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TASSELS IN THE WIND – Tai Chi Sword 41

sword tassel
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TASSELS IN THE WIND – Application 5 of 5

To recover from a ‘Beat and Cut’ attack as commonly used in non-Tai Chi fencing, when the O beats the weak part of your blade away, in order to cut to your arm.

If you are stiff / inflexible, your sword, arm, and possibly your body will turn and expose you to a cut. If you are on principle you will let the part of the blade that is hit go, but keep the sword’s centre relatively still, as your sword hand moves in the opposite direction of the O’s beat. This will at least maintain your defensive integrity and, at best, expose the O to an arm cut. Principles: “If the O’s right is heavy then mine is empty, if his left is heavy then mine disappears” and “Keep the Centre still”.

Tai Chi Sword
THE GRIP – Tai Chi Sword

There are times when moves from the hand form will be appropriate for a sword neutralisation. In our first example above the O may move towards us too quickly for us to move back. Or, if we get caught under their cut, leaving us no option than to use the ‘turn’ from “Turn and Look at Fist under Elbow”, requiring us to contact their sword hand as we turn toward them, into their left side, and thrust or strike them with the pommel.

Video “TASSELS IN THE WIND – Tai Chi Sword”

Ken is working on videos of this and the following applications. We will post them as soon as we receive them.

Author and Images: Ken van Sickle

German version on our sister site!

AUTHOR

Taiji Forum Compilation
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