Very good Nice to see this form. Can you explain why you do some moves in the middle with sabre resting on your left arm. It is not cutting anything. Thank You. Jhai Jian
Very astute question! We use the offhand to press the blade into the opponent's body to slice. In this way we can guarantee penetration of fabric, and deliver greivous wounds. This was considered more assured than chopping, especially where the wielder is excited. (However, you will also notice some nice, calm chops!)
The extensive use of pressing the sword into the opponent's body are why the broadsword sabers are optimal for this form, although the master here is using a narrower blade. The power for these deep slices comes from twisting the waist.
We also press the back of the sword to make the "block", although internal arts don't use blocks, so here the movement is a setup for a "capture" (European "envelopment) and counterstrike.
Movement is very clear. Thanks for posting! My teacher also opened this form with the pommel strike and "seven star punch", and double "taming the tiger" (1:28 ff) ☺ Notice also how the master here gets the the cut behind before the cut in front, such as at 0:29 and 0:42 . That's the way you should be practicing it b/c you also want to be considering multi-opponent scenarios. Notice also how close the blade is to the body at 0:52. That's because we make the saber back blocks by bracing the unsharpened side against the back.
I enjoy this Form, but my only issue with it is the moves are not really explained, and it is written in a poem if you try to read up on it other than watch the video. If not for that I would have zero issues with this form.
I like the saber form flow, it has something different to the Taiji sword, although both are beautiful to watch. One of the best, if not the best, saber form I've ever seen is performed by Sifu Stan Brown in London, a Lau Gar KungFu master. He's been practising his art for over 50 years, his skills are superb. It's a much faster form, being Kung Fu based, but the flow of energy into the saber is astounding.
Trust me, you can do the tai chi saber at lightening speed, just like any tai chi application in hard sparring will take place at the tempo of the fight at any given moment. We train slow so that we can go fast while retaining the relaxation necessary to control the blade and generate real internal power.
Jian is the king of short weapons b/c of the ability to dispatch an opponent with a single well placed thrust, and saber is significantly easier to learn, having a much more limited set of techniques. BUT. Tai Chi saber is more difficult to do at a high level because the character is that of a tiger, and that is expecially difficult to express while maintaining the necessary calm for tai chi weapons.
