Nov 30, 2022
In Taoism, the jian has its own spirit, its own name, its own will, it is alive, animated. It is not a tool, it is rather a person – a subject, not an object. The practice of jian is always religio…
When we talk about Chinese martial arts now, we often mean immersion in mythological space. It is already a well-established cultural phenomenon. However, historically, martial arts have been magical from the very beginning. For ex., the Chinese sword (jian) has always been (and still is in modern Taoist schools) a magical and later ritual feature. It has even been used as a kind of voodoo doll perceived as a living (and godlike) being, if necessary, able to replace the owner.
