For Gene’s previous article about LK Chen swords, read LK Chen and the Revitalization of Han Dynasty Swords

For aficionados of Chinese swordsmanship, it’s a good time to be alive. Present day sword makers are reproducing some of the finest authentic replicas of historic Chinese swords that we’ve ever seen. Magnificent replicas have been coming from Chinese master craftsmen like L.K. Chen, Hanbon Forge, Shen Guanglong Sword The Art of Fire & Iron, among others. And these are live blades with properly tempered steel. Many are even making blades that are pattern-welded. Some of these masterpieces command prices over $25,000. Others are more affordable, only costing a few hundred dollars, just slightly more than the average prices for most Chinese weapons nowadays.

Several factors are contributing to this surge in fine swords. China has become more affluent in recent years, resulting in the flourishing of its cultural inheritance. Collectors are now recovering history thought lost during the Cultural Revolution and bringing it forward to share across the internet. Additionally, accessibility to better manufacturing tools has improved for China’s swordmakers. When I visited some of the sword forges at Shaolin years ago, they were doing everything the old-fashioned way – all by hand. Now makers have modern power hammers and CNC machines (CNC stands for ‘computer numerical control’). A CNC device can carve sword fittings to exact specifications from solid metal, which is a vast improvement to filmsysword fittings that have proliferated modern Kung Fu weapons ever since they went into modern mass production.

Beyond inferior blades, the bulk of today’s mass-produced Chinese swords are not constructed with fittings that can withstand the rigors of actual combat. Most sword guards and pommels are made from cast pot metal or braised brass sheets over wood. These can be so fragile that they’ll break if you drop them. And the blades are often just light spring steel, not tempered to withstand impact. Few are even sharp. The old blades don’t even compare to the refined beauty of pattern-welded steel. These newly made blades are gorgeous and built to cut, like any true sword should be.

Making the Cut

Beyond better sword making technology, another major factor contributing to the interest in more authentic swords is the rise of HEMA, or Historical European Martial Arts, as well as other similar reenactment groups. European martial arts weren’t passed down to the modern age in the same way that Asian traditions have been, however there is a significant body of literature and documentation. HEMA aficionados have been assiduously reconstructing history, and within that, sword cutting has become a popular pastime.

Japan has a longstanding tradition of cutting practice known as Tameshigiri. This is the classical sword cutting art where rolled tatami mats are sliced up to test the quality of the blade and how true your cut can be. The tatami mat roll is allegedly the best simulation of the resistance met when cutting human flesh. HEMA enthusiasts have made their own forays into revitalizing of cutting, appropriating tatami rolls and adding other cutting targets like pool noodles and water-filled plastic soda bottles, all to deepen their understanding of how blades really work. Not to be left behind, there’s a growing movement amongst some Chinese martial arts practitioners towards test cutting.

Beyond being constructed well enough to make a cut, themost intriguing quality about these next gen Chinese sword offerings is that they are historically accurate. Makers like L.K. Chen are now actively researching genuine archeologic examples held in museums and antique swords kept in private collections. By taking precise measurements of the originals, Chen is using a CNC machine to reproduce the exact proportions and details of swords that actually saw combat. His swords are working weapons, as close as the originals as most practitioners can get. And Chen challenges his clients to test his work by cutting. His website includes testimonial videos from practitioners all around the world as they cut stuff and rate the performance.

Surprisingly, cutting in Chinese martial arts is revolutionary. It's staggering to discover how many self-proclaimed Chinese masters of swordsmanship have never cut anything, or even worked with a live edged blade. The emerging trend of cutting with Chinese blades is a fresh shift and a solid step towards authenticity. Today Chinese martial arts are entering an era where real swords are available again, swords that are both cut worthy and based on authentic designs.

Modern Chinese Swords are Make Believe

Embarrassingly for Chinese swords, replicas based on authentic historic swords are a relatively recent phenomenon.Previously, only a few of the mass-produced Chinese swords were modelled after real weapons, the kind that actually drew blood back in the day.  For decades now, authentic replicas of European and Japanese swords that have been based on famous museum pieces have been available, but not so much for the Chinese arsenal. Ultimately, most Chinese swords used for modern day Kung Fu and Tai Chi practice are fantasy weapons, the products of the imaginations of their makers, only loosely based upon genuine antique swords.

With the creation of the modern sport of Wushu, there has been a movement towards standardizing Chinese swords for competition. In this process, Competition Dao, Jian, and Taiji Jian have strayed so far from the original weapons that they can never be used in a real sword fight. They aren’t tough enough to withstand the blows. The distinction between a Wushu Jian and a Taiji Jian is a glaring paradox.

What’s the difference between a Jian used for Taiji and one used for general Wushu on the battlefield?

Before this starts sounding like some grumpy old traditionalist who never stuck a 540 in his life disparaging Modern Wushu again, hear me out. I understand the need for Modern Wushu players to lighten their weapons for safety and competition. I have no issue with that unless they claim what they are doing is real sword combat. That’s like claiming you can handle an AR-15 when you practice with an airsoft gun. I don’t mean to denigrate Modern Wushu at all. Any tool used in competition must be standardized to level the playing field. Modern Wushu weapons are for spectacular performance, not unlike the stage weapons used in traditional Chinese Opera, and I have tremendous respect for both art forms.

However, for practitioners of traditional Kung Fu, Modern Wushu weapons simply don’t work. The essence of tradition is to preserve the cultural continuity of the art, and to do this demands authentic swords. Most traditionalists will argue for weapons that are as substantiallyheavy as historic ones. But why stop there? I have long argued for revitalization of live weapons, meaning edged blades, for advanced Chinese martial artists. I’m saddened by how many longstanding masters have never practiced with a sharp. A sharp blade changes everything. Traditional forms support the use of sharp weapons. The edge is always towards the opponent, never directed to the user. If you recite a sword form with a sharp sword, you immediately realize when a move puts an edge too close to your own skin. When this happens, you know that it’s a non-traditional flourish, a ‘flowery’ or ‘embroidered’ move if you will.

But beware! A sharp weapon demands absolute mindfulness, alertness, and precision. One mistake can cost you your ear…or worse. If you thought playing with nunchucks was dangerous, you’ll just smack yourself with those. A sharp will cut you deeply and mercilessly. This is why I say it’s an advanced practice. A live sword is a real weapon and must be handled with respect. Just like with a loaded AR-15, with a sharp sword, you must know exactly what you are doing, or someone (probably you) is liable to get hurt.

A Dao from a Different Dynasty

Chinese martial artists have narrowly fixated on two sword forms. For the most part, today’s practitioners have limited themselves to thestraight double-edged Jian and curved single-edged Dao of the late Ming (1368-1644 CE) and early Qing (1644-1912 CE) periods. It’s even narrower for Dao. The majority of modern Dao emulate a specific Dao design known as an Oxtail Dao, or Niu Wei Dao (牛尾刀). This style of Dao is from the late Qing, around 1800 to 1920. That’s only about a century-long run and there were many other types of Dao used around this period. Chinese swords date back more than two millennium and consequently, they progressed through many different evolutionary steps.

L.K. Chen has faithfully reproduced a Niu Wei Dao from a well-preserved antique, and no doubt that it will become one of his more popular offerings. He has also reproduced Dao from different periods. One of his unique variations is his Royal Arsenal Han Dao. As the name implies, this is a Dao that appeared around 100 BCE during the Han Dynasty (202 BCE-220 CE). It was the granddaddy of all Chinese Dao and remained the standard form for the following eight centuries. L.K. Chen’s Royal Arsenal Infantry Han Dao has a short straight blade that’s 24” and an overall length of 30”. Compare that to his Niu Wei Dao, which has a 30” blade and is 37” overall.

I confess that I have a lot of swords in my collection. I don’t count them because I’m sure the total is embarrassing. It’s an addiction. ‘Hello, my name is Gene and I’m a sword addict.’ One of the ways I control my cravings is that I strive to only collect swords I can use. By way of good fortune, one of L.K. Chen’s Royal Arsenal Infantry Han Dao came into my collection. But what to do with it?

The Dao is one of my favorite weapons. The Pek Kwar Darn Do (hanging-chop single sword – Mandarin: piguadan dao劈挂單刀) of Bak Sil Lum (Northern Shaolin – Mandarin: Bei Shaolin 北少林) was the first Chinese sword form that I ever learned, and I still practice it regularly. Most Chinese martial arts are form based. It’s our treasure and our handicap, but I confess that I’m a forms practitioner first and foremost. I love to practice forms. It brings me joy and does wonders to keep me healthy. Being able to get a workout swinging a swordis such a benefit of my exercise routine.

I’ve tried reciting the Pek Kwar Darn Do form with the Han Dao but it just didn’t feel right. My Dao form has several movements where the left hand supports the blunt back of the blade. With the shorter blade, those movements feel awkward. I can modify the form to make it work, but that just feels inauthentic. I’m sure there are forms for shorter blades, but I’m not so invested to find one and learn it. So, forms are off the table for me.

Cutting is another matter. Last year, I returned to Iaido training at Santa Cruz Todo Kai. I dabbled in Iaido back in the late 80s and loved it. The chance to train it again fell into my lap so I’m back at it. During a Todo Kai Tameshigiri session, I got the opportunity to test my Han Dao against traditional tatami mat rolls.

How did that go? Not well. I failed to make a single cut with the Han Dao.

Here I must confess that I’m not an expert cutter. At best, I’m competent. It’s an expensive practice. Tatami mats aren’t cheap, and you’re lucky if you can squeeze a half dozen cuts out of each roll. It’s always a pleasure to cut tatami, but it’s a special session. My Han Dao Tameshigiri fails are not the fault of the blade. As my old fencing coach Maestro Michael D’Asaro used to say, “It’s a poor workman that blames the quality of his tools.” The blade was fine. My sword arm was at fault. It turns out that I’m just not that skilled cutting with a shorter blade. In contrast, I tested L.K. Chen’s Snow Peak Jian, which has become my favorite sharp jian, and that split tatami like the proverbial hot knife through butter.

Nevertheless, I made some successful cuts later while taking out the garbage, or more specifically, taking out the recycling. We recently acquired a new chair and the cardboard packing boxes were too wide for our recycle bins, which was an excuse for me to whip out my Han Dao again. It cut cardboard with ease. I could cut a good two feet deep without even trying. Using one of L.K. Chen’s beautiful patterned-steel blades to cut cardboard is overkill, but I’m always happy to cut something with a sword. It’s just so satisfying, and that Han Dao performed magnificently.

Note that this is extremely dangerous. It’s incautious moments like cutting cardboard in front of your recycling bin where you can make a grievous mistake. Even the smallest slip can result in a deep laceration. And no one wants to bleed out next to the trash.

Once more for good measure – while I suggest working with sharps, do not attempt it without qualified supervision. It is so easy to make a costly mistake. A live sword is lethal. If you ever meet me in person, ask me how I got the sword scar on my thumb.

I keep my Han Dao by my desk now. It fits nicely there. There’s a European tradition of ‘pillow-swords’ where a simple short sword is kept at bedside, often hanging from the headboard, just in case someone attacks you when you’re asleep. I’ve updated the concept to a ‘desk-sword’ and yes, I’ve kept a desk-sword for my entire career in the martial arts, which has gone on for nearly forty years now. Like I said, it’s an addiction.

Stay Sharp!