I'm not sure there is a specific discipline that he used, but the descriptions that Jordan gave and the fact that the forms are named would lead me to suspect that he had asian style sword fighting in mind. ::Shrugs:: Could be way off there though.
Tai Chi has similar ways of naming movements with swords. They use names such as Swallow Returns to its Nest, Agile Cat Seizes the Mouse and Phoenix Lifts its Head. I am not certain this is what Robert Jordan used as a reference but it is probable.
Robert Jordan had an armory of weapons when he passed away. Also he wrote several Conan stories. So likely the sword forms were a mix of both eastern and western forms, like the rest of his stories. I do believe that some of the people running JordanCon are swordsman and I've seen them do a run through of the forms in a kata.
Thanks. I'll look into Tai Chi. I'm planning on learning sword techniques and I want to emulate Lan I've been taking martial arts off and on for about 10 years now, and just now considering learning a weapon skill.
The Jordan conan books are IMO the very BEST Conan books. Even Better than Howard himself.
I thought the style was Kendo? I dont know of course, I just asumed..LOL
Japanese and Chinese cultures name martial arts and sword forms after nature around them. Wind in he Trees and Tigers Claw are real movements in martial arts. Some of the names for sword form in Wheel of Time remind me more of songs than martial arts though.