Levels of Northstar Weaponry Education
The Education is professionally set for serious practitioners.
The scholar goes through 9 Student-Levels and 3 Master Cycles.
An Instructorship is possible with the achievement of Student-Level 7.
Levels 1-3 are Beginner Technical Levels.
Levels 4-6 are Intermediate/Advanced Practical Levels.
Levels 7-9 are Expert Levels.
Upon reaching Student-Level 7, the practitioner qualifies for Instructor Degrees. The 3 Master-Cycles are set completely individually according to the Practitioners' Character & main Focus.
Level 1
Fundamentals
Through this level, you will learn the most important fundamentals of Northstar Sword and Long Pole.
9 Directions (Sword) & Sequence 16 (Pole) are the very basic beginning tools you start with.
Partner Drills like WIND & MOON Attacks and Mirroring Defence (Sword) as well as 6 Attacks & Counters, the unique Xuan Wu Shielding System of the Long Pole.
Level 2
Technical Repertoire
Now you are experiencing technical superiority through movement efficiency of basic & full flows.
The Forms of both weapons will be continued and the significant know-hows extracted.
Through 13 basic- & 4 full flows for the Sword, the 6 three-count counters, as well as the first Long Pole flow including all 6 attacks + random free play of both weapons, will give you another level of certainty handling the weapons.
The additional initial 3 Enters will give you the beginning skill for Offensive Pole-Fighting.
Level 3
Train Eat Sleep Repeat
Reaching this level now you start to 'drill the kill' so to say..
This level is purely skill-based Training. Less Technique, lots of repetitions.
You will learn the old unique methods of how to make a movement an extraordinary experienced natural move.
This level is also the beginning of a long, long sparring & combat practice journey.
Level 4
Strategy is the key
The forms XUAN WU GUN & QI XING JIAN (dark warrior staff & seven-star sword), which were started at the very beginning of the Education (Level 1) are completed in this level.
Once the forms are completed, now the strategic and tactical principles can be fully empowered. We work on the perfection of the forms as well as on true combat application - lots of sparring rounds using various different tactics and strategies as well as the beginning of multiple attackers defense and/or formation fighting is taught in this level.
Level 5
Experience & Exchange
Level 5 is the first Level you are qualified & permitted to exchange with practitioners of other styles and clans.
This means active competing & exchanging tournaments, gatherings, etc. Travel to other countries in order to meet the culture and backgrounds of different unique styles within their own communities.
In order to join competitions, you must have completed a minimum of 500 Sparring-Rounds in between Level 3 - 5.
Level 6
Meditation & Discovering
While Level 5 was on the 'outside', now you are on the 'inside'.
This level is designed to go through ethical & moral background knowledge of the used weapons and the art of weaponry itself.
Daofaziran, you will learn and practice deep meditation, Sword Spirit cleansing ritual as well as the simple pure nature of the Pole. The embodiment of unity. Oneness.
Parts of this Level are Daoist religious recitation practices that can be denied by your own choice. (means; these are not required, binding & obligatory for every student)
Level 7
Patience
Once reached this zone, you already have a good amount of experience and showed hardship in order to reach this level.
At this level your patience, endurance, tolerance & self-control is tested to the limits, and beyond. With and without the weapon. By now, on the technical side, you should be also able to use ANY 'everyday-item' as a protective tool and a defensive instrument with the principles of short or long weapons.
Once achieved, you are permitted to start the education of ZI WU YUE (The deadly Art of Deerhorn Knives)
Level 8
SURVIVE & CREATE
Now it's on you!
Create your own specialties, tactics & strategies within the style. Try them in combat and sparring.
Add them into YOUR teachings and keep them a secret to the outside.
Before you are allowed to do so, you will need to go through a serious & risky survival task in the wild. The timeframe for this 'resetting' event is between 7 - 49 days.
Final Student Level
Decency & Certainty
There are 3 individually for your strengths & weaknesses tailored 'Master-Cycles' that are personally set by your Instructor. A visible quality of 'decency & certainty' must have been reached by now in order to go into the 3 mastery-cycles.