Has someone seen it? Did you like it or not? What is your opinion?
(Some please change the nacional geographic to national geographic)

Seen it. My opinion ? A total waste of time. Those guys have zero understanding of how those weapons are actually used or how effective they are considering how they rank them.

The chopstick throwing thing was the obvious one. It was never, ever meant to be used as a weapon. Just street performers' trades and tricks. It can hurt, but never be of any real maiming value. Don't get me started on the flying gillotine.

What book/manual did the chinese historian have in the "documentary", did you recognise it? Any comment on the props/weapons they used during filming. How accurate replicats were they?

If it is the flying guillotine you are talking about, only really vague reference about people having their head removed without blood at the crime scene during the Qing dynasty. Stories then grew and grew about how this is done until the flying guillotine came into fiction. Not real manuals or documentaries were used. As far as I can see, it is just a simple case of killing someone and then cleaning the plan with some kind of blood-stain formula. Think about it, even if you can kill someone without actually spilling the blood on impact, the body will bleed eventually. There is no way that the crime scene can be blood-free without cleanup.


There isn't much to comment on. What they used where standard product you get in a martial arts supply story. The overall dimensions are seem within range although obviously the material used in their construction is no. I give them credit for actually finding a collector of ancient weapons in one of their sections about concealed weapons. Still, one source does seem a little skimpy if you ask me. But I can't forgive them for the injustice they did for the Chinese bow. Completely glossed over the complexity and efficiency in its design as well as its position as being the first and foremost weapon in the chinese military arsenal.

The key criticism I have for all similar books/videos/documentary is that they focus too much on the weapon itself and not how it is used. They look at a sword and it automatically triggers the idea of 'trust' and a 'cut' for the dao. In actual fact, the lian, qi, liao, tiao, dian of the jian and stuff like mo and shi of the dao are actually much more important when using those weapons. The 身法 actually trump all those things when using those weapons.

Ah well, it's Nat Geo. It is designed to get ratings as it's first goal. For the common folks who's only exposure is kung fu movies, thats more than enough to con them. I have been so desensitised with the ignorance the average john doe show that I have learn to be content in the small blessing that those who I teach can come back the next day and analyse in the logical and informed way they should have done it.

I saw Fight Science and thought it similarly as poor- though I plan on watching Kung Fu Killers online now that its been brought to my attention.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/chan...nce/styles.html

I particularly love how they fall into myth-

Kung Fu invented by Boddhidharma and the grandfather of all martial arts, unbreakable samurai sword, etc.

Great thanks Wujiang . I was thinking more of the book where the weapons were ilustrated like bows and ohter weapons it was in chinese and one of the historians in the "documentary" had it in his hands. The flying guillotine is like the one from the same name movie, total fantasy . So do you have a good book tip for me regarding chinese weapons their construction an material they have used? Or at leats now where to buy new 1:1 (material, design and forging/makeing technic) replica of such weapons?

They don't have a good track record on covering Chinese stuff

I saw their mongol invasion fleet program

talked about how the mighty samurai warriors defeated the invaders with flashing katanas, using their 'superior hand to hand skills and swords'