Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
yipman_sifu said:
I'm not at all sure how this relates to the hook swords.
Hook Swords
- Thread starter kachi
- Start date
I'm not at all sure how this relates to the hook swords.
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
Kachi,
Have you spoken with Sifu Leong about your interests, and if so, has he responded favorably? If he is at all traditional minded, I wouldn't be surprised if he requires that you become his student formally and study his complete system, which the hook swords would be a piece of. I don't think this means you need to stop training the Freestyle Karate if you like it, but it will certainly give you the opportunity to get well grounded in the Chinese arts. I suspect this would only make your Freestyle Karate stronger in the long run. I'm just trying to give you perspective.
Have you spoken with Sifu Leong about your interests, and if so, has he responded favorably? If he is at all traditional minded, I wouldn't be surprised if he requires that you become his student formally and study his complete system, which the hook swords would be a piece of. I don't think this means you need to stop training the Freestyle Karate if you like it, but it will certainly give you the opportunity to get well grounded in the Chinese arts. I suspect this would only make your Freestyle Karate stronger in the long run. I'm just trying to give you perspective.
OP
kachi
Orange Belt
- Thread Starter
- #23
I have talked to Sifu Leong and he said he was willing to teach hookswords alone but would rather I start training in all aspects of Kung Fu with him, at least once a week. At the moment i'm thinking I will, because i'm sure that this will be another step up in my martial arts.
Also I just have some more questions:
Should the actual hooks on the Hookswords be flexible or not?
What makes a good quality Hooksword?
On a scale to 10 what would you rate there difficulty overall?
Also I just have some more questions:
Should the actual hooks on the Hookswords be flexible or not?
What makes a good quality Hooksword?
On a scale to 10 what would you rate there difficulty overall?
Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
kachi said:
I havent' trained the hook swords, so I can't speak from personal experience. However one of my classmates has, so I have definitely been around it a bit. I also have some experience with the straight sword and the broadsword, (singles, not doubles just yet) so I can relate to some degree.
Any double weapon is going to be more difficult. It is hard enough to wield a weapon properly with your strong hand. Wielding one with your weak hand is harder yet, and then using one in each hand at the same time can be enough to make your brain explode. The hook swords are going to be quick and fluid. Expect this to be difficult. You may get the basic movements fairly quickly, but developing these movements to a high level of skill is going to be a long road. Settle in and enjoy it. You'll be doing it for a long time.
As far as the weapon itself, most of what is out there is made of a lightweight spring steel, that would be a "wushu" weapon. The blades are typically flexible due to the material, but it flexes along the flat of the blade. The hook itself should not flex open, even tho it will flex sideways assuming it is made of spring steel. It is fine for doing the forms and basic technique, but is not a true weapon. A real weapon would be of a heftier steel and typically would not flex as much, altho would have some flex to avoid being stiff and brittle, and breakable. This is true for any kind of sword. The quality of the steel is typically low, and the heft is usually considerably lighter than something that could actually stand up to the rigors of a battlefield. I doubt you will be able to find a pair of high quality hook swords. That's just the way it is. Ask the sifu if he can help you track down something appropriate. The lighter weapons will be much easier to use, but anything that approaches a real weapon will ultimately help you develop your skill to a higher level. It is easier to cheat on technique when you are using a superlight weapon. When the heft of the weapon is realistic, you cant cut corners. Your technique will develop better, and you will also develop the strength needed to wield the weapons well.
How exciting! Have fun.
kachi said:
Well that's in the right direction. Lots of luck on the new training.
kachi said:
--1 -- Not really.
--2 -- A good hook should be pliable but not flexible, strong backbone not stiff & one continuous edge for the entire length of it
--3 -- 15 to be done correctly
kachi said:
Smart move. Good luck!
T
TheBattousai
Guest
Its also possible, just to see what you'll be dealing with, to get wooden versions of hook swords made by a wood crafter. It helped me as I started working with them just to see what it would be like. The weight diverence should be noted but that is normal with wood verses metal. If you can find someone that can do the job, I think go for it. (They will more then likely need one or the demensions to do it though)
