World Of Swords

It is a loser as far as weapons go. Thin and underweight, it is not able to take the bashing of force like a full grown sabre would. Having curve only at the tip, it is not able to slice through mighty armor as would a legendary samurai sword.

Yet, in the skinny is the strength. And in the lack of curve is the art. Indeed, the tai chi sword may be the ultimate weapon.

Light and flitting, skinny and delicate, it is more like a knitting needle than a sword. Yet a knitting needle has been known to carve the most beautiful of garments. And to observe knitting needles wielded by a serious and grim-lipped granny is to see the twinkling of art come robustly alive.

At the far end of the length of steel that is a tai chi sword the tip curves, a mere inch of slicing surface. Yet, any person who has experienced the sharp scratch left by the swing of a small needle knows its potency. Indeed, a needle tip can leave a jagged wound that is unwilling to lend itself to ready repair.

The real point here is that such a delicate instrument is not meant for bashing or massive slicing any more than a doctors scalpel. It is meant for reaching in and tipping. It is meant for the delicate move which slides in under, over and past the basher and the cutter.

A delicate insertion of the wicked, little tip, a quick flick of the firm and practiced wrist, and the aims of the warrior are attained. This art, this true art, is an appreciation of the sphere of space surrounding true warrior. This appreciation of space is truly at the heart of all martial arts.

Cutters and bashers are fence painters, splashing indiscriminately, and ruling by force. The wielder of the tai chi sword, however, is a an artist, a sculptor, a doctor. He rules by intelligence.

For he who parries and thrusts with the tai chi sword must hold sway by exercising the intelligence to perceive, and thus undo, the ruthlessness of the cutter and the force of the basher. He must cut under and over brute force with intelligence to prove himself. Therein is the striving of the artist, the accomplishment of the unique individual, and the manifestation of the art.

Al Case has studied tai chi for 3 decades+ years. You can get a copy of his ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

Tags: tai chi sword

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