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Bart-Cham-Dao
The "Eight-Cutting Broadswords" Form of Wing Chun
Introduction | Section 1 | Drills and Applications | Concepts and Theories
Introduction
he final stage in the Wing Chun system is the Bart-Cham-Dao (pronounced bart chahm dow). The Bart-Cham-Dao, or "Eight-Cutting Broadswords." The Bart-Cham-Dao is considered the "crown jewel" of the system and is the epitome of weapons fighting.
More than a few stories exist as to how the Bart-Cham-Dao came to be included in Wing Chun, but even a brief glimpse of this fighting set will readily reveal how it has been adapted to fit the the empty-hand concepts and theories. In fact, it is actually an armed method of the empty-hand Wing Chun applications themselves. This, however, is by design, not coincidence.
Most martial arts include a variety of forms for their weapons that are different than their empty-hand sets. The empty-hand fighting is such that a completely different set of "rules" applies to their weapons training.
By contrast, the Wing Chun system is such that a practitioner skilled in empty-hand fighting can pick up any weapon and apply those same concepts. Fighting with a weapon should encompass little to no difference in order to ensure survival.
Not everything will be exactly the same, of course. After all, one look at the Luk-Dim-Boon-Kwun and you will immediately see a lot of variations simply due to the nature of this long, heavy weapon. However, the "concepts" are relatively close, and the same holds true for the entire system (with the Bart-Cham-Dao being the culmination of this effort).
The double knives are approximately 1-1/2 pounds each and are generally 1 foot in length. Their construction differs from the standard Southern butterfly knives in that there is also a small hook on the front of the hand guard. Originally used for trapping longer-range weapons while closing in, the hook can also be used for trapping the blade of an opposing knife. That particular skill, however, requires years of training.
While some lineages flip the knives or circle them (as commonly seen with Japanese weapons like the sai), we do not teach this specific concept. Anytime that a blade is not directed towards the opponent, a hole is presented in your defense that the attacker can make use of. Since we always want to remain on the attack, not having the blade or tip towards the opponent can put us at a fatal disadvantage.
Therefore, we never flip the knives backwards, nor do we circle them as seen in other lineages. Those that do, however, call this movement Huen-dao, or "Circling-knife." We "do" circle the knives around the long pole, but our version of circling is much smaller, almost to the point that it is not really a circling action at all.
Section 1
Section 1 begins our training in the form by teaching us how to handle the various angles that are present with edged weapons. With slashing, chopping, slicing, and simultaneous attack and defense actions, these are the preliminaries for a competent foundation in the knife form.
Bart-Cham-Dao: Section 1 (4.42 MB | 1 minute 28 seconds | WMV format)
Bart-Cham-Dao: Section 1 |
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Hoi-ma (Opening the stance) Place both knives on the right side, held by the right hand. |
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Jut-dao (Jerking-knife) Reach across with the left hand and grab the knife. |
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Jut-dao (continued) Forcefull jerk both knives down and in front. The arms go to full extension and the "contact" points are the middle of the blades. |
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Juk-sun Tan-Biu-dao (Palm-Up knife with Thrusting-knife) Assume a right Sideling-stance while simultaneously the left knife assumes Tan-dao and the right knife spears or "thrusts" forward with Biu-dao. |
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Juk-sun Tan-Biu-dao Assume a left Sideling-stance while simultaneously changing knives to Tan-dao/ Biu-dao. |
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Juk-sun Tan-Biu-dao Assume a right Sideling-stance again and repeat the previous Tan-dao/ Biu-dao. |
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Jut-dao Forcefully jerk both knives downward while resuming Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma. |
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Juk-sun Tan-Biu-dao Assume a left Sideling-stance while simultaneously changing knives to Tan-dao/ Biu-dao. |
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Juk-sun Tan-Biu-dao Assume a right Sideling-stance again and repeat the previous Tan-dao/ Biu-dao. |
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Juk-sun Tan-Biu-dao Assume a left Sideling-stance while simultaneously changing knives to Tan-dao/ Biu-dao. |
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Jut-dao Forcefully jerk both knives downward while resuming Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma. |
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Sheung-har Gaun-dao (High/low Splitting-Block knives) Pivot the body to a right Sideling-stance while simultaneously driving the knives to Gaun-dao. The left knife is pointed up and the right knife is pointed down. Keep the bottom of the handles as close as possible. |
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Sheung-har Gaun-dao Change sides and knife positions to the other side. |
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Sheung-har Gaun-dao Change sides and knife positions back to the right side. |
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Jut-dao Forcefully jerk both knives downward while resuming Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma. |
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Sheung-har Gaun-dao Pivot the body to a left Sideling-stance while simultaneously driving the knives to Gaun-dao. The left knife is pointed up and the right knife is pointed down. Keep the bottom of the handles as close as possible. |
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Sheung-har Gaun-dao Change sides and knife positions to the other side. |
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Sheung-har Gaun-dao Change sides and knife positions to the other side. |
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Jut-dao Forcefully jerk both knives downward while resuming Yee-chi-kim-yeung-ma. |
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This completes section 1 of the Bart-Cham-Dao |
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The sections of Bart-Cham-Dao will vary from school-to-school, as well as lineage-to-lineage. Essentially, however, the Bart-Cham-Dao is a progressive set, beginning with short-range knife fighting and culminating with "crossed" movements and long-range steps in order to address knife-to-pole fighting.
Drills and Applications
As with training in the Luk-Dim-Boon-Kwun, training in the Bart-Cham-Dao begins by creating the necessary strength and coordination for handling the knives.
Strength Training Drill #1 |
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Extend both arms to full extension with the knife tips pointed upwards. |
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Using only the wrists and keeping the arms fully locked out, slash one knife downward. |
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Continuing to keep the arms fully locked out, return the knife to its starting position. When returned, immediately slash the other knife downward. This continues repeatedly. |
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Not only is sufficient wrist and arm strength necessary, but conditioning of the lower body is also essential. The most advanced of Wing Chun footwork is found in the Bart-Cham-Dao, and naturally, our opponent will not be standing still. Many are unaware that a Wing Chun practitioner can actually cross up to 20-feet with one fluid action, and this particular step is found in the Bart-Cham-Dao.
Therefore, strength and flexibility for both the upper and lower bodies must be competent before learning the Bart-Cham-Dao form itself.
After the form is learned, we then progress to various drills and applications in order to "bring out" the movements. It is important to learn the entire form and become competent with handling the knives before working the drills and applications, since doing the opposite will create many bad habits that can put your life in jeopardy.
The Bart-Cham-Dao's actions are closely patterned after the empty-hand concepts, so learning the applications are actually quite easy once sufficient strength and flexibility is attained. For example, Tan-dao and Gaun-dao are performed in the same manner as Tan-sau and Gaun-sau, learned during the Siu-Nim-Tau.
Even a brief look at the Bart-Cham-Dao will demonstrate the knives are utilized in the same way as our empty-hand actions. The only difference is that the blade is used instead of the hand or arm. This allows for a smooth and easy translation of empty-hand to armed applications.
Although the handle is used by some lineages, the AWCA does not teach this. Instead, our concept for the handle is only for protecting the hand. We prefer to strike with the blade itself vs. any other area of the knife.
Concepts and Theories
Knife Concepts vs. Empty-hand Concepts
One of the interesting things about Wing Chun is that the empty-hand concepts and movements are almost always applied to whatever weapon we are using. Where the double knives are concerned, this is clearly evident even with just one glimpse.
And that is one of the things that sets Wing Chun apart from other martial arts.
In most arts, the empty-hand forms and the weapons forms are night-and-day to each other. You could become proficient in empty-hand fighting, and then have to learn a completely different approach to weapons fighting. By contrast, Wing Chun empty-hand concepts are directly applied to the weapon being used at the time, thereby allowing for faster and more efficient use.
"Flipping" the Knife Backwards
Not all Wing Chun/ Ving Tsun/ Wing Tsun styles train the same way, and one of these variations includes knife training. As mentioned previously, some practitioners flip or circle the knives in such a way that the blade is reversed and not towards the opponent. Some lineages teach this, while others insist that the knives should never do this.
Since flipping the knives means that you would be purely on the defensive, the AWCA does not teach this concept. However, I have witnessed many practitioners who "do" flip the knives and have no doubt that they can utilize their skills. This is an excellent example as to the diversity of training within the Wing Chun families.
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Updated: 09.16.2009 12:13PM MST
