Weapons

Weapons can be practiced in individual forms, combat form and single move form.

Various traditional style weapons are used in our club:

Sabres/swords:

Our sabres and swords are made in the Province of Zhejiang in Longquan City. All weapons are custom made to fit the student practicing while meeting the standards of the weapon itself including its length, weight, its centre of gravity and the firmness of the weapon.

The blade of the softest sword must be able to stand upright/straight on its own.

The centre of gravity for swords sit between the space between the handle and 3 centimeters outwards towards the blade. For Tai Chi swords, this centre of gravity should sit between the handle and 3 to 6 centimeters outwards towards the blade.

For the length of sabres, the sabre point should sit between the student’s mid-ear to the tip of their ear. Swords however, should sit at the tip of the student’s ear.

The length of the Double Headed Staff when placed parallel beside the student, should be at the student’s wrist when his/her arm is extended upwards. The Single Headed Staff should be between 7 to 8 feet long according to the student’s height. The diameter of the staff should be no smaller than 3.5 centimeters.

The length of the Spear when placed parallel beside the student, should reach the fingertip of the student when his/her arm is extended upwards.

The Seven Sectional Whip must be 3 centimeters longer than the length of the student’s leg (starting from the waist) and with the weight of the whip being around 1.5 pounds.

The length of the Rope Dart should be the length of the student’s arms extended horizontally out and then to the ground.

Finding a suitable weapon is important as it will enhance the student’s performance within their practice. Simply seeking for “lightness” in a weapon encourages the body to only use the arms to control their form which not only hinders the quality of the practice, but also set the precedence of a “bad form” in one’s practice. As a result, the student will have difficulty in properly coordinating the use of their body, waist, shoulders and stance which is required in a proper form.