Tai Ji Falchion is one of the weapons of Tai Ji Quan series including falchion, spear, pole, sword and perch. Each of the different schools of Tai Ji Quan has its own special character and set of various movements to hold up and use those different weapons indeed.
Four movements including Xuan Lan (Spinning Round and Blocking), Hui Qie (Cutting Back), Shang Hong (Banging upwards), Xia Sao (Sweeping Downwards), You Long Xi Shui (A Dragon Swimming in and Playing the Water) and Bian He (the name of a Kung-fu Master) Xi Shi (Bringing a Stone with Him) Hui Tou Zou (Walking up Backwards) to escape from the danger and make Jin Qian Darts (Coin Darts) were taught in the early years in every school of Tai Ji Quan interiorly. With reference to the characteristics of the whole set falchion playing movement of Wu Style, they are coherent and natural, unbreakable, creative and special, and pleasing the eye. The actions have got many dulcet gestures making people relaxed and happy. Their emotional implications have been making people calm and free. Nevertheless, the styles also have the falchion played "like a feral tiger" fiercely and ferociously. Every movement of those styles is threatening. It may frighten any one watching it.
Every movement of the Thirteen Styles of Tai Ji Falchion is the same as Wu style Tai Ji Quan that has significance either in the state of activity or inactivity, one each emphasizes the skill of attacking strongly. The purpose to attack in every movement is hidden in the consciousness. The purpose being obtained both in body and spirit, we must first practice our consciousness, and then our bodies. When practicing, we should feel and act as if we are fighting with the opponents, when we are really fighting with, we should feel fighting with nobody. Make the body move following our mind. Put the priority in mind and make the falchion guided by the spirit. Every movement requires proper and clear consciousness. The entire process and each hitting point should be caught and incarnated well and clearly both in body and spirit. Simply put, we should think with our brains, move with our mind guided, look with our eyes and act with our bodies followed. The upper and the lower, as well as the inner and the outside parts should be harmonious as a whole.
The attacking implications of Wu style Tai Ji Falchion will be introduced as follows. The redundant statements are eliminated and all the ways to attack are explained in a certain order. Therefore it is easy for the learners to grasp the main idea and make progress effectively. There are about 19 ways to use Wu style Tai Ji Falchion, shan (to fan), pi (to slash), kan (to chop), An (to press), zha (to stab deeply),ci (to stab lightly), Huo (to slit forward),Liao (to crook a hand upward), Tiao (to stir up), Gua (to block, to hang or follow ), Mo (to block outward), ai (to slash back), ong (to blow up),Sao (to sweep),Luo (to horsetail),Lan (to block), Peng (to shield),Bo (to dial) and Zhan (to lop).
Shan (to fan): Hold the hilt naturally with the thumb upwards and make the falchion move from right to left or from left to right. It can be used together with other ways like jie, gua, qie and an. For example, in the third group of the movements, the "zuo gong hui gua" (to hang the left bow back) of the "Zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang" (glancing fight and left to consider both sides) means shan first and then gua. And in the seventh group "Ban ma Xia Qie" (cutting down with horsing halfway) in the "san xing kai he zi zhu zhang" (three stars opening and closing considered independently), the transitional movement is to "fan independently"
Pi (to slash): Hold the hilt alike and keep the blade moving downward, sideward down slantways or backward. The movement lasts for a relative long time smoothly embodying the meaning of the word "Pi". For example, in the third group of the movements, the "fan shen hou pi" (to keel over the body and then to "pi" accordingly)
"zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang", in the sixth group the "huishen hou pi" (to turn over the body and then to "pi" accordingly) of "Yu nv chuan suo (the jade virgin is weaving around) ba fang shi (looking around and controlling all the directions)", in the eleventh one, the "zuo you lian pi" ("pi" continuously from the left to the fight) in the "xia shi san he (moving downwards with the three parts of one's body associated) zi you zhao (acting freely)", are all widely curve movements from the upside moving down.
Kan (to chop): Hold the hilt alike and keep the blade moving downwards, or hold the falchion with your fight hand and keep the blade moving to the left or vice versa. This movement named "pi" is not so powerful but quick. But in the seventh group of movement the "tui dao zhui kan (pushing the falchion, running after the opponent and chopping him) in the "san xing kai he zi zhu zhang", even the movement are quite similar to Pi, it is shorter, faster, and less powerful, not to be indeed.
An (to press): Hold the hilt alike and keep the blade moving downward. The movement and its spirit are both sinking down and being very heavy. In the twelfth group of movement, the "zhui pi la an" (running after one, chopping him, pulling and pressing then) of the "zuo you fen shui long men tiao" are (dividing the water leftwards and rightwards and jumping from the Gate of the Dragon) are actually using four ways continuously. The last consciousness is focusing on and sinking down the root of the falchion and the integrative force of the wrists moving downwards. We usually hold the hilt by one hand and hold the back of the blade by the other to "An" (to press). Or, one holds the hilt by one hand and makes the other touching his wrist lightly but closely.
Zha (to stab lightly): to attack with the tip of the falchion to all directions with less force. In the fifth group, the "zhuan shen tui zha" (turning over one's body, pushing and stabbing deeply) of "feng juan he hua (the wind blowing the water lily) ye li chang (one could hide himself inside the lotus leaves)", the sixth one, "zuo gong qian zha" of the "yu nv chuan suo ba fang shi" are both embodied this way.
Ci (to stab deeply): to attack with the tip of the falchion to all directions deeply with more force. In the third group the "gong bu zhui ci" (stepping with one of one's legs bending as a bow and running after the opponent and stabbing him deeply) of the "zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang". Its gesture looks like za, however, it is more deeper.
Huo (to slit forward): Holding the hilt alike and keeping the blade downward, moving the falchion tip far to the front side to slit something. It is similar to the movement of a farmer digging a long narrow channel on the farmland with a sharp tool moving from one end to the other. It also looks like the movement of a butcher cutting the animal skin from down to the upper. In the twelfth group, the "huo pi ti liao" (slitting forward, slashing, kicking and crooking a hand upward) of "zuo you fen shui long men tiao" is of the usage of four ways, we Huo (to slit forward) first and then Pi, kicking first and then Liao.
Liao (to crook a hand upward): holding the falchion with the fight hand, keeping the tip upward and lifting it up and forward, or, you could hold the hilt alike as abovementioned, keep the tip backward and move it up and backward. The falchion action minded to be moved up and forwards was named qian liao (to crook to the front), and the one up and backwards, hou liao (to crook to the back). In the third group "yi bu hui liao" (stepping and crooking a hand forward) of the "zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang" is of the usage of liao.
Tiao (to stir up): hold the hilt alike, keep the falchion blade downward and then move its tip up. Different from huo (to slit forward), it is much shorter and lighter. Huo (to slit forward) emphasizes the back of the blade while to tiao (to stir up) on the tip of the blade. In the six group "hui shen hou pi" of the "yu nv chuan suo ba fang shi", its starting force is a force to tiao.
Gua (to block, to hang or to follow up): Making a certain part of the falchion body or the hilt forwards propping up or raising outward or upward slantingly, and moving the blade downwards and the falchion tip forwards propping or hanging up, or blocking to reach toward a stable point kept focused on, one moves the falchion with his body backwards to the left side or the right, or upwards slantingly as the movement Gua somewhat like some willows on the bank of a river blocking the water to the other side. It is also like the clothes hung on the hanger drooping down, or like a car pulled by the other moving accordingly. In the first group "zuo gong shang gua" (the left bow hanging upwards) of "qi xing (seven stars) kua hu (riding a tiger) jiao dao shi (making the movements of the falchions across each other)", the third group "zuo gong hui gua" of the "zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang" are using the blade and the hilt to make the move gua.Mo (to block outward); Hold the falchion positively or negatively, and move it leftwards and rightwards level with the ground or upwards slantingly. The move is to block outwards evenly. In the seventh group, the "mo gua (to block outward and hang up)ti xi (to raise one's knee)" of the "san xing (three stars) kai he (opening and closing) zi zhu zhang (making up one' s mind)" is of the usage of both mo (to block outward) and gua (to block, to hang up or follow).To Mo will be the first and followed by gua. Mo-ing and gua-ing shall be mixed and associated together with each other.
Dai (to slash back): Hold the falchion positively or negatively, keep the blade outward and move it backward to the left or the right. The movement to Dai is to flare up and quite smooth. In the seventh group the "hui shen gua dai" (turning over one's body and slashing back) of "san xing kai he zi zhu zhang" is of the usage of it.
Hong (to bang up): Keep the blade upwards and move the falchion upward suddenly being close to the opponent and banging up like a thunder. In the eleventh group, the "shang bu hong jie" (stepping onwards, banging up and blocking) of the "xia shi (with the style downward) san he (joining the three parts) zi you (as free) zhao (movements)" is of the usage of it.
Sao (to sweep): Hold the saber positively or negatively, keep the blade outwards, circle it from the fight to the left or do conversely with the knees bending somewhat like sweeping the floor. In the eleventh group the "dun shen (to squat oneself down) sao zhan (to sweep and chop)" and "zuo you (to the left or fight) heng sao (to sweep in a level movement)" of the "xiao shi san he zi you zhao" are of the usage of it.
Luo (to follow up): Keep the blade outwards or move the hilt with the same direction of the opponent's weapon so as to follow up as if to clean out all the dust on the opponent's weapon. It is light, coherent and connected together smoothly. In the first group, the "che bu (returning the step) luo gua (to follow and hang up)" of the "qi xing kua hu jiao dao shi", the sixth group "pu bu (stepping downwards) luo gua (to follow and hang up)" of "yu nv chuan suo ba fang shi" are of the usage of it.
Lan (to block): Move the blade to all directions slightly to block. In the third group the "cha bu (stepping forwards) you lan (to block rightwards)", "che bu (stepping back) zuo lan (to block leftwards)" and "dian bu (stepping slightly) you lan (to block rightwards)" of "zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang" is of the usage of it.
Peng (to shield): The word Peng in Chinese means floating and expanding. Move the hilt upward slantingly to keep the weapon of one's opponent away from one's body and make his opponent unable to stand stable. In the first group zuo gong (left bow) shang peng (to shield upwards)" is ofs the usage of it.
Bo (to fend): To play the falchion horizontally or vertically to change the direction of the opponent's weapon is named Bo. One's mind is following his own hand and his consciousness is with his waist at the same time. In the third group "ti xi bo lan" of "zuo gu you pan liang fen zhang", the seventh "Shan shen quan bo" (moving one's body to circle fending) of "san xing kai he zi zhu zhang" are of the usage of it.
Zhan (to lop): When the blade is moving downwards, twisting his wrist, one is circling the falchion outwards suddenly and sweeping its blade to the left. It is like a dragonfly touching water slightly or a tile being getting skipped in and out the water continuously. In the second group the "chan tou (enlacing the head) lv zhan (to capture and chop)" of "teng nuo (moving one's body around quickly) shan zhan (to hedge the coming attack and fight back) yi qi yang (being high-spirited and vigorous)", the eleventh group "dun shen (to squat oneself sao zhan (to sweep and chop)" and "che bu (stepping back) pi zhan (to cleave and chop)" of "xia shi san hen zi you zhao" are of the usage of it.
There are many other unconscious unique ways actually with the thirteen styles of Wu's Tai Ji Falchion, such as chan (to enlace up), guo (to enwrap), quan (to circle) and da (to beat) However, we must stop our description here.
Since the one style of Wu style Tai Ji Falchion as the following has been enriched by a lot of useful traditional experience and knowledge, it becomes increasingly substantial and flaring up.
