I’m new to Taiji starting just a few years ago but I picked up a weapon the first week. Empty hand training helps with weapons and weapons training helps with empty hand. I do have to admit that it depends on a person’ s attitude and their instructor.

It is also the favorite weapon of street thugs.
However in England where guns are rare swords were commonly being used to assault people. Then they banned swords… now they are talking about banning big kitchen knives.

Still a toddler can point and shoot, sure they would be no good in a firefight, but the basics for a gun are as easy as using a computer mouse. If a toddler tried to use a sword they are likely to cut themselves. If a toddler uses a gun they are a little more dangerous to others than themselves, but still very dangerous to themselves.

I incorporate a gun into Grasp Sparrows Tail variation and can use the moves to use it to strike or to use it to aim. But I don’t carry a gun or plan on having to need one.

Really, you could apply this logic in reverse and say that anyone could pick up an edged weapon and use it against an assailant. There is, however, a mentality to consider. A competent swordsman understands far more than just the cut and swing of a sword. He should also understand the basic mechanics of the human body and possess a mindset that is appropriate for someone who calls himself a martial artist. He has to understand balance, know his own body’s limitations, and other basic concepts such as the possibility for disarmament, when it is appropriate to use force, and some basic anatomy. Fundamental martial arts training provides this.

Marines drill with weapons in formation to get the feel of the rifle in your hands, are taught the warrior mindset, are taught the concept of teamwork, and a plethora of other things before they ever are issued ammunition. The drill teaches them to control the weapon with confidence and discipline. The Marines also have a “grass week” where they dry-fire (no ammunition) weapons at targets so they understand shooting positions and how it might feel when holding these stances for long periods of time. Only after all this are they allowed to qualify on the range with rounds, and only after this qualification are they taught the use of the weapon in combat — squad tactics, CQB, bayonet, operating with a combat load.

Just so you know, the way of the gun is as much a martial art as any.

Since most of sword training is stance training I find that weapons training can be practical without a foundation of open hand training. However all practical skills of taijiquan are found in drills and practices relating to the 13 postures so obviously one cannot disregard open hand training and expect to master weapons.

Still I find that some people neglect weapons to an extreme and have very poor skill due to this. Many of them being called master by their students.

Yang Luchan taught sword to soldiers. Complex or not the issue of sword instruction for troops relates to taijiquan.

But master is a word I think is absurd now. There are ten thousand masters now that is it is only a meaningless term.

I find that people learn enough bad habits from form based training, they certainly don’t need any help with that from weapons.

Is it the case that soldiers trained in sword were only taught sword after mastering barehand methods? I think mastery is a tricky term and that in this case sword leads to mastery of barehand methods, but that without sword then training will not culminate properly.

I think if more people practices sword it would reflect well upon taijiquans status as a martial art.

But what of Spear
Yang Luchan was a renown spear-man.
Why is spear all but lost today?
I view it to be the same as the sword, an essential part of taijiquan that is all but lost.

Most taiji-sword enthusiasts cannot even name the basic cuts, let alone demonstrate them. It is sad.

Great post!