Wu Style Sabre

The Saber is one of the most powerful weapons of the Chinese tradition and usually the first weapon we learn in Tai Chi Chuan.

As a fighting means, the Saber is considered a soldier’s weapon, since it’s relatively easy to learn (compared to the Sword) and its advantage is that it can confront many opponents at once. One side of the Saber is thick and strong and doesn’t cut, allowing for stopping very strong strikes, while its technique is big and spread and aims more at total cutting than just puncturing.

In regards of health and fitness, the practice with the Saber is ideal for further strengthening of the muscular system, the tendons and the skeleton. It cultivates physical strength and flexibility, especially for the wrists, the shoulders, the neck, the chest and the upper back.

As all weapons, the broadsword is an art by itself, for students who wish to gain competence in it. Apart from the highly detailed and demanding form, there are there are individual exercises to understand the weapon’s technique, special exercises similar to Pushing Hands (Sticking Sabre), as well as some very demanding fighting applications of the form.

108 Wu Style Tai Chi Sabre Form

The Broadsword Form is a traditional form of the Wu Family. It uses one of the most dynamic weapons of the Chinese tradition and it is an inseparable part of the complete Tai Chi Chuan. It contains strong, dynamic, rapid movements and jumps. This Form too is based on all the principles students have already learned from the non-weapon forms. Thus, the student deepens his knowledge and abilities. For this reason, it is recommended only after a student has reached the Intermediate Level. The Broadsword Form strengthens the muscles, the tendons and the skeletal system.

1. Beginning of Tai Chi Sabre
2. Grasp Bird’s Tail
3. Turn Body, Brush Knee and Push
4. Cross Dao
5. Step Forward and Cover Knee
6. Evade, Stretch and Watch Dao
7. Step Forward and Watch Dao
8. Step Forward (left) and Take Star
9. Step Forward Strike to Groin
10. Retreat and Capture Dao
11. Heart Splitting Stroke
12. Embrace Moon
13. Ugly Girl Testing the Sea
14. Retreat and Strike
15. Turn Body and Strike to Groin
16. Embrace Moon
17. Push Shuttles and Gaze at Moon
18. Accipiter Turning its Body
19. Turn Body and Watch Dao
20. Raise, Take, Sink, Grasp and Hide Dao
21. Strike at Face
22. Turn Body and Hide Dao
23. Strike Knee
24. Raise Dao and Test the Sea
25. Step Forward and Strike
26. Raise, Take and Hide Dao
27. Dragon Dashes Out of the Water
28. Turn Body and Hide Dao
29. Strike Upwards Thrice
30. Take Off Shoes in a Drunken Mood
31. Ugly Girl Testing the Sea
32. Turn Body and Hide Dao
33. Heart Splitting Stroke
34. Retreat and Strike
35. Sweeping Comet Chasing the Moon
36. Cross Sweep a Thousand Soldiers
37. Embrace Moon
38. Push Shuttles and Gaze at Moon
39. Turn Body and Hide Dao
40. Heart Splitting Stroke
41. Retreat and Strike
42. Step Forward and Take Dao
43. Netting the Moon
44. Retreat and Grasp Dao
45. Heart Splitting Stroke
46. Embrace Moon
47. Push Shuttles and Gaze at Moon
48. Strike Tiger
49. Fierce Tiger Jumping Creek
50. Strike Face
51. Lying Tiger
52. Turn Body and Hide Dao
53. Heart Splitting Stroke
54. Winding Dragon Upright Dao
55. Fast Step Winding Dragon
56. Fast Step Flooding Cloud
57. Hiding the Dao
58. Hooking Double
59. Defend Knee
60. Step Forward and Strike
61. Lying Tiger
62. Lying Fish
63. Turn Body and Watch Dao
64. Step Forward and Strike Face
65. Retreat Lying Tiger
66. Lying Fish
67. Turn Body and Watch Dao
68. Step Forward Heart Splitting Stroke
69. Turn Body and Stop Dao
70. Green Snake Lies on Ground
71. Heart Splitting Stroke
72. Turn Body and Strike
73. Speed the Horse with Whip
74. Golden Needle Pointing South
75. By-Pass Step and Strike
76. Step Back, Slant Flying
77. Raise Dao to Test Sea
78. Step Forward and Strike
79. Retreat, Evade and Stretch
80. Tyrannical King Raises his Whip
81. Double Hanging Strike
82. Retreat and Strike
83. Step Forward and Strike Groin
84. Cross Sweep a Thousand Soldiers
85. Sweeping Comet Chasing the Moon
86. Slant Flying
87. Twist Step, Embrace Moon
88. Riding the Wind, Splitting the Waves
89. Embrace Moon
90. Turn Hand, Slice Clouds
91. Taking the Star
92. Retreat and Crack Dao
93. Turn Arm and Plant Seedlings
94. Double Strike
95. Heart Splitting Stroke
96. Lying Fish
97. Slice Clouds
98. Turn Body and Carry Basket
99. Fast Step Slice Horse
100. Turn Body Strike Left and Right
101. Taking Dao From the Right
102. Lying Tiger
103. Turn Body and Hide Dao
104. Heart Splitting Stroke
105. Step Forward and Cross Dao
106. Brush Knee and Push
107. Withdraw Dao
108. Conclusion of Tai Chi Dao