Subject: 劍客 jiànkè Taijiquan swordsman
Culture: north Chinese
Setting: Jianghu, late Qing empire 19th-early 20thc
Evolution:
Context (Event Photos, Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, Field Notes)
* Davis 2004 p3-4
"Nineteenth-century China was in severe crisis. Buffeted by disasters, difficulties, and forces of change from within and without its borders, the Manchurian rule of two centuries over China was slipping. Foreign powers took advantage of the country's problems and wrested trade agreements and treaties in their own favor from the Chinese. The government itself decayed from the inside out, plagued by corruption, weak leadership, poor decisions, and power struggles.
"China's small villages and towns were faced with dramatic population increases, and more and more people fell into poverty. Floods, famine, locusts, earthquakes, and epidemics took their toll, while opium addiction ravaged many citizens. The heavily silted Yellow River shifted its course northward, devastating a large area. The imperial government provided insufficient protection against the numerous bands of rebels and bandits, so the local people, often led by the gentry, stepped in to fill the gap by organizing implementing, and financing militias, crop-watching societies, and maintenance of defensive city walls.
"Within families, impoverished peasants were drawn into rebel movements such as the Taiping and the Nian. Among the educated classes, Chinese literati who would normally have pursued government careers vented their frustrations with the Manchu rulers through withdrawal from civil service, and expressed their opinions disguised within poetry and artwork.
"It was from this time of turmoil that taijiquan arose.
"Northern China gave birth to many martial arts -- including the unique system that became known as taijiquan. From an early time, martial arts had been used for both fighting and entertainment. Skilled fighters were hired to guard convoys carrying important travelers or valuable goods. Martial arts bouts and demonstrations served as amusement at town fairs and marketplaces. Chinese operas, whether performed in a big city theater or in a local village square, were not complete without their intricately choreographed fight scenes -- precursors to today's Chinese martial arts films. Other martial artists honed their skills for less savory uses, whether for personal gain, illegal arts, or as part of a rebellion."
* Kennedy/Guo 2005 p215-216
"According to these documents [two official government documents related to the defense of Huaiqing County, 1853], once the Taiping army crossed the Yellow River and attacked Huaiqing County, the local militia was defeated and dispersed, while the government troops escaped. Of all the villages, only Chenjiagou resisted. In his 'Veritable Record,' under the heading '29th day of 5th month,' Tian Guilin wrote:
"'The head of the thieves [i.e., the Taiping rebels] called Big-Headed Ram (Da Tou Yang) invaded Chenjiagou. This thief was extremely brave and strong, he was able to carry two big cannons under his arms and swiftly attack the town. The battle that destroyed the whole town was conducted under the command of this thief. Fortunately, Chen Zheng Shen and Chen Ji Shen, two brothers from Chenjiagou, were very skilled in using spears and long poles, and they used long poles to pull Big-Headed Ram down from the horse, and then they cut his head off ... Chen Zhong Shen and others managed to escape.'
"This is worth quoting because it points out two things. First, it illustrates the close tie-in between martial arts and real-world combat. It should be obvious that martial arts is used for martial purposes, but that truism often gets lost in modern discussions of the martial arts' focus on spirituality, health benefits, and the like. The episode is also of interest because Taijiquan has, in modern times, been cast as a kind of slow-moving old person's exercise, or as a way for college students to 'get in tune with the Tao.' The specter of two Taijiquan masters on a battlefield, with their village burning in the background, spearing a bandit leader off his horse, cutting off his head and escaping, is an instructive contrast to how Taijiquan has come to be viewed."
Sword
"Sword (劍 jian, double-edged straight sword) is perhaps the most popular weapon in Taijiquan (太極拳) practice, even though it is more difficult to use properly than the saber (刀 dao, sometimes called a 'broadsword' and refers to the single edged sword), the other classical short weapon. This may be due to the circularity inherent in the way the jian is supposed to be used, like a flying phoenix or like a swimming dragon (both of which are said to move in spirals).
"While made of metal, the jian has the quality of water when associated with the wuxing (五行 five phases), whereas the dao is associated with metal. The dao is more direct and uses many powerful techniques, whereas the jian is more fluid and yielding, and is more subtle and uses more agility and precision that the dao's techniques (i.e., more finesse than power). The jian is said to be the 'king' of short weapons, and is considered to be a master's or gentleman's weapon
"[....] Historic swords needed a sufficient mass (typically 600-900 grams) to resist easy defensive deflections away from the intended target, and the point of balance needed to be far enough out beyond the handle and guard (typically 6-8 inches beyond where the handle meets the guard) to facilitate pivoting the weapon around the opponent's weapon, as well as to resist deflections and help the sword to remain on target. The mass and point of balance of historic swords also helps one to properly control the opponent's weapon when utilizing deflections and other techniques that occur when weapons contact each other."
* Garofalo 2008-09-08 online (quoting Peter Lim, 'Taiji Sword')
"This weapon appeared rather late in the Taiji repertoire being first taught in Beijing. The manuals of Wu Yu Xiang do not record a sword form even though there is a sword form in the current Wu Yu Xiang style syllabus. The manual only records the sabre and the spear/staff, this would be in keeping with the times where the sword had already played a lesser role in combat having largely been replaced by the sabre. The form that was handed down by the Yangs was recorded by in pictorial form by Chen Wei Ming who had studied under Yang Cheng Fu and by Chen Yan Ling who had studied under Tien Shao Ling who was a student of Yang Chien Hou and Yang Shao Hou. The form recorded by both are by and large identical and remains the most extant traditional form of Yang Taiji sword in practice today."
* Yang 1999 Taiji sword p
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* Zhang 1998 p
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Saber
* Zhang 2009 pxxvi
"Regular dao, also known as broadswords or sabers, should not be confused with Taiji dao. The latter are specialized swords used only in the Taiji Quan group."
* Zhang 2009 p44-45
"There are three separate parts of a Taiji dao: dao (刀) -- the sword; daoqiao (刀鞘) -- the scabbard of the sword; and daocai (刀彩) -- the tassel of the sword, which is used occasionally for demonstrations but not often in regular practice. ....
"The shape of a Taiji dao is special and relates to how the sword is used. Each part of the sword has been named so that the skills associated with it can be more easily learned and remembered.
"There are four basic parts of a Taiji dao: daoti -- the blade; hushou -- the guard; daoba or daobing -- the handle; and daohuan -- the ring."
Costume
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Whisk
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Mirror
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