II.
THE MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

 

3 - The Pole-Arms

 

 

The Spear Wielding

(Thương-Pháp)
槍法

 

       According to that is quoted in the Part concerning the Discussion on the Spear, the wielding techniques Vietnameses Spear differ from those of Chineses because the difference of architecture between the Vietnamese Spear and the Chinese Spear and the difference of Martial Arts concept.

       The wielding techniques Vietnameses Spear differ from those of Chineses because the implementation of techniques « To Block - Lan 攔», « To Catch - Nả 拿», «  To Cut - Trát 鍘», « To Pierce - Thích 刺», « To Wind - Quyển 捲», « To Slit - Trảm 斬», which are totally different.

       We only have to compare illustrious Spear Codified Sequence of Tây-Sơn Dynasty (1788-1802) as the one of « Nghiêm-Thương 嚴 槍 », the one of « Độc-Lư Thương 獨 爐 槍 », or the one of « Tiểu-Nã Sát-Thương 剿 拿 殺 拿 », etc., which have not been yet modified this last times, with famous chinese as the one of «Lê-Hoa Thương 棃 花 槍» under Song Dynasty (960-1279), the one of « Mai-Hoa Thương 梅 花 槍 » under Minh Dynasty (1368-1644) or the one of « Thương Sơn 槍 山 » under Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) for convincing ourself of the difference.

       When we see a Martial Arts Master teaching to Martial-student the execution of a Codified Sequence of Vietnamese Spear according to the techniques of Chinese Spear wielding, we understand immediatly that the Vietnamese Spear wielding has been too few handed down by our Precursors and it runs currently a great risk to be asimilated by those of Chinese Spear.

      Anybody who knows strong points of Vietnamese Spear wielding could never dare to use Chinese Spear techniques for modifying the Vietnamese Spear wielding.

 

 

 

The Codified Sequence of
« Pear Flowers Spear »
« Lê-Hoa-Thương »
棃 花 槍

       

       The basic Codified Sequence of Spear wielding from School System Sa-Long-Cương is the one of «Lê-Hoa Thương», an antique Codified Sequence of Spear wielding, famous under SONG Dynasty (960-1279), brought to Đại-Việt Kingdom by SONG's Generalissimo TRIỆU-Trung (趙忠) in the TRẦN Dynasty (1226-1400) period, including 58 Techniques, exclusively preserved with caution and passed on posterity by our late lamented Grand-Master Trưởng Trương-Thanh-Đăng in Việt-Nam .

 

Grand-Master Trương Thanh Đăng
was demonstrating Spear wielding of
« Pear Flowers Spear »
(Lê Hoa Thương).

 

       Wielding techniques of « Pear Flowers Spear - Lê-Hoa Thương » takes their source from Six Combinaisons Techniques of Spear wielding from Six Martial Lineages : 1. Dương 楊 Family, 2. Cao 皐 Family, 3. Sa 沙 Family, 4. Mã 馬 Family, 5. La 羅 Family, 6. Lưu 劉 Family.

       Effectively, the wielding of Pear Flowers Spear «Lê-Hoa Thương» is crystallized from 24 techniques of « Metal Spear - Kim-Thương 金 槍 », « Volte-Face Spear - Hồi-Mã Thương 回 馬 槍 », « The Marvellous Battle of Pear Flowers Spear - Lê-Hoa Kỳ-Trận 棃 花 奇 陣 », « Black Sparrow-Hawk Spear - Hắc-Điêu Thương 黑 鷂 槍 », « White Sparrow-Hawk Spear - Bạch-Điêu Thương 白 鷂 槍 » and «Winding Spear - Quyển-Thương 圏 槍 ».

       We find about it all techniques of « To Block - Lan 攔 », « To Catch - Nả 拿 », «  To Cut - Trát 鍘 », « To Pierce - Thích 刺 », « To Wind - Quyển 捲 », « To Slit - Trảm 斬 ». Martial Studient wanting to learn this Codified Sequence of Pear Flowers Spear « Lê Hoa Thương » will have need an exact transmission of techniques according to the order of Coded Verses in order to be able to assimilate divinely marvellous transformations from this antique Spear Codified Sequence.
       In nowadays, it exists a certain number of Sa-Long-Cương's Drill Halls which don't teach the Codified Sequence of the Spear « Lê Hoa Thương » in accordance with his Coded Poeme, by confusion with techniques belonging to Codified Sequences of the Battle Staff « Trung-Bình-Tiên » and the one of « Phượng-Hoàng Tiên », causing to their Drill Halls the decline of this rare and precious antique Codified Sequence of the Spear « Lê Hoa Thương » from ancient China, because too many techniques have failed it.

       Under the TỐNG (SONG 宋 - 960-1279) Dynasty, generalissimo Lý-Toàn (Li Quang), alias « Lý-Thiết-Thương - Li with Metal Spear » (Li Tie Qiang 李 鐵 槍), had a wife named Dương-Diệu-Chân (Yang Miaozhen 楊 妙 眞), belonging to Generalissimo YANG Family (YANG-Jia Jiang 楊 家 將), which was champion of Spear during 20 years ago with techniques of « Pear Flowers Spear ».

         Fulfiling to Battle Fields Martial Arts Tradition, when Martial Student ends to learn the Spear wielding and deserves to act as a very model of Martial Arts fine spirit for the other ones, Grand-Master Trương-Thanh-Đăng passed on him the method to drawn the « Hemostatic Diagram Mandala" ( Đạo-Phù Cầm Máu) as well well as to recite the « Incantatory Formula Yantra » (Thần-Chú) - including 4 lines of verse with 30 words - for making it efficient, in order to treat a wound caused during the fighting. Although in our days, it exists hémostatics from modern pharmaceutical sciences, this vietnamese tradition of Mandala and Yantra in Battle Fields Martial Arts, because his cultural value, is still preserved abroad.

 

 

 

The Codified Sequence of
« Unique Censer Spear »
« Độc-Lư-Thương »
獨 爐 槍

       

         The famous basic Codified Sequence of Spear from Traditional Martial Arts of Việt-Nam is those of « Unique Censer Spear - Ðộc-Lư-Thương 獨 爐 槍 », invented in 1770, belonging to Spear wielding techniques of Tây-Sơn Dynasty, symbolizing the three talented Nguyễn-Nhạc, Nguyễn-Lữ and Nguyễn-Huệ through the picture of a trivet Censer.

         This Codified Sequence of Spear wielding is made up of 15 Coded Lines of verse, with 41 Techniques including 60 attacks and defenses chained.

         It's regrettable to note that after 1998, the Codified Sequence of Ðộc-Lư Spear wielding had been fafsified by a certain number of persons who misturing it with Spear wielding from Chineses, destroying in this way martial cultural heritage from Việt people, that so much of our Precursors had struggled to preserve it through the time ! However, those among of us who had benefited before from a true passing down of this Tây-Sơn Dynasty's Codified Sequence of Spear wielding, from the late Grang-Master Đoàn-Ngọc-San, belonging to the Martial Arts trend of the Grand-Master Hai-Hựu, could yet distinguish differences.

       (May we are allowed to remind you that the Grand-Master Hai-Hựu was a Martial Student of Mr Cai Hạnh, himself disciple of Martial Arts Lineage of Commander Phạm-Tường, great-grandfather of nowadays Grand-Master Phạm-Thi.)

 

 

 

The Codified Sequence of
« Willow Leaf Spear »
« Liễu-Diệp-Thương »
柳 葉 槍

       

         The celebrious Codified Sequence from Traditional Martial Arts of Bình-Định is the one of « Willow Leaf Spear - Liễu-Diệp Thương » (柳 葉 槍), that was so praise worthy :

Bình-Định is made celebrious in the people to have it in one's possession
The « Willow Leaf Spear » is remained invicible here because the rest of the world didn't own it.

 

Master Trần Quang Diễn presenting
the Codified Sequence of
« Willow Leaf Spear »
( Liễu-Diệp Thương - 柳 葉 槍 ).

 

         This Codified Sequence « Liễu-Diệp Thương » (柳 葉 槍) is passsed on to the posterity by the late Master Trần-Quang-Diễn from Grand-Master Xả-Đàng HÀ-HÂN School System. It cpmprises 17 Coded Lines of Verse ((119 characters), written under the form of Heptametric Poem, codifying 53 Lunges, including marvellous transformation techniques of attacks and defences intimately linked.

 

 

 

The Codified Sequence of
« Long Spear »
( Trường-Thương )
長槍

       

       The renamed Codified Sequence concerning the Traditionnel Art of Spear wielding from the region of Bình-Định is those of the « Long Spear - Trường-Thương » (長 槍) inherent in Martial Arts Trend of Grand-Master Commander THI, codified by 5 tetrametric coded Lines of Verse.

       That's a Codified Sequence of Spear wielding on battlefields of Đại-Việt on bygone days, training officiers for the use of Spear in order to fight up and down by defeating pitched battles in four directions and to wage war to defend military camps.

 

 

 

The Codified Sequence of
« Long Spear with Hundred Lounges »
« Bách-Thế Trường-Thương »
百勢長槍

       

       The Codified Sequence of great réputation of Spear wielding from Battlefields Medieval Martial Arts of ĐẠi-VIỆT is those of « Long Spear with Hundred Lounges - Bách-Thế Trường-Thương » (百勢長 槍), codified by 18 Heptametric Coded Lines of Verse.

       This appellation « Bách-Thế Trường-Thương » (百勢長槍) doen't mean that the Codifief Sequence of Spear wielding allows about a Hundred lounges but that's an expression used to make an allusion to the transformation to infinity according to the ambivalent abstrait numbers Yin & Yang - in the Picture of River (Hà-Đồ 河 圖) and in the Treatise of Lạc River (Lạc-Thư 洛 書) - which is worth 45 + 55 = 100. 

      There's a rare and precious Codified Sequence concerning the Spear wielding from Battlefields Medieval Martial Arts of ĐẠi-VIỆT of bygone days, training officers and warriorrs in the use of Spear in order to fight on foot as on horseback. It had been passed down to posterity by the Founder Grand-Master, the Commander PHẠM-Tường, from Battlefields Martial Arts Trend of Grand-Master PHẠM-Khảo, Military Mandarin of 1st Rank of Imperial Court, whom the current descendantis the Grand-Master PHẠM-Thi.  

 

(To be continued...)

 

Committee of VÕ-TRẬN-ĐẠI-VIỆT Bình-Định Sa-Long-Cương FRANCE Martial Arts Masters TRỊNH Quang Thắng.

 

 

 

 

 

• Discussion about the Spear

 

 

 

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