versed in the martial arts. The army itself did some public displays as part
of their training, though it is unclear who was able to watch these. The
military displays were in addition to military parades where some part of
the army was arrayed for the emperor to review. The new performance
venue for martial arts in the urban entertainment precincts had an impor-
tant influence on the development of martial arts. This was where the
entertainment aspect of the martial arts was emphasized over the combat
aspect, leading to an aesthetic elaboration of previously simple forms.
Thefirst Song emperor was an accomplished warrior and general with
enough personal experience of hand-to-hand combat to guarantee him
the respect of the military. Like anyone of his background, he had person-
ally killed men in battle, though he did not boast of it as Tang Taizong
had. Partly this was personality and partly political and cultural orienta-
tion. Tang Taizong had usurped his father’s rule and retrospectively
justified this based upon his centrality in the campaigns that founded
the Tang. He also functioned in a partly Türkic martial culture that
valued and expected a leader to have direct experience of combat. Song
Taizu lived in a Chinese martial culture that had fully subsumed and
adapted those Türkic martial values during the Tang. The Song founder
needed to portray himself as less battle oriented and more interested in
administration and government. His younger brother, Song Taizong,
was in a much different position andused martial arts in a much more
direct way to bolster his position.
The second Song emperor was strongly suspected of poisoning his elder
brother and usurping the throne from his nephews. Song Taizong was also
not the warrior and successful general his brother had been. Lacking the
martial aura of his elder brother, and worried about the loyalty of the Song
military, Song Taizong made an ostentatious display of a special troop of
soldiers he had trained to do long sword dances:
He selected several hundred brave soldiers from the various armies and taught them
to do long sword dances. All of them were able to catch swords from out of the air,
jumping their bodies left and right to receive them. Of those who saw this, there
were none who were not frightened. When the Kitan sent an envoy to discuss
tribute, the emperor held a banquet at the temporary hall [the emperor was
besieging Taiyuan at the time] and the soldiers entered with drawn long swords
to perform. Several hundred men in a great clamor with bare arms entered holding
blades, leaping, catching and throwing, the performance complete in its wonder.
The Kitan envoy did not dare look at it directly.
And when he [the emperor] inspected the city he certainly ordered the dancing
long sword soldiers to lead before him. Each time they displayed their skills the
Northern Han people ascended the walls and watching it broke their spirit.^17
130 The Five Dynasties, Ten Kingdoms, and Song Dynasty