| Short Sweeper - China's Handy Weapon
There's a new flexinode-1 entry added: Short Sweeper - China's Handy Weapon | “ | <div class="flexinode-body flexinode-1"> Author:
Bruce Carlino
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The low fog blankets the ground, shrouding the world in dim haze to the tops of the trees. Silently, a shadow makes its way to the tree line like a prowling cat, stealthily disabling opposing warriors before they even take notice of the presence.
Beyond the clearing, fighting turns to war tactics, and the special forces wait apprehensively to be unleashed. With only one goal in mind, the shadow deftly battles through the chaos, felling mounted warriors with powerful spear thrusts to the heart. With courage and dexterity, the dark figure steps, jumps and spins to dodge incoming attacks, but ultimately the precious spear is lost, with no chance of recovery.
Double short sweepers appear from within padded armor, and now, rearmed, the warrior moves forward, striking and smashing with maneuvers that are unstoppable. The sweepers gyrate and flash through the air. A pounding blow to the mastoid and another to the side of the knee eliminate the opponent, but the shadow moves on. Heedless of the failing bodies, the warrior stops to gain bearings, and sheds the armor to become swifter and more nimble.
Distantly, in the mists, the outline of the enormous war giant begins to be visible, holding high his huge sword and a shield the size of the sun! The shadow advances warily, for here is the ultimate goal of the morning's maneuvers.
The giant slashes the immense sword diagonally, forcing the shadow to roll back on nimble feet only to be attacked again with stabbing force. A po stance evades the sword, followed by a step into a shin bu and a merciless horizontal strike to the kidney. Spinning, the warrior sends a blow to the giant's head, but the shield blocks the strike and throws the attacker to the ground. Instantly, the shadow scissors upright, and unleashing the power of a hungry lion, lashes out with a spinning kick to the shield, sending the stunned giant stumbling back momentarily.
Strikes to the legs force the opponent to lower his guard. The sweepers find their target in a vicious downward blow to the clavicle, and finish with a crushing strike to the side of the head, bringing the giant to the ground.
The sun of the early morning gradually burns away the mist to reveal the ravages of the battle and the lifeless body of the fallen giant. The shadow silently folds the sweepers, and steals away into the trees ... her task has been completed.
Soft Weapon
The sweeper is classified as a soft weapon, one which is jointed or easily bent. Most soft weapons are used as secondary weapons and employed only when the main weapon is disabled or lost. Because of their flexibility, they are easily hidden, commonly fastened to the back, the waist, or the arm and do not interfere with mobility during combat.
Soft weapons are typically used for disabling an adversary. Although they may not have the killing potential and the efficiency of other weapons, they can be deadly when striking at sensitive areas and cause internal injuries.
There are many variations of sweepers; the weapon appears in both long and short versions. Typically, a chain joins two varying lengths of wood. In the iron chain-linking club, the connecting chain is longer and a sharp, double-edged blade replaces the small section. Because the chain is longer, it allows the user powerful sweeping capability and increases cutting potential. This weapon may have been developed in the same period as the long sweeper.
Another variation is the soft hammer, which is constructed from a comet star maul. This device was also used for strengthening and conditioning a warrior by striking areas of the body, toughening them and making them immune to strikes. Less flexible than other soft weapons, the soft hammer is limited in its movements. Another weapon that fits this category is the nunchaku, which consists of sections of equal length. "Chucks" are said to have originated when the short sweeper made its way to Okinawa.
Although it is rarely seen in action, the short sweeper is one of the greatest treasures of China. Short sweepers are usually used in pairs, and movements include a multitude of spinning movements; executing whirlwind maneuvers, rotating the body in full circles and then shifting fiercely to another angle with extreme power. These weapons are effective for middle- or short-range combat, and because they are not heavy weapons, the warrior can rely more upon jumping and failing techniques. When used singly, the short sweeper was swung with both hands and used to strike at horses' legs, making it a powerful weapon against cavalry units.
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Groundfighting movements are also performed and make for an effective group of techniques that can be very useful to a sweeper combatant. Once an attack is launched and the gap is bridged, a practitioner will roll and continue to strike, leaving no opportunity for a defense. While an adversary is confidently blocking an overhead swing, he may be disabled by a powerful strike to the knees. Then he can be buffeted by follow-up blows to vital, unprotected sections of the body.
When using defensive tactics employing the sweeper, the combatant employs a defense that doubles as offense. As the longer section is being used to intercept an opponent's attack, the shorter end strikes out at unguarded areas of the body. Because the sweeper is a disabling weapon, targets are virtually unlimited and any undefended limbs or organs may be attacked.
When facing a longer and heavier weapon, the most successful target areas for the sweeper are the hands, wrist, arms and head. Strikes to these zones will increase the fighter's advantage by slowing the opponent's responses. Other targets include the waist, thighs, ankles and feet. Finishing blows are delivered to the head, specifically the mastoid, temples, coronal suture and trigeminal nerve. Strikes to these areas are devastating, and will disable most combatants. When a warrior is concerned with losing life rather than losing face, it is important to learn strikes to pinpoint targets such as the anterior neck region, brachial plexus, trapezius muscle and the clavicle bone. Blows to these targets are effective, albeit difficult to achieve. Other pinpoint targets on the torso are the sternum, solar plexus, heart, ribs and abdominal area. Historically, these targets were used to disable the opponent, possibly killing him by causing internal injuries. Attacking areas of the leg, including the groin, patella and knee joints, make mobility difficult. Any blow to the body will cause pain, but hitting these targets will quickly end confrontations. This results in less battle time and a decreased chance of sustaining serious injuries.
Building a Sweeper
The process of building any kind of sweeper is fairly simple and takes little time. A long sweeper should be proportioned to be the same height as the user, with one wooden section longer than the other. Chain connections may be swivel, or more traditional non-swivel types, and are typically 7/8 of an inch in diameter, inside measurement. These can be ordered at most martial arts supply houses. Wooden sections are made of dowel rods, available at hardware or building supply stores. The ends of the dowels are filed down to fit the chain connections. Once the connection is fitted onto the dowel, it should be attached securely with pins or small head screws. Tape is then applied to hold screws in place during combat. At one time, a piece of silk was placed at the outside end of the short section to distract opponents. Although this is no longer necessary, it does add to the flair and beauty of the weapon.
Although sweepers have not enjoyed the notoriety of other weapons, they have long been an integral part of a well-equipped warrior's arsenal. With their compact size and blinding speed, sweepers for centuries were the preferred back-up weapons. Today, sweepers are just as effective as they were in years gone by. They are difficult to fight against because of their speed as well as the relative scarcity of skilled practitioners. a | ” | | |
