Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Hi everybody.
In Barbara Davis Taijiquan Journal, there is a new book by Zhang Yun called "the complete taiji dao". I have recently bougth it and it is a very good book.
As you know, there is very few books dedicated to sabers, especially taiji ones and this is a very complete work.
If you´d purchase it, you surely won´t regret.
Kind regards.

Rubén

Ruben,
Our teacher just pointed out that book to us a couple of weeks ago. I've leafed through it and it is very, very good.
I am saving my pennies by brown bagging it so I can get a copy ASAP.



[This message has been edited by Bob Ashmore (edited October 12, 2009).]

Hi Bob.
This is a very good book. More than 400 pages of pure taiji dao: Applications mostly against a spear, shortly but juicy explanations about some concepts, like qi, jing and shen. Though description of form is the same as Yang Family´s, photos are different, but it doesn´t matter, I´m enjoying it very much.

Hi everyone,

I have always liked Zhang Yun's writings and so have bought the book as well. It looks to be quite interesting.

One question I have, however, concerns the focus and respect for the spear. From what I understand of European military history, the spear was not a very respected weapon, except when used in dense infantry formations, such as by the ancient Greeks and Medieval Swiss. I don't recall any significant use as a personal weapon. How come the spear was so important in China?

I have read a little about General Qi Jiguang's use of long weapons in the book A Year of No Significance, but that seemed to be used as a peasant's weapon in yet another type of dense formation.

Could it be that most bandits or marauding rebels used spears?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Audi:
<B>Hi everyone,
How come the spear was so important in China?

I have read a little about General Qi Jiguang's use of long weapons in the book A Year of No Significance, but that seemed to be used as a peasant's weapon in yet another type of dense formation.

Could it be that most bandits or marauding rebels used spears?</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't recall the historical record but the spear was a static security weapon with sometime battlefield use while the personal dao (infantry) and bow/arrow from horsemen was the rule of the day, at least Qing era!
Cities probably needed the show of force of the spear hence its utility.

Hi Audi.
I don´t know the right answer. Making some speculations, I can guess that chinese spear, queen of arms for martial artists, had one difference with the west one. The pole, made of bamboo gave it the flexibility that her european sister didn´t have. And this flexibility, combined with the long range, made of this weapon something fearsome in skilfull hands.
I think bow and arrow weren´t either an important arm between ancient europeans, except a famous Saxon archers corp, but japanese people made of bow and arrow a whole art, the kyudo (the way of the bow).