Another tournament today, the last of the autumn 2009 –spring 2010 season.
My daughter did pretty well in chang quan or long fist – she was suddenly paired with another girl slightly older / more experienced than her. On the one hand, our teacher scolded her for watching the competition too much while performing. But on the other, I think it was good for her, it lit her fire a little bit. The other girl was right in front of her and an instant quicker on each motion.
I took third in the weapons division, without a weapon. The pudao guy was shithot and took first and deserved it. The double-swords woman was also shithot and took second place and deserved it. Kudos to them both – I don’t think I could have beaten them even with my yue.
The authorities stuck a magnet on my yuan yang yue just before my turn and, well, the magnet stuck. They are indeed made of steel. Hurried consultation, verdict – can’t use the steel weapons, but you can perform the routine empty-handed. Alright, I’ll go.
I really hate aluminum weapons and geranium (?) weapons. They are light and flappy and snappy and meaningless (I’m gonna catch some crap for this post but you can imagine the couple words that spring to mind, the second being “it”).
Japan is a weird country. I can walk around for years with a shinken “live” sword which could actually cut people ridiculously easily. But hey, I am an iaido guy, so it is OK. But steel swords from China are completely banned here (I have had one or three confiscated in the airport and had them unconfiscated later). I have had my outdoor practice interrupted and my (Chinese) sword photographed by the police for no apparent reason. You could cut someone with it but it would take a lot more work effort and skill than cutting someone with a shinken blade.
I would pick a standard kitchen knife (yes, steel) over an unsharpened Chinese swords in many situations. Yuan yang yue are basically unknown to Japanese authorities but the word is out: no steel weapons in tournaments. Why steel weapons have been singled out, I have no idea.
I can’t complain – apparently there are many US states where I can’t use my nunchaku, tekko, or other weapons, the same weapons I train with regularly indoors and out over here. I’ll deal with that problem in the future. I have no plans, by the way, to own a handgun. I'm not sure about kama (sickle) here in Japan - the blades are steel, but they are commonly used in gardening. But I have been more careful about practicing outdoors with kama lately. Then there are the sai.....
Anyway I will search the fine print in tournament applications more carefully in the future.
Photo Explanation - my feeling as someone approached with a magnet....
And third place is not so bad, for doing a form with imaginary weapons against an imaginary opponent.
2 comments:
Ganbare! "Japan is certainly a weird place" says a sympathizing gaijin. What made those winners of the competition successful in your eyes? *&^% them all I say as well!
Zacky -- You ask what made the winners successful...well, for one, they were truly shithot. i was hot but not shithot. Even with my evil and dastardly steel yue, I would have been hot but not (yet) shithot.
I have never seen the pudao guy do anything but pudao, and his focus on one thing shows. The two-swords woman, well, she was just shithot.
I have - for a change - been doing the same form now for several continuous tournaments, and the concentrated effort is paying off.
Alas, I had a testy (in the fun way) exchange with the nanquan girl. I jokingly told her I was going to do nanquan next year in this tournament because she needed more competition. She said she will get first anyway, even if I enter. The dice have been cast....Exceedingly cool as she is, such a taunt cannot go unanswered.
Back to your comment - I am not angry with anyone connected with the tournament. It was very well run and I respect the judges' decision regarding the non-use of steel weapons. I strongly disagree with the principle, but in entering the tournament, I have agreed to follow all the rules. And it is only right for them to enforce the rules fairly, as they did. In fact, I was surprised and pleased by their flexibility in letting me perform the form empty handed, without the actual weapons. And I was glad to walk home with 3rd place (and a very proud daughter).
Hey, it won't matter if I do nanquan next year anyway!!!!
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