Jian v. maio dao

Discussion of Chinese historical swordsmanship from all styles.

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dforbes_grtc
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Jian v. maio dao

Post by dforbes_grtc » Wed Feb 04, 2004 3:09 pm

Which is better? Why learn both?

dforbes_grtc
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Jian v. miao dao

Post by dforbes_grtc » Wed Feb 04, 2004 3:17 pm

Miaodao appears to be more militaristic and easier to learn for a battle, or for a novice. Jian seems to require more skill but takes a lot longer to learn well. But won't the swordsman with the greater skill always usually prevail, regardless of the style or type of sword used?

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The Better? Miaodao? Jian?

Post by Scott M. Rodell » Thu Feb 05, 2004 9:59 am

I've never believed that one art or weapon type was superior to another.



There are not better arts, there are better individuals. Superiority requires several things: a good traditional art that hasn't been watered done, diligent training in that art, well rounded training in the art, seasoning of ones training in the art, ie, that it has been tested in a variety of circumstances, particularly the uncomfortable situations everyone would prefer to avoid and what the Yang Family writtings refer to as "strong courage & Keen preception."



So its not a matter of jian being superior to miaodao or visa versa, its a matter of training long enough & deeply enough so that which ever you've chosen as your sword has become a part of you.

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Re: Jian v. maio dao

Post by Scott M. Rodell » Fri Feb 06, 2004 11:16 am

dforbes_grtc wrote:Why learn both?


Master Wang Yen-nian said it best when he said that practitioners of taijiquan should not study other martial arts, however, they should look at them. Every martial artists needs to be generally familiar with whatever else is out there, so they won't be taken by surprise should they meet it in sanshou.



In the case of our training in swordsmanship, we need to be familiar with the attributes of other weapons aside from the special characteristic of the taiji jian. While there is always a certain amount in common in all types of swordsmanship, each weapon has strengths & weaknesses. The miaodao is a good weapon for those of us who train with the jian to "look" at because its strengths & weaknesses are pretty much the opposite of those of the jian. By diligently practicing our taiji jian swordsmanship & taking a good through look at the swordsmanship of the miaodao, we can greatly broaden our overall understanding of swordsmanship.



As an aside, those attending our Thursday sword class will have noticed, I'm in the middle of my work to recreate General Qi's shuangshoudao form. This work is in part my interest in Chinese historical swordsmanship & part a look at what else was on the field that the jianke of old might have faced. The more I understand what could have come at me, should I have lived a few centuries ago, the better I understand the jian swordsmanship I practice; and I beleive the better I'll be able to teach it.

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