Good Morning, or Evening, Afternoon, etc:
What is the purpose of the tassel on the jian? Some serious hypotheses:
It is merely decorative. (It looks cool).
It is used as a tell-tale for active feedback. (e.g., indicating the postures and/or chi are correct).
It is part of the offensive or defensive qualities of the jian. (e.g., to distract the opponent or obscure his vision).
It indicates social information. (e.g., distinguishes the jian as a scholarly or non-military weapon, or conveys the social status of its wielder).
It is a cat toy. (For cats to practice their taijichan, especially to make crashing noises during the night).
Note that Cheng Man-Ching wields a jian with (and without) a tassel in "The Professor" documentary, including during a 'sticky sword' partner exercise. The tassel appears to get wrapped around his wrist around 1:31 minutes of the documentary preview.
What is the true purpose of the tassel?
Jameson Selby
That’s an interesting question. If you believe google then the answer is Yes. I seem to remember Paul mentioning this subject in one of his videos. Red, however is a very lucky colour in Feng Shui and Chinese culture in general. Maybe it’s like a lot of Chinese things - it is whatever you want it to be, whenever.