The sword has a long history in China as both a battlefield weapon and then the chosen personal defence weapon of choice for the aristocracy.
In this system of t’ai chi, the sword is a training method to help the practitioner achieve higher levels of body awareness and movement skill. Body structures and the whole body expression of force are trained to be extended beyond the body and through to the top of the sword.
The movements are subtle and sophisticated requiring considerable feeling and awareness every part of our body. Power is extended from the leafs, through the core and into the various parts of the sword in every conceivable angle using and incredibly wide variety of footwork configurations.
As well as developing higher levels of movement skill and power development, the sword also develops the endurance and condition of the body, providing a considerable cardiovascular conditioning stimulus.
