“Versatile and Volatile- The Three-Sectional Staff” by Mike Replogle, Karate KungFu Illustrated March 1987 Vol. 19, No. 3
VERSATILE AND VOLATILE: THE THREE-SECTIONAL STAFF—
One of China’s least understood weapons, the three-sectional staff is actually one of kung fu’s most lethal fighting tools. Noted weapons authority Eric Lee shows you the ropes of three-sectional staff combat.
Excerpt:
“What is as long as a spear and as short as a baton? What has the strength of a sword yet the flex of a whip chain? What can deliver a fatal blow or simply grapple and hold? What is more dangerous to the novice than it is to his opponent? What is as beautiful to watch as it is effective to use?
If you haven’t guessed already, the answer Is sawm jeet gwun—the Chinese three-sectional staff.
The three-sectional staff is a weapon rich in heritage. Since its invention over 1,000 years ago by the first Chinese emperor of the Sun Dynasty, Jin Hong Van, its incredible versatility has made it one of China’s most popular and fascinating fighting implements.
The three-sectional staff basically consists of three short sticks joined together with flexible metal connectors and rings to form one long pole with two joints. The materials used for the shafts vary.”
