The Double-edged Sword

The Chinese double-edged straight sword is referred to as the chien, gim, or jian. Your energy should flow into the weapon and it should be used as an extension of your bare hand. This is always one of the most important lessons in weapons work. You and the sword are to become one.

In ancient China, swords were made of hard, solid metal. Over time the swords became bigger and heavier in order to penetrate developments in armor. About 2000 years ago, advancements in metallurgy made it possible to construct a lighter, more flexible sword that could still cut very well through armor. This process has remained unchanged over the years. The lightness allowed the sword to be used by people of smaller stature, enabled the practitioner to move more quickly and would flex into the slits in the opponent's armor.

The gim is lighter and more flexible than the saber. The main movements involve thrusting, usually on an angle and on deflection, not blocking. The blade is divided into three sections. The tip and the outer third are very sharp. Most attacks are executed with this portion of the blade. This part of the sword however is vulnerable to breakage because the more sharpened the blade the more likely the metal is to snap and break. No deflection should be attempted with this zone of the blade, so ranging and precision is important. The middle section of the blade is kept moderately sharp. The third closest to the handle is usually blunt and thicker than the outer third and is the zone best used in conjunction with the middle for deflection. A blood groove was added to the war sword in order to lighten the implement and most importantly to make it possible to withdraw the weapon without forcing it through the body to break the suction. The sword is made complete by the guard, handle and the butt.

It is very practical to start off with a wooden sword. The blade can be marked into sectors so the practitioner can check to see if he is using the correct area for a cut or deflection. All of the major characteristics are available in the wooden practice sword; tip, handle guard, butt, grip, tassel, and simulated blade. It is also light, easy to move and will not break even with some misuse.

In working with the gim, awareness of the balance of the particular weapon becomes important. An ideal sword should be balanced close to the guard. Sometimes the guard can be weighted to improve the balance. The farther from the handle the balance, the slower and heavier the sword will move.

The form you will be learning is a traditional Fukien White Crane form. It originated in Southern China in the Fukien provence and is also know as the ground crane. The empty hand basics and the footwork from the last class will be of use in understanding the movement of the sword. I am pleased to work with such a diverse and attentive group of people. Work hard to understand and execute the proper energy channeling I taught through the foot and hand work last week. We will be studying this material for eight sessions. Those of you that are interested and show some aptitude will be asked to execute the form as one of four people in a show routine. One-on-one combinations for sword will be taught along with basics and these will also be constructed with performance in mind. The creative component will evolve through the empty hand basics. I will be asking you to construct a form of your own with the snippets you are given.