbons in the ends of a bo. It could have a button to press to make the ribbons pop out of it. Of course, when you get really advanced, you switch the ribbons to blades. Even better, blades and ribbons. I think that was what I was thinking the other week when I was showing one of my friends some simple stuff, like figure 8's, when I told her if you feel like you're going to drop it, just let it drop. Wouldn't want to try to keep going when you pop some blades in it. The toy I practice with at home is actually a Darth Maul lightsaber. The handle is the perfect diameter and with the batteries in it's the right weight. It even does sound effects.

[Jeannette]

For me, I personally like the "real" common-girl-stuff girlie weapons. Since a lot of my time in real life is spent doing jewelry trade shows and gallery presentations, I have to wear high heels and "fu-fi" girlie clothes. (it's business)
Here's some of the weapons I like to train with for real life defense........

my jewelry (iron) ring mandril, for all sorts of mean hits.

a rope (like spidar weaving, dropping them in a spiral hole as they are tying themselves up)

high heels, great for stomping on toes, eyes, shins, etc.

my strong mid-length nails, for gouging out eyes, ripping, distraction, throat, etc.

steel jewelry files, great for all kind of mean jabs, and gouges.

cleavage, (yes that's what I said.) GREAT for distraction!!

Personally, if you are training with weapons, all of these will be natural to you since it is only an extention of yourself.


there are no rules on the battlefield- it's either you or the predator that
ends up dead.

[Jeff Burger]

CLEAVAGE....LOL

Seducing your attacker...good idea.


Hmmmm wonder if that would go over in class or seminar?

Jeff

[Jeannette]

Here's a funny cleavage experience:

about 3 years ago my teachers waited in the dojo for me to show up for training.
I worked in a gallery at the time and didn't change out of my work clothes yet. Just like that, every black belt and above was there to attack me before I could change. They were giving me my black belt testing. At the time I did'nt know what was going on (we never know when tests are going to be, my teachers figure everyday of your life is a test and that we should be prepared at all times.) So when the guys and woman were attacking me, just before one of my teachers came in to attack me, I showed him a nice flash-of-boob and the look on his face completely turned red and distracted as he gave me so many openings. (I came in with a claw in the face and threw him to the ground followed by a knee just above his upper lip and nose. Wow, I did'nt know I had it in me to be so sneaky at the moment!!! Funny, I still don't remember if I had my high heels on or not.

we had a good laugh about it later. I was actually surprised myself at what I did,
but hey, it worked!!

[Jim]

A seminar? Now that's one I'd pay to attend... :D

[ziral]

I don't particularly think of the 9 section whip as girly, but the fan is. But that's not to say it isn't a cool weapon to use and i certainly would like to try it!

[ShaolinFist]

yea i always liked the fan, umbrella and throwing spikes/fish darts and then some site said they were more of the 'women's weapons' because they could carry them around without being inconspicuous. boy did my masculinity level take a landslide that day. but we'll see who's calling me a girl when they have a fish dart in their eye! haha!

[Mandeigh Wells]

So when the guys and woman were attacking me, just before one of my teachers came in to attack me, I showed him a nice flash-of-boob and the look on his face completely turned red and distracted as he gave me so many openings. hmmmm haven't tried that one :laugh:

I like to see a man using a fan....we did a workshop with a few really big blokes and they looked fab..I certainly wouldn't have called any of them wussy boys!

Mandeigh