By Harvey Kurland, © 2001. Students of traditional t’ai chi ch’uan (taijiquan) usually encounter three weapons: the tao (also spelled dao, meaning “knife” or broadsword), the chien (also spelled jian, meaning straight sword), and the chang (spear, also spelled qiang, or sometimes the staff). There are other, less commonly used traditional weapons (e.g., halberd) and modern weapons (e.g., the tuan kune, walking stick, and fan) as well. As in other Chinese martial arts, these weapons are often categorized according to range. The staff and spear are long-range weapons best suited for the battlefield, while the broadsword and straight sword are short-range weapons designed for personal combat.
Many experts consider the sword the king of short-range weapons. It is relatively small and lightweight, but it can be deadly in combat. A sword fight requires a level of violence and a mental state not many civilized people would want to have; paradoxically, we use it as a tool of self-cultivation. Today, people learn how to use the straight sword and broadsword for reasons unrelated to combat: exercise, mind-body development, practice of a traditional art, or competition. Tai chi ch’uan serves as a perfect medium through which one can learn to use the swords. These weapons and their beautiful but deadly forms are the subject of this article.
Specifications
The chien has an overall length of about three feet. The double-edged blade ranges from 28 to 30 inches long and is 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide. The handle portion runs approximately nine inches. The upper third or more of the blade and the tip are sharpened. A hole in the end of the hilt is used to attach a sword knot or tassel.
Traditionally, a chien was crafted according to the size of the user and then balanced to his or her comfort. Today, many lighter, non-functional weapons, with widely varying weight and balance, are mass-produced for use in form competition and practice. Practice swords with dull or wooden blades should be used for form training.
The tao (knife) has a single-edged, curved blade like a cutlass. Some versions of it resemble the Japanese katana, the sword of the samurai, while others have a much broader blade that can exceed three inches in width. This size and shape can give the tao an exotic appearance and add to its chopping power.
In tai chi ch’uan, the tao is traditionally taught before the chien because it is simpler to use and less likely to injure the wielder, since the weapon has only one sharp edge. Tai chi experts consider the chien the weapon of the scholar and elite warrior, and the tao the weapon of the foot soldier. The tao is a very effective weapon.
Learning the Swords
Tai chi students usually start learning the tao after one to three years of training. After acquiring skill with it, they may learn the chien, although some instructors will not teach the chien until a student has studied for ten years, while other masters do not teach it at all.
Today, however, many teachers allow students to begin learning the swords after they learn the basic tai chi form. For example, the Northwest Tai Chi Chuan Association and the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan Association of Canada follow a specific progression for teaching forms. First, students learn specific chi kung standing meditation (zhan zhuang) and basic exercises. Then they learn the old style of the Yang family form of Tchoung Ta-tchen. Next comes a short form, pushing hands, da lu, and san shou (a partner t’ai chi form). Students then learn the Tchoung-style Fast Form. This provides a solid foundation in the empty-hand techniques and body movements of tai chi ch’uan.
The weapons forms are usually introduced next. They include the tao, chien, two-person knife, two-person sword, Kunlun (Kwinlin) Shan sword, walking stick, two-person walking stick, four-foot staff, and long staff. Practitioners then drill in prearranged sword-application forms. After that comes free sparring.
Tai chi sparring with the chien can be practiced like pushing hands. Because the sword is not a clubbing weapon, small circular movements are normally used to slice, nick, cut, and thrust. Large chopping movements are not used much during chien training, but such techniques can be found in tao applications. Blocking with the blade of the chien is frowned upon, even though the lower section is dull and made for blocking. It is more of a “get-out-of-the-way-and-slice” type of weapon.
Core Concepts
Every martial art is built around certain core concepts. The art’s training methods must reflect those concepts, and each movement must be in harmony with the whole. This allows techniques and transitions to flow smoothly. Not surprisingly, tai chi sword training has specific concepts that must be followed to retain the flavor of the system. Unfortunately, many practice the form in a wooden and stiff way that does not reflect tai chi ch’uan energy.
Tai chi ch’uan teaches its basic concepts through several chien solo forms. The most common is the Yang-style form composed of 64 or 56 movements. There are several variations of this standard pattern, depending on the school and its emphasis.
Tai chi ch’uan also has the simplified 33-movement sword form developed by a committee in mainland China in the 1950s. The Ch’en family style teaches its own versions of this important sword form, which has long and short versions and several variations. There are many versions of every sword form.
Mind & Body in Harmony
One of the best reasons to study any tai chi sword form is to bring the mind and body into harmony. To correctly use the sword, the student must make it an extension of his or her body.
It is essential to extend the mind through the tip of the weapon. Energy travels from the ground to the feet, after which it is guided by the waist to the sword. There should be a smooth flow of power from the feet to the tip of the blade. The body—not the arm—moves the blade. Moving only the arm shows a lack of connection and understanding of tai chi principles.
The modern student has many reasons to learn the swords of tai chi ch’uan. It is a developmental exercise that teaches relaxation and extension of energy. Sword practice can be a tool for developing harmony in one’s mind and body. It is a method for exercising the upper body. The form can be a way to improve empty-hand tai chi skills. And, perhaps most importantly, it can add a new dimension to one’s tai chi training by linking the student with the history and culture of the art.
About the Author
Harvey Kurland, M.Sc., MFS, CSCS, is a tai chi ch’uan instructor and exercise physiologist. He has certification from Grandmaster Tchoung Ta-tchen to teach and a certificate to teach from the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan Association. He is also certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, National Strength and Conditioning Association, and International Sports Sciences Association. He teaches for the University of California, Riverside.