At 65 years of age I'm finally getting around to earning a sword form from a teacher who really knows about it. He is very particular about teaching each movement and training the appplications. I've sometimes trained with his teacher in "sword play" workshops and it's another world completely! It definitely helps to understand how the sword is used in two-partner sword drills, although it requires a lot more time and dedication. I've been learning a 54 Yang sword form similar to the Cheng Man-Ch'ing version, I'm only about two-thirds complete, as my teacher lives in another city here in Spain, and he insists, quite rightly in my opinion, not to learn it online or from videos. His unique insights, corrections, adjustments and training of applications make it a slow but thorough training process. We usually traing with wooden swords. On my own, I use a retractable metal sword which has a realistic weight a feel, so it's not a cheap one. I have a fully weighted metal sword for practice when I can do it in a hall or gym, because in Spain these type of swords are not allowed to be used in public places, despite the fact that it is a practice sword with dull edges. It's a beauty though, I must admit I've fallen in love with it, but don't let my wife know I said that...
Hello Mark and nice to meet you. Thanks so much for leaving a comment about what you do and where. I believe you are lucky to have a teacher, and your teachers teacher close by, as I know many others that practice do not have access to good instruction so close by. Interesting what you say about practising in public as personally neither I or my class have had any issues practising with sword in local parks nor even on the street when we organised a spontaneous demonstration in the middle of town. Perhaps, having a captain of the Guardia Civil in the class helped, but he would often say that even were he not there, no one would raise an eyebrow. But perhaps that's small town Andalucia for you. Perhaps you are in a bigger town or city where such activities would be considered in another light? Like you, we only use the wooden or retractable swords in public, which is a shame, as the properly weighted metal swords rarely get put to use.
@@teapotmonk Aha, I didn't know you were based in Spain. I live in Madrid and one of my teachers, Manolo Mazón, lives in Valladolid. His teacher, Juanjo Mendoza, is based in Palenica. They both went to a Tai Chi Sword workshop in February this year, held in Valladolid Shifu David Conches. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend.
And what is your opinion on polypropylene training swords? They don't have the problem to be deteriorated by water, but are they as safe as wood ones? Have you worked with them before?
I'm afraid not nor have any of my students. You are right they won't rust, and are probably light too but they lack the portability of the retractable, and that was the main advantage for students travelling with their swords.
Nice review of the non-retractables, Paul. Now, I know which swords between the non-retractables and the retractables I'll be looking to get for my own training (wooden and Physcool). 😁
At 65 years of age I'm finally getting around to earning a sword form from a teacher who really knows about it. He is very particular about teaching each movement and training the appplications. I've sometimes trained with his teacher in "sword play" workshops and it's another world completely! It definitely helps to understand how the sword is used in two-partner sword drills, although it requires a lot more time and dedication.
I've been learning a 54 Yang sword form similar to the Cheng Man-Ch'ing version, I'm only about two-thirds complete, as my teacher lives in another city here in Spain, and he insists, quite rightly in my opinion, not to learn it online or from videos. His unique insights, corrections, adjustments and training of applications make it a slow but thorough training process. We usually traing with wooden swords. On my own, I use a retractable metal sword which has a realistic weight a feel, so it's not a cheap one. I have a fully weighted metal sword for practice when I can do it in a hall or gym, because in Spain these type of swords are not allowed to be used in public places, despite the fact that it is a practice sword with dull edges. It's a beauty though, I must admit I've fallen in love with it, but don't let my wife know I said that...
Hello Mark and nice to meet you. Thanks so much for leaving a comment about what you do and where. I believe you are lucky to have a teacher, and your teachers teacher close by, as I know many others that practice do not have access to good instruction so close by. Interesting what you say about practising in public as personally neither I or my class have had any issues practising with sword in local parks nor even on the street when we organised a spontaneous demonstration in the middle of town. Perhaps, having a captain of the Guardia Civil in the class helped, but he would often say that even were he not there, no one would raise an eyebrow. But perhaps that's small town Andalucia for you. Perhaps you are in a bigger town or city where such activities would be considered in another light? Like you, we only use the wooden or retractable swords in public, which is a shame, as the properly weighted metal swords rarely get put to use.
@@teapotmonk Aha, I didn't know you were based in Spain. I live in Madrid and one of my teachers, Manolo Mazón, lives in Valladolid. His teacher, Juanjo Mendoza, is based in Palenica. They both went to a Tai Chi Sword workshop in February this year, held in Valladolid Shifu David Conches. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend.
And what is your opinion on polypropylene training swords? They don't have the problem to be deteriorated by water, but are they as safe as wood ones?
Have you worked with them before?
I'm afraid not nor have any of my students. You are right they won't rust, and are probably light too but they lack the portability of the retractable, and that was the main advantage for students travelling with their swords.
@@teapotmonk thank you!
Great as always!
Nice review of the non-retractables, Paul. Now, I know which swords between the non-retractables and the retractables I'll be looking to get for my own training (wooden and Physcool). 😁