# Have you trained with a fan?



## Lynne (Feb 25, 2008)

Master Mitchell (Vice-Ppresident of the AmericanTang Soo Do Association and highest ranking female martial artist in the world) recently taught a fan seminar at our school.  It was great fun and well-attended.

Fans have been used as weapons in China and Japan.  They were often used by the middle and upper classes as a defense against swords.  One could place razorblades on the outer edges of the fan or even place daggers between the fan ribs. You could flip your fan open and send out a spray of daggers at your oponent.  Fans were often made of silk, but could also be made of leather or metal.

The fan is not a "girly" art and was actually employed by more men than women.

We learned Buchu Hyung, which is a Japanese Samurai form.  I'm glad I was orange belt as I already knew the stances and kicks - front stance, fighting stance, horse stance, and back stance.  I'm just saying it would have been overwhelming at white or yellow belt.  We also used the front kick, the side kick and the back kick.  In addition, we jabbed and stabbed in between flipping the fan open and flipping it closed (flipping the fan open and closed is an art to itself, lol).  We also tossed the fan in the air to reverse it so that the bottom end would be facing out to stab with.  We did blocks and spins with the fan.  Master Mitchell knew we would have the most trouble with the spins, so we learned some basic spins first.  Indeed, they were tricky.

Master Mitchell did two demos for us at the end of the clinic.  She performed the Buchu Hyung she'd taught us.  Then she performed a fan hyung with two fans. Awesome.  It takes a lot of balance and control to use one fan.  I can't imagine using two.

Not being a black belt, I didn't pick up the entire Buchu Hyung, but someone recorded it so that we can make a copy.  I'd love to perform Buchu Hyung in a weapons competition.


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## JWLuiza (Feb 25, 2008)

Lynne said:


> Master Mitchell (Vice-Ppresident of the AmericanTang Soo Do Association and highest ranking female martial artist in the world) recently taught a fan seminar at our school. It was great fun and well-attended.
> 
> Fans have been used as weapons in China and Japan. They were often used by the middle and upper classes as a defense against swords. One could place razorblades on the outer edges of the fan or even place daggers between the fan ribs. You could flip your fan open and send out a spray of daggers at your oponent. Fans were often made of silk, but could also be made of leather or metal.
> 
> ...


 
Be careful with your hyperbole Lynne:
Recently promoted to 7th degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, Master Mitchell is Vice President of the ATA and one of the highest ranking women in Tang Soo Do in the country

I'm pretty sure I know of at least one 8th dan female. And one of my female instructors has been 7th for awhile   But I'm just giving you a hard time cause I'm bored... Let's talk about the real reason you posted....

They called it a samurai form?  Interesting, the kata that the Koryu teach are generally two man patterns...  In any case of it's derivation, it sounds like you had fun.  My advice is to try a bunch of weapons then decide on one to become your specialization.  So now that you are a green belt, do you get the fancy green trim on the dobak?

Good luck with the flat feet as well!


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## MBuzzy (Feb 25, 2008)

Lynne,

Just for future reference, I just pulled this clip off of the ATA website "Recently promoted to 7th degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, Master Mitchell is Vice President of the ATA and one of the highest ranking women in Tang Soo Do in the country!"  She is obviously a great practitioner and no doubt among the higher ranked female Martial Artists, but I don't think that she's at the top.

I have never trained with the fan myself.  Partially because Soo Bahk Do is a weaponless style, but I'm also in Haidong Gumdo, so I'm focusing my weapons on a single weapon for now.

I am curious if there is much fan taught in the ATA?  I'm not very educated on the history and proliferation of the fan either.  Sounds very interesting though.  There are some Tai Chi practitioners at one of my Dojangs that uses them frequently.

Sounds like you had a good time!


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## Errant108 (Feb 25, 2008)

Buchae is the Korean word for fan.  Is that how your teacher pronounced it?

I am almost 100% sure you did not learn anything used by the samurai.

The use of concealed blades, fans that shoot blades, etc inside of fans is more derived from wuxia, martial fiction, than actual fact.  Fans used in self-defense in Korea, China, and Japan were usually just made of iron or steel, sometimes in closed fan shaped rods that never actually opened.  Battle fans often used by samurai were not the folding kind, but rather paddle shaped with a handle.

The manuevers you listed, as well as the fact that koryu kata are two man forms, suggests that this is a modern form.  Flipping the fan is an acrobatic technique, found in dances, but not found in actual combat techniques.

Where did your teacher learn this form?  Do you have video of it?


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## Lynne (Feb 26, 2008)

JWLuiza said:


> Be careful with your hyperbole Lynne:
> Recently promoted to 7th degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, Master Mitchell is Vice President of the ATA and one of the highest ranking women in Tang Soo Do in the country
> 
> I'm pretty sure I know of at least one 8th dan female. And one of my female instructors has been 7th for awhile  But I'm just giving you a hard time cause I'm bored... Let's talk about the real reason you posted....
> ...


Thank you, JW.  It is important to have the facts straight.  I appreciate that!  I wouldn't want to continue parroting incorrect information.

Yes, I do get the new green trim and am really excited. I've gone down two sizes in doboks, so I bought the 12 oz. one (vesus my floppy 6/8 oz. one?).  I sent it the top out Saturday for trim.  It'll take about two weeks before I can wear it.  The trimmed doboks look so sharp!  Oh, and I should be able to hear my dobok snap when I punch.  Very important.


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## Lynne (Feb 26, 2008)

MBuzzy said:


> Lynne,
> 
> Just for future reference, I just pulled this clip off of the ATA website "Recently promoted to 7th degree Black Belt in Tang Soo Do, Master Mitchell is Vice President of the ATA and one of the highest ranking women in Tang Soo Do in the country!" She is obviously a great practitioner and no doubt among the higher ranked female Martial Artists, but I don't think that she's at the top.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for the information on Master Mitchell, Craig.  Much appreciated.

We have the Haidong Gumdo classes as well.  We also do the bo as part of our curriculum at Il Gup.  As far as fans, fans aren't part of our curriculum since we are a traditional Tang Soo Do school as well.

It was a fun clinic and I would love to do it again.


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## Lynne (Feb 26, 2008)

Errant108 said:


> Buchae is the Korean word for fan. Is that how your teacher pronounced it?
> 
> I am almost 100% sure you did not learn anything used by the samurai.
> 
> ...


 
Hi Errant,

I wish I could answer all your questions for you.  I saw the word "Buchu" in our school newsletter and was going to send you a PDF copy but the latest newsletter isn't on the net yet.  I didn't hear Master Mitchell pronounce Buchu.

The fans did not have the paddle shaped handle.  I don't know where Master Mitchell learned the technique.  Someone did video tape the form and I plan to get a copy of it. If I do, I can send you a copy.


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## Errant108 (Feb 26, 2008)

That'd be awesome, Lynne.  Thanks!


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## MBuzzy (Feb 26, 2008)

Lynne said:


> Thanks for the information on Master Mitchell, Craig. Much appreciated.
> 
> We have the Haidong Gumdo classes as well. We also do the bo as part of our curriculum at Il Gup. As far as fans, fans aren't part of our curriculum since we are a traditional Tang Soo Do school as well.
> 
> It was a fun clinic and I would love to do it again.


 
I have heard of a few of your masters competing and performing using Haidong Gumdo.  Are all of the TSD students required to learn a weapon at some point?


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## Lynne (Feb 26, 2008)

MBuzzy said:


> I have heard of a few of your masters competing and performing using Haidong Gumdo. Are all of the TSD students required to learn a weapon at some point?


I know for a fact that we are required to learn the Bo (staff) at Il Gup.  I have seen the black belts using escrima sticks but I don't know if escrima is required.

As far as I know, Haidong Gumdo is not a requirement.


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## tshadowchaser (Feb 26, 2008)

Not in your art but yes I have used and do practice useing a fan as a weapon


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