This is Day Two of the deluxe edition of sword mastery basics, focusing on practicing basic sword flowers. These are iconic Jian flowers practiced in the Kung Fu Jian and you will see these in lots of practices from Shaolin to Tai Chi to Wushu.
In today's class the basic sword flowers covered are the outside flower, the inside flower, the figure eight, and the reverse figure eight.
We emphasize practicing these movements frequently, even while relaxing, to improve.
Outside Flower:
In today's class the basic sword flowers covered are the outside flower, the inside flower, the figure eight, and the reverse figure eight.
We emphasize practicing these movements frequently, even while relaxing, to improve.
Outside Flower:
- Begin with the sword in a neutral position.
- Bring the tip of the sword down.
- Open up the wrist and bring the sword out.
- Draw a big circle behind you.
- Bring it back to the front.
A technique to make the movement smoother is to release the three bottom fingers and gently hold the sword between the thumb and index finger or at the knuckles, letting the weight of the sword help guide the movement. This prevents strain on the wrist. The tip of the sword points down to begin this movement.
Inside Flower:
- Bring the tip of the sword down.
- Draw the circle on the inside of your body.
- Start with the palm facing away from you, turn your hand to the side, then bring the sword in so the palm faces inward, flick it, and then it comes away from you and back.
Reverse Outside Flower:
- Lift the tip of the sword up to start.
- Bring it back on the outside of your body.
- Flip it back in.
- The movement finishes in the same place as the regular outside flower but starts differently. The characteristic of the reverse flowers is that you lift the sword up.
Reverse Inside Flower:
- Lift the tip of the sword up on the inside to start.
- Make the circle on the inside of your body.
Figure Eight (Regular):
- This is a regular outside flower followed by a regular inside flower, back-to-back.
- The outside flower brings the tip of the sword down and draws a circle on the outside of the body, and the inside flower brings the tip of the sword down and draws a circle on the inside of the body.
- The goal is to eventually make the transition between the outside and inside flow fluid, creating a figure eight or infinity symbol with the sword.
Reverse Figure Eight:
- This consists of the reverse outside flower followed by the reverse inside flower, done back-to-back without stopping in the middle.
- You are drawing an infinity symbol with the sword. You lift the tip of the sword up when you begin.
Important notes on technique include: maintaining a strong hold in a neutral position between rotations, holding a good posture with an open chest, straight back, and comfortable foot position, and respecting the "dance between strength and flow" for graceful movement.
New
Day 01: Foundations of Sword Mastery Basics
With Sabina Storberg
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