I've recently dabbled into tai ji broadsword. I guess my teacher got bored with me doing the same mistakes over and over again in the bare hands form. Or he might think that I need some cross training and swordplay might be a good alternative. Whatever the reasons, it started off by a simple question.
"You wanna learn sword?"
"why not..."
So it begins.
I've only started a little of the broad sword form. It's certainly more physically demanding due to an additional weapon. However, the main difference I found was the intent. I was being taught to "be a sword". A sword is made to cut, so I have to carry out that intent. Otherwise, the spirit of the sword is lost. The "performance" won't be as good.
I could tell the stark difference from how the teacher carried his sword to the way I carry it. His sword seems like its part of his arm. Mine seem like a symbiotic relationship gone wrong. His sword play exudes a certain lion quality - bold and steady, mine - it's like the domestic cat, although both is from the cat family, the difference can't be more explicit.
And what has all these got to do with moral tai ji?
I think Tai Ji can be quite a benevolent art. It can be compassionate as well since it only gives out what it receives. In some cases, some practitioner can actually return a force just enough for the opponent to understand and learn, and no more. Of course, this compassion is sometimes lost in the bid to win, commonly seen in push hands, and translated to lots of tug-of-war kind of push hands.
I do hope eventhough the sword is made to cut, I can wield the sword with the same compassion that was taught to me from Tai Ji bare hands form.
Still learning, hopefully always learning...
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