PTCC Sabre form - Xuan Xuan Dao

The name of the sabre form taught in the Cheng Tin-Hung / Dan Docherty lineage is Xuán Xuán D̄āo (玄玄刀).

Quoting Errant Knights Part III by Dan Docherty:

The particular Dao form that I practice is called Xuan Xuan Dao. Xuan means dark, mysterious or profound and Xuan Xuan was the Taoist name for Chang San-feng, who is credited with being the founder of Tai Chi Chuan. The famous Tai Chi historian, Wu Tu-nan published a book on this form round about 1930 though his version of the form differs from mine in some details.

The book on the sabre by Wu Tu-nan mentioned above was published in 1934 and is available in English translation by Paul Brennan: 內家拳太極功玄玄刀 / nèi jiā quán Tài​jí gōng xuán xuán dāo / "The Taiji unfathomable sabre of the internal school"

The form

  1. Ready style

    yù bèi shì

    預備式

  2. Tai Chi beginning style

    tài jí qǐ shì

    太極起式

  3. Grasping bird's tail

    lǎn què wěi

    攬雀尾

  4. Brush knee twist step

    lǒu xī niù bù

    摟膝拗步

  5. Separating the sabre

    fēn dāo shì

    分刀式

  6. Dodge and display sabre

    shǎn zhǎn kàn dāo

    閃展看刀

  7. Picking a star on the left

    zuǒ zhāi xīng

    左摘星

  8. Advance to tease the genitals

    jìn bù liáo yīn

    進步撩陰

  9. Withdraw to divert with the sabre

    xiè bù lǚ dāo

    卸步(手履*)刀

  10. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  11. Hang the golden bell on the left

    zuǒ guà jīn líng

    左掛金鈴

  12. Push open the window to watch the moon

    tuī chuāng wàng yuè

    推窗望月

  13. Swivel and chop

    huí shēn pǐ

    回身劈

  14. Swivel and tease the genitals

    huí shēn liáo yīn

    回身撩陰

  15. Hanging the golden bell on the left

    zuǒ guà jīn líng

    左掛金鈴

  16. Climb the mountain to look into the distance

    dēng shān yuǎn tiào

    登山遠眺

  17. Sparrow hawk turning around

    yào zǐ fān shēn

    鷂子翻身

  18. Roc spreading its wings

    dà péng zhǎn chì

    大鵬展翅

  19. Swallow entering its nest

    yàn zǐ rù cháo

    燕子入巢

  20. Advance and divert with the sabre

    jìn bù lǚ dāo

    進步(手履*)刀

  21. Stab the face

    yíng miàn cì

    迎面刺

  22. Swivel hiding the sabre

    fān shēn zàng dāo

    翻身藏刀

  23. Point to the trousers with the sabre

    zhǐ dāng dāo

    指襠刀

  24. Chop the tiger

    dǎ hǔ dāo

    打虎刀

  25. Swallow entering its nest

    yàn zǐ rù cháo

    燕子入巢

  26. Advance and divert with the sabre

    jìn bù lǚ dāo

    進步(手履*)刀

  27. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  28. Swivel hiding the sabre

    fān shēn zàng dāo

    翻身藏刀

  29. Above three opening style

    shàng sān kāi shì

    上三開式

  30. Taking off the boots when drunk

    dài zuì tuō xuē

    帶醉脫靴

  31. Lying fish style

    wò yú shì

    臥魚式

  32. Cloud sabre and hiding the sabre

    yún dāo zàng dāo

    雲刀藏刀

  33. Stab the face

    yíng miàn cì

    迎面刺

  34. Turn around and chop

    huí shēn pǐ

    回身劈

  35. Searching the sea

    tàn hǎi shì

    探海式

  36. Retrieving the moon from the sea

    lāo yuè shì

    撈月式

  37. Hanging the golden bell on the left

    zuǒ guà jīn líng

    左掛金鈴

  38. Opening the window to watch the moon

    tuī chuāng wàng yuè

    推窗望月

  39. Seven stars style

    qī xīng shì

    七星式

  40. Hungry tiger jumps over the stream

    è hǔ tiào jiàn

    餓虎跳澗

  41. Stab the face

    yíng miàn cì

    迎面刺

  42. Lying tiger style

    wò hǔ shì

    臥虎式

  43. Hiding the sabre style

    zàng dāo shì

    藏刀式

  44. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  45. Coiled dragon

    pán lóng shì

    盤龍式

  46. Coiled dragon stepping quickly

    gǎn bù pán lóng

    趕步盤龍

  47. Lying fish style

    wò yú shì

    臥魚式

  48. Cloud sabre and hiding the sabre

    yún dāo zàng dāo

    雲刀藏刀

  49. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  50. Lying tiger style

    wò hǔ shì

    臥虎式

  51. Lying fish style

    wò yú shì

    臥魚式

  52. Cloud sabre and hiding the sabre

    yún dāo zàng dāo

    雲刀藏刀

  53. Stab the face

    yíng miàn cì

    迎面刺

  54. Lying tiger style

    wò hǔ shì

    臥虎式

  55. Lying fish style

    wò yú shì

    臥魚式

  56. Cloud sabre and hiding the sabre

    yún dāo zàng dāo

    雲刀藏刀

  57. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  58. Swivel and chop

    huí shēn pǐ

    回身劈

  59. Searching the sea

    tàn hǎi shì

    探海式

  60. Sweeping a thousand soldiers

    héng sǎo qiān jūn

    橫掃千軍

  61. Picking a star on the left

    zuǒ zhāi xīng

    左摘星

  62. Chop the tiger

    dǎ hǔ shì

    打虎式

  63. Returning horse carrying a bell

    huí mǎ tí líng

    回馬提鈴

  64. Embracing the moon

    huái zhòng bào yuè

    懷中抱月

  65. Rowing the boat with the current

    shùn shuǐ tuī zhōu

    順水推舟

  66. Flying oblique style

    xié fēi shì

    斜飛式

  67. Advance and chop with the sabre

    jìn bù pǐ dāo

    進步劈刀

  68. Swivel and chop

    huí shēn pǐ

    回身劈

  69. Searching the sea

    tàn hǎi shì

    探海式

  70. Sweeping a thousand soldiers

    héng sǎo qiān jūn

    橫掃千軍

  71. Shooting star chasing the moon

    liú xīng gǎn yuè

    流星趕月

  72. Chop the tiger

    dǎ hǔ shì

    打虎式

  73. Cloud dragon playing in the water

    yún lóng xì shuǐ

    雲龍戲水

  74. Swivel and chop

    huí shēn dāo

    回身刀

  75. Advance and chop

    jìn bù pǐ dāo

    進步劈刀

  76. Hiding the sabre style

    zàng dāo shì

    藏刀式

  77. Pierce the heart

    fēn xīn cì

    分心刺

  78. Picking a star on the left

    zuǒ zhāi xīng

    左摘星

  79. Return the sabre style

    jiāo dāo shì

    交刀式

  80. Brush knee twist step

    lǒu xī niù bù

    摟膝拗步

  81. Tai Chi in unity

    hé tài jí

    合太極

  82. Finishing style

    shōu shì

    收式

* (手履) - lǚ should be written with a single character, but it is not part of the Unicode character set.