DISCUSSION

 

 

II.
THE MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

 

2 - The Edged-Arms

 

 

The Sword Wielding

(Kiếm-Pháp)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            When we discuss on the Method of the Two Matched Sword Wielding of Đại-Việt, we must naturelly tackle also the one of the Two Matched Sword Wielding Method of China because we are of the same Martial Arts Culture. As well as we don't share the same Martial Arts concept, thus our Two Matched Sword Wielding Method presents numerous differents points due to the manner to activate differenly the Two Matched Swords.

            In addition, the Method of the Sword Wielding of China was specialized in the use of the Two Edged Sword (like the Lady Gongsun 公孫大娘) from TANG Dynasty - 618-907 JC., represented performing with a Two Edged Sword in painting Album "Hoa Lệ Châu Tụy Tú - 畫麗珠萃秀" by He Dazi 赫達資 from Qing Dynasty) ; while the Two Matched Sword Wielding of Đại-Việt uses more regularly the Single Edged Sword.
            We only have to contemplate documents on Drawings, Laquered Paintings, Low-Reliefs, Populary Imageries (as these from Đông-Hồ) etc. for clearly seeing that Two Royal Sisters Ladies TRƯNG, all as the Lady Generalissimo Flowers Beauty TRIỆU Thị Trinh, Lady Generalissimo BÙI Thị Xuân from Tây-Sơn Dynasty, Lady Sovereign of the Rivier Trà (Lady TRÀ of Tân-Khánh), had been all represented using the Two Matched Single Edged Swords.

Lady Gongsun (公孫大娘) performing « Double Edged Sword »
- Chinese sword-dancer from TANG Dynasty (386-534 CN)
-
Album "Gathering Gems of Beauty - 畫麗珠萃秀"
by He Dazi (赫達資) - Qing Dynasty

(Credit Photo : National Palace Museum, Taipei)


Bùi Thị Xuân famous with « Two Matched Single Edged Swords »
- Đại-Việt Lady General from Tây-Sơn Dynasty (1778-1802) -

(Commemoration Altar of BÙI's Family, at Tây-Sơn Prefecture)

(Credit Photo : Báo Bình-Định)


 

           This fact of using the Two Matched Single Edged Swords has two reasons : a far reason and a near reason.  
         
            1) - The Far Reason belongs to the influence of forging Swords since the Ngô-Việt period, passing the TÙY SUY Period into the ĐƯỜNG TANG Period whom the forging art of the Single Edged Sword reaches a level without precedent or subsequent. So thus, two countries Japan and Đại-Việt receive all the deep influence of this Single Edged Sword forged since the ĐƯỜNG Dynasty (TANG 618~907 CN), however in these times, China went rather in the Two Edged Sword developed under the TỐNG Dynasty (SONG 960~1279 AD), then continued under the MINH Dynasty (MING 1368~1644 AD) and the THANH Dynasty (QING 1644~1912 AD).

            2) - The Near Reason belongs to the influence of Forging Swords of Battles History. The Single Edged Swords are always mot easier to quickly forge for armies than the Two Edged Swords, in order to fight at time. 

(To be continued...)

 

Medieval Martial Arts Department
VÕ-TRẬN ĐẠI-VIỆT
Bình-Định SA-LONG-CƯƠNG

TRỊNH Quang Thắng.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Codified Sequences of
Two Matched Swords

(Song-Kiếm Thảo)
双劍


 

.

             At Đại-Việt Kingdom there is a Tradition to teach the Fencing Art of Two Matched Swords to young girls and women.

             In nowadays, we note that this Tradition is somewhat maintained, but the Teaching of the Fencing Art of Two Matched Swords is'nt truthly to be equal to Codified Sequences bequeathed by the Ancients.

          The typical case concerning the Codified Sequence of « The Pair of Phoenix Sword - Song-Phượng Kiếm 雙 鳳 劍 » from Lady Generalissimo of Tây-Sơn Amirale BÙI Thị Xuân, the person having, according to the tradition, invented this renamed Codified Sequence. It requests a rigourous pedagogic programme for Fencing Art, all as for WIelding Sword Techniques of Đại-Việt and for Postures Techniques, so as these of Movings in Battlefields Martial Arts.

         The Martial Student of Võ Cổ-Truyền Việt-Nam needs to know that the manner to execute Codified Sequences of Two Matched Swords according to China Wushu, as well as the use of artificial aluminium Two Edged Sword well lightened in view to wield it extremely quick can never express « the Wielding of Two Matched Swords and the Fencing Art » from Lady Generalissimo of Tây-Sơn, Amiral BÙI Thị Xuân. And we don't still say about the Category of Two Matched Swords wielded by Ladies Sisters TRƯNG, Lady TRiỆU and Lady BÙI Thị Xuân ; that is the one holding Single Edge with Raised Point, Specific of our Việt people.

.

« Steel Two Matched Swords » Blades with Single Edge,
and having
a Raised Pointe (Câu-Kiếm-Phong 鉤 劍 鋒),
with Ricasso in " V " shaped, specific from Đại-Việt.

(Photo Credit : Bình-Định Sa-Long-Cương France)

 

« Steel Two Matched Swords » Blades with Two Edges,
having separated individual Scabbard.
(Đại-Việt - circa 18~19 centuries).


(Photo Credit : Gavin Nugent, swordsantiqueweapons.com)


« Steel Two Matched Swords » with Dual Edge,
and having no Sword Pendants with Tassel,
arranging opposite each other in the same scabbard
with stylized character Longevity Thọ 夀
engraved on the pommel and the scabbard,
according to the specific decoration from Việt-Nam.
Việt-Nam - 19th century
NGUYỄN Dynasty (1802–1945)

(Photo Credit : Gavin Nugent, swordsantiqueweapons.com)

 

(To be continued...)

 

The Codified Sequence of

« Two Matched Swords of Snow Flowers »
(
Tuyết-Hoa Song-Kiếm)
  雪 花 双 劍

 

 

  

Svow Flowers crystallizing within the freezing cold winter.

(Credit Photo : snowcristals.com)

 

          The foundamental Codified Sequence of the Two Matched Swords from Bình-Định Sa-Long-Cương School System is those of « Tuyết-Hoa Song-Kiếm - 雪 花 双 劍 » (Two Matched Swords of Snow Flowers ) comprising 42 Coded Lines of Verse codifying Fencing Techniques which makes shooting up steel sparkles which should seem flying like so many thousands Snow Flowers crystallizing within the freezing cold winter.

          That is an antique Codified Sequence of Two Matched Swords from China, exclusively still conserved par the Grand-Master Trương-Thanh-Ðăng.

           In nowadays, several are Drill Halls in the world which don't teach correctly a certain number of fencing techniques in this Codified Sequence of « Tuyết-Hoa Song-Kiếm - 雪 花 双 劍 » (Two Matched Swords of Snow Flowers ) ; for example, the Lunges « Xuất-Hổ Tiềm-Long », « Song-Long Quá Hải », « Thiết-Ngưu Chuyền Giác » or « Tiên-Ông Phóng Kiếm », etc., that have made in decline this antique Codified Sequence. The reason are the confusion with the Two Matched Sword holding Single-Edged Blade while this Codified Sequence requests the Two-Edged Blade Matched Swords and the missing of Fencing Art essential principle knoweledge.

 

         

The Codified Sequence of

« Two Matched Swords of the Trancendent Lady »

« Tiên-Nương Song-Kiếm »
仙 娘 双 劍

Fencing Techniques looking like intermittent and drifting appearances
which twirl and fly in pursuit of the Immortal young Lady's silhouette
right in his transcendent flight.


(Credit Photo : The Epoch Time)

 

          The renamed Codified Sequence of the « Two Matched Swords of the Transcendent Lady - Tiên-Nương Song-Kiếm 仙 娘 双 劍 » from School System of the late Grand-Masters Khiển-PHẠN & Khiển-Thi, at Tây-Sơn commune, is those owning a Coded Poem transcribed in 15 Lines of Verse (93 words) codifying Fencing Techniques of Attack and Defense which look like intermittent and drifting appearances which twirl and fly in pursuit of the Immortal young Lady's silhouette right in his transcendent flight.

          That is an antique Codified Sequence of Two Matched Swords - holding Single-Edged Blade with Raised Point, specific to Đại-Việt - inherent in Bình-Định Traditional Martial Arts, owning a deep pedagogy of Two Matched Swords Fencing. However, Martial Students must well know the wielding of Battle Staff before studying this Codified Sequence.

 

 

 

         

The Codified Sequence of

« Pair of Phoenix Sword »
« Song-Phượng Kiếm »

雙鳳劍

Martial Student Trần Thị Tuyết-Trinh presenting the Codified Sequence
of «
Pair of Phoenix Sword - Song-Phương Kiếm »
during the 5th International Festival of Traditionels Martial Arts from Việt-Nam
in the Prefecture of Tây-Sơn, Province of Bình-Định on August of the year 2014.

(Credit Photo : Vũ-Tuấn)

     

(To be continued...)

 

Committee of
VÕ-TRẬN-ĐẠI-VIỆT
Bình-Định Sa-Long-Cương
FRANCE
Martial Arts Masters

TRỊNH Quang Thắng.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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