Secrets of the Sword

Like most martial arts, Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Xing Yi Quan and Ba Gua Zhang offer a mixture of unarmed combat techniques and instructions in the use of, and defence against, a range of weapons.  All three are very effective fighting systems, if taught correctly, and the most commonly practiced weapons forms include the broadsword (dao), straight sword (jian) and spear (qiang). Tai Chi is a bit unusual in that it is often practiced for health and relaxation only, perhaps with little or no interest in the “martial side”, even when a sword sequence becomes part of the practice. 

Learning a sword form, of course, can be very enjoyable and beneficial, with or without any real knowledge of what the various movements in the sequence are for. Thankfully, we may no longer need to reach for our sword to defend our village or our honour, but the skills and techniques that were developed in those dark days have been passed on to us via various lineages and so can still be enjoyed as a discipline requiring accuracy, timing and a certain amount of athletic ability, leading to a graceful and fluid performance.

So yes, it is possible to practice a sword form for health, pleasure and aesthetic appreciation. However, there is much to be said for exploring the art a little more deeply and discovering how it was intended to be used, and the skills and qualities it was designed to train.

This short series of articles, therefore, is for anyone who has learned, or is currently studying, a sword form from one of these arts and would like to find out a little more about how their chosen weapon might have been used effectively in a duel or on a battlefield.

If your weapon of choice is the Chinese straight sword (jian), you might like to consider how your form incorporates some or all of the famous Thirteen Straight Sword Techniques, so that will be the main focus of these articles. Later, we will also look briefly at the use of the broadsword (dao) and consider how sword techniques may vary between different styles of Tai Chi and different systems, such as Xing Yi and Ba Gua. If you enjoyed our previous Journey Through the Jins, you might even recognise some of these qualities or energies as you go along.

We will assume that you already have a suitable Chinese jian that is well-balanced, fits your hand properly and is in good condition and safe for use during practice with a partner, (ideally made of wood or appropriate synthetic material and unlikely to break or fall to bits) and that you are suitably licenced and insured for such activities. A sword, after all, is a large and potentially very dangerous, knife. Traditionally, jian was only taught to students after at least ten years of study, during which a teacher could assess not only their level of skill in other aspects of the art but also their character. Perhaps the only legitimate reason for carrying one is on your way to and from a martial arts class, in a suitable case, and so blunt and that it could not be construed as an offensive weapon. This is particularly relevant now, with the upsetting incidence of knife crime on our streets, so a proper respect for the weapon, and especially for the feelings of others who might be disturbed by the sight of it, is essential before you think about practicing or demonstrating your skills in a local park or other public place.

If all of this sounds obvious, you may now like to have a look at your sword form and ask yourself why each movement is there and how effective it might be in a situation where you were attempting to defend yourself against an armed opponent

The first rule of defending yourself effectively against an armed opponent is, of course, to get the heck out of there without further ado, if you can, irrespective of the type of weapon they are brandishing, so what we’ll be envisioning here is a slightly friendlier scenario in which the combatants, each equipped with a straight sword (jian) and possibly also suitable body armour, are simply engaged in testing their skills by lightly sparring with each other.

The Thirteen Sword Techniques

Historically, only eight techniques were widely referred to in the earliest accounts, but others were developed and identified over time. In the coming weeks, we will be looking at thirteen techniques - Xi, Jiao, Ya, Ge, Ji, Chou, Dian, Beng, Ti, Pi, Ci, Dai, and Jie - in various combinations and in what we hope is a fairly logical order that may make it easier to remember them all. We are not saying that these are the only thirteen sword (jian) techniques. There are many different ways to use a sword and, while each respected school or tradition may teach thirteen particular skills, with considerable overlap between them as well as some subtle differences, they may not always emphasise exactly the same ones and there are many variations in the naming and interpretation of even what appear to be the same movements.

There are also obvious differences between a jian and a dao, which has its own set of thirteen techniques, and there are very different approaches to the use of both dao and jian in Xing Yi and Ba Gua when compared with Tai Chi sword techniques. We will say more about some of these variations later.

This series is not intended as a comprehensive training manual or a definitive guide. It’s just offering one way of thinking about the movements you are already doing in your form, which will hopefully provide you with an opportunity for further study, exploration and discovery to enrich your practice and enjoyment of the Chinese internal martial arts.