New Weapon

The weapon I've chosen to learn for this years I Ho Chaun class is the Chinese straight sword (Jian). I picked up my sword last Friday from the stock at Silent River and was delighted by the quality of the weapon. It seems pretty sturdy overall and is surprisingly heavy. The blade is fairly stiff and doesn't bend easily, giving the weapon a very solid feel. No Wushu floppiness here. As some of of you might be able to guess, I'm not a fan of light floppy Wushu. A sentiment that is reflected in my Kwan Dao usage. It's also very pretty with engraving on the blade that reminds me of the Green Destiny.

I'm excited, giddy even, to have something new to learn. I suspect a steep learning curve, its a lot different from what I'm used to. For the last couple of years I've pretty much stuck to two handed long weapons. I've done a bit of reading and watched some videos to try and get an idea of the basics. I've also been playing with it on and off throughout the weekend and I can tell I'm in for sore wrists and forearms. It is pretty tiring to swing around only using the one hand. From what I've seen I think the weapon is all about the footwork and body rotations.

Just the presence of my new toy sitting on my dresser has been enough to keep me excited all weekend. I'd be holding it constantly if I couldn't resist the urge to draw it and fool around every five minutes. If anyone out there has any knowledge they can share with me about the weapon I'd appreciate it.

Since I was so awful at journaling last year I'm very determined to not repeat my mistakes. This is an important entry for me since it is the first I've made this year and I am going to try hard to make it a Sunday routine. I give permission to everyone to give me hell if  my journaling starts to slide.

Sifu Jesse Wetter

http://liveforeverordieintheattempt.blogspot.ca/