Dao (the broadsword)
吴式太极刀
The names of the movements of the Wu style dao:
Part 1
1 起势 qǐ shì: begin form 2 揽雀尾 lǎn què wěi: grasp birds tail 3 搂膝拗步 lǒu xī ǎo bù: brush knee twist step 4 分刀式 fēn dāo shì: separate the sword posture 5 闪展看刀式 shǎn zhǎn kàn dāo shì: lightning unfurl and look at sword 6 卸步掳刀 xiè bù lǔ dāo: step back capture sword 7 当胸刺 dāng xiōng cì: stab to the heart 8 当门刀 dāng mén dāo: sword at the door 9 推窗望月 tuī chuāng wàng yuè: open the window gaze at the moon 10 回身劈 huí shēn pī: turn around and split 11 转身撩刀 zhuǎn shēn liáo dāo: turn around, hold up the sword 12 推窗望月 tuī chuāng wàng yuè: open the window gaze at the moon 13 鸽子翻身 gē zi fān shēn: pigeon turns around 14 转身撩刀 zhuǎn shēn liáo dāo: turn around hold up the sword 15 进步掳刀 jìn bù lǔ dāo: step forward capture the sword 16 迎面刺 yíng miàn cì: stab to the face 17 翻身藏刀 fān shēn cáng dāo: turn around hide the sword 18 青龙献爪 qīng lóng xiàn zhuǎ: green dragon displays its claws 19 打虎式 dǎ hǔ shì: hit the tiger 20 进步撩刀 jìn bù liáo dāo: step forward hold up the sword 21 上步掳刀 shàng bù lǔ dāo: step forward, capture the sword 22 当胸刺 dāng xiōng cì: stab to the heart
Here’s a video of part 1:
Here’s someone else doing The sabre form. Not sure who he is – perhaps you could enlighten us?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrkVLjLQZRU
I think he is one of Ma’s students from the Netherlands.
He is also the guy that I mentioned doing a 2nd broadsword form:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XJzsBk23P4
It’s competition time, and according to Master Jin Ye, my taiji dao starts looking more like wushu as I try to fit the whole form into a 4 minute segment. So we talked about a modified form that I could more easily do in 4 minutes while maintaining a more taiji look.
This is what we came up with:
Section 1 and 2 remain the same.
Section 3 miss out moves 51 – 54
(51 退步缠头藏刀式 tuì bù chán tóu cáng dāo shì: step back, wind around the head and hide the sword
52 上步卧鱼 shàng bù wò yú: step forward, crouch to fish
53 遮膝藏刀式 zhē xī cáng dāo shì: hide the knee hide the sword
54 迎面刺 yíng miàn cì: stab to the head)
Section 4 unchanged.
Section 5, go straight to move 82 换手右撩刀 huàn shǒu yòu liáo dāo: exchange hands, hold up sword on right
Section 6 start with move 90 转环提 zhuǎn huán tí: turn the ring and lift and continue to the end.
Just read this on Michael Acton’s website http://www.wutaijiandqigong.co.uk, in regards to a two person, ‘dueling set’ involving the broadsword, along with other weapons, double edged sword, spear, etc.
The full article is here (http://www.wutaijiandqigong.co.uk/article3.html), but under the tutorship of Li Li Qun, an indoor student of, Ma Yueh-liang, he has learnt a ‘dui dao’ set comprising of 16 repeated forms incorporating 7 key attack and defense strategies.
I am curious if this is something that you are aware of, or have any experience of? Saying this, would Jin Ye be likewise aware of this dui dao set, and be in a position to teach it?