Yang Chengfu - Yang Family Spear Practice

[Bob]

FWIW - not about spear forms but spear practice

The Wind Sweeps Away the Plum Blossoms
The Principles and Techniques of the Yang Style Tai Chi Spear and Staff
Translated and Compiled by Stuart Alve Olson

According to the translation Yang Luchan did not practice a spear form but rather 13 movements of the spear - similar to what is claimed regarding his dao practice.

"Within the Yang family tradition, the spear was abandoned for a time following the accidental death of Master Yang Panhou's daughter while sparring" [note: for a time abandoned but not forgotten or not practiced in later Yang family practitioners]

"However, it can be said that the Tai Chi spear techniques are the only true form of spear training whose principles and techniques are directed towards developing various internal energies" p.xvi {not quite true regarding its practice in other systems of Northern Chinese Martial Arts]

"A young friend of Chengfu a Mister Ho observed Chengfu demonstrate the practical use of the spear" p. 11

Tai Chi Thirteen Spear Methods
Tai Chi Spear Eight Postures

Actual photographs of Chen Weiming & Tung Ying-Chieh senior disciples demonstrating the 4 Part Spear pp. 15 -23 Also photographs of the sticky spear practice

Photographs of the actual practice of the Sticky Spear Techniques both solo and partner

Interestingly over all the years I have met both indoor and public students in the Yang Taijiquan lineage none has ever discussed if they continue the practice as part of their development.

In the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Ben Lo, in an interview, stated that Zheng Manqing once offered to teach him the spear techniques but he politely refused - he said, paraphrasing, why should I learn the spear techniques when I have yet to master the open hand practice (personally I think the spear practice is part of the overall system development and not separated from the open hand practice)

I've never met any of the Zheng Manqing's students who practiced the spear techniques (not spear forms)

Pictures of TT Liang are also there doing the staff drills and practice. So TT Liang's might be the exception if you consider the part of the Zheng Manqing's lineage line.

I am wondering if anyone else has had a different/similiar experience with Yang practitioners both Yang Chengfu and/or Zheng Manqing students

[wayne hansen]

I have learnt the spear the same way I learnt solo form
Solo pushing ta Lu form and two man set from one teacher
The other teacher taught me the first part of a seven part set
I also forgot another teacher when seeing I had the other parts taught me more solo drills
I remember when I showed him my weapon forms
He said with joy
Oh you practice everyday let me show you this

[nicklinjm]

The Yang family spear methods are definitely alive and well in certain branches. YCF's eldest son Yang Shouzhong (Sau-chung) taught the spear methods to his HK students such as Ma Weihuan (who is still alive and in good health).

Also many of the branches left in the Yang family hometown of Yongnian / Guangfu such as the students of Fu Zongyuan (Fu Zhongwen's brother), students of Zhai Wenzhang (learnt from Yang Zhaolin), students of Fan Baolin (YBH branch) all practice the Yang family big spear methods.

[wayne hansen]

Tseng Ju Pai shows the spear and Halbred in his second book
I was show them exactly as shown in his book
My teacher Mr Mak learnt the directly from YCF he was made to follow YSC after his fathers passing
He was not happy about it

[Bao]

Tseng Ju Pai shows the spear and Halbred in his second book

I like those drills a lot, basic genuine spear drills. Though the halberd is not originally a Tai Chi weapon, it's fantastic those drills are preserved in the book as well. I received the book as a complementary gift when I bought a training jian in London. Still have it somewhere, should have a look for it.

[wayne hansen]

I have it in both Chinese and English
Different photos in both
Mr Mac taught me the 4 sticky and 4 springy drills
One I call Ta Lu because that’s what it resembles
Also the pushing spear exercises
We also did the Hal red ones out of the book
Mr Mac said he had never seen YCF or YSC doing them

[Bao]

I have it in both Chinese and English
Different photos in both

Interesting... Very, very interesting...

[Bob]

here is some of the da qiang training found in the Yang line which is similar to the da qiang training in baji, xing yi, and Chen style taijiquan and it is indeed a pathway to fajin expression.
I knew training existed via books and youtube but I have not met any Yang lineage practitioners here in the States that actively engage in the training - same for Zheng Manqing practitioners but of course they may not simply show or discuss this publicly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZJh8E4-qLw

The filming of the Ban Hou Taiji Big 13 Spears set transmitted through the Yang Shaohou lineage was completed.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsWUe3PfY_o

Yang style Taiji spear




You can scroll through Hsu363 training in baji da qiang training (he does an excellent job of demonstrating them) which would be useful for most systems of taijiquan - I want to be perfectly clear that I am not claiming that such training is the only way to develop power and trained energies in taijiquan in general but probably a very important tool for developing alignment, full body expression in the open hand practice and general fajin expression for uses in punches, palm strikes etc etc. The training is not done independent of nei gong, stance training etc. etc.

https://youtube.com/shorts/c_Qnq2F-phg? ... pEwZChDTB1

https://youtube.com/shorts/JC2Y1BQrajk? ... ofiqkAz1Mc

https://youtube.com/shorts/9pOMwrwCN8k? ... mY1hI0EfJO

You can see how the training affects the lower body/legs up through the waist and up through the uppper body and arms to potential fist/palm. About 12 of these exercises with some minor variations are used but even a couple of them, with persistent training can bring about good results.

[wayne hansen]

One thing I wonder when I see people doing spear shaking exercises is there better ways to get the benefit using modern equipment
Kettle bells comes to mind especially those that throw and catch the bells like in stone lock training
Our Fa Jin training is in the pole form and the two man sets
The two man sets are not like the third clip above but they work like green and red traffic lights
When your opponent has the green light(power and position )you yield and absorbe
When he is in the week position you push through
His block becomes like a punching bag you are hitting and moving thru
His strike is like a blow you yield to and borrow to achieve the superior position
It is not unusual for those in the wrong place to loose their pole (shield)and become open
In FMA I find people doing drills find it hard to borrow the opponents (beat) to gain speed and position
A lot of students I try to teach the two man pole to has to be abandoned because they just don’t get it
The same is true of San Shou empty hand
An eye for detail combined with listening is just not there