Perfect Your Deflection: 3 Tips from the Swordplay Retreat

Most practitioners deflect a blade by pushing it to the side, off line — but that's not a deflection. At our annual Academy Swordplay Retreat, we broke down the three mechanics separating a skilled swordsman from someone just going through the motions. In this session, filmed live with full weight swords alongside training partner Johnny, we cover: (1) Complete Deflection — the last 3 inches of hip turn that leads your Duifang's sword into emptiness rather than just pushing it aside; (2) the Jie Jing point — your catching/judging threshold where the deflection and counter-strike must fuse into a single movement, not two separate actions; and (3) Target Selection — why swinging back to the shoulder by default may hand your opponent the initiative, and how cutting to the sword arm reshapes the entire exchange. These aren't abstractions. They're the difference between an experienced Jianke who controls the space in front of him and a less experienced practitioner who swings his weapon reactively. If one of these hit home, drop a comment below telling us which tip you're working on. Subscribe to stay with the community, and look for the link to the next retreat below.