PTCC Sword form - Tai Ji Qian Kun Jian

The name of the sword form taught in the Cheng Tin-Hung / Dan Docherty lineage is tài jí qián kūn jiàn (太極乾坤劍). Qián and Kūn refers to the first two hexagrams of the I Ching. Qián can mean heaven or male, and Kūn can mean the earth or female.

Quoting Errant Knights Part V by Dan Docherty:

The sword form that I practice is very similar to the one shown in Wu Tu-nan’s book on Tai Chi sword. Wu states that another name for this form is Heaven and Earth Sword (Qian Kun Jian - this can also be translated as Male & Female Sword). In the Yi Jing (Book of Changes), Qian is the hexagram for Heaven and therefore represents the supreme male principle or Yang, while Kun is the hexagram for Earth and therefore represents the supreme female principle or Yin. Indeed this is the essence of the Tai Chi sword form, combining the slow and the fast, the hard and the soft, expanding and contracting, soaring and plunging.

Wu’s book often gives the sword applications as being against a spear rather than, as is more common, against another sword. In fact many of the techniques can be adapted equally well for either situation.

The form

  1. Ready style

    yù bèi shì

    預備式

  1. Tai Chi beginning style

    tài jí qǐ shì

    太極起式

  2. Grasping bird's tail

    lǎn què wěi

    攬雀尾

  3. Golden needle pointing south

    jīn zhēn zhǐ nán

    金針指南

  4. Passing the sword style

    jiāo jiàn shì

    交劍式

  5. Spreading the sword style

    fēn jiàn shì

    分劍式

  6. Hanging the sword style

    guà jiàn shì

    掛劍式

  7. Intercepting the sword style

    jié jiàn shì

    截劍式

  8. Rhinoceros watching the moon

    xī niú wàng yuè

    犀牛望月

  9. Step up to protect the knee

    shàng bù zhē xī

    上步遮膝

  10. Swivel and dot

    huí shēn diǎn

    回身點

  11. Turn back and stab

    fān shēn cì

    翻身刺

  12. Hanging the golden bell upside down

    dǎo guà jīn líng

    倒掛金鈴

  13. Point to the trousers with the sword

    zhǐ dǎng jiàn

    指檔劍

  14. Male and female phoenix spreading wings

    fèng huáng zhǎn chì

    鳳凰展翅

  15. Shooting star chasing the moon

    liú xīng gǎn yuè

    流星赶月

  16. Li Gwong shooting an arrow at a tiger

    lǐ guǎng shè hǔ

    李廣射虎

  17. The wheel on the left and right

    zuǒ yòu chē lún

    左右車輪

  18. Fisherman casting his net

    yú wēng sǎ wǎng

    漁翁撒網

  19. Spin around and rein in the horse

    zhuǎn shēn lēi mǎ

    轉身勒馬

  20. Step up and move towards the door

    shàng bù yíng mén

    上步迎門

  21. Step back coiled dragon

    tuì bù pán lóng

    退步盤龍

  22. Face to face sword

    yíng miàn jiàn

    迎面劍

  23. Yellow dragon turning right

    huáng lóng yòu zhuǎn

    黃龍右轉

  24. Pui Kung cleaving a snake

    pèi gōng zhǎn shé

    沛公斬蛇

  25. Shooting star chasing the moon

    liú xīng gǎn yuè

    流星趕月

  26. Li Gwong shooting an arrow at a tiger

    lǐ guǎng shè hǔ

    李廣射虎

  27. Embracing the moon

    huái zhòng bào yuè

    懷中抱月

  28. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  29. Step back and tease the genitals

    tuì bù liáo yīn

    退步撩陰

  30. Tiger lying in front of the door

    wò hǔ dàng mén

    臥虎當門

  31. Steersman rowing the boat

    shāo gōng yáo cáo

    梢公搖槽

  32. Rowing the boat with the current

    shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu

    順水推舟

  33. An immortal pointing the way

    xiān rén zhǐ lù

    仙人指路

  34. Dot red between the eyebrows

    méi zhòng diǎn chì

    眉中點赤

  35. Cross the knees and chop

    pán xī pǐ jiàn

    盤膝劈劍

  36. Step up to tease the genitals

    shàng bù liáo yīn

    上步撩陰

  37. Embracing the moon

    huái zhòng bào yuè

    懷中抱月

  38. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  39. Hang the bamboo basket on the left and right

    zuǒ yòu guà lán

    左右掛籃

  40. Fairy damsel throwing a needle

    yù nǚ tóu zhēn

    玉女投針

  41. Turn back raising the writing brush

    fān shēn tí bǐ

    翻身提筆

  42. Face the door sword

    yíng mén jiàn

    迎門劍

  43. Tiger lying in front of the door

    wò hǔ dàng mén

    臥虎當門

  44. Catching a giant tortoise from the bottom of the sea

    hǎi dǐ qín áo

    海底擒鰲

  45. God of literature raising the wine vessel

    kuí xīng tí dǒu

    魁星提斗

  46. Swing the arm back with the sword

    fǎn bì jiàn

    反臂劍

  47. Turn the body and plant the sword

    zhuǎn shēn zāi jiàn

    轉身栽劍

  48. Flick the whip on the left and right

    zuǒ yòu tí biān

    左右提鞭

  49. White gibbon offering fruit

    bái yuán xiàn guǒ

    白猿獻果

  50. Tiger lying in front of the door

    wò hǔ dàng mén

    臥虎當門

  51. Fallen petals waiting for the broom

    luò huā dài sǎo

    落花待掃

  52. Tiger lying in front of the door

    wò hǔ dàng mén

    臥虎當門

  53. Turn back to put on armour

    fān shēn pī guà

    翻身披掛

  54. Swivel with the sword

    huí shēn jiàn

    回身劍

  55. Encircling the moon style

    bào yuè shì

    抱月式

  56. Single whip style

    dān biān shì

    單鞭式

  57. Hanging the golden bell upside down

    dǎo guà jīn líng

    倒掛金鈴

  58. Sweep a thousand soldiers on the left and right

    zuǒ yòu héng sǎo qiān jūn

    左右橫掃千軍

  59. Advance and point to the trousers

    jìn bù zhǐ dǎng

    進步指擋

  60. Scaly dragon hiding and about to fly

    qián jiào dài fā

    潛蛟待發

  61. Green dragonfly touching water

    qīng tíng diǎn shuǐ

    青蜓點水

  62. Swivel and tease the genitals

    huí shēn liáo yīn

    回身撩陰

  63. Cloud signal flag three times

    yún huī sān wǔ

    雲麾三舞

  64. Advance with reverse cut

    jìn bù fǎn pǐ

    進步反劈

  65. Dispel the clouds to see the sun

    bō yún jiàn rì

    撥雲見日

  66. Magic hand picking a star

    miào shǒu zhāi xīng

    妙手摘星

  67. Left and right the horsetail broom is blown by the wind

    zuǒ yòu yíng fēng fú chén

    左右迎風拂塵

  68. Fierce tiger jumping over the stream

    měng hǔ tiào jiàn

    猛虎跳澗

  69. Remove the leg and intercept

    xiè bù fǎn jié

    卸步反截

  70. Fish lying down on the left and right

    zuǒ yòu wò yú

    左右臥魚

  71. Spin and sweep across

    zhuǎn shēn héng sǎo

    轉身橫掃

  72. Yellow dragon turning left

    huáng lóng zuǒ zhuǎn

    黃龍左轉

  73. Spreading aside the grass looking for a snake

    bō cǎo xún shé

    撥草尋蛇

  74. The wheel on the left and right

    zuǒ yòu chē lún

    左右車輪

  75. White snake spits out its tongue

    bái shé tǔ xìn

    白蛇吐信

  76. Roc spreading its wings

    dà péng zhǎn chì

    大鵬展翅

  77. Rein in the horse to watch the tide

    lēi mǎ guàn cháo

    勒馬觀潮

  78. Encircling the moon style

    bào yuè shì

    抱月式

  79. Single whip style

    dān biān shì

    單鞭式

  80. Sparrow hawk piercing the forest

    yào zǐ chuān lín

    鷂子穿林

  81. Roc spreading its wings

    dà péng zhǎn chì

    大鵬展翅

  82. Peasant digging with a hoe

    nóng fū zhuó gōu

    農夫着鉤

  83. Face the door sword

    yíng mén jiàn

    迎門劍

  84. Spin and sweep across

    zhuǎn shēn héng sǎo

    轉身橫掃

  85. Shooting star chasing the moon

    liú xīng gǎn yuè

    流星趕月

  86. Spin and sweep across

    zhuǎn shēn héng sǎo

    轉身橫掃

  87. Great grandfather fishing

    tài gōng diào yú

    太公釣魚

  88. Support the beam and replace the column

    tuō liáng huàn zhù

    托樑換柱

  89. Golden needle pointing south

    jīn zhēn zhǐ nán

    金針指南

  90. Tai Chi in unity

    hé tài jí

    合太極

  91. Sword completion style

    shōu jiàn shì

    收劍式