The Complete Taiji Dao The Art of the Chinese Saber

The dao, a single-edged sword with a curved blade, is one of the most popular weapons in traditional Chinese martial arts. The art of Taiji Dao is a set of skills for using the dao, derived from the popular martial art Taijiquan. One of the most important aspects of Taijiquan practice is weapons training, eagerly pursued by students who have become adept in the basic skills of the art. The Complete Taiji Daointroduces the principles and practice of Taiji Dao and provides illustrated discussions of the history of Chinese swords. The book covers the history and features of the dao; the Taiji principles from which Taiji Dao practice derives; the basic skills and techniques of the art; detailed descriptions and photographs of the traditional Taiji Dao form; and Taiji Dao fighting principles and training methods. Broad in scope and detailed in its presentation of the principles and practice of Taiji Dao,The Complete Taiji Daorepresents a significant contribution to the field of traditional Chinese weapons practice.

Since the 1990s, Zhang Yun has taught martial arts classes throughout the United States and has conducted more than 50 seminars worldwide. He is the author of The Art of Chinese Swordsmanship: A Manual of Taiji Jian and the translator of Lu Shengli’s Combat Techniques of Taiji, Xingyi, and Bagua. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA.