The Tai Chi Healthways Discussion Board

Greetings everyone,

I was wondering what folks in this group thought of using a machete (24 inch Latin style) as a substitute for the broadsword in the Yang 13 saber form?

I am actually a CMC practitioner for my hand form (Yang 37) and have recently begun training with weapons. I enjoy weapons training and holding even my wooden practice sword in my hand feels so completely natural it was amazing to me. However, I am not a rich man and cannot afford the $100+ US dollars I would need for a Dao blade, or Yang Sabre but I already own said machete. I by circumstance have to practice independently of a school at the moment, so I do not have an instructor available to question. So I am asking opinions.

Also, can someone explain to me why the saber used in Yang style is different from the Ox-tail Dao that other styles use?

lpboyle wrote:Greetings everyone,

I was wondering what folks in this group thought of using a machete (24 inch Latin style) as a substitute for the broadsword in the Yang 13 saber form?

Why not? But it seems to me 24in (about 60cm) is a bit short, and is probably sharp too
A blunt blade is better, you can't injure yourself or others while learning the form.

As for the difference between the Chen broadsword and the Yang knife, I don't know. There are so many weapons in chinese martial arts. Different area, different people, different tastes?

alain wrote:
Why not? But it seems to me 24in (about 60cm) is a bit short, and is probably sharp too
A blunt blade is better, you can't injure yourself or others while learning the form.

As for the difference between the Chen broadsword and the Yang knife, I don't know. There are so many weapons in chinese martial arts. Different area, different people, different tastes?

Actually, from having lived in a very swampy area of Florida (I had to cut brush away from my house every week) I have a few different machetes, one of which I did purposely dull for use as a practice blade. However, 60cm-24" may be a bit short. I had looked at the Information on Hanwei's Dao blade and saw that it was only a 25" length and thought it might be possible to do the substitution. However, since I was sized for a 30" Jian blade (I ran into a Chen stylist instruction when I went to buy a wooden Jian practice sword and he helped me get the right size) I should probably consider getting something longer when the funds become available.