Batons or maces
(shuang
jian)
are the first weapon set we teach. We start on the
first day with one 26" padded stick. Typically, the twin
weapons were 70 to 90 centimeters long depending on the height
and arm length of the student. In the old days (Qin Dynasty)
batons were bronze or iron. We have a set of iron batons -
they are very heavy and require considerable skill to make the
wielder look graceful and in control. In many older batons
there was a hole drilled through the handle to support a thong
(rope or leather) that would loop around the wrist. We use
round pieces of wood today, but the metal batons have a square
cross-section that readily produces serious injuries. Chapter
5 of Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei's book (with DVD)
Chen's
Tai Chi Sword, Saber and
Baton (ISBN 978-0-9866756-5-2) has extensive
notes and photos. The links below have a video on YouTube
(first one: Master Jesse Tsao, although not the form we teach;
second one Master Chen Ziqiang actually using Japanese shinai;
the third one a longer version of Master Chen Ziqiang - batons
start about 8 minutes in and restart at about 17 minutes in) |