Sword/ Jian - Spring and Autumn of Wu and Yue 吴越春秋 - Translation and Commentary by — Scott M. Rodell

凡手戰之道，內實精神，外示安儀。見之似好婦，奪之似懼虎。

Fán shǒu zhàn zhī dào, nèi shí jīngshén, wài shì ān yí. Jiàn zhī shì hǎo fù, duó zhī shì jù hǔ

In all ways of hand combat (using sword/ jian), internally the spirit is full, the outside manifests a calm appearance. Appear as a friendly woman, (then) seize the moment like a threatened tiger.

From Spring and Autumn of Wu and Yue 吴越春秋

Image is of Lady Sun (孫夫人) for more about her see- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Sun?oldformat=true

Translation and Commentary by — Scott M. Rodell

Essential Points of Sword Fighting - Translation and Commentary by — Scott M. Rodell

對劍要領
Essential Points of Sword Fighting

待敵恃奇正。追敵須奪門。莫使人佔手。起伏要分明。欲左先攻右，欲右先攻左。

Dài dí shì qí zhèng. Zhuī dí xū duó mén. Mò shǐ rén zhàn shǒu. Qǐfú yào fēnmíng. Yù zuǒ xiāngōng yòu, yù yòu xiāngōng zuǒ.

I await the enemy’s (move) relying on unexpected and orthodox (methods). Pursuing the enemy, one must seize the opening. Do not let him control your hand. Moving up and down must be clear. If you want to go left, first attack right. If you want to go right, first go left.

Commentary -
The first line contains the binomial qí zhèng and alludes a line from Chapter Five in Sunzi’s “Art of War.” Samuel Griffith translated that line as, “That the army is certain to sustain the enemy’s attack without suffering defeat is due to operations of the extraordinary and the normal forces” where qí zhèng are translated as the extraordinary and the normal forces. (奇正相生,如环之无端,孰能穷之. Qí zhèng xiāngshēng, rú huán zhī wúduān, shú néng qióng zhī.) 

In military terms, qí zhèng has also been translated as, the “unorthodox and orthodox” and as “maneuvers direct and indirect.” In terms of battlefield tactics, military commentators describe qí as encircling or surprising the enemy with a flanking attack. While zhèng is a frontal assault or facing the enemy head on. (More discussion and detail maybe found at: https://suntzusaid.com/book/5). Aside from the physical shape qí zhèng represent in actual troop movement, in principle qí zhèng means that one should not be dogmatic, that while maintaining a solid frontal formation, one is watching for side doors through which to enter and even creating these possibilities by how one is facing the enemy. 

This is sound advice for the jianke, who must maintain a position that does not unintentionally offer any windows or doors for the duifang to sneak in, but also not ridged or inflexible, but rather ready to follow into any opening that presents itself. Thus the “orthodox” ready position is used to create the “unorthodox” or unexpected entrance from the side. In this manner, there is a yin-yang relationship between qí and zhèng where one transforms into the other as the flow of the action requires.

Essential Points of Sword Fighting - Translation and Commentary by — Scott M. Rodell

An old Chinese Saying - translation and commentary by ~ Scott M. Rodell

一寸長， 一寸強
一寸小， 一寸巧
一寸短，一寸險
~古人說

Yīcùn cháng, yīcùn qiáng
yīcùn xiǎo, yīcùn qiǎo
yīcùn duǎn, yīcùn xiǎn
~Gǔrén shuō

One inch longer, one inch stronger
One inch smaller, one inch (more) skillful
One inch shorter, one inch closer
~ an old Chinese saying

This is an old martial saying that seems to originate at least in part with General Qi Jiguang who wrote, “Short weapons cannot intercept long weapons, one inch longer is one inch stronger (Duǎn bù jiē zhǎng, yīcùn cháng yīcùn qiáng, 短不接長，一寸長一寸強).” In general, the phrase addresses the difference between long weapons, such as spears, and shorter weapons, including swords.

It terms of sword work itself, this may be interpreted in another manner as~
If your sword cuts are an inch longer, they will have more power. However, if they are an inch smaller, that is more skillful. Then the distance to the duifang is an inch shorter, and you are an inch close to land a blow.

This describes the evolution every diligent swordsman moves thorough. At first, one tends to rely on power. Further training brings refinement leading to one’s movements becoming smaller, tighter, and thus quicker. Deflections are then only as big as needed and the sword isn’t swung at the duifang’s body in general, but at a small, exact target. This compacting of one’s technique changes the timing of actions so that your sword ends up moving closer to the target even as the duifang is attacking. Thus the distance to your target is shorter though the starting distance has not changed.
Note that the last word in this saying, xiǎn, is typically translated as danger in common vernacular Chinese. It can however also mean to be near as in anear miss or a close call.. The overall structure of the saying is one where a specific condition leads to a improved result. Following that structure, the distance being an inch shorter, places the swordsman in a better tactical position, one inch closer to landing his or her blow. Certainly, that is also a more dangerous position (for both swordsmen). However, if one has deflected properly, leading the duifang’s weapon into a void while maintain tip control, so that one’s sword is aligned with its target, then in this dangerous position, there is a strategic opportunity.

~ Scott M. Rodell found HERE