Chinese Swordsmanship
Chinese Swordsmanship
Seemingly relaxed, but don't relax; Be prepared to move, but don't move. The Jin (force) is broken, but the Yi (intent) is unbroken.
- The Fighter's Song (Da Shou Ge), translation by Sifu Dan Docherty
Chinese Swordsmanship refers to a martial art which teaches how to wield Chinese swords and use sword techniques that matches the weapon. Our club focuses on teaching how to wield the single-handed, double edged straight sword, jián. These swords are well adapted for both chopping, slashing and piercing techniques, and can be seen in martial arts movies such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero.
Our style of Chinese swordsmanship is built on harmony, a balance between yin and yang: boldness and courage to dive into attacks together with wisdom and stillness to dodge and counterattack. We practice a balance of soft aspects and hard aspects, mixing meditation, focus and stillness with sparring, sword techniques and drills.
Benefits of training our style is that the swordsmanship boosts confidence, focus and has strong connections to meditation and being present in the moment, key skills that are needed by anyone.
Practicing with us, you will learn and hone the following skills:
Footwork: moving into advantageous positions and out of danger
Handling the Sword: the skill of wielding the Chinese straight sword, Jian
Meditative Exercises: practicing calmness and focus through slowness and stillness
Sword Techniques: attacking, defending and countering with the sword efficiently
Sword Form: using body and sword together for smooth and powerful swordsmanship
Sparring with a Partner: honing your skills and mind together with a friend
Against Multiple Opponents: using techniques in a historical fighting context
During regular practice, we use wooden swords for beginners and blunted metal sparring swords for the intermediate students. When sparring or practicing sword drills, protective equipment is a must. We use the following gear to ensure safe training:
Fencing Mask
Fencing Jacket
Fencing Gloves
Neck Protector
Leg and Elbow Protectors
An example of how practicing sword techniques with a partner can look like, performed by Sifu Mattias Nyrell and Kevin Neijd:
Our swordsmanship has its roots in Practical Tai Chi Chuan, a style of Tai Chi which was taught by the late Sifu Dan Docherty. We in turn have learned from Sifu Mattias Nyrell, the main instructor of Historisk Kinesisk Fäktning Linköping.
From the roots, we learn and practice how to wield the sword, sword applications/techniques and the sword form, a choreographed sequence of moves. The sword form is called Heaven and Earth Sword, and refers to the nature of Yin and Yang, polar opposites that are in balance. Soft and hard, slow and fast as well as strong and weak are all examples of polar opposites which our style is based on.
To complement this base, we also practice sword drills, focused training exercises, sparring and more focused basics in order to teach the complete set of skills needed for a beginner to start learning our style.
More information about our swordsmanship style can be found at jianfa.se.
Below is a video of Sifu Mattias Nyrell performing our sword form, Heaven and Earth Sword:
Tai Chi is a form of exercise derived from Taoism, and involves deliberate movements, both slow and fast, together with a clear intent and focus. It has proven health benefits and can be practiced by people of any age, and requires no special equipment. It helps practice focus, calms the mind and helps strengthen and maintain mobility and core strength.
Practical Tai Chi Chuan (Chuan lit. meaning fist, i.e. martial art) is Tai Chi and a martial art, where one also practices striking techniques, grappling and throws combined with hand and weapon forms (a sequence of dance-like moves), meditative practices and strengthening exercises. More information about Tai Chi and Tai Chi Chuan can be found at swtcca.se and at taichichuan.co.uk.