The fundamentals of Chinese Jian (Straight Sword). From straight sword philosophy, and martial arts application to basic stationary sword techniques and Taiji sword stepping exercises, we will take the time to better understand Taiji sword basics. Afterward, we will look at specific movements, postures and combination from the 32, 42 and Chen Sword routines, to better understand their similarities and differences.
-Wow, preparing for so long I really hadn’t realized how much I wanted to share. There’s already been a request made, for a second (or series of seminars), to continue practicing the various sword basics and exercises. I will try to include them in our class (if even just for a few minutes). I hope you found the information relevant and that the references prove to be helpful.
Books: Sword Imperatives- Mastering the Kungfu and Tai Chi Sword: Ju-Rong Wang, Wen ChingWu (This is the one book I recomend the most. If you are interested in learning more, please save yourself some time and money and get this one first).
Online References: Here is a great website for 32 sword. You can look at each posture with details using the upper left "Names in English" link. Also, you can look at how the moves are put in combination using the sectional summary links in the bottom left corner. http://www.philcheung.com/TaiChi/Sword32.htm
Here is a good online resource for the 42 sword form. They give you a list of moves and a link to an online video (Chen SiTan). http://www.innerworkscenter.com/id35.htm