Chinese Swordsmanship: The Yang Family Taiji Jian Tradition

by Scott M. Rodell

Chinese Swordsmanship in the Yang Family Taiji Jian Scott M. Rodell's well-crafted book traces the history and development of the Chinese Way of the Sword from the Bronze Era through the Warring States Period up to modern times. Rodell covers all aspects of his subject from the etiquette of handling bladed weapons to basic cuts and classic forms as well as swordplay. The book is profusely illustrated with historical photographs and woodblock prints as well as photographs of contemporary swordplay. The Author brings to this book his many years of expertise as a student and teacher of Taiji Jian and as a recognized authority on the nearly lost art of Chinese swordsmanship.

Genres: Martial Arts

304 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2005

Reviews

[David Martuneac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent guide to historical Chinese swordsmanship from an expert in the field. The steps for every movement are carefully described and photographed with a focus on application in combat. You couldn't ask for better.

[WryPriest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mandatory for devotees of not only Taijiquan and "neijia" arts, but all jian gongfu traditions. Or people into swords for any reason. As per the title, the techniques of combative swordplay within are those passed down within the author's two different inherited lineages of Yang Taijiquan. But the two systems of sword techniques, with contrasting sets of basic/fundamental cuts and deflections, are adaptable or at least informative to the jian as it exists within other Chinese arts.

Yang Taijiquan's "Public System" jian form is likely the most recognizable and widely taught sword practice in human history. Every (culturally) Chinese grandparent has a friend who at least dabbles in it. The other popular sword practices of modernity, European fencing and Japanese kendo, are not singular classical traditions, but modern syllabuses of organized swordplay techniques derived from various historical schools, synthesized for a sports syllabus. The Yang Taijiquan jian tradition is more contextually comparable to singular classical koryu sword schools of Japan.

The massively popular Yang Taijiquan jian form practice is also similar to some classical Japanese martial schools for how martially ineffective and abstracted it has become over time. Most people today learn the form with unweighted fake or theatrical swords, outside of any awareness (or respect) for it as a weapon. Ironically this misunderstanding probably traces back to the Yang family figure the world receives all of its (empirically verifiable) Yang Taijiquan from—Yang Cheng-fu. Not for his own lack of skill and transmission, but because his opportunity to widely teach was a reflection of a new popular interest in neijia training as a health-forward physical exercise regimen for people from the upper-middle and upper classes of society. Ever since, much of the transmission of Yang Taijiquan across the world since has kept the practice within this paradigm, abandoning serious cultivation of the martial origins of the art. And even within the handful of circles where Yang Taijiquan *is* still developed and pressure-tested in a combative martial context, weapons are rarely included and given the same full attention. Hence the importance and usefulness of the author's book, and their (since further broadened and expanded) expertise as a professional expert in the martial use and training curriculums of traditional Chinese sword and military arms.

The physical version of the book is a paperback in horizontal long-form, at 8.5 by 10 inches. This naturally continues and suggests the horizontal layout used by the definitive Yang Michuan books of Rodell's own teacher, Wang Yen-nian. Unfortunately both this and Wang's books are long out of print, though this one remains available as a Kindle purchase (it would be nice to have a DRM-free digital copy from another store like Kobo or Lulu). I suppose it's to be expected, given the specialized subject matter and the way physically printed books are more of a niche subject than when it first came out (2005). Many such modern classics are self-publishing efforts, or the work of tiny imprints, plus their main online outlet takes a percentage, hence so many normal-sized softcover books by contemporary notable traditional martial artists have such an excessive price, or are otherwise print-to-order books with occasional issues (besides the common shortcomings from a lack of proper proofreading, let alone professional editing or even peer editing). Yet I do think serious or even hobbyist martial artists often fall into the subset of people who still collect physical books and especially appreciate having essential reference volumes like this one in their own personal library. Perhaps one day a new edition will be available as a print-to-order option, or through a kickstarter including a hardcover option.

Still, that's all besides the point. With regards to the jian, this is the book. The author today is consistently active in teaching sword and weapon arts, regularly putting stuff up on Youtube and a subscription-based online digital training portal, and still teaches workshops internationally. In some ways the online sword training portal surpasses this book, yet at the same time this book is essential to the transmission. While it's difficult (perhaps impossible) to fully learn or receive a martial tradition through a book or drawings or pictures, for the experienced and lifelong devotee, such a complete volume is an artifact which can continually renew inspiration.