Shaolin 5 Weapon Family's
Understanding rarely comes from seeing the small and the large and that which is in between.
18 Long & Short Weapons
It is interesting to note how the Shaw Brother movies of the 70's and 80's influenced martial arts. It is well know that the Shaw Brother martial art films based some of their subject in legend and history but usually, they were very liberal with facts and accuracy. In 1982 the "The 18 Weapons of Kung Fu" were a great hit and this seems to have influenced seeming professional martial to use this as a descriptor for Chinese Weaponry. Well 18 is a good number representing the double Dragon, but it helps very little in the understanding of Chinese (or any) Weaponry for that matter. Particularly as most people/clubs/styles/books/etc., have a different 18 Weapons that they refer to.
Another very limiting view of Chinese Weaponry is the simple Long and Short Weapons. This is also very individually based although most refer to a Staff as a long Weapon and a Sword as a Short Weapon. Although the simple Yin and Yang version classification is far more useful than the 18 Weapons.
Understanding Cold Weapons
To have a better understanding of Weaponry, how to use, where and what works best for each, you will need to find something that incorporates reality together with the nature/function of the Weapon. There are several ways of looking at this.
- Length (as with the Long & Short)
- Function (killing, hurting, damaging)
- Material (Metal, Wood, Combination, Other)
- Usefulness (Soldier, Nobles, Hidden, Hunting)
- etc . . .
We may need to find a way of classifying these Weapons that would be more useful to the student and the teacher for purposes of Understanding, Teaching and Training!
|
Sihing James S with the beginners In Line Spear Form. This form teaches controlled movement, accurate targeting and prepares for the Shaolin Red Eagle Spear Form.
|
Weapon Types
Just below, we have the classification the is used in the Shaolin Academy with a listing of around 400 Chinese Cold (non explosive) Weapons. The logic of this method of listing the Weapons in 5 Groups seems now, after we have been working with is for some 15 years, to be purely logical and reasonable, without excluding understanding and logic. Please have a look and if you click on the Logos you will be taken to sub pages with comprehensive Weapons listings and some graphics.
The 5 Weapon Groups
Two Meteor Hammers
|
Duplication
(Note - In these pages we only refer to 'Cold" Weapons, not "Hot" Weapons. Cold Weapons are those that do not have an explosive or chemical component and rely purely on the physical aspect of the wielder.)
A Weapon like the meteor hammer would be a classical example of a Weapon that fit's into three categories; it is first an Impacting Weapon, on a Flexible Rope and it is Thrown. This may cause some confusion to the new student and thus a Logical Hierarchy of decision needs to be established in the classification of Weapons. Here is another way that the 5 Weapon Group System shines. Priority is given to the higher level Weapons by asking the following questions;
Is it a not-or Shaolin Weapon? if yes, it is a Shaolin or Not-Weapon; if no, go to the next question.
Is it a Thrown, Blown or Other Projectile Weapon? if yes, it is a Projectile Weapon; if no, go to the next question.
Is it a Flexible or Chain Weapon? if yes, it is a Flexible Weapon; if no, go to the next question.
Is it a Cutting, Chopping or Piercing Weapon? if yes, it is a Cutting Weapon; if no then it must be a
Impacting, Bludgeoning and Impacting Weapon!
|
Should you apply this principle to a Cold or Traditional Weapon and not come up with an answer, please let us know here at the Academy by sending us an e-mail.
Yin & Yang
This is a wonderful tool for sorting out life, Weapons and everything. It can also be applied to the 5 Weapon Groups, by allowing Sub-divisions. Following are some of the more obvious which apply or can apply to all categories;
- Long vs Short Weapons; Short is Arm length or shorter and long is longer than an Arm Length. Who's arm length you ask? Well yours of course! Matching the size of the Weapon to the person is very important!
- Overt vs Cover Weapons; Hidden Cane Swords, Sharp Battle Fans, Hidden Needs and that sort of thing as opposed to overtly carried and used Weapons.
- Metal vs Wooden (predominantly) such as Swords, Knives vs Staff, Spear, Club.
- One Handed and Two Handed; although any one handed Weapon can be normally used two handed, the reverse is not always so as in Spear, Meteor Hammer and Chain Whip.
- Strength vs Skill; there are Weapons that rely more on strength such as Battle Axes, Hammers and even Shaolin Staff and then Weapons that rely more on Skill such as Straight Sword, Spear and Fans. A classic example of this is the Broad Sword (strength) vs Straight Sword (Skill). Not denying the skill need to wield a Broad Sword but a Straight Sword can not be wielded just with strength.
|
|
5 Weapon Group, segments
The best example of this are the Sharp Weapon group which can be further Segmented into Chopping (Axe), Stabbing (Spear) & Slicing/Cutting (Broad Sword). In the Shaolin Weapons you have the distinction of Tools (Spade, Lantern) and Every-Day-Objects (Bench, Fan). In the Projectile Weapons you can see that there are Direct Use (throwing, Blowing) and Indirect Use (Bow & Arrow). Flexible Weapons can also be seen for the nature of their Flexibility; soft & flexible like a Garrote & Whip or Hard like a Chain or 9 Section. Finally, the one Group that is possibly the most ambiguous is Impacting Weapons. We can see these in Heavy and Light; Heavy as in beating in Armour & Shields (Claymore & Hammers) and Light as in beating Heads and Ribs (Staff & Iron Glove).
Summary
Just to put it into a neat table: we have;
- Impacting Weapons - Light & Heavy
- Sharp Weapons - Cutting/Slicing, Piercing and Chopping
- Flexible Weapons - Soft & Hard
- Projectile Weapons - Direct & Assisted (Indirect) Use
- Not Weapons (Shaolin) - Tools & Objects
Conclusion
It is evident that professional Martial Art schools will not teach people how to hurt other people with Weapons. There is enough violence out there in the world without your local dojo adding and training people to use Weapons against other people. It is the principle of the Shaolin Academy to teach real Weapons skills with the clear view of teaching students how to defend against these; but even this is secondary, important but secondary. In the Shaolin Academy, learning to use Weapons is a form of Fun, Fitness and Competition. As kung Fu is a life long exercise, there needs to be a good variety to keep the student interested and going for many decades. Using a host of Traditional & Ancient Weapons just adds to the interest and understanding.
|
