The Weapons of Choy Li Fut, Part II: Long Weapons

Long weapons give you the advantage of striking your opponent from a greater distance. With this kind of weapon, the most important thing is to transfer our power and energy along the entire length to the tip. For each long weapon there are specific training exercises designed to develop that ability to extend our energy.

The Staff (Gwun)

The staff is perhaps the oldest of the long weapons, known as the «father of all weapons». A diligent student must devote time to developing internal and external energy as well as staff technique. It is a very practical weapon whose recommended length is the practitioner’s height with the arm stretched vertically. The aim is to transmit our strength and energy along its full length to the tip, which does the damage on impact — possible mainly because the staff is slightly flexible and can whip.

Choy Li Fut is famous for its single- and double-ended staff. The staff can be single- or double-ended depending on whether one or both ends are used. One end is thicker than the other: holding it by the centre allows double-ended blocking and striking techniques, while gripping it by the end sets up single-ended techniques.

The Spear (Cheung)

Known as the «King of Weapons», the spear was most commonly used by China’s ancient cavalry. The red tassel just behind the point, called «huet dong» or «blood-blocker», was not decorative: as its name suggests, it kept blood from running down the shaft and making it slippery. Its point typically has the classic diamond shape. While the staff is generally considered a «hard» (yang) weapon, the spear is considered «soft» (ying): its movements are executed with «ying» power, developed through very fast, bullet-like motions — for, as we know, high speed generates power. As with the staff, single- and double-ended techniques can both be used.

The Halberd (Kwan-Do)

Perhaps one of the best-known long weapons is the halberd (Kwan-Do), which we might describe as a broad, long-handled saber. This extremely heavy weapon owes its fame to General Kwan Kung, revered in antiquity as a great protector of the Chinese people; even today, Chinese homes and businesses keep altars in his honour, depicting him with a red face, a long dark beard and the weapon he made famous. With a large flat blade at the end of a long, thick handle, the Kwan-Do is often used in wide, circular movements and, by its nature, is frequently the weapon of choice for larger practitioners.

Article by Tin Sing Kwun (María Arias Antoranz 何天萍). Part II of the series «The Weapons of Choy Li Fut».