Wing Chun Blades: Baat Jaam Do Form

Wing Chun's Baat Jaam Do form is a veritable university of blades. And sticks. Or any similarly sized tool you might need to use for your defense. For everyone who either wants to learn the form in its entirety and/or discover all the amazing application principles therein, this book is for you. But this is also for those who are seeking a comprehensive system of weaponry because they know that no martial artist is complete without one. Especially edged weapons. The thing about Wing Chun is that its forms provide "seeds" of cross-discipline application. In other words, Baat Jaam Do gives us the basis for using not only two short swords, but a multitude of other tools as well. This is of critical importance because who has the time to learn to use dozens of different weapons? Most of us have jobs. A wife. Kids. Baat Jaam Do is the veritable "one stop shop" for the wise warrior because the principles and mechanics learned in the form can be applied, as we said, to numerous other tools. But why bother with edged weapons in the modern world? Well, not knowing how to skillfully deploy an edged weapon for personal defense is dangerous because life is unpredictable. And sometimes violent. Very, very violent. Everyone knows that sharp (and useful blunt) objects are all over the place, and readily accessible, should they suddenly need one. Therefore, we know that any rational self-defender should be skilled with them. It's just that simple. Violence happens in truly sudden and unpredictable ways, so one should never grow complacent. Normalcy bias is a killer. An attack can happen in so many different ways, in such a variety of places, that one should definitely learn the timeless lessons passed down through the years. In "Wing Chun Blades: Baat Jaam Do" there's a chapter for each of the form's eight sections, full of photos of every action. Not only that, there are detailed captions to help you understand both the how and why of the movements. It's like having an instructor right there with you. But that's not all. Following the form itself is another chapter on application concepts that shows the principles and movements - including primary targets - in action. Of course, a form like this is passed down to each generation so that they're prepared for the unpredictable future. That's the irony of a true martial art. To be prepared for what's ahead, we must heed the wisdom and lessons of the past. To that end, the book finishes with a series of essays covering the philosophy of application and training to fully unite mind and body. Contrary to the modern "MMA bros" out there who think all fistic truth is in the cage, the true warrior knows that real-world violence isn't sporting. And they know that martial art is so much more than merely learning technique. This book is for that true warrior and martial artist. Lastly, to be clear, the version of Baat Jaam Do presented in this book is the one passed down through the Ip Man lineage via Ip Ching to Edmund Fong and the author's Sifu, Tony Massengill. Obviously, different lineages have variations from this one and the author doesn't presume to declare that this version is the ultimate one. What he does wish to do is provide the form and the ability to understand it so that the reader/student can then logically understand the merits of this and other interpretations. The correct mechanics and principles, once understood and practiced, opens up a world of possibilities to you, the reader. That's the goal. View Less