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Rattan sticks
Our students train with rattan sticks of various lengths:
27"
Navel height
Walking stick with hooked handle
We do not train with full-length
staffs because not many of our students have the space at home to swing a six
foot staff around.
Safety weapons
In class we ask students to use safety weapons.
These are foam-covered plastic sticks.
When competent with a safety weapon, a student should buy a rattan staff
for home practice.
Heavy weapons
A heavy stick will strengthen the arms and teach you to
balance the weight of
the stick by using connection.
You need to start incorporating neigong at this stage so that your
groundpath
extends to the tip of the weapon.
Spiralling, sinking and rooting will also amplify your power.
Performing the stick drills with the heavy weapon will also teach you to close
the hand correctly upon impact when striking without the stick.
Be patient
Do not use a heavyweight stick unless directed to do so.
Premature use of an oak stick can cause inadvertent muscle tension and/or
injury.
Strengthen the arms
The stick drills and 2-person sets will strengthen the arms, wrists and hands,
making them more flexible and
supple.
This is essential.
If your hands and wrists are weak, then striking someone may potentially result
in an injury to your own body.
Move the body
The main reason for training with sticks is to encourage a more significant use
of the body when striking. This follows on from the work started in qigong.
Unless the tai chi strikes are produced by a whole-body movement, they remain
essentially external and lack
vibrational power.
Gravity striking is nothing compared to what a whole-body jing release feels
like.
Weight
Extending your consciousness to the tip of the stick is actually quite
difficult.
There will be a tendency towards muscle tension.
You must feel the weight of the weapon, and use the stick in a dreamy, relaxed
manner.
Kinetic pathway
When you can generate jing easily and spontaneously, you will start to feel the
'kinetic pathway'.
Matching the movements to the pathway will be your main jing
skill as you
progress through the syllabus.
Your movements will eventually become smaller in size.
They will reflect the kinetic pathway of each jing you
generate.
Fa jing
The stick will serve to start you along the path to jing release.
You learn to extend your energy through the weapon and into the opponent.
Your commitment lessens and your footwork becomes easier and
agile.
If you find yourself slumping, tense or immobile, stop forcing. Let the weight
of the stick do the work.
To hit means something like 'feel out'.
(Miyamoto Musashi)
Page
created 11 December 2001
Last updated
16 June 2023
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