Sports

Using shoulder poles in the martial arts

The bamboo shoulder poles, or carrying poles, long used by street vendors to carry their produce and earn a living on the streets, have been turned into dangerous weapons for defense.
Legend has it that by the end of the 19th century, Vo Thi Vuong in Tan Khanh Ba Tra village (Binh Duong province present-day) was a well-known person who used many agricultural tools including shoulder poles to fight evildoers and robbers where she had her business. After that, the unique martial arts using shoulder poles was born and developed.

The shoulder poles are made of bamboo. A notch is cut at the ends of each pole to prevent the basket of goods from slipping off.  The pole is over 1m in length, and carried with the curve of the bamboo against the shoulder. This is to keep balance and reduce shoulder pain.


Using the shoulder pole as a multi-purpose weapon. 














Some wonderful postures using shoulder poles


Using shoulder pole to counter the opponent's weapon. 


The shoulder pole is used to counter the opponent’s weapon.


Using the shoulder pole to attack an opponent’s neck.


Knocking down the opponent by using the shoulder pole.


A unique attack using shoulder pole. 


Using shoulder pole to attack from above. 


Attacking the opponent's nape by a shoulder pole. 


The shoulder pole is effectively used for defense and attack. 

Master Nguyen Trung Nam performs a martial art using the shoulder pole at the Dat Phuong Nam martial arts festival in 2018.
    
According to Master Ho Tuong of the Vo Lam Tan Khanh - Ba Tra (or the Takhado) martial arts, students with more than one year of experience can practice the martial arts using shoulder pole. However, only coaches who have over three years of experience perform well.

He said that his students performed the martial arts in many events. Coach Nguyen Trung Nam won two silver medals for his performance in Dat Phuong Nam martial arts festivals in 2017 and 2018, hosted by the Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts Federation of Ho Chi Minh City
By Son Nghia

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