It was all very interesting but they appear to think that deadly is a synonym for strange. Those weapons that the Chinese hold in great reverence are at the bottom of the pile while the gimmick and, let's face it, improbable weapons are at the top.
The Flying Guillotine? They said themselves there are no extant decriptions or pictures, so what we saw was a demonstration of a modern weapon, not a recreation of an old one. Who knows if it existed or how it worked. It really shouldn't be considered so deadly. The reality is that, if it existed, it was probably much simpler and used from ambush, or it was the name of a technique not a weapon.
One interesting thing I noticed was in the discussion of soft weapons. We saw two different people using a chain whip. The first guy was, like almost all the demonstrators, doing a modern Wushu form, basically lots of twirling and not much else. The second guy's form was quite different. It had similar elements but there were actually attacks and variations in what he was doing
overall, I found it pretty disappointing. I haven't seen a really good documentary on the martial arts since BUDO from the 1970s or so. Those that I have seen made in the 1990s to the present have been very superficial and focused on the glam, to the detriment of real information. I hoped National Geographic would have done a better job, but it's not to be.
In this case, however, I was surprised by what they considered most deadly. There is no doubt that the damn thing would be deadly if you could get it to work.
I would have liked to see something like an hour spent on each category of weapons, but that's not ever going to happen.
...
There was only one person in the show who was apparently not Wushu trained (aside from the archeaologists and historians) and even he worked as a fight choreographer.
In this case, however, I was surprised by what they considered most deadly. There is no doubt that the damn thing would be deadly if you could get it to work.
and even he worked as a fight choreographer.
OK, sorry man, didn't mean to rain on the parade. I just get frustrated with how martial arts are portrayed in the media, and it often seems to me that the programs that attempt to be more informational also can't help themselves but contribute to the "mystery" and the glam factor in their own ways. It's just something that rubs me a bit wrong.
But yeah, it's cool stuff in its own way. Certainly even the wushu guys are tremendous athletes and are very good at what they do. I actually did like seeing the rope dart and meteor hammer. My sifu does teach some rope dart, but I've not learned any. It does strike me as an interesting weapon and I liked seeing the guy use the meteor hammer to smash up the tea pots.
I actually did like seeing the rope dart and meteor hammer. My sifu does teach some rope dart, but I've not learned any. It does strike me as an interesting weapon and I liked seeing the guy use the meteor hammer to smash up the tea pots.
I also will admit right here that if I could find a CMA weapons expert, and there is a slim chance I may have, I would be spending a WHOLE lot of time and money on learning them, they just plain intrigue me.
I also will admit right here that if I could find a CMA weapons expert, and there is a slim chance I may have, I would be spending a WHOLE lot of time and money on learning them, they just plain intrigue me.
I'm actually lucky in that my sifu does know a good deal of Chinese weaponry, some of which is modern wushu, others is traditional. I've just always made sure that what I am learning is traditional.
My own experience so far has been limited to staff, spear, sword, two-handed sword, and broadsword. But I know he also teaches double broadsword, double sword, hook swords, deerhorn knives, fan, double daggers, emei daggers, chain whip, rope dart, guan do, etc., having a background in taiji chuan and bagua in addition to external arts. I guess I'm lucky.