Over the summer this year, I learned a wonderful new saber form. My friend and teacher Hu Pei Yi (below) knows this form and does it very well. I am so lucky to have access to first-hand instruction!

This form has 36 steps. It was created by Ma Chonxi, who performs in the video below.

Video: https://www.  youtube.  com/watch?v=HFZOiVs6vrA

Here, also, is a good article about Ma, who started out as a street performer, then became a quite well-known wushu master and coach. She was born in 1940, so she is 66 in the video (published in 2006), which is inspiring to someone as old as I am.

Though it seems to be considered predominantly Chen-style, it looks like a combined form to me. Several saber techniques used here are not found in either the Yang or Chen saber  forms I’m familiar with—jiao and ya, for example. Hit the Tiger and the double jump kick are both in the Yang form, not the Chen. And I have never seen yang shen in saber anywhere. Interesting!

Here’s another very impressive performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a844FVYDIl0

I found a list of the movements on the Chinese search engine hosted by Baidu. I’m not sure quite all the characters are correct (as noted in the list): 36-Taijidao (PDF).

While searching out videos and names for 36-dao I came across a 56-step saber form that I love. Maybe someday I’ll have a chance to learn this one. 56-step dao: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-tkuoEErgI