This is a short documentary on Tai Chi Sword or Taiji Jian 太极剑 as practiced in the Wudang Mountains and taught by Master Yuan Xiu Gang.
We see some definition of the style and it's characteristics, fighting applications, combat strategy and some philosophy and training techniques. An emphasis on the use of softness to overcome hardness is demonstrated.
I've translated the audio and added subtitles. They may not be perfect, but should give you a fairly accurate understanding of the dialogue.
This is an amazing view into the life and practice in the Wudang Mountains in China.
To learn more about Wudang Kung Fu in China:
www.wudangwushu.com
To learn more about Wudang Kung Fu in Canada:
www.wudangtoronto.com
Tai chi sword is known as the "king of the short range weapons" for Tai chi. At an overall length of about 3 feet, The double edged sword is a good tool to use to judge overall Tai chi proficiency of the player, as any mistakes in the tai chi movements are made visible in the tip of the blade.
The sword is a natural amplifier, which consistently and impartially reflects the mistakes of its user.
If the swordsman’s grip and cut are incorrect, his sword may wobble, or even ring. When the position of his wrist is wrong by one inch, the tip of the blade may be wrong by one foot.
If his body movement is slightly incorrect, a good sword helps to make that obvious; with a tassel, even more so.
The straight sword is a beautiful ancient weapon first mentioned in China's oldest written records. It is the weapon most associated with Tai Chi and with Taoism in general.
The Sword has been used in China for the last 2500 years, gradually evolving from crudely constructed bronze swords to the more sophisticated steel ones of today.
There are two types of straight sword. A bigger heavier sword called the martial sword (Wu Jian) or male sword (Xiong Jian) and had a sharp tip. tai chi sword 2
The lighter shorter sword called the scholar sword (Wen Jian) or female sword (Ci Jian) had a slightly rounded tip.
The martial sword was designed to be taken into battle but was not as practical in peace time, so the scholar sword was used instead as an everyday defense weapon.
"To practice the Tai Chi Sword correctly, the first thing a practitioner must be able to do is to have a flexible body and wrist so that the sword and the body will coordinate and move in unity.
The second thing is that the intent should direct each movement so that all the movements have applications, speed and accuracy.
The third thing is to have spirit and natural breathing in each movement. In usage, it also emphasizes the concepts of sticking and adhering, running and following. In summary, in order to practice the Tai Chi Sword correctly, a practitioner must execute all the movements in an even, soft, continuous and smooth manner.
All the movements are initiated by the waist, controlled by the wrist, with the upper and lower parts of the body coordinated so that when one part of the body moves, all parts follow. When one part stops, all stop.
Therefore, all the movements are very light, speedy, flexible, nimble and stable. People often describe these kinds of motions as like a "swimming dragon and flying phoenix."