Pi Ci (split-stab) is what art?

[brianlkennedy]

My wife and I am working on a translation of Tang Hao's biography (he is the most famous and most accurate historian of Chinese 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. Tang Hao was very impressed with the art and tried to introduce it into China.

Anybody know what it is?

thanks, take care,
Brian

[Meik Skoss]

If they are talking about a stabbing and slashing art using mock rifles made of wood, with padding on the tip, it was probably the art of jukenjutsu, pre-WWII military bayonet training. If, however, the weapon was a short sword/dismounted bayonet, the practice weapon being made of split bamboo, it would've been the art of tankenjutsu. Both arts use(d) protective equipment similar to that of kendo (there are some differences in construction) and engage in pretty vigorous freestyle bouting.

Jukendo and tankendo are the modern "civil" forms of these arts. Present-day JSDF close combat training with bayonet or knife are, respectively, juken/tanken kakuto (bayonet/knife combat). There is a resemblance to jukendo/tankendo, but with more targetable points on the body (whatever works, as opposed to what's okay in the rules) and more ways of employing the weapon (smashing, slashing, striking, throwing, etc., rather than the clean thrusts of the modern "way" of the bayonet or short sword).

Hope this answers your question.