Her dress, fighting techniques and and weapon remind me of the soul caliber character Xianghua... I don't remember the game making explicit reference to wushu but it's unmistakable.
Former Shanxi Wushu Team member Li Tianyuan was the motion capture model for Xianghua from SoulCalibur, using modern Wushu jianshu, which is what this kind of performance is.
Wushu, the term and modern sport, was popularized during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, which turned the martial art into more of a performance art inspired by older and traditional CMA. In the game, Xianghua's style was family lineage of Chinese swordsmanship, but as a previous commentor said, the sequence used in game was from a modern, standardized wushu sword routine
I've practiced with weapons quite a bit, and I can explain the reason behind the two fingers pointed out on the free hand. It's just a training aid to help the person with counter balance. You can't have the free arm flapping about. If you use all 5 fingers you don't have the same amount of focus as using 2 fingers. Think of training wheels on a bicycle. Also, this is Wushu, not HEMA, meaning it's not really a combat sport like HEMA is. Wushu is basically gymnastics with a martial arts base, so it goes a bit for cosmetic appearance, that's why advanced practitioners keep using the 2 fingers. It's not made for fighting.
understand ! But the reason why we have to free the hand while using sword is because the force must be from the rooting comprising strong and stable stance in association with the waist / hip rotation. Holding and using just 2 fingers to control the Chinese sword is to change the instinctual behavior of the practitioner normally grasping the sword tight and the force is from the arm and hand muscle. For any long time fight we will get exhausted or muscle injury, especially when the weapon (sword) is heavy. Wushu can apply to a real fight, but we have to train more footwork and body strength in addition to playing with spinning sword. After full training course, we can hold and use the heavy sword to fight with the full force from the rooting; whilst the arm and hand grip are just for the direction control. 🥰🙏
I assume that it's quite natural to have the 2 fingers pointing out on the offhand since it replicates the manner in which you hold the jian in the swordhand (gripping with only the last two fingers).
Very beautiful. On the sparring question, while undoubtedly the current forms have a great deal of unnecessary embellishments added, it is a very fast blade and difficult to defend. My instructor, who I’ve worked with for about 18 yrs, started practicing with variants of the taichi sword a couple years ago. We regularly practice sparring with a variety of weapons, from small knives up to swords, machetes, and everyday items like baseball bats and tire irons. He decided to bring and try out this sword and it was surprising how well it worked--in particular, if the wrist is used in a relaxed manner, the tip and upper edge of the sword can cut along the opponent’s hands and arms during nearly every block/attack/bind with any other weapon. De-fanging the snake, as often referred to in Filipino blade styles. Interesting to work with, for sure:)
The hand gesture is actually a replacement for where the shield would have been originally because the Jian sword was originally used with shields in the battlefield until it transformed into a civilian/officer dress sword where the techniques with the shield were mostly retained but made more artistic for the off hand that no longer held the shield, this is also similar to the forms with the Dao sabre, traditionally used with shields but later used without shields while still performing shield techniques with the off hand for non battlefield application; basically swordsmen being lazy instead of developing specialized techniques for non battlefield no shield applications.
In addition to the vestigial shield aspect, the sword fingers are also used as a counterbalance to the sword itself. In many Chinese martial arts systems, especially internal systems, there is an emphasis on proper biomechanical alignment for skeletal and muscular systems in the body. By thrusting the sword hand and off hand in opposite directions, for example, the swordsperson would be able to fully open up their shoulders and chest, leading to a more explosive strike with extended range.
This was a very fun video! It is clear that Seo'a skills (amazing skills to be exact) are focused on performance and forms rather than real sparring, and that's perfectly fine and valid - they are after all called martial ARTS for a reason - but I cannot help but wonder how well would she fare in a real sparring, would be fun to see, but I understand why it's not a very good idea to publish such video.
Yeah, but unfortunately, art in martial art is not art like painting or music but rather a set of knowledge. (That's why we can say "veterinary art). What she does is therefore not really a martial art (at least not according to the definition).
just think of it as Neji's Palm Rotation, jian is the spinning and swing that does the killing, it is for recreation only from a professional's point of view but still deadly, it is very fast. katana and dao is for slashing, double edge thin sword is the cut that kills, you see she back off with a horizontal swing spin that is to deter any potential charges
In Wushu, they train basic movements.. but not the actual combat drills and knowledge. If you search for Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, you can find some video introductions to Chinese swordplay. In them, you can see some of the actual combat drills.. and thus, what is Missing from what these Wushu performers do. Another part of this, is general conditioning. For example... if you have never hit the sandbags for over a year... then what do you think will happen, when you hit another fighter with your bare-fists? (Hint: your soft knuckles will break) Just because you learned to emulate a punch in your wushu routine... doesnt mean that you are capable of combat level power and impact potentials. You just learn the basic external motion for the punch. And... you dont even know the process, of how to trap the OPs arms up.. to get to the point where you can deliver that punch... without it getting blocked / deflected. The same is true of these guys swordplay. They know some basic external motions.. but they dont know the reasons for usage, and much of what they do.. lacks the correct internally driven methods. Nor do they have they trained combat sensitivity, and combat interactions... to be able to be combat effective. With lower tier Swordplay.. you might get lucky with certain general motion attacks. However, against a competent sword wielder.. things will likely take on a very different level of exchange. Actually, a great example, is in the movie "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon". At one point, the Master picks up a small bamboo stick, and proceeds to best the Girl with the sword. He spouts the reasons... about her lack of proper training, bad foundations, poor understandings, and more. This scene is Rooted from real martial truths, and still rings true to this very day.
I love the humor in these videos, they feel so lighthearted and fun! Even though I can’t really analyze things well, it’s cool to see so many unique styles and techniques. Now I know what happens when you practice Kendo with a different sword... -^- Fascinating!
@@rat4507 they literally fight almost the exact same as ukranian cossacks in swordsmanship. If you really want to hate on asian martial arts, compare them to european styles first. And where did you come up with that myth? Nobody spars with swords! You can't safely do full contact sparring with a sword. Not even a wooden one.
@@rat4507 They have old styles that are similar to European ones but not in modern wushu because it's a performance art. Manuals like the Dandao Fa Xuan were not written to be fancy, but real martial arts for military applications. That said, it's unfortunate HEMA-like sparring is less common with Chinese and Japanese swordsmanship.
@@nicholasjonas2505 The masses of feders are approximately the same as sharp longswords. And of course they bend, nobody with any sense would use a stiff blade for sparring.
Great and fun video. As a practioner of T'ai chi, use of the straight sword is definitely familiar to me and I've done hand forms in Wushu / Shaolin before so a lot of familiarity there. Definitely enjoyed the energy in the video!
@@andrewli6606 Yeah, but if you strike a hit in kendo, it is grace and speed, but ultimately just a hit. If you strike a hit in wushu, you are the stuff of legends (admit you wouldn't be intimidated facing off against her).
@@andrewli6606 I respectfully disagree. Although some modern elements of Wushu have certainly been co-opted into a more performative discipline, at its core, it is, by it's very definition a true and effective combat discipline when trained and used as such.
Heeju Seo 🥰🥰🥰 She is my most favorite Wushu lady. I have been following her since she was young. Her Changquan performance is perfect, which means she has the superb basic wushu skills, rendering her elegant sword performance. 🙏❤❤❤ - See her Changquan in the below link. 👇 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AAvJucDR7wQ.html
@@StevenT7146 🥳🙏 she is my idol too. I do Jian practice at home by myself, based on her wushu performances and postures. Happy to hear that you do the same. ❤
@@StevenT7146 ... By the way, Yi Li of CHINA is another super lady one. See her performance from the below link. 👇 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CRb4-gdDDlo.html
@@StevenT7146 🥳🙏 Lindswell Kwok is amazing too. have you seen Double Jian performance before? The below link is the Shuang Jian (Double Swords) performed by Fu Yang, a previous Wushu Champion of CHINA. She is one of the best wushu lady of which the VDOs I have ever watched for my self-study. 👇👇👇 ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZtSbKeBssCE.html
Putting your free hand with two fingers pointed is called " Hidden sword ". It's a way to make your internal power ( Chi ) to run through the blade as Chinese Martial arts heavily relly on Chi power to sustain their fighting techniques. This is a really traditional way of practicing chinese fencing. The wushu lady doesn't know about it because she only had be trained for artistic performances and didn't had access to traditional Kung Fu training. The sword itself is a light version of traditional chinese sword and can't be used for killing someone. Its design, with the flexible tip is make to allow fast flashy movements and producing sounds that make the tao more spectacular. Real Chinese Swords can't be move that fast because of their weight.
1. 刺劍 2. 挽劍花 3. 風車 + 刺劍 劍指是為了平衡與瞄準敵人而攻擊 During the fight, the swordswoman can consider using the sword to stick to the ken like 떡볶이 and leverage against the sword to hit the opponent. That's what the wudang priests do in China.
The Chinese Govt. would never allow it. That is why they created Wushu in the first place. They stripped all of the Combat training drills out.. and made it just a Choreographed acrobatics show... because the Chinese govt. doesnt want high level combat methods, in the hands of the Public "slave-class". There are d3athly fearful of the Lemmings forming a powerful Rebellion against them. This is why they attacked the Falun Gong practitioners... (and then stripped and sold their Organs on the black market.. when they realized that the practitioners organs were kind of "super-naturally Healthy" due to the practice of Falun Gong) That said, once you learn an actual combat art.. you do not really care about "Sport"... because sports create Rules.. and rules prevent Combat Realism.
Wushu to me looks like learning guitar and bears the same feeling as as rocking out from my perspective though I've never done either, it bears the same awesomeness and appeal.
I wish I understood modern fencing and saber martial arts enough to understand. Do you have a preferred video to illustrate your meaning? also, do you recommend any videos or resources for an outside martial artist to get acquainted with the art?
@@kraptastic333 The moulinet is basically a circular "swing" of the blade coming largely from the wrist while the weapon is held in front of you. It lets you attack while keeping your blade between you and your opponent's blade. It's less of a feature of modern fencing, but you can see it in historical fencing like this, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-n5w2Mh6CyXo.html
the mind, the soul, idea, intended, ignorance, health, pride, dream, stray, impatient, fear, serious attitude, life, use reason so you can live for yourself
Such elegance. Both of them. Still a dream to learn martial arts. One of the reason why I want to visit and stay in Japan\China\South Korea\.. Perhaps one day.
I'm curious if that sword could parry anything heavier than a similar style of sword. It seems like a neat and fast style but I'm really excited to see a sparing between kendo and wushu breakdown!
Its not a sparring weapon, its a civilian weapon. They are fashioned from jians, which are shaped the same but rigid. They were used with a shield on the battle field much like an arming sword with a buckler. These swords are bendy because of the snap that they provide which indication of speed and power.
And actual combat jian would be significantly stiffer and heavier, but hte same techniuqes would be used an work pretty well since you are deflecting an redirecting instead of dead stopping.
An interesting note on the difference between the dao and the jian, jian were officers swords, and dao were generally considered lower-class or commoner swords. Dao are choppier, heavier and more aggressive, while jian are more versatile, having two edges, and more nimble, making them better for defense and counter-attack. This is mirrored in European fencing as well, where sabers and cutlasses are generally considered lower-classed and less refined weapons, while rapiers and smallswords are considered the gentleman's weapon, at least on the continent.
Wushu does look very dance like and probably impractical for actual fighting situations, but it seems quite difficult to master, as the moves are more complicated.
this was a great video although my cat objected to the end. He thought someone was really hurt and needed a hug. lolz. Liked and subscribed. My family crest indicates my family served the French king about 400 years ago. I would like to get a few realistic swords and know how they were used. I still don't understand the whole 2 vs 5 finger thing. The rotational exercise reminds me of casting a fishing rod but I think that is the same forearm muscles. Oh, and scars are fine! They indicate a dedication to craft and historically were the mark of a swordsman. Or woman, in this case.
Speed with the sword requires the skill and proficiency of the Law. To dance with the swords is to show the world true elegance, precision and swiftness.
i've held a real sword before , japanese and chinese (proper ones not the wushu kind) they are about 1.5-2 kgs heavy . given if they are of a sharp edge and wielded swiftly , you really dont need much strength to create life ending damage
I can sorta explain why they point the fingers with the offhand. In chinese, it's called "jian zi" which means sword fingers. The way I see it used is basically for aiming the thrusting attack and as a counterbalance as other comments have confirmed. I see it more as the former because of certain beliefs in Qi and directing the sword with intent, so having an aiming hand aligns with that
It depends on the style of Jian and the opponent's weapon and the nature of the combat. Stiffer, heavier Jian were used as battlefield swords while lighter and faster ones were used for dueling and personal defense. The very lightest and whippiest are mostly used for demonstration, though late-period historical civilian swords can still be surprisingly whippy. A lightweight Jian is a _very_ fast sword. You can't block much with it but you can hit an opponent in the blink of an eye and the extremely narrow blade profile near the tip cuts flesh with almost no effort.
You do not wield it like other swords, no deflection or blocks, you move out and counter attack. It has a long history of being a potent self defense weapon when people were not in combat armor.
@@SilverforceX u can parry with the Jian, depends on what type of Jian u using, Ming dynasty Jians are fairly thick much like an arming sword, also Han dynasty Jians u can do minor blocks with. I think u r talking about only some of the really thin Jians only for self defense from the Qing dynasty
Swords eventually evolved into the rapier, but the jian was pretty much already a rapier with enhanced slashing ability so yeah, they where ahead of the game, straight double edged swords generally trump Sabre style swords offensively due to thrust efficiency and speed. Sabres fare better defensively though.
obviously the martial art doesnt hold up for dueling, is for flourishing and wushu artistic performances, it's not supposed to be all practical, its good exercise though.
