Tai Chi Swords As One Of The Tai Chi Weapons

There many different forms of Tai Chi weapons when one practises Tai Chi Chen.  It is recommended to use Tai Chi swords only after having had one year’s of training in Tai Chi because that is the minimum amount of time that it will take for the body to feel comfortable using Tai Chi swords, and even then you will need to continuously keep checking that you stick with the principles of Tai Chi without fail. There are certain things you need to bear in mind and you also need to be cautious before actually using Tai Chi swords.

Know The Sword Well When Practising Tai Chi

To begin with, you need to know your Tai Chi sword well as well as understand the various attacking parts of your sword, and once this has been accomplished, you must play with your sword each and every day so that it becomes an extension of your body. Finally, you will need to think of it as a tool, and not something that is meant to be a decorative piece that you may want to hang on your wall, and when moving with it, it should be done with purpose as well as grace. Also, when you are practicing with Tai Chi swords, it is important to stay focused and to also remain calm in your movements since the calmness within should reflect your inner feelings when you use the swords.

One thing for sure, and that is that the Tai Chi swords are the supreme Kung Fu weapons for close range battle and they are generally quite small as well as light in weight, though they are very deadly when used to combat an opponent. And, when you use Tai Chi swords in a sword fight, there is much violence elicited and the mental state is usually quite barbaric which is quite contrary to the purpose of Tai Chi Chen, which is to cultivate the inner self.

It is normal for the Tai Chi swords to have a length of about three feet overall and the blades are double edged and may be twenty-eight to thirty inches in length, and about one to one and a half inches, and in some cases two inches broad. Its handle would be about nine inches long and the tip is very sharp as too the upper third of the blade and to attach these Tai Chi swords there is usually a hole towards the hilt’s end into which tassel may pass and thus helps secure the swords.

According to tradition, Tai Chi swords were made in accordance to the user’s size and then were balanced for the user’s comfort. However, in today’s world, these swords are very light in weight and are also non-functional and even weight and balance are known to vary, and they are mostly used for competing and also for practice and are thus mass produced.
 

Tags: tai chi chen, tai chi weapons