TCSL questions

Discussion of Chinese historical swordsmanship from all styles.

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J HepworthYoung
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TCSL questions

Post by J HepworthYoung » Tue Feb 23, 2010 11:06 am

I have a question about the TCSL rules.

What techniques are allowed?
What martial styles?

Imagine that I combined the Michuan cuts with a different system of martial footwork from another continent altogether, can I enter this into play or is an MMA sword style too unorthodox?

Are kicks and such allowed? I mean, pretend that you parry with the sword and kick at the same time instead of parry to a pi cut. According to how I am reading the rules, that is legal as long as the kick is not aimed at knee, but would not end the match because it is not a sword stroke. Is that correct?

I am learning the michuan cuts and stance by the numbers too, but I practice 3 martial arts, not just taiji, and I like to mix them together using taiji as the cement.

I know that in the park push hands competitions in Bejing that unorthodox technique and players are allowed. I was recently told about how many people who play at it are not even martial artists, they just like shoving people around. However these types are not allowed in formal tournaments. My methods are aberrant but still Chinese traditional sword plays a major and vital role in them, so am I out?

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Linda Heenan
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Re: TCSL questions

Post by Linda Heenan » Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:56 pm

I train our upcoming entrants for TSCL tournaments to use kicks with their sword strikes and to use any other empty hand skills we can. All of them come from taijiquan though because I don't know anything else. Even though an empty hand strike is not a "kill", if you can disable the opposition by throwing them to the ground or stripping the sword from their hand, the next strike will be a kill. We have interpretted the rules literally.
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Re: TCSL questions

Post by Scott M. Rodell » Fri Feb 26, 2010 11:12 am

J HepworthYoung wrote:I have a question about the TCSL rules.

What techniques are allowed?
What martial styles?...
Essentially, everything is allowed except trash talking...

The basic cuts used in the Yangjia Michuan Taiji Jian are also commonly used by many other systems of jianfa.

Don't forget, that is you are planning on competing in a TCSL Tournament, you must be a member. You can down load a membership app. at:
http://www.swordleague.com/forms/TCSL-MembershipApp.pdf

&, to be honest, whether anyone out there is planning to compete or not, the League needs your support, so please put your wallet behind the League's work & become a member today!

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TCSL F.A.Q.'s

Post by Scott M. Rodell » Wed Apr 28, 2010 8:12 pm

After the answering a lot of the same questions repeatedly before the recent TCSL Beginners Tournament, I thought it is about time I write up the most frequently asked questions (with answers of

Q: The League logo has two crossed jian. Do I have to use a jian in the TCSL competitions?

A: No. Most competitors use jian, but others have used peidao & miaodao. The only restrictions are that the blade can not exceed 31", measured from the base of the guard, weigh a minimum of 650 grams & the weapon must be historically accurate.

Q: Can I use different weapons during a single tournament?

A: Yes, but you can only use one weapon per match. You can change weapons between rounds.

Q: Are kicks & strikes allowed? Can I close & grapple?

A: Yes. Essentially everything you might do in a real fight is allowed, except trash talking.

Q: Can I borrow or rent the required equipment at a TCSL Tournament?

A: No. Every competitor must supply his or her own gear. This gear will be inspected by the Head Referee before the start of the tournament.

Q: How many matches should I expect to play at a TSCL Tournament?

A: Every player will play every contestant in their pool, then at least one match in the direct elimination part of the tournament that follows the pool bouts. The maximum pool size allowed is 9. In this case a player would have at least 9 bouts, 8 in his or her pool & one DE bout.

Q: Can I wear any kind of armor or gambeson?

A: No. All protective gear/armor must be of a Chinese historical style. However, a Chinese style jacket can be worn over modern sport padding, such as that used in lacrosse.

Q: Is TCSL membership required to compete in League events?

A: Yes.

Q: Is the swordplay in the TCSL Tournaments like kendo or Olympic fencing?

A: No. Those are martial sports with rules of engagement & restricted target zones. The TCSL promotes the martial art of Chinese Historical Swordsmanship, so the weapon used is solid wood & must weight at least 650 grams & the entire body is a target.

Q: How is the winner of a bout determined?

A: There are severals ways one can win a bout. One is to score a "killing" blow to the head or torso. Another is be the first player to score 10 points, or if time has run out, be the player with the highest score. Other ways one might win is if the opponent is forced off the platform, or in the case of the Beginners Level Tournament, forced out of bounds. And one's opponent may withdraw, or bow out during a match or the referee can stop the match & award a victory if he or she feels one player is not about to effectively defend him or herself & is in danger of being seriously hurt.

Any other questions?

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