empty swordhand?

Discussion of Chinese historical swordsmanship from all styles.

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ynze
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empty swordhand?

Post by ynze » Fri Oct 13, 2006 11:14 am

I've been rereading some theory on tai chi chuan the other day.

The concept of full and empty I can understand. One leg yang the other yin and the hands vice versa. Then when you shift weight legs and hands change from yang to yin and the other way around.

I presume the principles of yang and yin also go for tai chi dao. But I have problems to conceive the idea of the swordhand going yin (empty).



Is there someone who can explain how to interpret an empty hand while holding your weapon.

iglazer
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Post by iglazer » Fri Oct 13, 2006 2:19 pm

I haven't really spent a lot of time thinking about the forms this way, but here is one idea. Consider "Shoot the goose" from the public sword form. The sword hand is down and out from the body at a 45 degree angle haven't just flung the duifang's sword away. The left hand (non-sword hand) is pointed straight at duifang, a strike to the throat. While the right hand is peng, the left hand is striking.

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J HepworthYoung
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Post by J HepworthYoung » Fri Oct 13, 2006 2:20 pm


Is there someone who can explain how to interpret an empty hand while holding your weapon.
For Dao or Jian or?

For Jian Laoshi's Chinese swordsmanhip book does a nice job of this.

ynze
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Post by ynze » Sat Oct 14, 2006 1:14 pm

I'm thinking of a dao, but I presume it will be more or less the same for the jian.

Guess I have to wait for the book: Twight of the Chinese Warrior, 1799 - 1911, Late Qing Swords & Swordsmanship.

ynze
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Post by ynze » Sat Oct 14, 2006 1:18 pm

iglazer wrote:While the right hand is peng, the left hand is striking.


I think this is something I can work with.

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