Jian
剑 · jiàn
A double-edged straight Chinese sword, mentioned in sources from the 7th century BC; today practised mainly in tai chi and competitive wushu.
Quick Facts
ChinaAbout the weapon
Jian is a double-edged straight Chinese sword. The oldest Chinese sources that mention it date from the 7th century BC, from the Spring and Autumn period. Among the oldest surviving examples is the sword of Goujian. Traditional blades were forged with the sanmei technique ("three plates"): a core of hard steel was sandwiched between two plates of softer steel. The blade divides into three sections – the tip jiànfēng, the middle edge zhōngrèn, and the root jiàngēn near the guard. Historical one-handed jians had blades 45 to 80 cm long; a sword with a blade around 70 cm weighed roughly 700 to 900 g. A tassel is sometimes attached to the hilt, today mostly as decoration. Most jians made today are flexible swords for tai chi and wushu, intended mainly for performance. Well-known forms include Sancai Jian, Kunwu Jian and Wudang Xuanmen Jian. In martial arts schools, training with the jian usually begins with a wooden practice sword. Historical swordsmen tested their cuts on targets of bamboo, rice straw or young saplings. In Buddhist art the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī holds a jian; the sword is then called the "sword of wisdom". The jian is also associated with the Taoist immortal Lü Dongbin.
Parts of the weapon
- Point — jiànfēng
- Edge — zhōngrèn