The Sword Holding Formations of the Ba Gua Jian are forms of holding the sword handle which must be understood in sword training and application. They are the basis of the changes of the movements of the sword and the requirements of the various attacking and defending techniques.
Excerpted from: Ba Gua Three Harmony Sword – Ba Gua San He Jian (八卦三 合 剑) by Zhang Quan Liang. Master Zhang is a 3rd generation inheritor of Liang Style Ba Gua Zhang. Zhang studied under the famous Li Zi Ming.
The forms of holding the sword handle in training the Ba Gua Jian can be generalized into the following eight types:
1. Yin Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the palm center, or large part of the palm center, facing upward.
2. Yang Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the back of the hand, or large part of the back of the hand, facing upward.
3. Medial Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the palm center, or large part of the palm center, facing the left.
4. Lateral Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the palm center, or large part of the palm center, facing the right.
5. Internal Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the palm center, or large part of the palm center, facing to your own body.
6. External Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the back of the hand, or large part of the back of the hand, facing to your own body.
7. Reverse Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the palm center backwards or upwards.
8. Closed Sword Handle: Hold the sword with the two hands, with the palm center facing to each other or, to hold the sword handle with the right hand, with the left hand supporting it (Fig. 2-16).
