This DVD has a bonus section of an 8 minute lecture on Taiji Saber by Master Yang, Jwing Ming.    He explains how there are four major weapons learned in Chinese Martial Arts, those being the saber, spear, sword and staff.   Traditionally the saber was the first short weapon a student would study.   The saber has the most basic skills and once learned, the other weapons become much easier to learn.    The other short weapons share 60 to 70 % of the saber techniques, as related by Master Yang.

Master Yang relates an old saying that goes

100 days for bare hand

1000 days for spear

10,000 days for sword

This DVD is a demonstration of Taiji Saber.    It is not an instructional DVD in the usual manner of DVDs being released by YMAA.   A student should have a good grasp and execution of the bare hands form of Taijiquan prior to studying the Saber form.    If a student is already well versed in the bare hands form, the Saber form is not a difficult form to learn.  

When one learns Taijiquan, usually there is no initial knowledge of the movements and techniques inherent to Taijiquan, consequently it can be difficult for the beginning student.    When one has a strong foundation in Taijiquan, the Saber form merely adds to the Taijiquan form and students more quickly grasp the art compared to when they first began their studies of Taijiquan.

Following the lecture Master Yang demonstrates the form, which has a lot of similarities to both the Yang Long Form as well as the Yang Sword Form.   He displays an obvious grasp of the form as he goes through the movements.

Master Yang and three other students, including his daughter Kathy, then demonstrate Taiji Saber Qigong.   All three of the students have been seen in many of Master Yang's DVDs and video tapes.   Prior to this DVD I did not realize that one of the students was Master Yang's daughter.   I had seen her in previous tapes and always felt that she was very talented.

Various stances are then shown, horse stance, mountain climbing stance, four six stance and three others.   The stances are shown as they appear in the form, with the movements leading up to and following the stance demonstrated by the three students and Master Yang.   There is no talking or subtitles, the forms and stances are demonstrated only.

Taiji Saber fundamental practices or techniques are then demonstrated in the same manner.  

The song of Taiji Saber is then shown in Chinese, with Master Yang reciting the poem in his native language.   Below are shown subtitles with the meaning in English.

The list of the thirty two postures of the Taiji Saber form are then shown in English and Chinese.

The form is then demonstrated a second time by Master Yang, with subtitles appearing that list the name of the corresponding posture being demonstrated.   The form is then demonstrated by Kathy Yang, Master Yang's daughter.  I must say, she has one of the lowest stances of everyone that appears on the DVD.   It is interesting to see the slight differences between the various demonstrators.   Each of them brings something unique to the form.

Then Master Yang and Vadas Milhaly, who also directs the DVD, demonstrate two person applications of the Saber.   The posture is first shown in order from the form, and then the application is demonstrated by Master Yang and Vadas Milhaly.  Very important information if you want to practice the form accurately and with meaning.

An excellent demo DVD of the Taiji Saber form.   I do miss the usual instructions provided in YMAA productions.   However, as competent skill in the bare hands Taijiquan form is almost a requisite, a qualified student should be able to learn a lot from using the DVD and a lot of practice.    Ideally, find a teacher locally and use the DVD to supplement your studies.

Copyright 2007 Patrick H. Dickson • All Rights Reserved