Bench-fu

Discussion in 'Kung Fu' started by Moosey, Oct 21, 2013.

  1. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    So, in loads of 1970s kung-fu movies, there's at least one scene where someone fights with a small wooden bench. I seem to recall that Yuen Biao is particularly good at it. Is this based on a real discipline of kung-fu and have any of you ever tried it?
     
  2. Mushroom

    Mushroom De-powered to come back better than before.

    Yeah. Traditionally there is a bench form or 2 in quite a few styles. The bench is really a stool that is actually still used in the villages, shanty kinda areas. Called a "horse bench" because its shaped like a horse (a headless one mind you)

    Its basically, what you would expect to do with a flat object with pointy bits. (Swing, stab, poke etc). :)

    Heres a pic of my Sifu doing a "stab" with the bench.
     

    Attached Files:

  3. Guitar Nado

    Guitar Nado Valued Member

    Never tried it, and not taught at the KF school I go to - but I think there is a form in the style.

    Personally I think it is really cool. To me, if you could do much fighting with a bench, then you could use all sorts of improvised stuff.
     
  4. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    The whole scene is great - as is the movie actually - but go to 5:30 for the bench fight

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QPi_ZSPZ64"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QPi_ZSPZ64[/ame]
     
  5. Madao13

    Madao13 Valued Member

    I was also wondering about that, but I had figured that this bench fu was a result of Jackie Chan's genius, because he was the only one I had seen doing it and he has a knack for stuff like that.

    Very fun clip Hannibal. This choreography is just like the ones Jackie does.
    It makes me wonder who influenced who..
    Bench fu is cool as hell!
     
  6. Late for dinner

    Late for dinner Valued Member

    I have a couple of these... Always loved seeing them in the movies! Maybe with folding chairs taking over a few new sets are due?!

    LFD
     
  7. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Samo is Jackies Senior at the Peking Opera School
     
  8. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    This is our one
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBMLTvcGRtw"]Choy Li Fut - Horse Bench - Plum Blossom International Federation 2010 - YouTube[/ame]
    I've also learned a Hung Gar one.
    Choy Li Fut has a variety of weapons of opportunity, such as the bench, hoe, fan, rake and umbrella.
     
  9. icefield

    icefield Valued Member

    and jackie always looked his best when samo directed him
     
  10. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    The bench is intended as an improvised weapon. They were common in 1800's china. So you used what came to hand. The bench was never intended as a principle first line of defence weapon. You never carried around a bench "just in case".

    This makes the drunken master, historically inaccurate, although it does have one of the best lines in any martial arts movie "your friend is strange, he doesn't talk much and he carries a bench."
     
  11. ned

    ned Valued Member

    Classic JC with a modern twist on the traditional horse ;
    metal step ladder at 2.50 !

    [ame="www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0JYNznbL0Q"]Jackie Chan's First Strike - Fight Scene - YouTube[/ame]
     
  12. Nojon

    Nojon Tha mo bhàta-foluaimein

    Forgot about that, amazing scene!
     
  13. butcher wing

    butcher wing Oi, Fatso!

    Jackie, Yuen Biao etc got their breaks in movies because of Samo (three hairs) or as they call him, Dai Gor. (Big brother)
     
  14. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Sifu_Ben already posted a link to our Horse Bench form. So yeah, CLF has it.

    I have not learned it yet. That is a form you learn at advanced levels in my school - senior black sash- and I am not at that level yet.

    It is such an unwieldy weapon. I am always impressed people can make using one look good.

    I always understood the horse bench form as an example of how one can turn anything into a weapon, even if it is not made to be one. I have not seen anyone spar or do partner drills with it. But I have seen people do weight/ strength conditioning exercises with it.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2013
  15. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    There's two person forms with it against double ended staff, double broadwsord and hoe.
    As a weapon it's seriously rough on your rotator cuffs.
     
  16. aaradia

    aaradia Choy Li Fut and Yang Tai Chi Chuan Student Moderator Supporter

    Is that in CLF? I have only seen the solo form so far. I would be interested in seeing other forms like you mention.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2013
  17. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    Yeah, I've only seen the hoe one though.
     
  18. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

  19. El Medico

    El Medico Valued Member

    We call 'em saw horses,'cause ya put a piece o' wood across two of 'em and saw away.

    Saw my Hung uncles do a bench vs Kwan do form once.
     
  20. Raiko

    Raiko New Member

    that's pretty cool. As a prictitioner of Bujinkan, i'm used to turning farm implements (kama, shuriken, shuko) into weapons but this is kind of taking it to another level.
     

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