18 Weapons, Methods...18 Cool Tricks To Impress One's Friends?

Martial Man - maybe you could elaborate on this.

Its being offered at the rec centre where I'm going to be taking Taiji - in the time slot right before.

The ads placed for the class seem digestible enough - only one mention of Shaolin and that more as a historical reference than anything else.

No flowing robes either - looks good so far.

But can you tell me what 18 Weapons/Methods refers to?

Gotta run ...

 

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obnTAj8PFWQ"]Legendary Weapons of China - YouTube[/ame]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighteen_Arms_of_Wushu

 

Interesting to point out, why the number 18?

Why not 10, 12, 14, 20?

SBen, care to elaborate?

 

Chinese numerology. It's considered a lucky number.

 

In Chinese tradition, 18 pronounced 十八 (shí bā) and is a considered lucky number due to similarity with 實發 (shì fā) 'definitely get rich', 'to get rich for sure'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numbers_in_Chinese_culture

 

Possibly a reference to the 18 lohan ( or arhat ) ; briefly , legend goes that they were bandits who became monks and then gained immortality . ( See also 18 hands of lohan )

 

According to many (not all) Chinese legends/fiction there were 18 monks that became heroes of Buddhism, but again that number is mostly symbolic/numerological. As you can see from this passage, the numbers tend to get "fixed" over time, starting as something like 4 (an unlucky number!), and over time being rectified to a "proper" lucky number like sup ba (18)

9 is the number of the Emperor, so the multiples of 9 (18, 36, 72, 108) show up all over the place. 18 (and multiples of 18) in particular is associated with a number of Shaolin legends like the 18 Luohan hands and the 18 (or 36 depending on the version) Shaolin Wooden Men and so forth. Some Qigong sets have 18 positions or some multiple of that.

http://www.plumpub.com/kaimen/2010/the-chinese-lohan-of-kung-fu/

 

Not accurate...the number 18 was put there for cultural numerical reference

 

Suffice it to say, one isn't studying 18 different 'forms' or poomsae. "Class will teach traditional Kung Fu and the 18 traditional martial arts armaments. ..." is the class description.

Anyroads, anyone have experience with this as a martial arts style? I really don't know one form of Kung Fu from the the other.

Are they all about the same?

 

In Pak Mei we got "18 Demon Bridges" form.

We may be evil, but at least we'll be fortunate as well
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Cantonese Kung Fu. I see...oh yes, you are the traitors who sold out the Shaolin to the Emperor - at least according to Wikipedia.

 

Well in every Shaw Bros movies, the bad guy is either called Pak Mei or has long white eyebrows or there's a village called Pak Mei for a reason.

And it wasn't a sell out...legend has it we were too d3@dly for teh sparring and ended up killing sparring partners

(best kungfu origin story ever in my humble opinion)

 

You've not told us what the style is. If you're studying 18 weapons the you would likely learn AT LEAST 18 forms/patterns.

 

Anyway, 18 weapons is nowhere near enough.
http://plumblossom.net/ChoyLiFut/CLFweapons.html

 

Isn't that (18 Methods) the style?? Shaolin Luohan's 18 hands? 18 Luohan quan ?

It's just described as traditional Kung Fu. I suppose I could ask...if I knew the right questions.

 

Shaolin Louhan 18 hands is typically a form/pattern within broader Shaolin systems. Again, you've never actually said the name of the school, I'm unclear if it's called 18 methods Kung Fu, 18 weapons Kung Fu, 18 weapons/methods Kung Fu, or if the poster said "Kung Fu: learn the 18 weapons/methods".
The right questions are very simple: What's it called? Where's it from? Who taught it?

 

Cor...that's quite an array of weaponry!!! Fascinating stuff. The fire wheels look especially fun.

They don't list shuriken - unless I missed it. Those are the only ones I'm familiar with having bought some once - learning to properly machine - grind the edges for balance being the real trick to using them.

Anyroads, anyone point me to a primer of basic methods as I like to be familiar with what to expect beforehand. Class starts next Saturday.

 

Without knowing what it is it's hard to say. If we give you a basic longfist primer and it's Southern Mantis you'll just be confused.

 

That being said
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZSJQ_Q_XaA"]Training Scenes The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - YouTube[/ame]