Scott M Rodell demonstrating the MiChuan Sword Form
Scott M. Rodell, director of Great River Taoist Center, presented two talks at Sword 2005: Ore to Sword in Hand. The first presentation focused on historical Chinese sword types. Rodell used 18th- and 19th-century examples of dao (sabers) and jian (straight swords) to explain the different types of bladed sidearms in use during the Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Rodell also explained and demonstrated how each type was designed for a specialized use or style of swordsmanship. “Until rather recently, few people understood that Chinese swords were of such high quality. This is particularly curious when one considers how famous Japanese swords have become and that these swords were made by a method developed in China,” Rodell said.
Rodell also gave a presentation of Chinese historical swordsmanship at Sword 2005. He first explained the classic training regime of Chinese swordsmanship, from solo basic cuts and form work through two-person drills and free swordplay. He then demonstrated various cuts and their applications with the help of Wah Lee, miaodao student of David Chan in NYC.
Of the symposium as a whole, Rodell was quite impressed. “Swords are the tools of my trade,” commented Rodell. “I’ve been an antique arms dealer for 12 years now, so I’ve handled around 3000 Chinese swords. But this symposium gave me a new appreciation for how much time goes into creating a blade, as well as the many stages in the process. I would recommend any serious student of historical swordsmanship attend a future Ashokan Sword Seminar.”