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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 10, 2012 20:49:42 GMT
So, here is my Cold Steel Butterfly Swords mini review. A find that not many people can shoot great photos to show the details of this blade and so here goes my blog post to show it's beauty. Yea the photos are not as nice as my jade lion sword batch because I wasn't really in the mood that day for photography, but still, it's good enough to show some of the features. Enjoy some photos! www.taoistmasterblog.com/cold-st ... ion-tests/ Enough said, a brief introduction here, showing you the blade and see how it cuts. Honestly, it doesn't come really sharp and the blades are one sharper than the other one, it was weird. So later on, I took out my lansky and used 3 of the fine stones to polish and re-hone the edge abit and now it's all fixed up. Review coming up! and after fixing the edge, here goes a test cut: Last but not least, nobody ever shot a video of using the blade in action to do some kungfu, what a shame. All the wingchun guys say the blade is either too long, too heavy or too whatever reason... well too bad, that's not your cup of tea then, but it's MINE! haha! Here goes the first guy who done a full form demo using the Cold Steel Butterfly Swords. This form is a form in my own lineage, enjoy and have fun. |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 11, 2012 2:26:19 GMT
Just a side note here, if you are interested (even this is not sword related), here is a form that is the "base" of the butterfly swords form demonstrated in the post above. The "base" is like the foundation and once you get the fist form, the blade form is very easy to understand and manipulate. So just for reference, if you like you can watch this form demo as well. It's another form in our lineage too, very unique because it doesn't really look like anything you might see in the market now.
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Post by stickem on Nov 11, 2012 17:18:52 GMT
Hey thanks for showing your form. Demos with live blades are always much more interesting  What you do has some similarities to the Wing Chun I am used to practicing (where these are called baat jaam dao) but there are some differences as well. Definitely using these helps understand the empty hand applications as well. I developed a whole new appreciation for the saat sao my sifu was doing after handling these a bit. Thanks again for the effort and have some karma! |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 11, 2012 18:58:41 GMT
Thanks! Yes doing a form with live blade is very cool and it does make you realize you are doing with a WEAPON as well instead of some props. I do have a vid of myself doing a ip man sect baat jaam dao before, I don't really like it much but I did learn it back then. I am more into Gwongzhau wingchun myself as I did complete that system before. It's more speedy and powerful than the ip man sect with less rigid and "squarish" movements. But I am not into wingchun now, my primary changed to only focus on my own lineage, Tin Yat Lineage, which is a Taoism lineage with magic and kungfu and so on.
Anyway, here is may baat jaam dao form back then, not the best but I did it for record:
Here is another butterfly sword form in my lineage called "wind and thunder double sword" which is another form that use the butterfly swords but this one move around more than the form above. Note that this form below was video recorded like a year after and I am much more speedy with my own lineage stuff because i like it more, haha!
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Post by stickem on Nov 11, 2012 20:53:17 GMT
Right. The baat jaam dao you are doing there is more similar to what I have learned. BTW, my Wing Chun training is from the Jiu Wan line rather than the Yip Man line. The two lines are related (but differ) so lots of what we do looks similar to Yip Man. However, there is more energy work in Jiu Wan Sigung's Wing Chun than I see in most of Yip Man's line of students, so it has a softer feel with less of a "hard style" to it than most are used to doing when practicing Wing Chun. It is more like "combat Tai Chi" rather than Shaolin if this makes sense. Anyway, now I am inspired to break out my pair of CS swords and play. They are very similar to yours, but are an older model, in which the wrap is burgundy. Like this:  Thanks again for the review! |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 11, 2012 21:36:09 GMT
Actually I had fought with a jiu wan sect student before when I am still doing my Gwongzhau wingchun days, I gave that guy a badass nose bleed in chi sau and we ended the game, hahaha.. well the thing is, jiu wan's line is better than ip man overall but still not my cup of tea yet. Oh well, not even Gwongzhau is my cup of tea now either, hahaha.. I enjoy my own lineage more, it's a personal thing. It's like you like cold steel? hanwei? er.. now I forge my own, what's better than custom? hahahaha! make sense in a blade forum right?
I remember jiu wan have a saam choi dummy set with 3 poles sticking up in a triangular format too, cool invention. I have a similar "sword dummy" build like that too, but they are wrapped with those beach mats for blunt sword practice. Fun to play with too!
Your CS is the discontinued version, the original version. I don't know if you have a peg in the tang there but mine is a new version and come in black cord wrapping, they are cool and they do have a peg in the center of the handle to secure the tang there. Does yours have that as well?
I wish CS make their willowleaf again, too bad, lots of good stuff got discontinue.. hahaha.. Good luck with your wingchun man, did you do yuor baat jam dao yet? got vids of yourself doing it?
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Post by stickem on Nov 11, 2012 22:52:06 GMT
Right, so I try to avoid the politics which plagues so much of Wing Chun specifically (and martial arts in general) with the "my sifu can beat up your sifu" & "my style can beat up your style" stuff, and so on. Instead, I will say only that I respect others and their systems, though as you say, many of them are not "my cup of tea." I trust my teacher and have seen him in action, so have no doubts about what we are doing  As far as videos go, the baat jaam dao is still closed door for our system, in that it is only taught to disciples. I get that in the age of YouTube almost everything is out there somewhere, but in this case I must defer to my teacher and not show the baat jaam dao form in public. Please understand  This is the only video Sifu Fong has made public, as far as I know, and it only very recently: Posted so you can get some of the flavor of what we do. It is not your typical static stance Wing Chun Thank you for the good wishes. I wish you good fortune in your kung fu as well. Time and effort |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 12, 2012 0:04:32 GMT
Thanks for sharing! I watched the video and seems like he is blending things together such as the tai chi push hand freestyle method used in competitions and some Chinese wrestling as well. His approach is very much like the guy in GZ wingchun who is named Kwong Wun Ping, he is blending in the Mongolian Wrestling into it as well as taichi. kinda weird, but well he do have his audience.
I don't even want to speak of what style is better because as I say, everybody have their "cup of tea" they like. It's like there are so many brands of blades out there and you can choose one you like more, that's all. Some people like fast, some like slow, who cares if your sifu beat mine or mine beat yours? It's about yourself anyway, kungfu is about yourself, not about winning others. You might win me today and I can win you tomorrow, so what? Right? I am way over that kind of stupid thinking a long time ago. It's totally worthless to race for some win and lose games. I hate competitions, that's why I never attend anything like that. I do kungfu for myself, for health and for real benefits that really show up in my body, mind and so on. If a style can do it for real, and not just "claim to be", then it's pretty good for the student doing it already.
No offense, but many tai chi claim to be good for health and end up is just all a big illusion, look at the grandmasters, they all die early, who have good health? Yang style master is doomed with obesity, his sons all don't live long, what is good health? I am also over those kind of "promotion illusions" as well. Really, if you want something good, you must feel it yourself, if you feel the benefits, then it's good for you.
Anyway, Great talking to you man, enjoy your blades then!
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Post by Nox on Nov 12, 2012 3:39:42 GMT
Nice!
I wanted to pick up a pair of these eventually, I recently bought a pair from Traditional fillipino weapons and even though I never formally trained in wing chun they were very fun and easy to weild, they have alot of combat applications.
One of the things that stopped me from getting these over the TFW ones was the brass fittings, too many chinese weapons/swords have brass fittings ( in my opinion) hopefully some of these sword companies will realize not everything chinese needs to have brass on it.
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Post by Nox on Nov 12, 2012 4:28:14 GMT
Excellent cuts! I know cold steel won't send me a pair that sharp, Have you ever considered producing your own set of butterfly swords?
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 12, 2012 5:54:41 GMT
Nice cuts, you did do very well with those pair, do you have some closeup photos of your blade? You said you are in Hung Gar and your signature say Hung Sing, which is Choi Lee Fut~! haha.. kinda confused too, but anyway, that's a cool cut you did there with bottles! You drank ALOT of water to get that session done!
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 12, 2012 5:56:56 GMT
My CS pair did not come sharp like it is now too. I have to redo the edge abit or I should say refine it abit more. So using the stones form lansky and doing it by freehand and eye judgement, I rehone it and now it is SCARY sharp. You can cut a letter size paper in half VERTICALLY. See this, which a stock CSBS can't do!
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Post by Don Boogie on Nov 12, 2012 14:51:21 GMT
MakChingYuen ty for the revieuw of this, i am also interested to buy butterfly swords one day in to my collection, it will be hard to choose betweeon the Hanwei butterfly swords and these, karma up for you .
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Post by stickem on Nov 12, 2012 15:15:43 GMT
Ricky ~ I can see why you like the elbow cut Looks very practical for empty hand application as well. Thanks for sharing the Hung Gar perspective. What method did you use to sharpen your pair? Is there a specific angle I am looking for? Here's another cutting video; this one uses the model I have on some ribs: |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 12, 2012 21:47:31 GMT
Oh man, i think you 100% got me wrong, chill man I am trying to be joking around only, don't take it too directly. You are really getting me wrong, I am not even defensive or whatever, instead, I do enjoy seeing your cutting vid and so I did complimented on them as well. If you tend to get my wrong, sorry, you need to relax and read again or it's my msg forgetting to add some smilies or something....... ... ... |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 13, 2012 0:35:44 GMT
If you are Chinese, you better understand one thing, I am talking in ENGLISH man and why the hell do I have to lie to you? If you just misunderstand my words, take it directly, well it's up to you but I am telling you once again that it is NOT what I meant. Don't try to be smart, because it doesn't mean you are right too. I am just very piss when people misunderstand me and try to pretend to be smart because they think they understand me. Well seriously, I don't like getting fired up but I am just asking you to STOP mis-understanding my words. I just say what I mean and I told you already, I was joking around. Why do you think I need to be so serious anyway? I am a cheerful guy, not those mean kungfu people. If you keep thinking like "I am Chinese and I know you.." then let's talk in Chinese now then, make it clear.
我爲何要和你講大話呀、你心虛還是小人之心度君子之腹呢。本道説話直過直尺、有話直説、不像小人般的單單打打。 練武之人、心口同一、那用和你來那婆娘的廢話。 你信就信、不信也罷。 如是堅持要小人之心來度我君子之腹的話、那我對你就真的無語了。練甚麼武術都不懂修心修真的話、本道不談了。 你那眼光看的根本是你自以爲是的東西。
頂天立地男兒漢、本道要評你罵你用那婆婆媽媽的哪套嗎！ 謊你的大繆！ 這態度令我對你真的180度改觀了！
Put is simple in English - If I wanna semprini at you, do you think I have to do this? stop your dreaming, let's get back on what I typed! I was originally joking around and also complimenting your vid, now you accused me of lying and crap? WHAT THE HECK?! Hey, where is your brain man, can you read by logic? Do I sound like I am sempriniing at you or something? Come on, did you face too many hypocrites in your social circle these days? Too bad, I am not those people man! Now I am really mad. I hate to be blamed at! Dang!
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 13, 2012 0:44:53 GMT
Ricky (hope that is your name if I am not reading it wrong), I did not even visit your website before, how the hell do I know your Hung Shing is a brand name? I was just reading the BIG black text and my first impression was - hey you are a choi lee fut fans! That's all. I am new to the forum and I don't know you too, why do you think I need to lie to you about these things? You are just making me more confused but now I visited your website, I then know what it's about. Let me tell you this again - I am not a hypocrite, and I hate people blaming me for semprini that I did not do. I came friendly and I wish to remain friendly, but please don't fire me up like that. People have different baseline, some people hate it when you semprini at them, some people hate it when you say they are cheapo, some people (me) hate it when you blame me for what I don't even mean to do.
Anyway, keep sharing your vids, I don't mind, seriously, why do I mind? I am a taoist master, my career is teaching Taoism, not kungfu. You don't even look like a competitor or anything to me too, I treat you like a friend in the forum only, and so I also enjoyed your vid. I said "great cut" and that means great cut literally. You don't believe me? Well, can't help then. Take whatever you want. But I must make myself clear again before you think on the wrong path again!
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Post by stickem on Nov 13, 2012 1:37:17 GMT
For those of us in the peanut gallery  trying to get the gist of what is going on here... My take is historically there has been some bad feelings between the Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut kung fu families. For this reason, confusing the two might be considered an insult to some folks who train in these styles. Again, this is just a guesstimate... So this is why I tend to stay out of martial arts politics as a general rule. Feelings get hurt and tempers flare rather quickly  |
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Post by MakChingYuen on Nov 13, 2012 1:51:05 GMT
Seriously I really don't give a damn about politics, and if anyone tell me they feel insulted because they do hung gar and someone say they do choi lee fut, come on! What century is this? I know many people who do hung gar AND choi lee fut together, who cares?!
It's like some people do akido and karate and judo and then MMA, who cares. It's 2012 now already, everything is like a free market for you to choose, if you want, you can choose to learn anything. Some people like the hung gar stuff AND also the choi lee fut too... then they do both! I really don't even see the point of sticking to one if you like both?!
Anyway, RIcky, I am NOT even into these non-sense politics and crap. Please don't even put that into my speech. I just meant what I meant literally and nothing more. I just say your name hung shing and thought it was a choi lee fut fans who also do hung gar. So I asked. That's all. Don't get me wrong.
I am not a hung gar or choi lee fut fans myself and so I don't even care about the politics. I do my own lineage, Tin Yat Lineage, that's all. I do kungfu for myself, not for others. It's also as clearly as said. Any confusion must clear up by now. Sigh...!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 13, 2012 4:53:19 GMT
Hey guys, relax, it's OK, looks like there was some misunderstanding! Coming from outside your culture, us gwei-lo would be happy to be learning any authetic Chinese martial art that teaches weapons! With your CMA backgrounds, your knowledge/experience is valuable to us outsiders, work together and promote the Chinese martial arts, they are under-represented here and everywhere else! Thanks |
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