Baltimore Academy of Defence

Xingyiquan & Baguazhang Kung fu, HEMA, American Swordsmanship

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Kung Fu

Xíngyì Jiànfǎ Seminar

February 3-4, 2024
10am-4pm Sat. & Sun.

心意劍法
Form and Intention Sword Method

Qīxīng Liánhuán Jiànfǎ Tào​lù
七星連環劍法套路
Seven Stars Continuous Linking Sword Form

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This seminar will teach the entirety of the Xíngyì Seven Stars Continuous Linking Sword Form as passed down through the prestigious Chen Pan Ling lineage of Hubei Xíngyìquán. This tào​lù (form) contains the essential cuts and sword techniques of Xíngyì Jiànfǎ as well as teaching the important Shēn Fǎ (Body method), emphasizing the continuous linking movement of the “Seven Stars” (head, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, feet) in a unified and powerful way.

The tào​lù will be taught over two days with breaks for lunch and optional time for freeplay (sparring) at the end of each day.

Equipment:
Please bring your own jiàn (sword) preferably made of wood, as well as safety rated eye protection and HEMA/Lacrosse/Hockey gloves if you have them. Limited equipment will be available to borrow, but there will not be enough for everyone, so please try to bring your own if you can.

Price:
$159 – Academy Members
$189 – Regular Price

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Qiāngfa: Chinese Spear Fighting Workshop

7-8pm Mondays: July 13th – August 17th

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The art of fighting with the spear or Qiāng (槍) provides the foundation for the methods of Xíngyìquán. One of the oldest and most respected of the ancient weapons, it is traditionally known as the “King of All Weapons.” for its versatility and power.

This six week workshop series is intended as an introduction to traditional spear fighting methods, especially the Wu Xíng (五行) ‘Five Elements’ of spear fighting from the Xíngyìquán system of Chinese Kung Fu.

No Previous Experience Necessary

$149 for Academy members.
$179 for all others.

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Equipment:
Please bring your own ‘spear’ preferably a staff, or blunted spear, as well as safety rated eye protection and HEMA/Lacrosse/Hockey gloves if you have them.
Limited equipment will be available to borrow, but not enough for everyone, so please try to bring your own. .

Any spear or staff, (or broomstick) at least 5′ long may be used for practice. For safety purposes spear shafts without points will be preferred for use during the workshop.

Click here for more information about traditional Chinese spears

Due to the extremely high cost of shipping a small number of items by freight ($200+) long spear shafts (7’+) are not commonly available. The Academy will be placing a ONE TIME order of long spear shafts.
Price is anticipated to be $35 – $50 depending on length.
To take advantage of this opportunity purchase a long (7′-12’+) practice spear, please contact the Academy and pre-order no later than 6/25/2020.

Above: Illustration from the Chang Qiang Fa Xuan (長鎗法選) by Cheng Zong You (程宗猷) 1561-1636
Top: Liú Diànchēn Demonstrates Xingyi Qiāng c.1920

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Intro to Sun Baguazhang


Sun Lutang shows the Bagua Lion gua

八卦掌

Ba Gua Zhang (Pa Kua Chang) means Eight Trigrams Palm. The trigrams or Gua are ancient symbols used to represent all natural phenomena in the classic Chinese ‘Book of Changes’ or Yi Jing.
Zhang means palm and designates Ba Gua Zhang as a style of martial art, which emphasizes the use of the open hand instead of the closed fist.

Saturday July 13th, 10am – 4pm

This seminar will introduce the Baguazhang of Sun Lutang, a unique internal style of Chinese martial art that emphasizes fighting techniques that use the open hand to strike & grapple while employing footwork to obtain a superior angle, before throwing the opponent, (like in Judo) hard to the ground.

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The content will include:

  • Warm Ups
  • Body Mechanics
  • 8 Tea Serving Exercises
  • Circle Walking and other Bagua Footwork
  • Clinch Fighting and Throwing
  • Striking with Palms, as well as Knee, Elbow, and Kicking techniques
  • Detailed instruction on the Single and Double palm changes

After the seminar student will understand the history, development, and fighting strategy of Sun Style Baguazhang.
Additionally they will have a practical understanding of the Single and Double palm changes and their application. These first two changes form the core of the system and provide the basis for the further 8 palm changes, which are simply variations on the single and double.

No previous experience necessary

Please Pre-register by July 8th to receive discount.
$125 for Academy members, $135 others
$150 full price at the door
Price includes FREE lunch.

Purchase Tickets Here

10:00 am Seminar Begins with warm-up.
12:30 pm Lunch (Included FREE)
4:00 pm Seminar ends
4:00 pm FREE open floor for sparring begins, come join us even if you can’t make the seminar!

Illustration of Bagua’s 8 Trigrams

Chinese Swordsmanship Seminar with Scott Rodell

February 9th, 2019

Laoshi Scott M. Rodell‘s Chinese Swordsmanship seminar will instruct students not in sword forms, but in the martial use of the Chinese straight sword or jian. This seminar will teach a thorough understanding of Chinese swordsmanship fundamentals including the basic cuts as a foundation for the practice of Chinese swordsmanship and includes individual & paired drills, foot work, and free swordplay. 

HEMA and American swordsmanship practitioners will find the alternative theories presented on footwork, and “deflect / counter-cut” vs the more familiar “parry / riposte” style of many western sword systems especially interesting.

Purchase Tickets Here

No previous experience necessary

10:00 am – Seminar Begins
12:00 pm – FREE Lunch
4:00 pm – Seminar ends, open floor for freeplay, all are welcome FREE

$125 for Academy or GRTC Members
$135 for all others

Scott M. Rodell has studied martial arts since the age of nine, dedicating the last three and a half decades exclusively to the study of Yang Family Taijiquan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan). Rodell spent many years traveling to find and study with the best teachers in this lineage to fulfill a person goal – renovating Yang Family Taijiquan. He sought out teachers known for certain specialties, pulling together elements of the system that have become separated and fragmented. Rodell has been privileged to receive instruction in push hands and free fighting from William C. C. Chen, sword and push Hands from T.T. Liang and the Yang Family Michuan Taijiquan, form, applications, push hands, fan, sword and spear, from Wang Yen-nien.

Best known internationally for his work reviving Chinese historical swordsmanship, and considered a leading authority, Rodell currently teaches over 20 seminars per year traveling frequently to Europe, Australia, Canada, and across the US.

Rodell is the author of four books on martial arts and Chinese swordsmanship including:  Chinese Swordsmanship – the Yang Family Taiji Jian Tradition explains and demonstrates the basic principles, cuts, and forms that form the Yang family’s taiji jian tradition, and A Practical Guide to Test Cutting for Historical Swordsmanship, which provides a step-by-step guide for the swordsman looking to expand their swordsmanship practice with the art of test cutting.  

Rodell is also the Director of the Great River Taoist Center. The Center was founded in 1984 and now is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has branch and affiliated school across America, Northern and Eastern Europe, and Australia.  

Purchase Tickets Here

March Seminar: Introduction to Sun Style Baguazhang

Big B.A.D. Bowie Knife Seminar

January 12th, 2019

Bowie and Big Knife fighting

This seminar will introduce Bowie & big knife fighting from a dueling / HEMA perspective. 
The content has been drawn from a variety of historical sources, especially the work of Colonel A.J.D. Biddle, John Styers, and the contemporary research of Paul Kirchner, Dwight C. McElmore, and William Cassidy.
–
No previous experience necessary 
–
Please Pre-register by Jan. 1st
$125 for Academy members, $135 others
$150 at the door
Price includes FREE lunch.
Pre-register to receive a FREE high quality training Bowie knife yours to keep.
–
9:30 am FREE warm up session
10:00 am Seminar Begins
12:30 pm Lunch (Included FREE)
4:00 pm Seminar ends
4:00 pm FREE open floor for sparring begins, come join us even if you can’t make the seminar!

February Seminar: Introduction to Chinese Swordsmanship with Scott M. Rodell