Tai Chi Swords
Most people around the world enjoy tai chi because it helps them relax and promotes good health which is helpful to both martial artists and everyday people. The problem with tai chi though is it takes years to master so it can be used for self defense. When it comes to dealing with dangerous people like muggers and rapists you can afford to take ten years to train unless you want to spend the entire time in isolation. While it might be very spiritually enlightening it isn’t really an option so you don’t use tai chi for its self defense aspect, but instead enjoy the serenity it brings.
Don’t abandon tai chi by any means, but instead simply supplement it with some self defense training so you can continue on safe in the knowledge that you can fight back and find internal harmony. If you do continue with your train you will get the opportunity to train with the simple and elegant tai chi swords as well as other traditional Chinese weapons.
The sword has been used as a simple and effective weapon for close combat for centuries. It takes a lot for someone to actually kill someone at that range, but when push comes to shove you do what you need to do to survive. In tai chi the sword is mostly used for training and as an instrument of self-cultivation. If your instructor does offer weapons training at all it will probably be after several years of study and will usually include three weapons: the tao (knife), the chien (straight sword) and the chang (spear or staff).
The traditional chien has a double-edged blade ranging from 28 to 30 inches long and is 1-1/2 to 2 inches wide with a 9 inch handle. The blade would be sharp and usually made custom for the user, and I would also have a hole in the end of the hilt to attach a sword knot or tassel. Today many use nonfunctional light-weight versions of the blade for performers and training and have neglected traditional sword fighting training.
Tai Chi Swords were once a source of protection, but today they are simply pretty things for performers to dance about with, and aren’t even in harmony with traditional Tai chi. Bring back the combat traditions of tai chi and be ready for whatever combat you might be involved in. A sword might not be practical to carry around any more, but having it as part of your home defense is a good idea.
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