Chinese Fast Sword Draw Tutorial (出手法)- Chinese Swords & Swordsmanship Series 

I always marvel at overseas experts knowing significantly more about Chinese culture than I do as an ethnically Chinese person. I'm glad my culture has interested people and would definitely learn from this video.

Informative as always and great restoration. Fast draw technique really is something often overlooked by modern practitioners of Chinese swordsmanship.

Fantastic to see these arts being preserved abd passed on to the next generation. Thank you Laoshi

A thought came to me, it seems the chinese sword wasn't predominantly intended to be used with a shield, it was more like carried in the court or civilian life. in this case, the scabbard will becomes quite a useful stopping and parrying device. perhaps It's also one of the more plausible explanations for the Chinese "sword fingers", in other words, for holding the unused hand's index and middle finger strongly extended and the other finger tips together; it's a symbol for the scabbard, and with that its poking and even blocking techniques in many forms make sense.

Very interesting...

At 8:19 you completely nail the draw. That was the best draw of the whole video. It happened perfectly! (Making the wild outsiders guess that it happened automatically without a thought partly because you were focused on describing putting the sword away.)

truly interesting technique we know that "fast drawing" are easier and more efficient to do with single-edged swords like Katana etc., having non-sharp side really helps on the drawing and sheating the sword, it also helps saving the scabbard from getting cut and damaged internally, because the "schwing" sound is the sign of 2 metal grinding on each other damaging the blade and the scabbard together (especially when doing fast draw), in Iaido we should avoid and minimize any kind of "sound" when drawing the sword because it's a sign of a good smooth draw where you doesn't damage the blade & scabbard but i didn't know fast drawing techniques also practiced on double-edged swords, those techniques are amazing while minimizing the inevitable grinding sound on double-edge sword, and using thumb to guide the sheating sword side-way is a brilliant way to do it, obviously its harder to do it on Double-edge than the Single-edge sword sheating technique, but they do share the same principle by using left hand fingers to guide the sheating sword blade this is absolutely a good educational video

Great lessons for fast draws and cuts. Also for resheathing. First time I've come across this. Thank you.

Interesting that Ma Chao was known for a fast draw technique, but yet in one of the few instances of duels mentioned in the Sanguozhi (specifically a Weilue annotation added to his biography by Pei Songzhi), he gets wounded by Yan Xing and nearly killed, except that Ma Teng's cavalry rescues him.

just awesome.... makes me want to learn it :)

I was hoping for a high noon showdown. Informative, and you have a fast thumb up.

Good video. ahah I started practicing jian drawing watching this and found out why not to hold the scabbard up so high at the mouth... the overlap of the guard can pinch the hand pretty quick! Need that little space

Thanks for another very informative and interesting video.

Thanks a lot for the informative video. I have already wondered if there are some Iaido-like concepts in the Chinese sword arts. I also did not expect that there were concepts of quick drawing of the different Dao types as well. I thought the quick draw was just a concept with the Jian.

That cutting at the start was beautiful, thanks for the informative video and lessons

I find curved swords much easier to draw in one continuous motion than straight swords. Usually when I draw my jian I have to adjust the angle a little before delivering a cut, whereas with a curved sword (I have some talwars) I can just draw and cut at the same time easily with no adjustment. Perhaps the difference in hand position for the dao vs jian is just because with the jian you need to be more particular to get it to work right, whereas the dao is more forgiving of more different hand positions?

2023 . just saw this .. yes awesome ..

I have a question about 太平腰刀勢: In many Qing dynasty paintings and photos, soldiers are depicted with their sabres hung from the belt, to the left side, with the grip pointing to the back. This seems like a very awkward way to wear a sword for a right-handed person. I was told that it was because Qing dynasty soldiers carried their bow on the left side. If the saber hilt is pointing forward, then it could easily get tangled up with the bow, which was the primary weapon of a Qing cavalryman on horseback. people told me to draw the saber with 太平腰刀勢, the left hand would rotate the saber so that the hilt would point forward. The right hand would draw the blade edge up, which allows for a much quicker draw like the katana way. An alternative draw method would be for the right hand to reach behind the back to draw the blade and then swing it in a wide arc to an opponent on the right side. Is this possible?

Very informative and practical. I enjoyed the history lesson too. Thanks.

Are there any styles where you fight with both the sword and Scabbard?

Excelente vídeo!

Thank you very much for this lesson !!! 🙏🙏🙏

thanks for the info & forms. just as a reenactor who favor's a hand & half or bastard sword for it, (facing flat on, like Shin Gi & Bahuoa wushu) i usually start with sword sheathed in left handand perform something in between a qui and a pea cut when enemy attacks. it starts like a qui cut but i dont fully unsheathe with sword more vertical generally than in qui cut(depending on angle of their attack) and block on sword preferably near ricaso using scabbard to cushion hand then as i deflect i use left hand to fully unsheathe step forwards rotate wrist and perform a pea cut essentially across their chest(head necks out of bounds in reenactment) i cant recommend it enough if i dont win my face off with draw then usually i have a problem :P but i win enough just because of not finishing draw till enemy is committed and beaten already

very nice video, master, thank you for share

Outstanding! Iaido doesn't have a monopoly on quick draw! Good to know.

What are g-cut and p-cut? Great stuff, thinking about taking a class soon!

The concept of Iaido got me wondering what the equivalent tradition was in Chinese swordsmanship, and other types for that matter. I'm sure it was completely variable in terms of no one set way. Iaido after all is a more modern concept in Japan as you likely know, as it standardized 12 forms of drawing, yet the older sword schools to my understanding had their own iai. Nevertheless it gets me curious because, being the art of formality that jianfa was in general, certainly there must have been some kinds of tradition in that area. Shame more knowledge of it never got passed down. Question, would having the jian strapped at your waist affect your draws? Or is it more of a matter of always holding the sheathed sword in hand like that?

It is not the art of drawing the blade from the Scabbard. Rather, the art of removing the Scabbard from the blade. :)

Since you referred to Han Dynasty examples, have you tried recreating this with that style of jian?

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I have found with Chinese swordsmanship, it is more about balance, the body moving in equal opposite action, when resheathing the sword, sword hand up sheath hand down, the posture will create a straight line by hip and shoulder sword to sheath. Not liado as would be the style of the Samurai

So how where these swords carried since the scabbards can't be attached to the belt for these drawing techniques.

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What do you mean by the terms "P-cut" and "G-cut"?

Hello Sir.. Were lefthanded swordsmen were prohibited using the lefthand..

I just realized my throw draw is different also ? I basically hold the sword still and pull the sheath back then simply turn the blade. Its very efficient in small a space. Heck ill ask someone to video me . Upload and request your opinion 🙏☯️

I wonder what the han jian, fast sword draw technique is.

I really truly do not wish to be negative. The draw 👍 Resheathing in that L shape 🤔🤔 I am seriously not a fan. Perhaps my other arts are showing but I actually perform a circle then stroke along my index finger with the blade already in line with the sheath. . I do this holding the sheath solely in my hand or with the sheath attached to my waist. Probably from Katana /kenjutsu. I am completely confident with this method with any sword. Very interesting if historical ? Otherwise I will continue to use this method until I can find fault with it. I can duel wield anything with this method and work upto two swords forward and two short staff held in reverse ( or any combination of 4 weapons ) I call this my "bayblade" form. Not practical for battle as it requires a lot of attention ⚔️⚔️ but for dexterity and training four weapons is perfectly possible. Amitofuo ☯️🙏🇪🇸

We really need to communicate. I believe I've accomplished these and more and believe I can answer some of your questions. Such a shame when nobody replies. I truly believe I have much useful information. I've got all of these carrying it wearing, Chinese or Japanese style, Jian , Doa, katana or anything. I absolutely do not at my sheath. I have strong reasons to disagree with your finger placements. Hope we can exchange information or I will simply carry on with all methods as I perfect my "guardian of the palace" form. Multiple swords, staff , rucksack, coins for blind man's long staff. Handfan to aid hearing. A combat pen with 24 Yang. I even use my clothes as a weapon. Enough if you reply great. If not I move on 🙏☯️