taiwandeutscher wrote:Traditional sword weigh between 650 and 800g, with a point of balance some 13 / 16 cm before the guard.
liokault wrote:taiwandeutscher wrote:Traditional sword weigh between 650 and 800g, with a point of balance some 13 / 16 cm before the guard.
But there is no point in a modern guy buying a sword based on the needs of a 60kg 5' tall chinese guy of 100 years ago. The jian I have seen in museums are tiny, hardly more than long daggers.
LaoDan wrote:liokault wrote:taiwandeutscher wrote:Traditional sword weigh between 650 and 800g, with a point of balance some 13 / 16 cm before the guard.
But there is no point in a modern guy buying a sword based on the needs of a 60kg 5' tall chinese guy of 100 years ago. The jian I have seen in museums are tiny, hardly more than long daggers.
The ‘traditional’ sword weights are based on antiques from the late Qing into the early Republic period, and they are probably shorter and lighter than we would typically use today. I only have one antique jian and it has a blade length longer than most in this timeframe. For my 5’9” height the antique with a 31” blade (measured from the junction of the hand-guard and the handle) is perhaps slightly short (32” would be more ideal) and weighs about 860 grams, slightly heavier than the average range given for ‘traditional’ swords. So, if you are my height or taller and desire a proportional length for your sword, then your sword would likely also be above the ‘traditional’ average in weight.
Dan
...To conform the sword length to your body, hold the handle in a reverse grip with your left hand. The sword tip should reach no farther than headtop level and go at least as far as ear level, though I myself think it is best to go by ear height rather than head height. [He does not specify whether it is to be level with the top of the ear or the earlobe, but he seems to mean the top of the ear, going by the photo for Posture 1.] Another way is stand the sword vertically with the tip on the ground, in which case the pommel should be at navel level.
The ordinary overall length of the whole sword is three feet and four inches, or 1 meter.
The breakdown of that meter is thus: The pommel takes up about 4 cm, the handle 14 cm, being the proper length to fit the grip of a hand, the hilt about 5 cm, and the sword body 77 cm.
The width of the sword body is about 3.75 cm, gradually tapering so that at the tip it is about 2.75 cm. The tip is the equivalent of a melon seed so it is rounded like a silken streamer curving in the air. This is the manner of a heroic sword. The spine is also like a melon seed, as is the rear section of the blade bulging to both sides of the spine.
The appropriate weight is about two and a quarter pounds.
These measurements are made according to average strength, build, size, and height, and are gauged to provide for the most nimbleness and agility.
For a training [wood] sword, if you are below six feet and under a hundred and twenty pounds, you are of a normal build. Your wooden training sword should in overall length be between three feet (English feet) and three feet, six inches. The sword handle should be between six inches and eight inches...
For a performance sword, ideally it should be a steel sword with some springiness to it. If you are of a normal build, the length should be the same as your training sword...
wiesiek wrote: here in Krakow - Machete is the favourite tool of the choice on the streets .
Return to Xingyiquan - Baguazhang - Taijiquan
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 105 guests