Blog, Gentleman's Sword, Historical Martial Arts, Sword Lab, Translations

Gentleman’s Sword by Jin Yi-ming-君子劍-金一明

The Chinese Longsword has had a long history. But it is a sporadic one. It seems that while the jian its self has enjoyed an almost continuous place in the halls of honored weapons, the two handed sword waxes and wanes in and out of popularity through the years. The Han dynasty(202 BC – 9… Continue reading Gentleman’s Sword by Jin Yi-ming-君子劍-金一明

Blog, Qi Jiguang, Sword Lab, Translations, Wu Bei Zhi

Xin You Dao in Wu Bei Zhi:辛酉刀法武備志

Often, when we speak of ancient martial arts and how it was used, we speak of swords and blades and other melee weapons. In China, there is of course a long history of swords and sabers. From the dueling culture of the Han (202 BC–220 AD), through the development of advanced metal working techniques through to… Continue reading Xin You Dao in Wu Bei Zhi:辛酉刀法武備志

Historical Martial Arts, Qi Jiguang, Translations, Wu Bei Zhi

Shield: Wubei Zhi 牌:武備志

In the massive military encyclopedia from China, the Wubei Zhi武備志, there are many contributions from other works and authors. Principle among these is Qi Jiguang. Mao Yuanyi included many sections from his works. Even taking works of authors Qi himself appropriated (copyright is not a concept that is valid in this discussion as it was… Continue reading Shield: Wubei Zhi 牌:武備志