This publish goes to start out someplace you don’t anticipate – over 1,000 years in the past in Tune Dynasty China throughout which we discover the legendary founding father of Xing Yi, Yue Fei, a normal within the Tune Dynasty military, mulling over the advancing (closely armoured) Jin cavalry, and questioning how his foot troopers are going to truthful in opposition to the crushing advance of a military that had destroyed the Liao Dynasty troops, scattering them to the Western areas.
The Jin/Tune wars would final a century, beginning in 1125, when the Jin attacked the Tune after a collection of negotiations between the earlier allies failed. Throughout this era North and Southern China was successfully separated between Jin and Tune, with the Tune retreating into the south of China. The Jin advance into southern China in 1130 was stymied by Tune generals like Yue Fei and Han Shzhong. Ultimately the Tune allied with the Mongols in 1233 to defeat the Jin, however the Mongols then went on to defeat their earlier allies, the Tune, and thus the Yuan Dynasty was born.
However why this historical past lesson? Nicely, one weapon that was common in the course of the Tune/Jin wars was the ‘sword breaker’ known as a bian, which interprets as ‘whip’. However it was a really strong quick stick manufactured from iron, not a versatile whip. It was usually used on horseback as a result of it was efficient in opposition to closely armoured warriors, and the Jin cavalry was very closely armoured.
The Tai Chi transfer “Single Whip” (Dan Bian), has the identical character for whip because the one used for the ‘sword breaker’. It’s additionally just like the characters for ‘shoulder pole’, which I’d beforehand speculated was a doable origin for the title. However people who find themselves higher at Chinese language than me have solid doubt on this idea. It appears more likely that it’s the ‘sword breaker’ weapon that’s being referred to, not a shoulder pole.
To cite Atomic Tai Chi:
“Just lately I’ve been made conscious of some theories concerning the which means behind “Single Whip” 單鞭 (dān biān)
Principally the declare is that the posture resembles a farmer carrying one thing on a pole or yoke and that the title refers to this yoke.
This yoke or shoulder pole known as 扁擔 (biǎndan)
So immediately, merely linguistically, this declare is just a little bit problematic.
English Character Pinyin Romanization.
Single Whip 單 鞭 dān biān
Shoulder Pole 扁 擔 biǎndanWe’re coping with 4 utterly totally different characters with utterly totally different meanings. The dan in biandan is POLE not single.
To a local Chinese language speaker that is like evaluating apples to tennis balls. It’s only a ridiculous declare.”
The publish goes on to take a look at the historic document, which is pretty attention-grabbing, and makes the case for the bian being the ‘sword breaker’.
Honest sufficient, the shoulder pole concept was only a idea of mine primarily based on the same title, and the way in which it seems to be. As with all good theories, it may be disproved with proof. However as I additionally mentioned in that authentic publish of mine:
“The ‘whip’ is also used as a weapon in Chinese language Marital Arts. Once more, it was often referring to a brief stick, not a versatile whip. Within the wonderful “Chinese language Martial Arts Coaching Manuals” by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo you’ll discover a description of a guide known as “Tiger Tail Whip” by Jiang Rong Qiao revealed in 1930. It includes a “lengthy routine for the steel tiger tail ‘whip’, which is inflexible and really quantities to a sort of cane.””
The ‘sword breaker’ or ‘bar mace’ was actually extra substantial than a cane. Because the title implies, it may break swords, however it was additionally good for attacking closely armoured troopers because it may influence the individual underneath the armour. Try what it may do on this wonderful video:
What’s in a reputation?
However it’s nonetheless exhausting to work out why the Single Whip posture could be named after the ‘sword breaker’ within the first place. I imply, the posture doesn’t resemble the weapon in any respect… However then I noticed one thing very attention-grabbing lately:
A publish on the Fb web page “Amassing Chinese language armor&Artwork” has the next (I’ve corrected the spelling):
“This brick carving is from a tomb of Jurchen Jin (1125–1234), describing a battle between Tune and Jin cavalries. The one who confronted to us with a sword breaker 锏 may be Jin cavalry, who snatched the pole weapon (三尖两刃刀, lit. ‘Three factors double edged blade’ fig. 3) away from Tune cavalry and swung his sword breaker 锏 to assault his head from proper to left. Tune cavalry’s head and helmet had been completely whacked. Nicely, pole weapon person ought to at all times maintain distance with enemy and, such blunt weapons like mace, sword breaker and many others. are actually wonderful weapon in opposition to heavy armor.
Image 2 was drawn by 咪咪妈的刘sir.”
Now, what I discover about this carving, and the portray, is that it isn’t one million miles away from the applying of single whip that we apply in our Tai Chi. Test it out:
That’s a nonetheless taken from the video:
Possibly that’s the place the title “Single Whip” comes from? The appliance of the transfer is actually just like the way in which you’d use a ‘sword breaker’ approach again within the Jin/Tune wars to seize the opponent’s lengthy pole weapon and bash them on the pinnacle along with your ‘whip’.
However why “single”? Nicely, it seems that the ‘sword breaker’ was usually a two handed weapon. You had one in every hand, as this carving of the Jin cavalry exhibits:
You too can see double maces being utilized by cavalry within the portray that opens this text.
It’s nearly as good an evidence for “single whip” as I’ve learn anyplace else. And not less than this reasoning makes some sense. On the finish of the day, it’s simply one other idea, prepared for some keen beaver to disprove.
Maybe that is the true utility? 😉
