Three section staff
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (October 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
 |
This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters. |
The samjiegun, or three-section staff (三節棍 , sām jié gùn), is a Chinese flail weapon that consists of three wooden or metal staffs connected by metal rings or rope. The weapon is also known as a sansetsukon (三節棍) in Japanese. A more complicated version of the Two Section Staff, the staves can be spun to gather momentum resulting in a powerful strike, or their articulation can be used to strike over or around a shield or other defensive block.
Historically made of white oak or Chinese red maple, modern staves are constructed from rattan, bamboo, various hardwoods or aluminum. For optimum fit, each of the three sticks should be about the length of the combatant’s arm and have a combined diameter that easily fits in the hand. A samjiegun is typically constructed from three wooden staves with a diameter of 1.25 inches (32 mm). These are connected by chains of rings, usually of five inches (127 mm) ; modern versions use ball-and-socket joints.
The total length of the weapon is about the same as the Chinese staff, the gùn and greater than that of the single staff known in Japanese as a bō; Its larger size allows for a increased reach compared to the Japanese weapon. Many of the techniques are similar to that of the staff, so spinning moves over the head and behind the back, such as helicopter spins and neck rolls, can be practised with a regular staff. The three-section staff has the advantage of being used both as a long-range weapon or a short-range weapon. Acting as an extension of the users arm, the three sectional staff can strike, block, choke, stab, sweep legs, and whip, often with different sections of the staff acting at the same time. The chains or binding ropes of the staff are used to entangle an opponent and their weapons.
One significant weakness of chained weapons in general is a lack of control. The strike of a samjiegun ends not upon impact but on recoil; even the greatest martial arts masters must use valuable time regaining control of their weapon or avoiding its strikes.
[edit] In Popular Culture
Due to this weapon's distinctive look it is used in video games, tv shows and movies as an exotic weapon. One example of this is in the manga and anime Bleach by Tite Kubo. One of the main characters, Madarame Ikkaku, uses a three section staff called Houzukimaru. Another example of this is in Samurai Warriors where Toyotomi Hideyoshi uses a Bo Staff that disconnects into a sansetsukon. Another example of this is in the Super Sentai series Juken Sentai Gekiranger and its american counterpart Power Rangers: Jungle Fury the mechas GekiTohja and its amercian counterpart the Jungle Pride Megazord wield sansetsukons as its main weapons. In Gekiranger GekiTohja's weapon is called the GekiSetsukon while in Jungle Fury its called the Jungle Setsukon which is formed from the tails of the respected beast themed mechas.
[edit] History
The three section staff is said to have originated from Chao Hong-Yin, the first Emperor of the Sung Dynasty (960 A.D.).[1] Before becoming emperor, he was a Shaolin trained martial artist known for being an adept bodyguard and escort. Once while guarding a lady of the royal family and her entourage on a journey to Beijing they were attacked by five bandits. Chao quickly turned and struck the first attacker in the head with his "gun" (staff). Such was the force of the blow that it broke Chao's favorite weapon into two pieces - one long and one short. The bandits were awestruck by Chao's skill and power and fled into the forest. Naturally, Chao was displeased with the condition of his precious staff but in the next town he had the local blacksmith reconnect the two pieces with iron rings and created the first "Dai-Si-Jo" or "two-section big stick".[1]
Unfortunately, the long section of the staff had been weakened during the attack and it soon broke in two again. Once again Chao had the broken sections rejoined and consequently created the world's first sām jié gùn or "three section staff."[1]
Chao realized the devastating potential of his new weapon -- it was small and easily carried and concealed, it could be used for stabbing or striking like a broadsword, it could be used as a whip and it was very useful for joint-locking techniques.
Chao's fame with this weapon spread and soon other escorts and bodyguards were also using the three section staff. It soon became the signature weapon of escorts who would carry a banner with a picture of the weapon as a warning to potential thieves that the person or persons being guarded were well-protected by a highly-trained martial artist.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Description
|
|||||||||||
