Chinese Sword Academy GRTC

Chinese Sword Academy GRTC Teaching Yangjia Taijiquan (Tai Chi) in Washington, DC since 1984
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09/03/2026

Rising cuts are heavily underutilized in free swordplay, but they are incredibly versatile both when they land, and when you are closing distance against your duifang.

09/01/2026

This duandao has a secret...

08/31/2026

Chinese swords are wonderful works of art in their own right, and deserve more appreciation from the wider sword community.

This particular jian shows off a few interesting features that make it stand out against many others that have been featured here, and there are even more unique jian to share in the future...

08/26/2026

Like many countries in the 19th century, China also made sabers in the European style.

08/25/2026

Two cuts through thick bamboo.

08/23/2026

We usually practice jian vs. jian, or against various other Chinese swords, but the jian is a powerful and versatile sword that offers defensive options even against longer weapons like bayonets or spears.

08/21/2026

Part 2 of Rodell Laoshi’s look at Chinese striking weapons, this time focusing on some of the shorter examples from his collection.

These include cha 叉, hammers 錘 and an iron ruler 鐵尺, along with one particularly unusual weapon that combines a short iron striking bar with a single-shot percussion fi***rm.

As in Part 1, the differences in construction offer clues about who may have owned and carried these weapons. Some are simple iron pieces that could have been produced by almost any blacksmith. Others feature bronze construction, fluted horn grips and elaborate decorative details, suggesting that they belonged to constables, officers or other men of rank.

Rodell Laoshi also discusses how loosely these weapons were historically classified. Modern martial arts often presents weapon types as though their names, dimensions and number of sections were firmly standardised, but surviving examples show a great deal of variation.

There is also an interesting discussion of who might have used shorter striking weapons. Constables, bodyguards and caravan guards could use them to control people without immediately resorting to a sword. One iron ruler is even marked in Chinese inches and half-inches, suggesting that it may have doubled as a tradesman’s measuring tool and a means of self-defence.

Its shape also allows for different levels of force. The flat face could be used to slap, control or move someone aside, while the narrow edge could deliver a much more damaging strike.

The strangest example is the percussion weapon. It appears to have been designed to fire a single shot before continuing to serve as a short bar mace or iron ruler. Rodell Laoshi has encountered only one other Chinese striking weapon incorporating a fi***rm, and none with quite the same mechanism.

I’d be interested to hear what everyone in the Wuguan thinks.

Which of the weapons shown in Parts 1 and 2 would you choose, and which do you find most interesting?

08/21/2026

Even a relatively small sword can hold great beauty, and this duandao is proof of that.

08/18/2026

How we deflect our duifang's attacks in Chinese swordsmanship is a constant topic of conversation both in and out of the wuguan. There are not only technical, but also tactical details that make these deflections work, and allow the duifang's sword to become "our" sword.

Address

Annandale, VA

Opening Hours

Monday 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Tuesday 6:30pm - 9pm
Wednesday 6:30pm - 9:30pm
Thursday 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Saturday 10am - 12pm

Telephone

+17038468222

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