Recommend a Jian/Gim for Forms Training

In any way, drop the Wushu foil, that does give you the wrong muscle memory.

A real blade, sharp or dull, should be at least 650g, can go to 800,900g and for training forms a bit heavier (around 1 kg) is also ok. Handling different PoB can be of use, if not having training much weaponry before. To be kind to your wrist, the balance can be close to the guard; to be realstic, that point is 10-15cm in front of the guard.

After watching a careless person loose half his lower leg by using a sharp live blade without proper concentration, I tend to do my forms training with a heavier, blunt waster. Partner work, we do with wooden swords (very good from Raven). And the real stuff, I use for test cutting only, where proper or wrong teachnique quickly shows, on fresh bamboo (intensive cleaning necessary) or tatami/newspaper roles.

Which is the reason to not use a light wushu sword (unless you're doing competitive forms).

Options:

(a) Use a real sword (blunt is safer).
(b) Use a heavy sword - develop more strength, force yourself to use proper biomechanics. Not too heavy, but heavier than what you'd prefer to use as a weapon.
(c) Use a light sword. If you want to spend a long time doing forms, a light (but not ridiculously light) sword will stop you from getting to tired. Not such a good option for doing forms quickly, since you can move the blade too fast too easily, but a better option for slow forms, where you hold the sword out extended for longer. Which is when the weight will get to you.

The best solution is to use all three. For variety, so you don't just learn the form with one sword.

But I don't usually do forms. (And when I have, it's been montante forms (and realistic weight is important there).)

Cheap jian, blunted (or unsharpened in the first place), should be OK if the weight is OK. If they can tell you both weight (without scabbard) and POB, you should be able to judge "OK". If it's a cheap jian, you're not risking much. Sure, it might not be up to cutting tough stuff, but that's not a problem for a blunt forms swords.

You could wait for your CS Gim, and see how you feel about its weight. (It's about the same weight as the Rodell jian, but holding the grip in the middle, I think the POB is closer to the hand (because the grip is shorter than the Rodell jian).) If you think the weight of your sharps are OK for forms, then you don't need a lighter sword. If you find that they're too heavy for a long session, then get a lighter one.

Great idea, best to compare the difference between the POB of the Rodell jian which I have and the CS Gim when it arrives to see which handling I prefer, then get a cheap sword with similar balance. I'll wait till the CS Gim comes in and I'll test it out.

Brief thoughts, done...may or may not add more to the Rodell vs. Cold Moon thread in future. I like both the swords you mentioned above. I think the POB preferred by many current CMA practitioners is nearer the hilt than a real/traditional jian would have. The POB on my Cold Moon is definitely closer than the POB on my Rodell. Neither is bad...just different.

Good advice! I'm training in both dao and jian at my classes, and I've used my live dao indoors at home, the dao has wider sweeping cuts and thankfully my form is good enough not to injure myself, lucky enough to have high ceilings, my only concern with indoor training is that I don't take out any furniture! I've used my Huanuo liuyedao and the Hanwei practical gonfu and well as the Hanwei Oxtail dao - they all feel different, I like the balance on the Hanwei Oxtail for forms.

Right now I only have one jian, the Rodell cutting jian, I've tried using it indoors, being longer I am more likely to hit something indoors, have to wait till weather improves (winter here now) before I venture outside in the backyard to train, where I'll also start my cutting practise. When the CS Gim comes in I'll compare and see which has the best balance for me to aid in my decision on selecting a training sword.

I'm planning on using the Hanwei practical dao for light cutting practise and outdoor forms training, and I need a jian for the same purpose, which was why I was considering the Hanwei practical tai chi sword, but it's a bit lighter. I'm okay with a live blade at home, we only use wushu blades in class and also bought a wooden dao and jian for practise in public space like a park because in Australia if you took a wushu blade to practise in public space on your own (without a whole class or group) people will see shiny metal and call the police! :(

I sometimes recommend that. Usually if somebody says "I have <foo> sharp sword, and really like it. What blunt trainer will be the most similar?"

Obvious answer: buy another one and blunt it.



It's OK if you want a blunt for forms only. If you want a blunt for sparring, then it isn't so good - you'd have to take off a lot of steel to get sparring-safe edges, and it might not be flexible enough.

IMO, it's good to train with a variety of swords, rather than with the "one perfect sword". Yes, some length/weight/balance might suit you best, but you should still be able to use a sword of different length, weight, and/or balance.