James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Hanwei Wushu Tai Chi Sword | Martial Arts Training Sword w/ Scabbard
1 min read
If you’re interested in learning Tai Chi, then you need a training weapon like the Premium Wushu Tai Chi Sword by Hanwei. This sword is a wushu style blade, made light for easy handling. Unless you intend to wreck your wrists by starting out those slow movements with a combat weight blade, a light training sword really is essential.
Many modern Tai Chi swords are so far from being real swords that I think the original intention of the old skill is lost in them. Hanwei swords are made for use, not just display, and that same attitude extends even to their training swords. This Tai Chi sword’s spring steel blade matches even some modern self defense swords in quality. Though fittings and blade aren’t strong enough for striking practice, for this particular training they don’t need to be.
Hanwei’s Practical Tai Chi swords are a step up in quality and weight from the wushu level. Few people who haven’t spend a lifetime wielding tools or weapons will have the specific physical strengths needed to move them gracefully. The company created the wushu model in response to customer demand for a lighter weapon — one that matched the faster acrobatics of wushu routines. Except for the garish red handle and sheath, the wushu sword matches the details of the heavier models but cuts weight by a third. Toward the end of the 30-inch unsharpened blade, the steel is ground nearly paper thin — built to sing as it flashes through the air.
If you’re a Tai Chi player, curious about the old strengths and mysterious energies of that art instead of the flashy dances of wushu, this sword makes a good transition weapon. Training with the lighter blade saves a lot of pain.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
If you’re interested in learning Tai Chi, then you need a training weapon like the Premium Wushu Tai Chi Sword by Hanwei. This sword is a wushu style blade, made light for easy handling. Unless you intend to wreck your wrists by starting out those slow movements with a combat weight blade, a light training sword really is essential.
