Historical Events of the Broken Blade Sword Technique

The Twenty-ninth Army's resistance at XifengkouOn September 18, 1931, Japan marched into the northeast and occupied Shenyang in a long drive.

This disempowering and humiliating event immediately shocked the whole country. The Twenty-ninth Army of the Kuomintang Army, which was stationed in Yangquan, Liao County and Qin County in Shanxi Province, also roared with anger.

The Twenty-ninth Army was adapted from the former Northwest Army of General Feng Yuxiang, but because it was not in Chiang Kai-shek's direct line, it was discriminated against and severely underfunded in terms of food, pay and equipment. At the time of the national tragedy, the 29th Army officers and men are determined to do their duty as soldiers, resolutely opposed to Japanese imperialism, to save the country and the nation in peril. Accordingly, Song Zheyuan, the commander of the army, put forward the slogan of "guns not to the inside", and actively prepare for the anti-Japanese, to protect the country. At the meeting of the senior generals of the 29th Army, the army and division commanders carefully studied how to train the troops to make up for the lack of equipment, and put forward the idea of establishing the Great Sword Corps. They believe that the Northwest Army is of good quality, strong physical strength, many officers and soldiers will also boxing, swords, they can be convened to study the self-made big knife, in the case of the Japanese army's excellent equipment, you can use the tactics of melee, night fighting, to play the power of the big knife, will be able to overcome the enemy to win.

In order to improve the skills of officers and men to use the big knife, the deputy army commander General Tong Linge personally went to Beiping to hire Mr. Li Yaochen to the army as a martial arts instructor, Li Yaochen was y moved by the spirit of the Twenty-ninth Army's resistance to Japan and salvation of the country, and agreed to go to help. Li Yaochen was a native of Lijiazhuang, Jixian County, Hebei Province, and had been learning Taizu Quan from a boxer in Lijiazhuang since he was a child, and at the age of 18, Li Yaochen took Song Caichen, the nephew of Song Laomai, the god of boxing, as his teacher. He first taught Li Yaochen to practice the Three Emperor's Cannon Hammer Fist, and then he taught Li Yaochen to practice eighteen kinds of blades, such as the Six Harmonies Sword and the Soul Chasing Sword. Li Yaochen then learned how to use concealed weapons and practiced light kung fu, so he was able to walk over walls, leap over houses and ridges, and his kung fu was so good that he became quite famous in the society. After Li Yao Ju came to the 29th Army, he created a set of "Wuji Knife Technique" based on the characteristics of the big knife, combined with the traditional Chinese Six Harmonies Knife Technique. This kind of sword method can be used as a sword to slash, and also can be used as a sword to stab, easy to learn, practical, the military department first by each unit to select the backbone of the formation of the big sword team, with Jane Yuanjie as the captain, by Li Yaochen directly taught the sword method, and then passed them to the whole army officers and soldiers. A few months later, the Great Sword Squad began to teach the practiced Wuji Sword Technique to all officers and soldiers. General Tong Linge also took turns with Li Yaochen to inspect and demonstrate to all units, which greatly enhanced the generals' skills in white-knife fighting.

In February 1933, the Japanese army attacked the Jehol, the Northeast Army Tong Yulin even lost Chengde and other places, the Japanese army drove straight to the Great Wall. The 29th Army was ordered by the Beiping branch of the Military Commission to march to the Great Wall to defend the enemy. When the department arrived at the Great Wall designated position is not yet stable, unexpectedly on March 9, Tang Yulin Department and abandoned the Xifengkou. The situation is very critical, the military headquarters urgently ordered the 37th Division Commander Feng Zhi'an led Zhao Dengyu, Wang Zhibang two brigades rushed to Xifengkou, immediately into the battle, in the darkness of the night to capture the Xifengkou two sides of the heights, to suppress the enemy. 10 morning, Zhao, Wang two brigades from the left and right flanks to strengthen the troops, with a big knife, grenades and the Japanese army of the white-knuckle fight, fierce battle until the 11th day of the morning, the enemy and increase the strength of the attack, trying to recapture the hill. Two brigades of officers and men lurked in wait for the enemy to reach within 100 meters, suddenly attacked, the enemy did not succeed, and aircraft artillery bombardment, the two sides were heavily wounded and killed. Brigadier Zhao Dengyu was also wounded. That night, Song Zheyuan changed the battle deployment, using Wang Zhibang's brigade to hold the position, 38th Division (Division Commander Zhang Zizhong) and Tong Zeguang's brigade to attack the enemy's left back, and Zhao Dengyu's brigade to attack the enemy's rear by circling around from the right side. Zhao Dengyu, wrapped in his wounds, personally led the Special Service Battalion and commanded the Wang and Dong regiments, braved the wind and snow and left Panjiakou at night, arriving at the area where the enemy's special forces were camped before dawn. At that time, the Japanese were still dreaming.

The Twenty-ninth Army's Great Sword Squad made its debut in the Great Wall Battle of Resistance, making the Japanese fearful. From then on, the Twenty-ninth Army was known as the "Heroic Anti-Japanese Army" in China and abroad. Twenty-nine Army Xifengkou victory, the news spread, the whole country excited. According to July 12 of that year, "World Journal" reported: "the Japanese army more than two hundred ...... by the Song Department of the Great Sword Team head-on attack ...... beheaded accounted for one-third". "Twenty-nine army big knife team rush to the Japanese charge, and physical combat, white blade down, the Japanese head fell to the ground, and then won a great victory", "...... until the Japanese army line close, the big knife team burst up, waving a big kill, the Japanese head with the knife and down! ...... Japanese casualties countless." In addition, He Xiangning also composed a poem "Ode to the 500 Great Swords": "The children are not born in vain, determined to kill the enemy to collect the river and mountain. What are airplanes and tanks, and what are steel and iron bones? What is the use of tough armor and sharp soldiers, ten thousand men can not open this strong pass. Tian Heng's 500*** lives and dies, his blood is spilled on the battlefield. There is no need to cross the sea to kill the enemy, tens of thousands of Japanese slaves are waiting. The steel foot and the night-eyed Green Dragon Sword, the sound of the victory was heard and applauded. The 29th Army is the light of the nation, and the Japanese warlords are mad at us. When will we forget the national enmity, and vow to drink the agar in Tokyo?"

The origin of the "Great Sword March" Talking about the Xifengkou victory and the commander of the 29th Army, General Song Zheyuan, we can't help but mention the "Great Sword March". This majestic and impassioned "Big Sword March" is one of the most widely sung anti-Japanese songs. The song was originally composed for the Twenty-ninth Army's Big Sword Unit, and its original lyrics are: "The big sword cuts at the heads of the devils, brothers of the Twenty-ninth Army, the day of resistance has come, the day of resistance has come! With the Volunteer Army of the Northeast in front of us, and the people of the country behind us, the 29th Army is not alone. Look at the enemy and destroy it! Destroy it! Charge! Big swords to the heads of the devils, kill!"