Book your spot!
Looking forward to seeing you in the next Weapons Workshop!
Book Weapons Workshop Core Syllabus
Weapons training is an integral part of the tradition of Chinese martial arts. At WCA we offer a lot of weapons to train with, with something for everyone, from small and light weapons to large and heavy!
Kung fu students have a whole weapons syllabus to grade on and work through, starting with the kung fu staff and including the spear, trident, short weapons such as the butterfly knives, heavy swords such as the dadao.
In White Crane tai chi the weapons learnt are fan, double fan, and straight sword. Chen tai chi students have the opportunity to learn the fan, broadword, straight sword, and Spring and Autumn broadsword (also known as the Guandao).
Weapons training adds a whole new dimension to your training, improves your open hand (non weapons) forms, builds strength, power, flexibility, balance, coordination, depending your understanding of the martial arts and ultimately yourself.
We offer regular monthly weapons workshops, as well as two 30 minute weapons classes each week. Please note that to do weapons training you must be regularly attending tai chi, kung fu, or kickboxing classes with WCA.
Weapons Training
If you like me love a good action movie, you will love the WCA weapons classes! It is less ominous than it sounds (although still pretty cool to wield a sword or a staff), in fact learning tai chi weapons is incredibly meditative. And at the same time fun! It adds an extra layer to your tai chi, you have a partner in crime in your weapon of choice, and like a dance, you eventually learn to perform a beautiful sequence of moves that at times could very well be described as a slow meditative ballet. Without having to go on the the tippy toes.
Mark’s knowledge of both white crane and chen weapons is vast and all classes and workshops are educational and safe! I encourage anyone who loves tai chi to add weapons to their training.
I would recommend weapons training to anyone as a way to add to their experience of tai chi.
Over 10 years ago I bumped into Mark. That encounter caused me to resume my practice of tai chi, but this time with an instructor of real quality. At first the focus was the White Crane open hands form. When I was coming towards the end of learning the form, Mark spoke about what was next.
I had already learnt the cane form – a short sequence of graceful moves. You’d be surprised at what can be done with a walking stick!
The options were the sword or the fan. I chose the sword. Starting this form was another challenge- not only all the hand, foot and body movements of the open hand form, but now controlling a weapon as well.
The sword form displays all the smoothness and flow of the open hand form, but also reminds that these movements passed down from centuries ago, have a practical self-defence aspect to them. It’s full of wonderful body movements while the sword “swishes”, cuts and slashes, slowly of course in keeping with tai chi ethos, through the air.
But that’s not all!
Sometime into the sword form, Mark introduced me to the fan – somewhat larger than those you would normally come across. This form is something special. A series of twirls, twists and turns by both fan and body, requiring the fan to be frequently opened and closed during the sequence. With a flick of the wrists, the fan cracks in the air as you open and close it.
In addition to those I’ve already mentioned, there are a range of other weapons, some you may not be familiar with, that Mark teaches – truly something for everyone at any age or level of experience at WCA.
Having added weapons to my training, I feel I’ve really progressed in my appreciation of tai chi and the benefits it provides to mind and body, to the spirit too, if you are that way inclined.
I would recommend weapons training to anyone as a way to add to their experience of tai chi. Under Mark’s patient, skilful and highly knowledgeable tutelage, you are sure to improve in whatever area that drew you to tai chi initially, by adding weapons to your training.