My student filmed some friendly jian sparring I did with one of my other students recently.
It was at the end of a beginner level Chinese sword workshop where I was teaching some methods from Xing Yi jian - 5 elements partner sequence and from Yang Taijiquan as taught to me in previous seminars with Laoshi Scott Rodell.
The sparring was to show some of the guys what non-cooperative (but not competitive) jian play might look like. As said we weren't trying to beat each other but rather play around and test things out in a fairly relaxed manner but without being compliant. It's not perfect, jian is not my main focus in training but I now teach 1 or 2 classes per week focusing on jian so it is becoming more prominent and we're improving all the time. Afterwards we had a little discussion about some of the pros and cons of this kind of sparring, the equipment, the wooden swords we use, techniques that worked and didn't work and how we should progress and improve.
I know it is often difficult to see the classical "techniques" of an art when watching freeplay but there are numerous examples of cuts and thrusts which constitute some of the Xing Yi 5 elements, a few methods from the Xing Yi animals and some of the cuts and techniques we've been taught by Scott Rodell.
I'm hosting Scott Rodell again in April and September 2017 in Leeds UK and I'll be doing some demonstrations and things at the Royal Armouries in Leeds in February and March 2017 if anyone is in the UK and interested I'll be posting details on my website in the near future (http://www.xingyiacademy.com) or please just email me to get in touch ([email protected]).