Jian useage

[r.(shaolin)]

Re: Adam Hsu's article, " A Straight Talk About Straight Sword" in the Jan/Feb 2005 issue of Kungfu Tai Chi.

Mr. Hsu makes some very good points in this article about swords. In particular he highlights the problems with modern wushu swords. There is one criticism however that he makes which I disagree with. He claims that the cross piece used in many swords coming out of the mainland are incorrect.

Historically speaking both directions were used in combat jian - wide facing the blade and wide facing the hand. Examples of Ming Dynasty swords with the wide part facing the blade can be seen in the very same magazine on pages 22, 23. This type of cross piece can also be found in the authoritative Song Dynasty military encyclopedia Wu Jing Zong Yao. Further, this can be collaborated by looking at the Buddha Scroll. This precious scroll of Buddhist art is an eighteenth century reproduction of a twelfth-century work. In it you will find detailed drawings of many northern Chinese military weapons - including the jian. Again the sword cross pieces, like those in Wu Jing Zong Yao, have the wide section facing the blade. If there is interest in seeing these I'll post them.

The jian we use, has the cross piece positioned this way as well. The development of this type of cross piece was not arbitrary. In understanding its usage the reasons becomes quite clear.

My point of course is not that the other style was not used or useful but that both were used in combat jian.

On another note, Paul Chen's company, Hanwei makes beautiful swords. My only complaint with their other wise great weapons is that the range of blades tend to be too short and the handles a bit too round. From the sounds of it Adam Hsu's sword should have the handle corrected, hopefully he'll have a greater choice of blade lengths.