Reconstructing Chinese Longsword

This short video is an excellent example of how thoughtful reconstruction of a lost art is being done today. Scott Rodell has been working on this as a respectful and knowledgeable historian who has some of the best research and interpretations of Chinese swordsmanship currently available. Most of what we know about Chinese swordsmanship is only contained in the forms left to us today and two, somewhat obscure ancient manuals. In the forms we see today, most of the movements original purpose are forgotten to the mists of time. Scott has done a large amount of reconstruction through interpretation of these manuals, comparison of still existing forms, and pressure testing to try and find what is the most probable way the swords were used. Unlike a lot of practitioners, he also spars and he is always striving to make sure that everything that he teaches can also be done in the chaos of a fight through the approach of practical application.

Watch and enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUiDGat-6rM

Ken