It seems inexplicable that Tai Chi sword would be any better as an instrument of nei jing 內勁 internal power generation than the much more widely practiced empty hand form. Yet, it is.
I put it down to two things:
- Sword gives ‘psychological permission’
- Sword facilitates ‘projective engagement’
Those two phrases have very specific definitions in my world.
Psychological permission. First we should ask, permission to do what? In this case it’s permission to relax. Tai Chi first and foremost requires relaxation, especially of the upper body, shoulders, arms, etc. When you’re practicing a regimen that is still touted by some as a martial art, or that at the very least was said to have originated as such, the average student brings too much unconcious tension to the table. Kind of like a self-armoring that they subconsciously imagine must be appropriate to a ‘combative’ activity, no matter how many generations and continents removed. Ironically, to get any combative value from Tai Chi at all requires dropping the tension. Otherwise you’re just a sitting duck.
So where does sword come in? No matter what kind of blunt training sword is used, even a blunt wood one, just having an implement in your hands that to the subconscious ‘represents’ a real weapon takes away a lot of the need for the self-armoring. Now you’re the badass and the world’s on the wrong end of your tool, so to speak. As ludicrous as this seems to the rational mind, it makes sense to the incredibly emotive, childish and symbolically oriented subconscious. The rest of your body is kind of off the hook, the sword itself will “take care of business”. This promotes overall relaxation.
So what is ‘projective engagement’? Having to at least keep hold of the sword (in right hand) without dropping, and maintain sword-pointing fingers continuously (in left hand) keeps your mind and therefore energy projected to your hands and beyond. This is essential not only for infusing your arms with the ‘charge’ but as the hands are the far teminus of the Macro Orbit it means your entire body is super-charged along the way.
Notice how many great internal sword masters were also calligraphic superstars, like Tesshu Yamaoka and Zhang Manqing. Calligraphy brush can also serve some of these same functions as sword, allowing the artist to infuse his work with internal power through the brush and beyond. But I feel sword is the more powerful modality. Maybe that’s just my martial arts prejudice showing through again.
Anyway, sword still brings in its own barriers to the full super-charge experience. Some things are practical: sword isn’t always portable, available. Credible teachers are relatively few, space can be an issue, … even ‘public view’ as I’ve been hailed and questioned by cops in multiple cities on multiple occasions in each, questioned with varying degrees of courtesy and intensity as to wtf I think I’m doing (practicing sword in a park or such). Even had practice swords confiscated by cops.
But while sword can be a nuisance in these ways, if you ‘get the point’ so to speak, meaning if you can understand the PURE INTERNALITY of the work, the harvest of shakti will blow you away. However, that raises the highest barrier of all. Because even if you find a genuine teacher, still even so the vast majority of them are, for reasons known only to themselves, teaching Tai Chi sword as a performative sequence. I mean they’ll sermonize a little on the general Tai Chi benefits that may apply as well to sword, like stress reduction or balance for seniors… you know the usual stuff. But they don’t won’t or can’t go beyond that and just hand you the actual internal ignition keys and send you on your way.
So now I’ll pimp my upcoming Sword Seminar again (June 15/16 Seattle WA). Not that I need more attendees, it’s now full at just the ideal number to create an enthusiastic critical mass while allowing for lots of focused small group instruction and interaction. But just to motivate registree’s not to drop out, keep anticipation high. I usually get 2 to 3 last minute dropouts due to work, family, health, kids in short LIFE.
This will be a truly unique exposition and practice opp for Tai Chi sword because I am going to go through the form move by move, handing you the internal ignition keys for almost every one of them. These are things that in Yang Chengfu’s immortal phrasing “If I don’t tell you this you wouldn’t find it in another hundred years”.
There are three major internal work principles of sword (and a few minor pointers :)
I’m going into these deeply in the Seminar so I won’t attempt to explain or even name them here. The 3 Big Ones apply to most of the main postures and dynamics of the form. But for each pose or move where they apply, there’s a little bit of custom ‘glue’ you need to know and stir in for best effect. They are general principles being applied locally, move by move. I will cover as many of these internals as attendees have appetite for, starting literally from move one. And no, they are the bland generics of all Tai Chi teaching (relax, body upright… Those are essential but I’m going to assume (or just remind) everybody already kinda gets that stuff. These are much more specific and functional, geared to the actual sword dynamics.
With Tai Chi sword you usually find that teachers either present it essentially as a health dance, or there are a few who represent it as an archaic but interesting combative art. But nobody to my knowledge has openly handed out its internals.