In China the Jian Sword symbolizes high skills, as its mastery is incredibly difficult. This weapon is for real professionals, its thin design requires much attention and leads to motions that are very elegant, fast, and lightning-like. That is why the sword Jian was held at a higher level in the hierarchy of weapons.

The design features of this sword include its thin, double-edged blade. It is not used for hard blocks like a Dao sword, so this sophisticated weapon cannot be mastered by everyone who uses a blade to "hack firewood". You need to spend a lot of time and effort practicing if you are to take possession of this sword. In China, they say: "to master the art of fist you need 10 years of hard training, but to master the Jian sword, the whole life is not enough."

At some moment in history, the Jian sword was admitted by the aristocracy as a gentlemen’s weapon at the Celestial. It was a great honor to accept it as a gift, symbolizing the fine art and your great skills. Chinese masters say: "Jian Sword moves like a floating dragon ..., ..when lifting and lowering it is like staying the paused wind, when penetrating - like steel nail, and in the final movement - like falling flower petals."

Jian sword belongs to one of the eighteen types of Shaolin classic cold steel arms. In the time of the Ming Dynasty monk fighters constantly demonstrated their achievements in boxing art, as well as and in the possession of cold arms, particularly the Jian sword.

After the Qing Dynasty had replaced the Ming, the number of Taolu (forms) with the Jian sword increased. Here are some examples of Taolu for Jian sword: Fire Dragon Jian, Jian of five orders, Jian of demon wind, Jian of seven stars, etc.

Author: Dmitry Prosvirov - Kung Fu Instructor and lead of children's direction