Having trouble finding a long pole? Check this out!

[geezer]

A lot of reasons are given as to why we train the long pole in WC/VT/WT. People talk about how the training benefits your empty hands work, structure, stances and conditioning. True enough I suppose. But there are other ways to accomplish the same ends. So why the long pole in particular? Well check out the picture below. What other weapon would have been so prevalent and practical in the historical period and geographical region where this art evolved?

A street scene from Guangzhou circa 1890, close to the time that Chan Wah Shun would have started teaching.​

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[VT_Vectis]

Only thing that comes close now-a-days would be to work as a Venetian Gondola poleman... :-D

 

[geezer]

Yeah. How many serviceable long poles can you spot laying around on those boats and on the nearby docks? A lot!

But nowadays, people have to write into forums like this just to locate one. And, most WC/VT/WT schools won't teach you the long pole techniques until you are quite advanced in the art. Then you are lucky to find anybody to practice with ...a situation hardly likely to support to practical self defense skills. On the other hand if you grew up in an environment like that in the picture above, you'd probably learn to handle a pole as soon as you could lift one, whether to guide a boat or to take whack at your brother or the bully on the next boat. The kinds of skills later taught in WC/VT/WT would build upon this instinctive foundation.

In today's world, application of WC concepts to the kind of objects we find in our current environment is probably more valuable from a self-defense perspective. Kids grow up swinging short sticks, T-ball bats, tennis racquets, and maybe a hammer or, on the longer side things like broom handles or a shovel. Some long pole concepts translate to common shorter objects like a broom or shovel. But others don't. That's where Escrima comes into the picture for me. It's very adaptable and very practical, especially in the modern world.

 

[Domino]

Amazing picture !
Wonder what the sign says? Can make out a few characters.
Mainly use the long pole for strengthening wrists, only know a small part of the form but go round and round and round.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Only thing that comes close now-a-days would be to work as a Venetian Gondola poleman... :-D

Or possibly an Olympic pole vaulter pole

 

[Argus]

Love that picture.

I must ask, though - is it abnormal that I really look forward to learning the weapons, and could care less about the fact that I'll never need to use them?

 

[geezer]

Love that picture.

I must ask, though - is it abnormal that I really look forward to learning the weapons, and could care less about the fact that I'll never need to use them?

Yes, it is abnormal.

Other than that it makes sense to me. But then I study martial arts and I intend to never have to use them.

 

[WingChunIan]

Love that picture.

I must ask, though - is it abnormal that I really look forward to learning the weapons, and could care less about the fact that I'll never need to use them?

If you look at it that way then one would have to say learning a martial art is abnormal full stop as unless you have a personality defect you train for years but always hope that you will never have to use it. The weapons are no different to the rest of the system in that respect.

 

[yak sao]

There's nothing normal about doing what we do. All the more reason to do it.

 

[Argus]

If you look at it that way then one would have to say learning a martial art is abnormal full stop as unless you have a personality defect you train for years but always hope that you will never have to use it. The weapons are no different to the rest of the system in that respect.

Exactly my point. I don't ever expect to have the need to use the skills I am practicing for. I don't even really consider martial arts to be for self-defense, really, since avoidance and awareness are what you should be most concerned with there.

I just enjoy training for the sake of training. I imagine most people probably feel that way, so I wonder why people get caught up on the practical use of learning the weapons at all.