Qing Ping jian History
Qingping Jian (green waterlily sword) is a complete Chinese sword system which was written about as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220) By Chen Lin who wrote "The monarch Hou Tigao was a rather ordinary talent who relied on the Qing ping, an ancient double-edged sword called Gan Jian."
According to an 18th century book a Daoist monk named Pan Zhenren created the system, an excellent swordsman and scholar Pan Zhenren is said to have meditated for years on Dragon & Tiger mountain. He developed his skills with the sword while traveling around China, in this way he developed a complete sword system fusing the strengths of many martial arts schools and Daoist theories. |
Historical records indicate that Pan Zhen taught a monk Meng Jiaohua from Shandong Province. Meng in turn taught Shandong monk Feng Xiyang who transmitted it to Monk Yang Elin, also from Shandong. Yang went on to train those outside of Shandong in Cangzhou, Hebei province including Jia Yunhe, Liu Wenshi, Mi Lianke, Yang Kunshan, Liu Zhenshan, Jiang Rongjiao and Lu Zhenduo. Lu Zhenduo passed the complete system to his fourth child, 9th generation master Lu Jun Hai.
In 1983, China's National Commission for Physical Culture recognized the need to resurrect these and other old martial arts routines that were in danger of becoming extinct. The Commission sent researchers throughout the country to interview old masters, and discovered that the foremost 20th Century authority on Qingping Jian was Lu Zhenduo, renowned 5th generation master of the Mizong system and the 8th generation heir to Qing ping Jian. The researchers were dismayed to discover that Lu Zhenduo had died but discovered that he had passed the system onto his son Lu Jun Hai.
Lu was reluctant at first to share his knowledge of the system with outsiders since Qing Ping jian was a family heirloom but eventually the researchers were able to convince him that the system would be lost if not recorded. Lu Jun Hai spent over ten months with the researchers and helped them compile a 140,000-word manuscript with 1,500 illustrations containing, for the first time on paper, the entire set of six Qing ping Jian routines. A limited edition of the manual published in 1989 and dedicated to the memory of Lu Jun Hai's father has already become a collector's item. In gratitude and recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Chinese martial arts, China's State Commission on Sports and Physical Culture presented Lu Jun Hai with its most prestigious meritorious achievement award.
Lu was reluctant at first to share his knowledge of the system with outsiders since Qing Ping jian was a family heirloom but eventually the researchers were able to convince him that the system would be lost if not recorded. Lu Jun Hai spent over ten months with the researchers and helped them compile a 140,000-word manuscript with 1,500 illustrations containing, for the first time on paper, the entire set of six Qing ping Jian routines. A limited edition of the manual published in 1989 and dedicated to the memory of Lu Jun Hai's father has already become a collector's item. In gratitude and recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Chinese martial arts, China's State Commission on Sports and Physical Culture presented Lu Jun Hai with its most prestigious meritorious achievement award.
Qing Ping Jian practice The Qing Ping jian 16 basic techniques follow those of other Classical straight sword systems, these include: Dian (point), Beng (bounce), Ci (stab), Yun (cloud circle), Mo (wipe), Gua (circle parry), Tiao (pick upwards), Liao (glide up), Pi (chop), Ti (raise), Bo (poke aside), Chan (entangle), Jei (ambush), Lan (block), Chao (seize circle), Sao (sweep horizontal). On top of this the complete Qing Ping system is made up of 6 routines containing 365 moves. The first routine emphasises the foundation skills including, stances, basic sword skills and posture, it should not be rushed and an understanding of the 16 basic moves, their applications, principles and how they relate to the first routine will mean the practitioner will have little problem with the other routines. The following 5 routines get increasingly more difficult and complex characterised by light, swift movements, turns and direction changes, with altering rhythms. Footwork is often evasive with the body moving one way, the feet another and sword yet another. Because of the physical and technical demands of the Qingping routines it is considered an advanced skill and students will need to have a solid foundation in bare-hand forms before taking on the challenge. |
Routine 1
The first routine trains the basics of point, drop and stab. With an emphasis on symmetry and sword handling, the movements are symmetrical and linear in execution. The routine executes techniques in sequence of the hand following the feet and the feet following the body.
Routine 2
The moves are light and floating so as to engage a fleeting, hard to catch target with intense, penetrating thrusts. The techniques deviate from symmetric coordination to non linear techniques, moving the body parts around different a axes. Among those are frequent direction changes executed at a faster pace, with aerial (skipping and leaping) techniques.
Routine 3
The body mechanics sometimes pulls in and sometimes pushes out with contracting and expanding movements. The movements are controlled, yet extremely lively, with natural body twists and turns. Defence against multiple attackers is introduced with an emphasis on constant direction and targeting changes, building intermediate level skill. The flexibility and flare of movements are reminiscent of Tang dynasty ideals, China's renaissance period when poetry and the arts were in full bloom.
The first routine trains the basics of point, drop and stab. With an emphasis on symmetry and sword handling, the movements are symmetrical and linear in execution. The routine executes techniques in sequence of the hand following the feet and the feet following the body.
Routine 2
The moves are light and floating so as to engage a fleeting, hard to catch target with intense, penetrating thrusts. The techniques deviate from symmetric coordination to non linear techniques, moving the body parts around different a axes. Among those are frequent direction changes executed at a faster pace, with aerial (skipping and leaping) techniques.
Routine 3
The body mechanics sometimes pulls in and sometimes pushes out with contracting and expanding movements. The movements are controlled, yet extremely lively, with natural body twists and turns. Defence against multiple attackers is introduced with an emphasis on constant direction and targeting changes, building intermediate level skill. The flexibility and flare of movements are reminiscent of Tang dynasty ideals, China's renaissance period when poetry and the arts were in full bloom.