Swordsmanship in Beijing

[Michael]

I will be in Bejing from mid-February until June 1st in a language immersion program. I understand that very few schools allow beginners to practice swordplay, but does anyone have recommendations of schools/places/people to check out to learn about Chinese swordsmanship? I'm interested in other martial arts as well, but swordsmanship tops the list. I'm not entirely sure what area of the city that I'll be in, but I'll be there for four months. I'd like to experience some authentic Chinese martial arts on at least a surface level.

[Scott M. Rodell]

... Bejing... to practice swordplay, but does anyone have recommendations of schools/places/people...

To be honest, I'd be surprised if you found any place in China where they still practiced swordplay (not just forms). In the past, I've had Chinese students from Beijing visit Great River & tell me there is nothing like what we are doing here in DC in Beijing. In my travels, I never saw or heard of any swordplay, just lots of forms, but then again China is a very big country & I'd be very happy to find out I am wrong...

[Michael]

To be honest, I'd be surprised if you found any place in China where they still practiced swordplay (not just forms). In the past, I've had Chinese students from Beijing visit Great River & tell me there is nothing like what we are doing here in DC in Beijing. In my travels, I never saw or heard of any swordplay, just lots of forms, but then again China is a very big country & I'd be very happy to find out I am wrong...

I had no idea it had devolved to that point. I always thought that the revival movements would be stronger in the countries of origin, if only because the primary sources are not in a foreign language. That makes no sense to me, that there would be so many serious martial artists in China who are uninterested in how to practice swordsmanship outside of solo forms.

I guess I just sort of assume that since pretty much all swordplay is foreign to the US, we should therefore not be leaders in its practice. Do you know of other significant schools in the US beside GRTC that practice Chinese swordsmanship outside of solo forms?

[Scott M. Rodell]

I had no idea it had devolved to that point...

Well once firearms came along, that's pretty much what happened the world over to sword arts. The race to be rich in both Taiwan & Mainland. plus the effect of wars & the cultural revolution pretty much wiped out a generation of practitioners. My principle teacher, Wang Yen-nien said to me once "In the future, when Chinese want to learn taijiquan & daoist practice, they will have to go to America & Europe."

I ... assume that since pretty much all swordplay is foreign to the US, we should therefore not be leaders in its practice.

It might seem that way, but the opposite is true. No one was doing test cutting with Chinese swords before I started bring it back. I know of no other school that teaches Traditional Chinese Historical Swordsmanship, though there are those who are creating new exercises & sports like fencing that have little to nothing to do with historical swordsmanship.

Do you know of other significant schools in the US beside GRTC that practice Chinese swordsmanship outside of solo forms?

No, but hopefully they will develop. In both Europe & America, I've had teachers & students of different styles & lineages attend my seminars & tell me they were going to take my work, what they learned from me & use it to reinvigorate their own systems swordsmanship. This makes me very happy to hear.

[Michael]

No, but hopefully they will develop. In both Europe & America, I've had teachers & students of different styles & lineages attend my seminars & tell me they were going to take my work, what they learned from me & use it to reinvigorate their own systems swordsmanship. This makes me very happy to hear.

Well, thank you for keeping this alive. It's an invaluable contribution.