What Is A Tai Chi Sword And What's It To You

What is a Tai Chi Sword

A tai chi sword is also known as a Jian. Typically a historically accurate tai chi sword is a double-edged straight sword. It has been used to aid in practicing different forms of tai chi for the last 2,500 years.

In martial arts the tai chi sword is considered to be one of the four major weapons along with the saber, spear and the staff. The tai chi sword has a nickname too - "The Gentleman of Weapons." Perhaps that is a reflection on how gentle the art is.

There are a couple of styles of a tai chi sword including one that has two handles. However these swords with two handles are larger than the usual version used by tai chi students are mainly seen in marital arts movies. Teachers and performers also sometimes use the ornate two-handed tai chi sword in demonstrations. It is known as the shauangshou jian.

The most historically correct version is supposed to be one handed. These one handed swords have blades that are anywhere from seventeen to thirty-one and a half inches (45 to 80 centimeters) in length. The average weight of a tai chi sword is between one and a half to two pounds.

A tai chi sword has a certain design and look. The guard that protects the hand is short with wings or disc shaped guards. The grips are usually made of wood and finished with ray skin. The end of handle also has a pommel that provides balance and prevents the handle from slipping.

Sometimes a tassel is attached tot ht hilt of the sword. This tassel is not just there for decoration. The swinging motion of the tassel is meant to serve as a distraction to the other sword fighter. Metal wires were sometimes worked into the tassels so that they could be swept across the face and cause bleeding and blindness.

The tip of a tai chi sword is usually very sharp and is made for stabbing and stabbing. The blade itself has a subtle profile taper that decreases subtly in width from the guard to the end of the blade. The blade thickness near the tip of the blade is half of thick as the blade at its base. Originally they were made of bronze but nowadays they are made of steel. Some ceremonial swords are carved from a single large piece of jade.

Most of us are familiar with the Tai Chi sword from watching heroes use it in Chinese martial arts movies. The item really became popular after millions watched the main characters battle for the Green Destiny in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

There are many different names for this tai chi sword across different Asian cultures. In Japanese it is known as a Ken. In Japan it is known as either a tsurugi or turugi. In Korea it is known as Kom and in Vietnam it is known as Kiem. Chinese variations on jian are chien and kim.