My wife and I am working on a translation of Tang Hao's biography (he is the most famous/accurate Chinese historian of martial arts). In the biography they talk about him going to Japan about 1927 and learning:
Pi-Ci form; literally split (same word as xingyi splitting fist) stab (as in stab with a knife).

Pi-ci seems to be (or have been) a contact form of training where they used split bamboo weapons (like in Kendo). The way they talk about it in the biography it almost seems like contact training with wooden rifles, or USMC pugil stick training.

Anybody know what it is?

thanks, take care,
Brian

Brian Kennedy,

I don't know what it is, yet your description brings to mind an experience that a Marine gunnery sergeant in my old unit relayed to me while we were in Japan in the 1980's.

This Marine had just returned after being invited to a large, Japanese sporting event as a contestant. He took second place overall. He told me that they used a stick with a padded end in a series of one-on-one matches with the object being to touch your opponent with the pad before he touched you (a version of quick-draw, but based upon bayonet... perhaps once even based upon spear -- who knows?... in this modern game the length of the stick suggested bayonet).

He told me that most who do well in the competition only thrust -- & quickly at that, although one was allowed to slash (that is split/Pi or "beat"). He was impressed with the speed of the Japanese contestant who took first place overall. These individual competitions go extremely quick -- contestants taking but several seconds to perhaps up to a few minutes to get into place for a fraction of a second of competition.

I don't recall the exact location of the event, but we were stationed at Mt. Fuji, south just a few hours ride from Tokyo. He described it as a very "big" event (an annual national competition).

Hi Mike,
thanks for the lead and it turns out that what this guy mentioned to you is the art I was looking for. It is kind of a "kendo" with wooden rifles. As you USMC friend mentioned it is a sport with a big premium on speed and aggressiveness (probably just like baynets in real life!). The current practictioners use kendo armor and wooden rifles with a rubber ball on the end.

Thanks for taking the time to fill me in.

take care,
Brian

Cool

Pugil stick combat in the USMC was a kind of training to prepare one to use a bayonet but that kind of stuff may be outdated. More combat oriented "mixed martial arts" type scenario are now being taught. This is not to say it is less worthy (pugil sticks) but it does orient one to more aggressive action. They work together.

I say this because in Afghanistan when the mujahid were captured (remember Mike Spann) apparently enough of them were able to overpower their guards at the onset to provide enough of their fellows to secure weapons and provide a substantial immediate action (IA) takeover.
It didn't last but personal combatives are necessary for evasion and escape, providing you have air cover.