Dark Stream
School
Parts
of the Broadsword
Blade
The working end of the sword.
Tip
The point of the sword.
Spine
The non-sharpened top of the blade.
Cheek
The flat side of the blade. The cheek typically has blood grooves cut
into it. These reduce the weight of the
sword while maintaining strength and rigidity.
Edge
The
sharpened bottom of the blade
Hilt or Guard
The round
disc at the base of the blade that protects the hand
Handle
The cylinder by which one typically grips the sword.
Butt
The end of the handle where the flags are attached.
Grip
Where you’re holding the sword, typically the handle.
Sword has hilt and blood grooves
and have a more realistic feel. Real swords (steel killing swords) should
only be touched by their owner or the Sifu. Wooden
swords don't retain chi and thus don't have this restriction. In addition,
wooden swords can be knocked together without causing too much damage.
Short weapons are always held in the left hand to begin any Tai
Chi form.
Broadsword
Drill.
Stand
in right Outside Empty stance with sword tip by the knee and left hand extended
in a Willow Leaf palm.
Draw
the left hand to the right axilla and draw the sword
to an inside wing. Circle the blade around the body. When it is behind you,
block out with the left palm and step out into a left Bow and Arrow stance.
Slash
horizontally across the body to the left with the blade while lifting the left
hand to a temple block. When the sword reaches the left side of the body, flip
the edge by pronating the wrist so that it faces away
from you.
Slash
horizontally across the body to the right. Scoop with the left hand and raise
it to the right axilla while performing an outside
wing with the blade. Step to a right Outside Empty stance. Continue to circle
the blade around the body.
.
As it
passes the right shoulder, strike out with the left palm. Return the sword so
that the tip is near the right knee. You are now in your original stance.
T'ai Chi Ch'uan 13 Broadsword
Techniques
I want to introduce you to the fundamental Tai Chi.
broadsword techniques. Just as the Jien has 13 fundamental
energies emerging from its structure, so to the Dao. Recall that 13 is a recurring theme in Tai
Chi related to the 8 gates and the 5 steps. All the Tai Chi weapons are said to
have a set of
fundamental energies manifested in many of the form
postures. Each weapon has energies
unique to its properties. These
energies, distilled for the broadsword, are listed below.
|
T'ai Chi Ch'uan
13 Broadsword Techniques |
|||
|
No. |
Name |
Translation
|
Action
|
|
1. |
K’an |
Chopping |
Hacking. Slash with the tip of the sword by
extending the wrist |
|
2. |
To |
Cutting |
Duo.
Mincing, to attack the wrist with a slicing motion |
|
3. |
Ch’an |
Slicing |
Che. Drag the sword across the opponents body |
|
4. |
Chieh |
Intercepting |
Poking.
To meet an attack with an attack |
|
5. |
Kua |
Parrying |
Deflect
the incoming thrust |
|
6. |
Liao |
Stirring Up |
Washing. Drop the sword point and carry the sword in
a vertical cylinder around the body. |
|
7. |
Cha |
Piercing |
Stabbing,
Thrusting. Jab with the tip of the
sword |
|
8. |
Lu |
Clawing |
Scraping.
Luo. Strike
in a manner to pull. |
|
9. |
Pi |
Splitting |
To attack while holding the wrist flexed. |
|
10. |
Ch’an |
Binding |
Juan
– Wrapping. Chan - Wrap, coil, wind around, bind up |
|
11. |
Shan |
Fanning |
Tan,
to open or spread out, uppercut slash |
|
12. |
Lan |
Obstructing |
To block with the sword |
|
13. |
Hua |
Shaving |
Press
the inverted blade forward, left hand in support. |
But
these “ten thousand things” are manifestations of the “balance of opposites”
which are ultimately reconciled in the void.
This is the meaning of the practice of Tai Chi. While wielding the broadsword, as you relax,
extend, and rotate to achieve the return to Wu Chi, you’ll recognize these
energies.
1.
K’an. Chopping is the motion of
swinging the sword and allowing the wrist to break. It uses all of the momentum of the sword to
hit the target. The last two moves of
the broadsword combat form illustrate this.
One partner chops the ankle and the other partner withdraws the ankle in
a rooster stance while chopping the wrist.
2.
To. Cutting can also be translated as
mincing. It is a slicing attack to the
wrist. Basically, cutting means to place
the sword on the wrist and drag it. In
the broadsword combat, this is the response to the opening move. As the one partner opens the form with a
splitting attach to the shoulder, the other partner sidesteps and minces his
wrist.
3.
Ch’an. Slicing is the action of drawing
the sword across the opponent’s body.
This is commonly done with the left hand in support. In the combat forn,
the next-to-last sequence starts with a slicing attack to the throat. In this case, the left wrist supports the
right wrist. Generally this is done when
the arms are already extended and the momentum of the blade is lost.
4.
Chieh. Intercepting is also translated
as poking. An attack which cuts off the
opponent’s attack is the essence of intercepting. Near the end of the combat form when the one
partner chops at the ankle and the other fades to a rooster and attacks the
chopping wrist, that is intercepting.
5.
Kua. Parrying involves meeting the attack and
redirecting it or deflecting it. In
western fencing, a parry is almost always followed by a riposte or
counterattack.
6.
Liao. Stirring up. Also called
7.
Cha. Piercing is to stab with the tip of the
sword. In the broadsword combat form,
after the initial exchange, one partner advances four steps with the sword held
before him or her, tip forward and blade up.
At the end of the advance he or she thrusts for the partner’s
heart. This is piercing.
8.
Lu. Clawing or Scraping. This attack is a pull with the blade. It’s like using the sword as a draw knife
against a piece of wood. Suppose an
opponent is attacking upwards from below.
Support the tip of the sword and drag it to you against the attacking
arm.
9.
Pi. Splitting.
In a splitting attack, the wrist is held flexed and does not break. It uses the momemtum
of the arm swing combined with the sharpness of the blade to inflict its
damage. The opening move of the combat form
is a splitting attack.
10.
Chan. This is the second chan
in the list, but given the tones used in Chinese, this
is a completely different word. It means
to wrap, coil, wind around, or bind. I
take the meaning to be the same as Jie in the
straight sword. Wrap the tip around your
opponent’s wrist. In the combat form, after the first
thrusting attack, the counter is to shift to an empty stance and wrap the
attacking wrist.
11.
Shan.
Fanning is an uppercut attack to the body from underneath as done in the solo
form “Spread Slanting the Sword as the Walking of a Duck.”
12.
Lan.
Obstructing is the method of holding an opponent’s weapon at bay with
the cheek, blade or spine of the sword.
You check the momentum of the weapon long enough to evade and set up a
counter. Low Block out of the stick alley’s is a good case in point.
13.
Hua. To Shave. Again, you are at a point where you cannot
use the momentum and swing to good advantage.
So you place the weapon against the opponent and push like shaving with
a wood plane. The next to last move of
the combat form is an example. Your
opponent attacks with a cut to the throat.
You place the blade on his wrist, support the tip with you left hand and
push into his wrists, shaving the flesh from the bones.
Tai Chi Dao - Broadsword Form
1.Right
Hand Takes Over The Sword, In Seven Star Form, Sitting On A Tiger
2. Soar Up
As To Separate Apart, Expanding Elatedly.
3. Look
Left And Right, Split The Sword.
4. Push Outward, Reverse Inward As The White Crane Spreading The
Wings.
5. Draw The Sword As The Wind Blows The Lotus Leaf
6. Fairy
Lady Playing Badminton, Posturing In Eight Directions.
7. Golden
Rooster Standing, Displaying The Sword At Will.
8. Jump Up
Vigorously, Hitting The Tiger.
9. Spread
Slantingly The Sword As The Walking Of A Duck.
10. Turn
The Sword To Push The Boat (Downstream) (With The Current).
11. Three
Sounds Of The Sword Between The Chest And The Waist.
12. Sword
Splits The Water Left And Right With A Jump.
13. Withdraw
The Sword As The Phoenix Returns To The Nest.
There
are only 13 postures in the Broadsword form. Each has 3 or 4 moves. It is about
as long as the Gien Wha Tai
Chi Chuan short form.
Right Hand Takes Over the Sword, in Seven Star Form,
Sitting on a Tiger
Start
in Standing Position, feet shoulder width apart. Hold sword handle in tigers mouth edge facing away and spine touching the axilla.
Circle
the left arm to shoulder height, sink into a right empty stance and circle arm
at the elbow so that the handle is in the center of the chest, edge up, tip
pointing to the left. The right hand forms a fist at the right hip.
Step
out to 7 Star posture, a left empty stance with a
right punch under the handle. Punch should be directly under the sword guard.
Open
the right hand and step back to a Bow and Arrow stance with
eyes following the right hand as it sweeps down and back to the shoulder. Hilt comes out of the mouth and circles to
left hip while shifting to a right empty stance. Fling right hand up to temple block. The hand flings out diagonally to a temple
block. Imaging throwing a razor sharp shuriken that must be held flat in the
palm. Fling should be between the vertical and the horizontal extremes.
When
striking with sword, the strike is done at shoulder height.
Extend
the left, sweep with the right then the left to complete both circles with the
right hand resting on the sword handle. Push both elbows out when holding the sword.
From
the "White Crane" posture, circle the sword as in Brush the Knee,
turning the shoulders to the right so that the right palm passes the left
elbow. Cover hilt with right palm at hip.
Soar Up to Separate Apart, Expanding Elatedly
Step out
to left bow and arrow stance and strike with sword butt.
Turn
the left toes out and
step up to a left Lazy Rooster stance. Arms block at the sides,
sword is in the right hand with the edge pointing to the right. Blocks are low,
hands below the waist, knee above. Left
palm out, more outward and forward angle on the sword hand.
Step
into left Tai Chi stance, blade tip and left hand above the head.
Push
forward into a bow and arrow stance diagonal to the form line and stab at heart
level with the tip. Left hand takes the pulse of the right.
Step
out left to a right empty stance, circle the right fist heart to hip, covering it
with left palm.
Step
out to Bow and Arrow, block with the left, stab to heart.
Turn
the left toes out
and step out right to a left Empty stance, circle the blade to the left side
and draw the sword back to the left ear. , Step first to an outside empty then lift the sword to defend against an attack in
alley 1. Out step right then left to left Bow and Arrow, slicing with the blade. Sword
attitude remains constant from this point to the end of the move.
Step
back 2 steps to a right Lazy Rooster. Raise the knee higher and bend weighted
leg further in the Lazy Rooster. Step
forward to a left bow and arrow and press with edge.
Look Left and Right, Split the Sword
Left
foot turns in to 45 degrees while lifting the sword overhead. Sweep the right
foot to a Rooster stance. Look right, step right to a right High Tiger. Lean arms and torso to the right. Sweep up with left foot
to a right
Rooster stance and slash downward. Look left.
The
shin sweeps perpendicular to the ground when going into the Rooster stance.
When "looking right", step and lean into High Tiger before slashing
with the sword.
Push Outward, Reverse Inward as the White Crane Spreads
its Wings
Step
left to a Bow and Arrow stance. Sweep the sword upward. Step right while
bringing the edge up to shoulder height
.
Sit
back to a left Outside Empty. Withdraw
the sword to cut overhead with left hand guarding the wrist. Step right then
left to a while slicing with the sword. Pull and cut. This move is a double tap
consisting of the guard, the pull, and the cut.
The wrist is aligned with the shoulder and the palm strike is at
shoulder height. Note that there are two distinct moves: The first is the cut with the
hand guarding the wrist. The second comes from slicing and pushing with the
guard hand.
Draw the Sword as the Wind Blows the Lotus Leaf
The
turn around and the step and thrust are two distinct moves. Pivot on the right
toes and left heel to an empty stance. At the same time, allow the sword to
pivot over the head, edge up and then bring the handle down to the right
shoulder. Support the sword butt with
the left hand. Then step and thrust with
a shoulder strike to a right Bow and Arrow stance.
Extend
the thrust to the full reach of the arm while sweeping to a right Rooster
stance with the left hand guarding the shoulder.
Fairy Lady Playing Badminton, Posturing in 8 Directions
Step
left and palm strike into a right Bow and Arrow stance. From the Single Whip posture, turn left toes
out 45 degrees.
Pull
the left thumb to the axilla, turn the left toes
out. Out step right. Drop the sword tip and circle the blade to
the left shoulder (inside wing).
Step
to left Bow and Arrow stance while blocking with the left hand and circling the
blade behind the head. Split from overhead and temple block left
Drop
sword spine to the groove between the stylus of the radius and the pisiform bone in the base of the hand. The elbow and wrist
are bent and the sword is in the ulnar fossa. Step back to a lazy Rooster stance and draw in the
sword so that the left hand passes inside the thigh of the upraised left
leg. Press forward to a bow and arrow
stance.
From
the press, sweep the left hand to the right axilla
and pivot 180 degrees to the right while cutting with the sword in an outside
empty stance. Push out of the right toes and pivot on the left heel. Continue the cut while stepping in to a left
inside empty and continuing the sword cut through 270 degrees. Step right and
palm strike left, timing the move so that the sword drops to the knee when the
strike is fully extended in the right bow and arrow. When doing the palm
strike, keep the right arm fully extended and pull the sword tip back to the
kneecap.
Draw
the pronated left hand to the axilla
and step back to a left lazy Rooster stance. Drop the sword tip down and turn
the edge out in the
Repeat
the sequence 1 and a half more times ending in a palm strike in a right Bow and
Arrow.
Golden Rooster Standing, Displaying the Sword at Will
Crescent
step left to a left High Tiger. That is, step the left foot in to touch the
right calf without letting the left foot touch the ground. Step out left to a left High Tiger
stance. Block with pronated
left palm at shoulder height and fan the sword, edge up, to the center of the
chest.
Sweep
to a left Rooster stance. Draw the butt of the sword to the chest and cover the
grip with the left palm. Block out left and thrust sword out, edge down.
Drop
the sword tip, washing the sword vertically and hop into a right empty stance.
Circle the blade to the right knee and cover the spine with the left hand.
Jump up Vigorously, Hitting the Tiger
The left
arm is fully extended when executing this posture. From the empty stance with
the sword by the right knee and left palm above the spine of the sword, lift
the left palm and thrust the sword through the cubital
fossa of the left arm. Left hand grips the sword with
both arms fully extended in the center of the chest.
Sweep
to rooster, hands overhead, chop with right hand everted,
toe kick right on the diagonal.
Step
down to standing position, folding the sword handle to the center of the chest and
keeping the right hand extended. Step
out left to a right Tai Chi stance and block past the left knee with the sword
butt. Twist to the right to, punching
past the left hip with the right hand and executing a temple toss with the left
while shifting to a left High Tiger stance.
The timing varies with individual body type. When hitting the tiger
stance, keep the knee bent over the toes and then turn the waist.
Turn
the left toes in 90 degrees and sweep to rooster a left Rooster stance while
bringing the right fist to meet the sword overhead. Sweep both hands down along the sides while
stepping out right to a left Tai Chi Stance.
Circle the left, sword bearing hand in a clockwise arc above the head
then thrust down past the right hip as you temple toss right and twist into a
right high tiger stance.
Lift
the sword and bring down the right hand so that they meet in the center of the chest . Lift the
hands above the head sweep to a left Rooster.
Chop down with the hands, left holding the sword and right everted as you toe kick right along the center of the body.
Application:
Block
a 5 with the sword and strike with a hooking punch to the ribs. Lift the
opponent's arm and strike to the face.
Spread Slantingly the Sword as the Walking of a Duck
From
the front toe kick with both arms extended to the side, move the arms in the
horizontal plane until the right hand grips the sword when the hands meet in
the center of the body. The left hand then traverses the plane in the opposite
direction, palm out, as the sword chops. At the end of the
sword strike, the left fingers face forward.
When
blocking while holding the sword in the left hand, the right hand passes under
the left so that the hands are in a cross block position. When chopping, draw the sword in a horizontal
plane to the chest at shoulder height after the kick. When chopping, the block
is in the horizontal plane, so the palm faces out and the fingers face forward.
Turn the Sword to Push the Boat Downstream
Out
step, hooking step, rooster perpendicular to form line, cut and turn so knee is
on the form line. Make sure that the sword cut leads the way. Complete the
hooking step and turn exactly 90 degrees. Sword leads the way into the right
Rooster stance. Step out to the left bow and arrow stance and palm strike left
while pulling the sword tip to the right knee.
Three Sounds of the Sword between the Chest and the Waist
Shift
back to the right Rooster and press to a left bow and arrow stance. Guard the
right axilla with the left hand and cut behind at
shoulder height. Turn the left toes out, block horizontally as in Brush the
Knee, Twist the Step and step forward to a right bow and arrow while cutting
forward with the sword.
