Information AboutJian |
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Jian is also the title of a large novel by Eric Van Lustbader concerning three men at the center of an international conflict. Jian ( ''geom'', Japanese ''ken'', Vietnamese ''kiếm'') is a double-edged straight Sword used during the last 2,500 years in China . Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 0.45 to 0.8 meter (17.7 to 31.5 inches) in length. The weight of an average sword of 0.7 meter (28 inch) blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 g (1.5 to 2 pounds). There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of Chinese Martial Arts . The jian is very often the weapon of the Hero in Chinese Wuxia or Martial Arts Movies . For example, the possession and use of a specific fictional jian, the '' Green Destiny '', played a major role in the popular movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon . In folklore, it is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the Staff , Saber , and the Spear , called in this group "The Gentleman of Weapons". PARTS OF THE ''JIAN'' A guard or Hilt protects the hand from an opposing blade. The shape of the guard can be described as short wings pointing either forward or backward depending on the era and region of manufacture. A minority of jian featured the disc-shaped guards associated with Dao . A handle behind the guard can accommodate the grip of both hands or one hand plus two or three fingers of the other hand. Two-handed jian, or ''shuangshou jian'', were not as common as the one-handed version. The longer two-handed handle could be used as a lever to lock the opponent's arm if necessary. Grips were often covered in rayskin. The end of the handle was finished with a Pommel for balance, to prevent the handle from sliding though the hand if the hand's grip should be loosened, and for striking or trapping the opponent as opportunity required—such as in "withdrawing" techniques. The pommel was historically Peened onto the Tang of the blade; thereby holding together as one solid unit the blade, guard, handle, and pommel. Most jian of the last century or so are assembled with a threaded tang onto which the pommel or pommel-nut are screwed. Sometimes a Tassel hangs from the pommel. Historically these were likely used as Lanyard s, allowing the wielder to retain the sword in combat. There are some sword forms which utilize the tassel as an integral part of their swordsmanship style (sometimes offensively), while other schools dispense with sword tassels entirely. The movement of the tassel may have served to distract opponents. The tassel's use now is primarily decorative. Earlier, metal wires were worked into the tassels. These would cause bleeding when swept across the face as well as impairment of vision if the eyes were hit. The blade itself is customarily divided into three sections for leverage in different offensive and defensive techniques. The tip of the blade is the ''jianfeng'', meant for stabbing, slashing, and quick percussive cuts. The middle section is the ''zhongren'' or middle edge, and is used for a variety of offensive and defensive actions: cleaving cuts, draw cuts, and deflections. The section of blade closest to the guard is called the ''jiangen'' or root, and is mainly used for defensive actions; on some late period jian, the base of the blade was made into an unsharpened Ricasso . These sections are not necessarily of the same length. Jian blades generally feature subtle profile taper (decreasing width), but often have considerable distal taper (decreasing thickness), with blade thickness near the tip being only half the thickness of the root's base. Jian may also feature differential sharpening, where the blade is made progressively sharper towards the tip, usually in three roughly equal sections of the blade length. The cross-section of the blade is typically that of a flattened diamond with a visible central ridge, though some are lenticular (eye-shaped) instead; bronze jian sometimes have a hexagonal cross-section. Traditional jian blades are usually of ''sanmei'' (three plate) construction, which involved sandwiching a core of hard steel between two plates of softer steel. The central plate protrudes slightly from its surrounding pieces, allowing for a sharp edge, while the softer spine protects the brittle core. Some blades had ''wumei'' or five plate construction, with two more soft plates being used at the central ridge. Bronze jian were often made in a somewhat similar manner: in this case an alloy with a high copper content would be used to make a resilient core and spine, while the edge would be made from a high tin-content alloy for sharpness and welded on to the rest of the blade. MATERIALS Jian were originally made from Bronze , then Iron and Steel as metal technology advanced. There are some, perhaps ceremonial, jian which are carved from a single solid piece of Jade . The sword smiths of China are often credited with the Forging technologies that traveled to Japan to allow sword smiths there to create Katana . These technologies include folding, inserted alloys, and Differential Hardening of the edge. The earliest Japanese swords are copies of the Chinese design, and some Chinese Dāo (single-edged swords of various forms) resemble katana. In martial art schools wooden swords are used for training, so most martial arts students' first experience with a jian in modern times is with one of those weapons. In some religious Taoist sects, those wooden practice swords have come to have an Esoteric ritual purpose, claimed by some to Metaphor ically represent the discipline of an accomplished student. Effective use of the jian requires considerable skill based on good training and long practice. Even in early centuries, jian were largely supplanted by dao on the battlefield. The dao were easier and deadlier to use for the average soldier or civilian. The straight-bladed jian became known as a weapon of the aristocracy, high-ranking military officers, professional martial artists and the wealthy for personal defense, training, ceremony, and prestigious decoration. Most Chinese martial arts, such as Taijiquan for one well-known example, still train extensively with jian, and Expertise in its technique is said by many of them to be the highest physical expression of their martial skills. Contemporary jian versions are often Forged (shaped with heat and hammer) and assembled by mostly traditional methods for training of practitioners of Chinese martial arts around the world. These jian vary greatly in quality and historical accuracy. Contemporary jian are also sometimes Forged (artificially aged and misrepresented as original antiques) for sale to tourists and collectors who cannot distinguish them from true antiques. REFERENCES SEE ALSO |
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