The Wand
This page will contain information and advice
on the only item needed to practice Jiangan - the `Wand' (`Gan'
in Chinese, meaning pole). The object you use must be -
- light
- strong
- cylindrical (like a pole or tube)
- between 48-50 inches in length for a person of average height
- around 1 inch thick or a little over.
Bamboo Poles
It is not necessary to use bamboo but many people like the feel and authenticity of bamboo. Attendees to workshops and demonstrations can purchase one of the small stock of bamboo poles that were specially imported from China. These are fantastic quality natural bamboo, 50 inches in length, approx. 1 inch diameter. They have been lacquered for preservation and will last a lifetime. * Please note that due to due to changes in shipping costs it is now not practical to ship these poles.
There are many companies selling bamboo and in the near future
there will be more comprehensive information about them on this
page. It is difficult to obtain bamboo of the correct
dimensions from UK suppliers and they tend to offer only bundles
rather than in single items. But you can enquirer about a
special order of a single pole of the correct dimensions. A
single bamboo pole is inexpensive but a special bespoke order
would push the price up. There follows a list of bamboo
suppliers and importers in the UK:-
- Bamboo Supplies Limited. http://www.ukbamboosupplies.com
Wooden Dowels / Broom handles
Wood, although not as light as bamboo, is abundant and inexpensive in most countries. For beginners wood is the most practical substance to begin with. You can obtain suitable dowels from hardware stores and there are many internet sites selling cut price wooden dowels. The most popular type are sold as broom and mop handles.
Your own broom handle is probably not the right size. But many
companies are selling broom handles online and offer a range of
lengths and thicknesses.
Some of the products listed by this company are the perfect length for Jiangan exercises - 48 inches. However, a broom handle is invariably rounded at one end (for easy handling while sweeping) so you should buy one that is slightly longer than the length needed (54 inches for example) and cut it to size. The advantage of this is that you can cut it to any length you need. This is especially useful if you require a shorter Gan. Many dowels listed on this site are 28mm thick, which is the maximum recommended for Jiangan exercises.
Jo Staff
The dimensions for the Wand or Gan are very similar to those of
the Japanese `Jo' staff, which is a martial arts weapon. As this
is a comparatively popular item sources of supply of Jo are
abundant on the internet. The most common are made of oak and
while many people – including Michael Davies, the author of
Jiangan – the Chinese Health Wand, learned Jiangan using oak Jo
is a rather heavy and may not be suitable for some seniors. A
lighter Gan/Wand always should be used in preference to a heavy
one if at all possible.
This Jo just about the right size for Jiangan and the company is
based in the UK.
Carry Case for Gan
Carry cases were made for Jo staff and other long weapons but
suitable for Wands/Gans.
Carry
case
1
Carry
case
2
Cardboard Tubes
We have discovered that some long cardboard tubes are manufactured to the dimensions of the Wand/Wan. Cardboard tubing is surprisingly strong – strong enough to withstand Jiangan exercises – and they are even lighter than bamboo. These may be ideal for group classes and demonstrations and would certainly suit seniors and people who find wood too heavy. We will place links here when we have researched more on this subject.