Tai Chi Sword Tassel

[imperialtaichi]

I was taught the following, (although many of you may disagree)

1. the tassel is a training tool. The sword is Yang, and the tassel is Yin. The power of the sword is generated by the Yin. During training, the RED colour of the tassel helps in focusing the intention. In a real fight, the tassel may or may not be there (real fights are ugly and chaotic and never ideal and you may not have all the right equipment at that moment!) but the power is generated the same way even if the tassel is not there.

2. The sword finger may be used for attacking, but it's main purpose is for the triangulation. Next time you practice the sword, try to project the sword to a target, while at the same time projecting the sword finger on the other hand to the same target, and generating the striking power through the finger and not the sword (again, Yin vs Yang) and you will find you can generate this soft power that you desire for your Tai Chi training.

If anyone wishes to discuss the methods with me, send me a private message; as many may disagree and I'd just be clogging up forum message spaces.

Cheers,
John

[littlelaugh]

Hi Doug,

I don't really have much to expand upon because I am a newbie. But, IIRC, another student asked a similar question about the metal balls. My teacher responded that the metal ball wouldn't be too heavy because you wouldn't upset the balance of the sword.
I've only practiced with the wooden ones in the tassel on our swords. They are light. I never even noticed it until he pointed it out. I will ask further about it at my next class.

We do Yang style and I was looking at the Yang family website the other day. I noticed that the swords they sell have scabards. Do you know if this is true for other styles?

I would like to see the art that you've described.

Cheers,

Laugh

[GT]

Originally posted by GeneChing
I totally agree about the fingers. If I had a sword, the last thing I would be thinking is I should poke him in the eye.

This probably should be the case, as soon as you start thinking of your attack or defense, you then have too much intention and will not be as effective.

But, lets say you have just deflected/parried your opponent's right arm to his left/your right with your sword? You have opened their right side to attack. If you have turned your body to the right to deflect/parry and are close enough, where might your left hand naturally come to? An ideal finger strike to the side of the throat if the deflection/parry is slightly down to your right. If the defletion /parry is upwards to the right then the armpit or underside of the upper arm may be open for a finger strike. It is there, why not take advantage to use a finger strike while your sword is parrying/deflecting?

[Doug]

Originally posted by littlelaugh
I don't really have much to expand upon because I am a newbie.

That does not matter. Don't let that intimidate you into silence if you have something to say.

But, IIRC, another student asked a similar question about the metal balls. My teacher responded that the metal ball wouldn't be too heavy because you wouldn't upset the balance of the sword.

Really? Because the jian is balanced on its own, and adding metal balls to the end--adding weight to one end of the weapon--will throw the balance off. Specifically, how would the balance not be upset? Does the user do something to neutralize this? How heavy would the metal balls be?

We do Yang style and I was looking at the Yang family website the other day. I noticed that the swords they sell have scabards. Do you know if this is true for other styles?

Most swords sold today do have scabbards with them.

Doug