(4) Purpose of Sword Fingers | Tai Chi Sword Basics (

This is the 4th video in a series where I explain the basics of Tai Chi Straight Sword (Taijijian) training. In this video I discuss the main purpose for holding the Sword Fingers hand posture with your empty hand while practicing Tai Chi Straight Sword forms. There are a lot of different beliefs out there about why the Sword Fingers hand posture exists and several of those are discussed in this video also.
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0:05 Intro
0:43 Instructions for how to form the Sword Fingers hand posture
1:34 When the Sword Fingers hand posture is used
1:53 How Sword Fingers hand posture can be used to hold the sword
3:08 First perspective of why we use the Sword Fingers hand posture
4:20 Critical evaluation of the first perspective
5:19 Second perspective of why we use the Sword Fingers hand posture
6:24 Critical evaluation of the second perspective
7:08 Third perspective of why we use the Sword Fingers hand posture
7:53 Critical evaluation of the third perspective
10:26 Fourth perspective of why we use the Sword Fingers hand posture
10:34 Critical evaluation of the fourth perspective
12:29 The main purpose of the Sword Fingers hand posture explained
20:02 Why we do not start our sword training from the fifth perspective
20:46 How the fifth perspective incorporates the other perspectives
22:20 How the knowledge of the main use for the Sword Fingers hand
posture helps people practicing Tai Chi in today's world
23:14 Thank you to my supporting members!
For more information about Shifu Andrew Plitt:
AndrewPlitt.com
#taiji
#taijisword
#taichi
#straightsword
#jian
#taichijian
#basics

[@Quotheraving]

Here's something you probably haven't considered or attempted with the 'Sword Secret' hand. Swords come with sheathes - They literally 'hide' the sword effectively keeping it 'secret' - and that is the 'secret' being referred to. Try doing the form holding the sheath with the bottom two fingers and thumb wrapping the sheath and the top two fingers lying along the top of the sheath near the opening. The Sheath is now being held back along the arm or downwards with the locket (the metal cap at the end the sword is inserted) just above the fingers. At the start of the form rather than transferring the sword to the other hand in a non reversed grip - simply draw the sword. This allows the use of the sheath to parry thrusts, to support the back of the blade and wrist for cuts and gives an actual metal surface you can strike with. Basically it offers a swordsman practical physical assistance in addition to a dubious and unreliable 'energy balancing' practise and makes better sense of many of the hand positions.

[@lenkite]

I think a small shield/buckler also makes sense with the movements of the Jian. If you look at surviving military paintings from Han dynasty, they all carried small shields with straight sword.

[@AndrewPlitt]

That's a good point. I am no Chinese military armament historian, but as I recall the jian in the Han dynasty was commonly used with a shield or from horseback. I can certainly see how the movements of the "open hand" would work with a small shield for the most part. I am not familiar with the grips of the shields from the Han dynasty, so I am not sure if the sword fingers hand posture would directly translate into practical use with a shield from that era, but it certainly fits with the concept of the sword fingers hand posture working as a place-holder for any other items that could be held by the free hand. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Stay safe and healthy! Happy New year!

[@cyriton3886]

My thoughts on Energy Attacks. Imagine you're fighting someone with perfect focus and balance and they perform an energy attack. The first thing that's going to happen is you're going to see it, then you'll see them, and you'll analyze weather you're in danger. When you see that they are still perfectly balanced and focused you prepare yourself for an actual attack which causes you to lose balance and focus so it is very much a real attack that if used properly can be used to give you the upper hand in a fight you might have been losing. It's almost like a mental trick to get in their head. if it works and they lose balance and focus they will certainly start losing mentally. It is a risk to try this in an actual fight because the chances of it succeeding are slim and rely on you having perfect focus and balance meaning you need to take it seriously as if its a real attack. If you don't believe it, neither will your opponent.

[@kathleenthomas4526]

OMG. Thank you so much for that explanation. I am learning the 32 sword and, quite honestly, never gave my sword fingers a lot of thought other than I figured it was a block ( which it is in some cases). Actually holding the sheath makes so much sense, or as you said, anything else if this was a true fight. I truly love the sword and tai chi. Thank you again in sharing your knowledge.

[@AndrewPlitt]

My pleasure! Glad to hear you enjoyed the video and wishing you all the best on your tai chi/ sword journey!

[@jedimantra1163]

I truly respect how well chosen your words are.

[@zeroa6]

Just awesome content. Thanks!

[@lindammartin9595]

Thank you Andrew. This video makes so much sense.😊

[@mountaingoattaichi]

Very thorough! Thanks for sharing. 🙏

[@ken-waidoo6180]

Extremely thorough, and understandable. Though the finger poke could be toward soft targets, that would work even for newbies. The sheath explanation explains everything. I emphasized the sword too much, now I can think more of the supporting hand.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! I am glad to hear that you found this video informative. I absolutely agree that using the fingers to poke extremely sensitive areas like the eyes or throat would be accessible for people with unconditioned hands. That is a great point. When I filmed this I was thinking more of the description for the use of this hand posture for striking pressure points. Since pressure points are not always over particularly soft body areas and the softness of the body varies from person to person based on their body composition, it seems that most pressure point striking (if using two extended fingers) would not be accessible to most people without risking self-injury and resulting in little effect on the intended target. If I had a student who wanted to strike pressure points, unless they had incredibly conditioned hands, I would recommend using a closed fist and either focusing the force of the strike on one knuckle, or striking with the raised proximal interphalangeal joint of either their index or middle finger. Any of those option would offer a lot more protection for their hand, especially if they missed their intended target, than using the tips of two fingers, and they are all traditional striking methods in Taiji. Anyways, those are some additional thoughts on the topic. I hope you have a lot of fun incorporating the sheath into your sword training! Stay safe and healthy!

[@steveg219]

Very good instruction! The Secret Sword hand position when aligned with the opposite arm, and swords dynamic movement, is a powerful support and boost to the power you can focus into the sword. The hand position is not always emanating energy forward, it can also be a counterbalance and complete the full circuit of the swords movement and position. The hardening of the fingers in this position, using rice or pebbles, is part of the traditional curriculum for sword. The secret sword, hand position is like iron palm or other hardening practices.

[@Zz7722zZ]

Excellent point about the sheath/scabbard. I figured this out for myself some time ago but I have not heard anyone else point this out until I saw your video.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Glad to hear you appreciated this video. Yes, it seems like pretty straightforward common sense once you know it, but many people never learn this, which is why I wanted to make this video. It is impressive that you figured it out on your own. How long had you been training jian before you realized this?

[@Zz7722zZ]

@@AndrewPlitt I have only been training Jian for 3 years out of my 8 years of Tai chi. Since the beginning of my jian experiance I have always wondered about the peculiarities of the weapon / form and within the first year I removed the tassel from my sword as I was convinced it was only decorative. My ideas about the sheath came about when I noticed the left arm was in a good blocking position in many of the movements and that I would be hesitant to leave my arm there if ever in a real sword duel, that is, without some sort of protection. It didn’t take much playing around with the sheath as a makeshift shield to realize that the 2 sword fingers served to help keep the sheath in place on impact.

[@AndrewPlitt]

​@@Zz7722zZ It's great that you have taken the time to think about and question the various aspects of jian training. Thank you for taking the time to share a bit of your journey. The tassel certainly has its place (I have another video that discusses the purpose of the tassel, if you're interested), but there are plenty of practitioners who train without it. I trained with a tassel for years and now I switch between training with and training without. Keep up the training and the critical thinking about the training! Stay safe and healthy!

[@billlancke2461]

Great explanation.

[@ChristianCBE]

The left hand Sword Finger Hand is for ONLY 1 reason - It holds a DAGGER. The handle of the dagger lies against the 2 fingers & the blade lies against the palm pointing up the arm. When the dagger needs to be used it is flipped around in the hand & used to stab. It has NO OTHER USE.

[@ghosha7171]

YES ! As HEMA practitioner I can say the same - left hand holds a dagger, just like Italian rapier fighters do. Mystery of “sword fingers” is at last solved.

[@chrisken8902]

Hmm. You're quite clever for such a young dude. Must've had a good teacher ... :) Usually when you ask a master "why", they answer "because we do it in such a way" without the explanations in detail.

[@beansnrice321]

I love this subject. I found myself making these types of gestures on my own after practicing aikido. It comes from having a sense of balance. Gestures like these simplify the movement of your hand so that your, "off hand's," movements don't become chaotic. So the, "tail doesn't wag the dog," so to speak.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thanks for sharing!

[@nonsononessunooko4066]

seems like you keep it pretty real good thing 👍👍👍👍👍👍👌

[@AndrewPlitt]

Just sharing what I know. Glad to hear that you are enjoying it.

[@sallyhon5737]

Hi Andrew, have just finished Yang Sabre with the help of your videos with instructions. Do you have Yang Taichi Sword 67 with instructions as well 🙏

[@PeggyLiuShanghai]

If you want to understand how to use Snake Finger sin qigong please talk to Angela Lee in San Fran of A Return to Health

[@PeggyLiuShanghai]

We are of South Shaolin Inner Energy One Finger Zen Qigong. You won’t find much documentation on it because it only became public in 2017 on a wider scale

[@40JoCharles]

Sword fingers power is real and uses the same intention and supporting role as in elbow strike with the supporting open hand, needle to sea bottom supporting hand and parry & punch supporting hand. 🙂🙏🏼☯️

[@johnemmons9087]

I’d like to make a humble suggestion. It would be a good idea, maybe, if you got information on Taiji sword from Dr. Yang of YMAA. He is a Grandmaster of Taiji, Qigong, and Kung Fu. He directly address’s all of the issues you have brought up. His many students practice the things you mentioned about conditioning. I’ve studied with him in Boston. As one on this path, all will benefit. Be well and stay safe. Thank you.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Hi John, thank you for taking the time to comment. I appreciate the suggestion. I am familiar with some of Dr. Yang's work. I have looked through his Shaolin Jian book and I have seen his Taijijian DVD. (I am always on the lookout for resources that I feel comfortable recommending to others), but, as I recall, neither of them went into much more detail than saying that the "secret sword", as he refers to it, is for balancing energy through the body and can be used for cavity strikes when appropriate and blocking when appropriate. Is there a specific resource from him that you have in mind for more details on his perspective regarding sword fingers? I see that he has a Taijijian for beginners DVD and a Taijijian book now. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Yang and I am always open to hear other perspectives. However, I am already familiar with the idea of this hand posture connecting meridians in the hand and regulating qi flow, and its use in sword fingers qigong practices. While I think those practices are fine and people should do them if they find them useful, they tend to unnecessarily complicate and reduce the practical use of a fairly straight-forward, practical hand posture. I am also familiar with hand conditioning techniques. My master in China could break granite with his sword fingers and I used to practice hand conditioning regularly. So I know that this hand posture can be used for striking, my point in this video was that the number of people that reach a level of conditioning that makes a two-finger strike more effective and less risky (for self-injury) than just about any other striking technique (combined with the prevalence of this hand posture in jian training in basically every style) indicates that while striking is one of the uses of this hand posture, it does not make sense as a primary use. Do Dr. Yang's materials go beyond those perspectives in describing the use of the sword fingers? Thank you again for sharing your thoughts! I wish you all the best in your training. You be well and stay safe also. :)

[@johnzampetakis189]

Hello Andrew, you have done excellent work. very formal video with nice analysis. You know You Tube is full of bullshits. especially for TaiJiQuan. But you are a conscious practitioner. And you inform the people with the correct way. Thank you for your videos.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know that you are enjoying my videos. When I was a kid I had limited access to Chinese martial arts training and I dreamed of having access to a good source of information. After having learned this info, and now that I am no longer teaching in-person classes, posting these videos is a way to make this info available to people who are in the same shoes I was in many years ago and it is always nice to hear that my videos are appreciated. I wish you all the best in your training. Stay safe and healthy!

[@mrvgranfield]

The idea IS PROJECTION of your chi and it can be used to support the blade from heavy impact as the weight of the blade is insufficient to use normal physics to stop say an iron staff or quando so the weapon and arm become like an iron ring joined by chi. First train chi down the arm then the blade then beyond the blade my master once showed this power by hitting a punchbag 20 ft away over his shoulder just like a punch hitting a bag lots of work to do that lots and lots

[@franknoriega1884]

Interesting, I'm staring yo learn the 32 form

[@AndrewPlitt]

That's very exciting! Is this the first straight sword form you have learned?

[@franknoriega1884]

@@AndrewPlitt Yes, I bought the straight sword 3 weeks ago. It has the reglamentary weight and was made in Taiwan. I saw yesterday a video about the 42 straight sword form, very interesting, with unknown movements. I've already memorized the 32 form, now I'm improving the paractice, seeing other videos with chinoise martial artist (women). It's absolutly amazing!

[@stevewhitehead5001]

@@AndrewPlitt Why haven't you been uploading? Are you Dead?

[@AndrewPlitt]

​@@stevewhitehead5001 , No, not dead. haha. I had my editing computer die shortly after my last upload. I tried to have it repaired, but I had to get a new computer and its delivery was delayed. I am hoping to be up and running with it by the end of this week. *fingers crossed*. I am also at the tail-end of a move and I am working on getting a new filming space squared away soon. I apologize for the pause in uploads. I have been working on outlines for future series and will be moving into production as soon as possible. I appreciate you taking the time to check in. Stay safe and healthy.

[@ugmusiqtv6846]

The sword charm technique has a Dim Mak Style training method. 100 days jabbing sand, gravel, then clay, finally stone. For a total of 1000 times each practice. Each jab is focused using daoist breathing. Leading the Yi (mind) to focus the chi(life force). It was used for the left because most people are right handed. Making the strike deliberate if used. They did a study on chi kung healers hand and observed there was more electrical activity in the finger tips during healing sessions. The Yi( mind) is important because you have to be set to do damage. The mind will dictate the the type of energy directed into the strike.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thanks for sharing.

[@howzany6832]

My guess is that the sword fingers is a substitute for a second held weapon, and that while teaching the sword forms they start with just 1 sword in hand, and then later have 2 swords added on?

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thanks for the comment. You are right, it really is a place holder for just about anything, even a second sword. You can hear some additional thoughts in my reply to your comment here: kzbin.infoThAmaYzQaOo?feature=share Wishing you all the best in your training!

[@JJUSTINMEEHAN]

Worst aspect is sword behind body in Chinese forms as opposed to leading as in Olympic fencing. Sword should be in lead front to create more distance from opponent attack as well as being closest to attack opponent

[@AndrewPlitt]

They are definitely different styles of swordsmanship, but I completely agree that one of the best places for a sword in a dueling situation is between the person holding the sword and their opponent. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts! Stay safe and healthy!

[@TaoistSwordsman]

Very insightful video, thank you. I've been doing taiji for 8 years, but I never learned taiji sword, so this video helps me "fill in the gaps" so thank you. Do you think I could use the longsword I'm using on my channel for taiji as well? I'd lovs to give filming the sword form a shot :)

[@AndrewPlitt]

I am gad to hear that you enjoyed the video. As far as using the longsword, typically long swords are meant for two-handed practice, predominately, so it will probably not be a comfortable sword to use for Taiji sword training. But if it is all you have to work with, it is better than nothing. When I was teaching sword I had students who would use a length of PVC pipe to learn the movements. They were mostly interested in Taiji for exercise and I let them know that they would not get the same feedback and feel that a sword would give them, but it was what they had and it worked for them based on their training goals. If you decide to use a longsword just understand that it is going to feel quite different from a jian. So you will be training movement habits that may not directly translate to training with a Jian if you decide to switch to a Jian in the future. However, the most important thing in Taiji training is adhering to the foundational principles of body structure and movement and those principles can be applied to your physical interactions with any object, including a longsword. All of that to say, yes, you can use a longsword, but it is not ideal. I saw your most recent video with the sword cutting practice. It looked like fun. How long have you been training?

[@TaoistSwordsman]

@@AndrewPlitt I started western swordsmanship/fencing october, it's been very fun. I started taiji the same time I started taekwondo, 8 years ago, as my teacher said I needed to raise both yin and yang practice together, and not one or the other at a time. My style is waysun liaos btw I did only a minute or two of taiji "sword" several years ago as a beginner with my teacher, but not much. Only enough to know it's essentially the same as empty hand sticking hands, but not enough to transfer those skills to deal with a skilled fencer, the same way I would deal with someone unarmed. I picked up on western fencing pretty quickly. I do okay sparring with my peers. I've picked up a couple of videos of master liaos taiji sword, and gave holding the longsword in that way. It is certainly quite heavy, it would take alot of well built structure to be able to do a whole yang style form.

[@AndrewPlitt]

​@@TaoistSwordsman Thank you for sharing some of your training journey. I had not encountered GM Waysun Liao's style before. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I just watched a couple of videos of some of his students performing his variation of the Yang long form. I have considered studying western style fencing simply because it seems like quite a bit of fun. Once the pandemic is wrapped up I might look into it more seriously. I am glad to hear you are enjoying it so far. Yes, the longsword would certainly require impressively refined structure, but that is one of the primary purposes of weapons training and heavy weapons training in Taiji. If Taiji can be practiced with a guan dao, a longsword does not seem completely outside the realm of possibility. I wish you all the best in your training. Stay safe and healthy!

[@TaoistSwordsman]

@@AndrewPlitt You as well, god bless, tong il. 🤚🤛

[@Wheel333]

🙏❤️🙏

[@AndrewPlitt]

Glad you liked it :)

[@Wheel333]

It was an "a ha" moment. Perfect sense. I have a little something to add, a slight variation. I learned a qi gong set that uses sword fingers and the important difference was that the index and middle were always subtlety curved towards the palm, they bent and straightened throughout the form though. The little finger, middle and thumb just touched at the tips. The thumb nestled between the other two. This created a circle similar to tai chi fist holding egg. This circle expands and contracts throughout the form. I struggled for two years to be continuously comfortable with it. It was such a little change with such a big effect. 🙏

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thanks for sharing your insights!

[@HillardEarl]

@Technique Refinement: Swordsmanship requires continuous refinement of techniques, footwork, and body mechanics. Practitioners must strive for precision, speed, and fluidity in their movements. Similar to chess and Push Hands, swordsmen must constantly seek to improve their skills and deepen their understanding of the art.🎉

[@faithwindsheimer3038]

The Hanwei practical tai chi sword you’re using, is it a more rigid blade, or is it the wushu version?

[@AndrewPlitt]

That's a great question. I would call it a semi-rigid sword. It is not flexible enough to deform due to gravity, but it is more flexible than what I would use for partner practice or cutting practice. I think it could be used for those things, but I do not think it would be an ideal blade if you are wanting a "functional" sword. I have a video where I discuss the flexibility of swords and this is one of the swords I talk about. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p57ainutm6aob9k I hope that answers your question. Stay safe and healthy!

[@davyj5216]

Something just occurred to me - and I don't know why I didn't think of it before - but I don't recall seeing any left-handed jian players. What about you, Andrew? Do they learn to use the right hand, or do they learn the forms in reverse? (going to look it up YT!)

[@AndrewPlitt]

That's a great question. The only time I have seen someone using a jian in their left hand, without it being in a reverse grip, is during double jian training. My understanding is that regardless of which hand is dominant, the single jian is trained using the right hand. That is not to say that no one has ever learned to use the jian left-handed, but it certainly is not common as far as I know.

[@junasuncion3412]

Stil, these two fingers will not make you a Miyamoto Musashi. And In real fight with swords, it's better not to display your fingers anyway or you'll lose them right away- with your whole arm. In Tai Chi sword forms, it's just like the tassle, an ornament.

[@joyalways1179]

Adam mizner can do that.

[@anapmds7247]

Thank you for the legends, because you needs to talk a little more slow. I started Taiji 11 years ago and until now I focus in the sword studies. The sword is the dragon's tongue and the left hand is the dragon's tail, so help balance that energy flow. The hands posture is a defense, I disagree about this because the enemy can take of yours fingers, of course is used only in sword forms, or if you have a shield like you said.

[@AndrewPlitt]

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Stay safe and healthy!