The "Three Posture Long Staff Set" and "Eight Posture Long Staff Set" are two person or paired training methods.

These sets are a method of "sticky" long staff (nian gan) training and were an original creation of the Chen family's ninth generation patriarch, Chen Wang Ting.

For the long staff, use a three meter long, wider at the base, white waxwood pole (bai la gun).

The "Three Posture" and "Eight Posture" long staff sets consists of two persons, each holding a long staff and thrusting (zha) at one another.

One person uses the long staff to successively jab three times at the other persons face (mian), back (bei) [i.e. ribs] and knee (xi); that is, upper, middle, and lower. The other person uses the three techniques of "pi" (cover), "beng" (burst off), and "hua" (slip off) to neutralize the opposing staff harmlessly off target. The two persons go back and forth in turn, each jabbing (zha) three times [and each defending three times], therefore this set is called "Three Action Long Staff" (San Gun).

The "Eight Action Long Staff" (Ba Gun) builds on the foundation of the "Three Action Long Staff" by adding the staff techniques of "jia" (hold up), "heng" (hit), "tuo" (drag). "jiao" (circle), and "dou" (snap or shake); with nimble footwork (bu fa). With two persons going back and forth in turn, jabbing (zha) eight times [and defending eight times], so this set is called Eight Posture Long Staff" (Ba Gun).

The Taiji "Three Posture" and "Eight Posture" sets are brief, with attack and defense clearly defined in each and every posture. The methods [of the long staff dual training] are clearly of practical use. The long staff uses the techniques of "nian" (stick to), "chan" (twine), "jiao" (circle), "lan" (waist turning block), "pi" (cover), "beng" (burst off), "dou" (snap or shake), and "hua" (slip off); and only by combinig these with the body mechanics of taijiquan, with internal energy, and with strength can it be put to good use.

In order to practice the "Three Posture" and "Eight Posture" long staff, it is necessary to do so on the basis of practicing Taijiquan well; adding to that the solo practice of the "Thirteen Posture" long staff techniques, up to and including mastering the basic techniques of "nian" (stick to), "chan" (twine), "jiao" (circle), "lan" (waist turning block), "pi" (cover), "beng" (burst off), "dou" (snap or shake), "gua" (hang up), "tuo" (drag), "heng' (hit), "zha" (jab), "jia" (hold up. Only then will you be able to manifest the special characteristics and style of two-person "Sticky Spear"(nian qiang).

This article originally appeared inThe Journal of the Chen Style Research Association of Hawaii, Vol. 3, No.2, Summer 1995. copyright 1995, Great Circle Publishing Co. Used with permission.