View source for Jian

{{short description|Chinese double-edged sword}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Italic title|reason=[[:Category:Chinese words and phrases]]}}
{{Chinese
|title=''Jian''
|pic=Sword with Scabbard MET DP119025 brightened 2x3.jpg
|caption=Single-handed ''jian'' and scabbard of the 18th–19th century
|t=[[wikt:劍|劍]]
|s=[[wikt:剑|剑]]
|p=jiàn
|w=chien<sup>4</sup>
|j=gim3
}}

The '''''jian''''' (<small>Mandarin Chinese:</small> {{IPAc-cmn|j|ian|4}}, {{zh|c=劍}}, <small>English approximation:</small> {{IPAc-en|dʒ|j|ɛ|n}} {{respell|jyehn}}, <small>Cantonese:</small> {{IPAc-yue|g|im|3}}) is a double-edged straight [[sword]] used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the [[Spring and Autumn period]],{{sfn|Ebrey|1999|p=41}} one of the earliest specimens being the [[Sword of Goujian]]. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from {{convert|45|to|80|cm|in|abbr=off|sp=us}} in length. The weight of an average sword of {{convert|70|cm|in|abbr=off|adj=on}} blade-length would be approximately 700 to 900&nbsp;grams (1.5 to 2 pounds).<ref>Rodell 2003, p. 19</ref> There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of [[Chinese martial arts]].

Professional ''jian'' practitioners are referred to as '''''jianke''''' ({{zh|c=劍客|p=jiànkè|l=sword guests}} or "swordsmen"; a term dating from the [[Han dynasty]]).{{sfn|Lorge|2011|p=69}}

In Chinese folklore, the ''jian'' is known as "'''The Gentleman of Weapons'''" and is considered one of the four major weapons, along with the ''[[Gun (staff)|gun]]'' (staff), ''[[Qiang (spear)|qiang]]'' (spear), and the ''[[Dao (Chinese sword)|dao]]'' (sabre). These swords are also sometimes referred to as ''[[taijijian]]'' or "[[tai chi]] swords", reflecting their current use as training weapons for tai chi practitioners, though there were no historical jian types created specifically for tai chi.{{sfn|Rodell|2003|p=20}}

==Parts of the ''jian''==

A guard or [[hilt]] protects the hand from an opposing blade. Guard shapes varied, but often had short wings or lobes pointing either forward or backward, the latter sometimes having an "ace of spades" appearance. Early ''jian'' often had very small, simple guards. From the [[Song dynasty|Song]] and [[Ming dynasty|Ming]] periods onward, guards could feature [[Zoomorphism|zoomorphic]] shapes, or have crossbars and quillons. A minority of ''jian'' featured the disc-shaped guards associated with ''[[Dao (Chinese sword)|dao]]''.

The jian's hilt can accommodate the grip of both hands or one hand plus two or three fingers of the other hand. Two-handed ''jiàn'' of up to {{convert|1.6|m|in|abbr=off|sp=us}} in length, known as ''shuangshou jian'', existed but were not as common as the one-handed version. The longer two-handed handle could be used as a lever to lock an opponent's arm if necessary. Grips are usually of fluted wood or covered in [[shagreen|rayskin]], with a minority being wrapped with cord.

The end of the handle was finished with a [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]] for balance, to prevent the handle from sliding through the hand should the hand's grip be loosened, and for striking or trapping the opponent as opportunity required—such as in "withdrawing" techniques. The pommel was historically [[peening|peened]] onto the [[Tang (tools)|tang]] of the blade, thereby holding together as one solid unit the blade, guard, handle, and pommel. Most ''jian'' of the last century or so are assembled with a threaded tang onto which the pommel or pommel-nut is screwed.

Sometimes a [[tassel]] is attached to the hilt. During the Ming Dynasty these were usually passed through an [[openwork]] pommel, and in the [[Qing Dynasty|Qing]] through a hole in the grip itself; modern swords usually attach the tassel to the end of the pommel. Historically these were likely used as [[lanyard]]s, allowing the wielder to retain the sword in combat. There are some sword forms which utilize the tassel as an integral part of their swordsmanship style (sometimes offensively), while other schools dispense with sword tassels entirely. The movement of the tassel may have served to distract opponents, and some schools further claim that metal wires or thin silk cords were once worked into the tassels for impairing vision and causing bleeding when swept across the face.{{citation needed|date=March 2015}} The tassel's use now is primarily decorative.{{sfn|Sugawara|1998|p=204|ref=Sugawara}}{{sfn|Zhang|1998|pp=38-39}}

The blade itself is customarily divided into three sections for leverage in different offensive and defensive techniques. The tip of the blade is the ''jiànfeng'', meant for stabbing, slashing, and quick percussive cuts. The ''jiànfeng'' typically curves smoothly to a point, though in the Ming period sharply angled points were common. Some antiques have rounded points, though these are likely the result of wear. The middle section is the ''zhongren'' or middle edge, and is used for a variety of offensive and defensive actions: cleaving cuts, draw cuts, and deflections. The section of blade closest to the guard is called the ''jiàngen'' or root, and is mainly used for defensive actions; on some late period jian, the base of the blade was made into a [[ricasso]]. These sections are not necessarily of the same length, with the ''jiànfeng'' being only three or four inches long.<ref>Rodell 2003, pp.22-23</ref><ref>Zhang 1998, pp.37-38</ref>

Jian blades generally feature subtle profile taper (decreasing width), but often have considerable distal taper (decreasing thickness), with blade thickness near the tip being only half the thickness of the root's base. Jiàn may also feature differential sharpening, where the blade is made progressively sharper towards the tip, usually corresponding to the three sections of the blade. The cross-section of the blade is typically lenticular (eye-shaped) or a flattened diamond, with a visible central ridge; ancient bronze jian sometimes have a hexagonal cross-section.

==Materials==
[[File:Iron sword and two bronze swords, Warring States Period.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|An [[iron]] sword and two [[bronze]] swords from the Chinese [[Warring States period]]]]
Jian were originally made from [[bronze]], then [[steel]] as metal technology advanced. There are some, perhaps [[Ceremonial weapon|ceremonial]], jian which are carved from a single solid piece of [[jade]].

Traditional jian blades are usually of ''sanmei'' (three plate) construction, which involved sandwiching a core of hard steel between two plates of softer steel. The central plate protrudes slightly from its surrounding pieces, allowing for a sharp edge, while the softer spine protects the brittle core. Some blades had ''wumei'' or five plate construction, with two more soft plates being used at the central ridge.<ref>Rodell 2003, pp.16-17</ref> Bronze jian were often made in a somewhat similar manner: in this case an alloy with a high copper content would be used to make a resilient core and spine, while the edge would be made from a high-tin-content alloy for sharpness and welded onto the rest of the blade.

The sword smiths of China are often credited with the [[forge|forging]] technologies that traveled to Vietnam, Japan and Korea to allow sword smiths there to create such weapons as the [[katana]]. These technologies include folding, inserted alloys, and [[differential hardening]] of the edge.<ref>Sugawara 1998, pp.298-299</ref><ref>Rodell 2003, p. 17</ref> While the Japanese would be more influenced by the Chinese [[Dao (Chinese sword)|dāo]] (single-edged swords of various forms), the early Japanese swords known as ''ken'' are often based on jian. The Korean version of the jian is known as the ''[[Korean sword|geom]]'' or ''gum'', and these swords often preserve features found in Ming-era jian, such as openwork pommels and sharply angled tips.

In martial art schools wooden swords are used for training, so most martial arts students' first experience with a jian in modern times is with one of those weapons. Before schools were a formal way of passing on sword knowledge, students may have begun with a simple wooden stick when training with their teacher.<ref>Xia 2017 pp.30</ref> In some religious [[Taoist]] sects, those wooden practice swords have come to have an [[esoteric]] ritual purpose. Some claim that these wooden swords [[metaphor]]ically represent the discipline of an accomplished student.

Contemporary jian are often [[forge]]d (shaped with heat and hammer) and assembled by mostly traditional methods for training of practitioners of Chinese martial arts around the world. These jian vary greatly in quality and historical accuracy.

Contemporary jian are also sometimes [[forgery|forgeries]] (artificially aged and misrepresented as antiques) for sale to tourists and collectors who cannot distinguish them from true antiques.

==Historical use==
[[File:Sword (Jian) with Chevrons LACMA AC1998.251.20.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Bronze jian of the [[Warring States period]]]]
Originally similar to bronze double-edged daggers in varying lengths, jian reached modern lengths by roughly 500 BC. Though there is significant variation in length, balance, and weight of the jian from different [[History of china|periods]], within any given period the general purpose of the jian is to be a multipurpose cut and thrust weapon capable of stabbing as well as making both precise cuts and slashes, as opposed to specializing in one form of use. Although the many forms and schools of swordsmanship with the jian vary, the general purpose and use is still not lost.

During the [[Qin dynasty|Qin]] and [[Han dynasty|Han]] dynasties, the first two dynasties which united China, jian from the by then defunct Chu dynasty were very highly regarded. [[Chu (state)|Chu]] became particularly famous for its swords after conquering the state of [[Yue (state)|Yue]], who had previously been famous for their swords, and who credited their sword techniques to a southern woman of unknown ancestry referred to as [[Yuenü]].

Among the [[Terracotta warriors]] in the tomb of [[Qin Shi Huang]], figures representing officers were originally armed with jian made from an alloy of copper, tin, and other elements including nickel, magnesium, and cobalt. Several double-edged bronze swords have been recovered by modern archaeologists, but most were stolen centuries ago along with the [[polearm]]s and [[bow and arrow|bows]] of the enlisted men.<ref>{{cite journal | pmc=6449376 | year=2019 | last1=Martinón-Torres | first1=M. | last2=Li | first2=X. | last3=Xia | first3=Y. | last4=Benzonelli | first4=A. | last5=Bevan | first5=A. | last6=Ma | first6=S. | last7=Huang | first7=J. | last8=Wang | first8=L. | last9=Lan | first9=D. | last10=Liu | first10=J. | last11=Liu | first11=S. | last12=Zhao | first12=Z. | last13=Zhao | first13=K. | last14=Rehren | first14=T. | title=Surface chromium on Terracotta Army bronze weapons is neither an ancient anti-rust treatment nor the reason for their good preservation | journal=Scientific Reports | volume=9 | issue=1 | page=5289 | doi=10.1038/s41598-019-40613-7 | pmid=30948737 | bibcode=2019NatSR...9.5289M }}</ref>

Historical ''jian'' wielders would engage in test cutting called ''shizhan'', practicing their skills on targets known as ''caoren'', or "grass men". Such targets were made from bamboo, rice straw, or saplings. Though similar to the Japanese art of [[tameshigiri]], ''shizhan'' was never formalized to the extent that the latter art was.<ref>Rodell 2007, pp. 2, 10, 39</ref>

[[File:10th all china games Jian pair 406 cropped.jpg|thumb|[[Wushu (sport)|Wushu]] jian pair event at the 10th [[All-China Games|All China games]]]]

Today many Chinese martial arts such as [[tai chi]] and their martial artists still train extensively with ''jian'', and [[Kung fu (term)|expertise]] in its techniques is said by many of them to be the highest physical expression of their kung fu. Famous ''jian'' forms include ''Sancai Jian'' ({{lang|zh|三才劍}}), ''Kunwu Jian'' ({{lang|zh|崑吾劍}}), ''Wudang Xuanmen Jian'' ({{lang|zh|武當玄門劍}}), and ''taijijian'' ({{lang|zh|太極劍}}). Most ''jian'' today are flexible tai chi or wushu ''jian'' used mainly for ceremonial or performance purposes and not for actual combat. These swords have extremely thin blades or a high degree of flexibility compared to historical battlefield quality ''jian'', properties intended to add auditory and visual appeal to a wushu performance. These same properties render them unsuitable for historically accurate combat.

==Military use==
Since 2008, officers in the [[Chinese navy]] are issued with ceremonial swords resembling the traditional ''jian''.<ref>[https://external-preview.redd.it/KAlkzA6X6mc9kwmge6sCEhLpkepx9fIJ7jnfXFx-9dE.jpg?width=960&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=6a39e9f2fb832654a2c78181f311b0f7a1e22276 Chinese officer with sword]</ref> Each sword has the owner's name engraved on the blade after graduation from the [[military academy]].<ref>[http://www.china.org.cn/photos/2016-07/06/content_38818781_7.htm Photo of Chinese officer's sword]</ref>

== ''Taijijian'' and sword drill ==
At present, the ''[[taijijian]]'' forms are normally practiced for exercise like tai chi. The trainings are less on the physical form of the weapon and more on gaining greater balance and coordination through performing the slow movements. Therefore, the tai chi swords for everyday exercises are normally different from the swords mentioned above. Generally speaking, they are not dangerous, round edged without sharp blades, and retractable for convenience.

== Culture and legacy ==
[[File:Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea - Project Gutenberg eText 15250.jpg|thumbnail|right|180px|"The [[Eight Immortals]] Crossing the Sea."<ref>{{cite book | first=E. T. C. | last=Werner|author-link=E. T. C. Werner| year=1922 | title=Myths & Legends of China | publisher=George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd. | location=New York | url=https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/15250 | access-date=2007-03-14 }} ([[Project Gutenberg]] eText 15250)</ref> The figure on the lower left wears a ''jian'' on his back]]
There are several [[Taoist immortal]]s who are associated with the ''jian''. One example is [[Lü Dongbin]]. The [[bodhisattva]] [[Mañjuśrī]] ([[Chinese language|Ch]]: {{lang|zh|文殊}} ''Wénshū'') is often depicted holding a ''jian'', which is then referred to as the "sword of wisdom".

''Jian'' frequently appear in [[wuxia]] fiction and films. The swords or the techniques used to wield them may be effectively or explicitly supernatural,<ref>Liu 1967, p. 130</ref> and the quest for such swords or techniques may be a major plot element.

==See also==
* [[Chinese swords]]
* [[Dao (Chinese sword)|''Dao'' (Chinese sword)]]
* [[Jian (sword breaker)|''Jian'' (sword breaker)]]
* [[Kung fu]]
* ''[[Taijijian]]''
* ''[[Khanda (sword)|Khanda]]''
* ''[[Tsurugi (sword)|Tsurugi]]'' ([[Japanese sword]])
* [[World Jianshu League]]
* [[Wudang Mountains]]
* [[Wushu (sport)]]
* [[Zhang Sanfeng]]
* ''[[Shuangshou jian]]''

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==References==
*{{cite book | last = Chen |first=Fangmei |year= 1995 |title= Illustrated Catalogue of Ancient Bronze Weaponry in the National Palace Museum | publisher= National Palace Museum | isbn= 957-562-199-9  }}
*{{cite book |last=Ebrey |first=Patricia Buckley |year=1999 |title=The Cambridge Illustrated History of China |location=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press. |ISBN=0-521-66991-X }}
*{{cite book | author= James J. Y. Liu | year= 1967 | title= The Chinese Knight-Errant | publisher= University of Chicago Press | lccn= 66-14112  }}
* {{cite book | last = Lorge | first = Peter A | title = Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]] | location = Cambridge | year = 2011 | isbn = 978-0-521-87881-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Rodell|first=Scott M|author-link=Scott M. Rodell|title=Chinese Swordsmanship: The Yang Family Taiji Jian Tradition|year=2003|publisher=Seven Stars Books and Video|isbn=9780974399942|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3EY6AAAACAAJ}}
* {{cite book|last=Rodell|first=Scott M|title=A Practical Guide to Test Cutting for Historical Swordsmanship|year=2007|publisher=Seven Stars Books and Video|isbn=978-0-9743999-5-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qd4KOAAACAAJ}}
*{{cite book  |last1=Tetsutaka |first1=Sugawara |first2=Lujian |last2=Xing |first3=Mark B. |last3=Jones | year= 1998 | title= Aikido and Chinese Martial Arts |volume=2: Aikido and Weapons Training | publisher= Sugawara Martial Arts Institute | isbn=  0-87040-963-8 |ref=Sugawara}}
*{{cite book | last = Xia |first=Chongyi | year= 2017 | title= Taiji Fencing Principles, Vol. 1 | publisher= Lulu | isbn= 978-1-387-34346-1  }}
*{{cite book |last= Zhang |first=Yun | year= 1998 | title= The Art of Chinese Swordsmanship | publisher= Weatherhill | isbn= 0-8348-0412-3  }}

==External links==
{{wiktionary|jian|jiàn}}
{{wiktionary|剣}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urpVZC9kPho&mode=related&search Late master Ma Yueliang Wu style Taijiquan 108 posture jian form video] 
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z30r4ahLA8M Late master Zhou Jingxuan explaining the mechanics of Jian practice and fighting in the Shaolin Jingang Bashi system]

{{Chinese weapons}}
{{Swords by region}}

[[Category:Chinese swords]]
[[Category:Tai chi]]
[[Category:Events in wushu]]
[[Category:Weapons of the Mongol Empire]]