42 step Taiji Jian Routine

Tai Ji Jian is basically the art of Tai Ji with the use of the sword. This discipline requires the practioner to have complete control, executing fluid yet powerful strokes in the flowing style of Tai Ji Quan. The 42-step Taiji Jian routine is a competition routine which is set up by the Wushu Research Institute of the former National Sports Committee.

Sword play is brisk, agile, elegant, easy, graceful and natural in action. The movements must be light, agile, and stable as well as comfortable, soft, and smooth. Some sword techniques include thrusting, sweeping, tilting, fending, flicking, inserting, and pointing

Attention is paid to both motion and stillness. Hardness and suppleness supplement each other. Like Taiji Quan, Taiji Jian contains both gentle and vigorous movements, proceeding from the principles of "combining vigor and gentleness" and "subduing the hard with the soft." This can be explained from the ancient philosophical view of taiji, which holds that there are two aspects to everything - the positive and the negative.