Dao vs Jian: What Is the Difference?

Not to be confused with the dao, the jian is a traditional Chinese sword characterised by a straight, double-edged blade. It is of medium length, with a standard handle and cross-guard. But even if you are familiar with the basic design of the jian, there are probably things you do not know about this centuries-old Chinese sword.

#1) Some jian were made of solid jade

The jian was originally made of bronze. In the Bronze Age, swords, daggers and other bladed items were made from cast bronze. Molten bronze was poured into pre-shaped moulds, which made it possible to create bladed items.

In the years that followed, the jian was made of steel, more precisely high-carbon steel. However, some traditional jian were made of solid jade. The jade was carefully cut to create a fully functional jian.

#2) The jian was invented 2,500 years ago

To say that the jian is old would be an understatement. With origins going back around 2,500 years, it is one of the oldest swords on the planet.

It is so ancient that historians still speculate about the exact date of its invention and who invented it. That said, the evidence shows that the jian was in use in China around 500 BC.

#3) The blade weighed up to 1 kg

Although it was of moderate length, at around 45 to 78 cm (17.7 to 30.7 in), the jian was particularly light compared with other swords of the period.

According to Wikipedia, the average weight of a jian blade was only 0.5 to 1 kg. This was partly due to the slenderness of the blade and its low profile. Thanks to its lightness, swordsmen and sword practitioners could handle the jian with ease.

#4) The jian was used for cutting tests

Besides its military use, the jian was used for cutting tests. In the Chinese fencing style shizhan, practitioners use the jian to cut targets made of bamboo or rice straw.

This style is similar to the traditional Japanese practice of tameshigiri, which also involves using a sword to cut targets.

#5) The jian is still used in martial arts training

Even after all these years, the jian is still used in martial arts training. The Chinese martial art taijiquan, for example, revolves almost exclusively around the use of the jian.

Taijiquan practitioners perform various movements while wielding a jian. These movements are believed to be beneficial both for martial training and for general health.