Tai Chi Weapons: Types, Forms and Training

The straight, double-edged sword is the most widely practised, best documented and most formally standardised weapon in the taiji system, and for almost all students it is the first weapon they learn. Its character is light, precise, agile and continuous — classically described as "using stillness to master motion, striking only after the opponent has moved", moving like drifting cloud and flowing water without hard stops. The sword is controlled at the wrist but driven from the waist, so a well-practised form reads as one unbroken line of force rather than a series of separate poses.

Thirteen fundamental techniques recur across the styles — thrust, point, upward slice, flick, twine, chop, block, wipe, sweep, slice, hang, intercept and lift. The 42-form competition routine expands this to twenty-two distinct sword techniques, adding methods such as cloud, press, push, support and wrist circling.

The Standardised National Routines: 16, 32 and 42 Forms

Three routines are formally reviewed and taught nationwide across China, forming the core of public taiji sword instruction. All three draw on Yang-style taiji sword as their base, with the 42-form also incorporating elements from Chen, Wu and Wudang sword traditions. All three are published as free sequence pages on this site.

16-Form Taiji Sword — the Level-3 (duanwei) sword routine in the Chinese Wushu Grading System, reviewed by the Chinese Wushu Research Institute and the National Wushu Sport Management Centre. It is a short, clear teaching and popularisation set, not the property of any single family lineage, designed to introduce beginners to the basic grips, steps and sword techniques. Study the full illustrated sequence here: 16-Form Tai Chi Sword.

32-Form Taiji Sword — created in 1957, when the former National Sports Commission's Sports Department organised a team led by taiji expert Li Tianji, who selected and adapted thirty-two movements from the traditional Yang-style taiji sword into a standardised popularisation routine. It is arranged in four balanced sections of eight movements each, designed to be performed in two to three minutes, and is also designated as the Level-4 (duanwei) sword routine. It incorporates the thirteen core sword techniques and forms the bridge between beginner and intermediate practice. Full illustrated sequence: 32-Form Tai Chi Sword.

42-Form Taiji Sword — the national competition routine, compiled in the early 1990s by an expert panel organised by the Chinese Wushu Research Institute. It draws techniques from Yang, Chen and Wu styles as well as Wudang sword traditions, comprising forty-two movements, twenty-two distinct sword techniques, ten step types and three coordinated power-issuing actions, making it the most technically demanding of the three standardised sets. It is the required routine for national and international taiji sword competition. Full verified sequence: 42-Form Tai Chi Sword (Competition).

For standardised terminology used across all three routines, see the Tai Chi Sword glossary. The national standard Wushu — Taiji Sword (GB/Z 44859-2024), issued in October 2024 by the General Administration of Sport of China, provides formal technical specifications for performance and judging.

Traditional Lineage Swords

Beyond the nationally standardised sets, every major taiji lineage preserves its own traditional sword form, passed down through generations with distinct movement counts, names and technical emphases. These are summarised here for context; none are currently offered as structured courses on this site.

Chen-Style Single Sword (49 forms) — attributed to Chen Wangting, the founder of Chen-style taiji, and preserved through the lineage of Chen Changxing, Chen Fake, Chen Zhaopi and Chen Zhaokui to contemporary holders including Chen Zhenglei and Chen Xiaowang. It is built around thirteen core techniques and carries a long set of poetic movement names; derived 63-form and 29-form variants circulate across different Chen Village branches.

Yang-Style Traditional Sword (67 forms) — the traditional Yang family sword, also called the Thirteen-Posture Sword, passed from Yang Luchan through Yang Banhou and Yang Jianhou to Yang Chengfu, who standardised the Yang system in the early twentieth century. It contains sixty-seven movements arranged around the thirteen core techniques. Li Tianji later adapted it into a widely taught 56-form version, further organised by Li Deyin and Zhang Jie in their 2002 instructional text.

Wu-Style Sword — the Wu Jianquan lineage preserves five traditional sets: Qiankun (Heaven-Earth) Sword, Seven-Star Sword, Linked Sword, Two-Person Sparring Sword and Double Sword. The foundational text Taiji Sword (85 forms) was published by Wu Tunan in 1934. Simplified versions widely taught today include a 24-form sword arranged by Tong Hongyun and a 36-form sword arranged by Wu Amin.

Wu (Hao)-Style 55-Form Sword — developed by Wu (Hao) lineage holders Chen Gu'an and Wu Wenhan, building on older weapon methods passed down from Wu Yuxiang through Hao Weizhen and Li Shengduan. Its core techniques centre on chop, thrust, upward slice and hang, with characteristic close, compact movements.

Sun-Style 62-Form Sword — created by Sun Lutang, who integrated principles from his training in Xingyi Quan and Bagua Zhang to produce a sword form unique in its blending of the three internal arts. It contains sixty-two movements divided into upper and lower routes, practised as a solo form and also as a structured two-person set, and is also known by the classical name Sancai Jian (Three Talents Sword). It was preserved for publication by Sun Lutang's daughters Sun Jianyun and Sun Shurong.

Starting with the Sword: A Practical Recommendation

For all the richness of the lineage swords above, the standardised 16 → 32 → 42 sequence is the most accessible and best-documented path for a modern student. The 16-form teaches grip, basic point and thrust, and the feeling of turning the waist into the blade; the 32-form builds continuity, directional control and a full vocabulary of sword techniques; the 42-form introduces the precision, power issuance and complexity required for competition or advanced practice.

If you are choosing a physical sword to buy, caring for a blade, or preparing for your first class, all practical selection and preparation advice lives in our Tai Chi Sword Guide, which includes a beginner's equipment checklist as its lead resource.

The folding fan is one of the most accessible, widely practised and visually distinctive weapons in contemporary taiji. Developed and popularised primarily for health, community practice and public demonstration in the late twentieth century, it combines the soft, round, continuous movement of the empty-hand form with the sharp, rhythmic snap of opening and closing the fan at precise points in the sequence. As with all taiji weapons, the fan is driven by the waist rather than the wrist; the opening and closing is a consequence of full-body movement, not an isolated hand action.

Common and widely taught fan sets include Taiji Kung Fu Fan Set One (52 forms), created by Li Deyin and commissioned by the Beijing Senior Sports Association in support of Beijing's 2008 Olympic bid, and its companion Sunset Beauty Set Two (56 forms), arranged specifically for older practitioners at a slightly slower, smoother pace. Additional lineage and thematic sets widely practised today include Chen-style fan, Yang-style fan, Wu-style health fan, Lotus Fan (single and double, arranged for the 1999 Macau handover celebrations), and a Four-Dimension (Siwei) 38-form fan.

On standardisation: there is no single nationally standardised taiji fan routine comparable to the 32-form or 42-form swords. Taiji fan is included as a competitive and demonstration event in wushu competitions, but both lineage sets and individually choreographed performance routines are common and accepted, with no single official movement count.

Two training methods support all taiji weapon practice, and are worth understanding even if you never study a complete long-weapon form.

Pole-shaking (Dou Da Gan) is the foundational power-development method for all taiji weapons, practised with a solid waxwood pole typically three metres or longer. The practitioner holds the pole in a rooted stance and drives repetitive shaking motions from the feet through the waist to the tip of the pole, training the two core powers of beng jin (springing, releasing power that travels straight out) and pi ce jin (splitting-sideways power). It is not a form but a repetitive conditioning exercise that builds the whole-body connection every other weapon depends on.

Push hands (Tui Shou) is the two-person sensitivity drill practised with empty hands, which teaches the "stick, adhere, connect, follow" quality that every taiji weapon depends on. The Yang-style sticking spear drills, for example, are directly derived from push hands, with the same principles of listening to force, yielding and redirecting extended out to the length of a spear. Read more in our push hands guide.

All taiji weapon work ultimately rests on these two: push hands develops sensitivity and connection, pole-shaking develops issuing power and root.