The jian is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BC during the Spring and Autumn Period;[1] one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 centimeters (17.7 to 31.5 inches) in length. The weight of an average sword of 70-centimeter (28-inch) blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds).[2] There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts.
In Chinese folklore, it is known as “The Gentleman of Weapons” and is considered one of the four major weapons, along with the Gun (staff), Qiang (spear), and the Dao (sabre). more…
Qiang (traditional Chinese: 槍; simplified Chinese: 枪; pinyin: qīang) is the Chinese term for spear. Due to its relative ease of manufacture, the spear in many variations was ubiquitous on the pre-modern Chinese battlefield. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the Gun (staff), Dao (sabre), and the Jian (sword), called in this group “The King of Weapons“.
Common features of the Chinese spear are the leaf shaped blade and red horse-hair tassel lashed just below.
When the spear is moving quickly, the addition of the tassel aids in blurring the vision of the opponent so that it is more difficult for them to grab the shaft of spear behind the head or tip. The tassel also served another purpose, to stop the flow of blood from the blade getting to the wooden shaft (the blood would make it slippery, or sticky when dried). The length varied from around 7 feet (2 meters) long, commonly used by infantry, increasing up to the length of 13 feet (4 meters) favoured by cavalry. The spear is typically made of wax wood, a strong but flexible wood. It bends to absorb impact preventing breakage. The bending motion combined with the horse hair tassel makes the spear tip very hard to follow.
Many Chinese martial arts feature spear training in their curriculum. The conditioning provided by spear technique is seen as invaluable and in many styles it is the first weapons training introduced to students. Moreover, some schools of empty handed fighting in China credit spear technique as their foundation, notably Xingyiquan and Bajiquan.
Dao (Chinese: 刀; pinyin: dāo; Wade-Giles: tao1, “knife”) is a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping (sabres), often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the Gun (staff), Qiang (spear), and the Jian (sword), and referred to as “The General of All Weapons”. Dao is actually a generic word used to denote any member of a family of single-edged, broad-bladed cutting or slicing tools, but in common, everyday usage means knife.
The weapon, also known as dan dao 單刀 (single knife) when just one is used, is thereby thought to be an adaptation of the kitchen knives common to Chinese cuisine. Dao also appears in the names of such polearms as the pudao and guan dao, indicating that their blades were primarily intended for slashing and cutting attacks rather then stabbing ones more…
The Chinese weapon known as the pudao (朴刀, literally: celtis sabre) was originally an edged infantry weapon which is still used for training in many Chinese martial arts. The pudao is also known as the horse-cutter sword since it was used to slice the legs out from under a horse during battle. The blade of a pudao is shaped like a Chinese broadsword, but the weapon has a longer handle usually around one and a half to two meters (about four to six feet) which is circular in cross section. It looks somewhat similar to a guandao but the difference is that a podao has a lighter and longer blade with a ring at the other end and is an infantryman’s weapon while a guandao has a heavier blade with a longer haft, a pointed tip at the other end and is usually a cavalryman’s weapon.
A guandao kwandao or kuantao is a type of Chinese pole weapon that is currently used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese it is properly called a 偃月刀 yan yue dao (”reclining moon blade”), the name under which it always appears in texts from the Song to Qing dynasties such as the Wujing Zongyao and Huangchao Liqi Tushi. It is comparable to a European fauchard and consists of a heavy blade with a spike at the back and sometimes also a notch at the spike’s upper base that can catch an opponent’s weapon. In addition there are often irregular serrations that lead the back edge of the blade to the spike.
The blade is mounted atop a 1.5 m to 1.8 m (5-6 foot) long wooden or metal pole with a pointed metal counter weight used to balance the heavy blade and for striking on the opposite end. The blade is very deeply curved and therefore unlike most polearms, solely useful for sweeping cuts where it relies on range and power.
On modern versions, a red sash or tassel is attached at the joint of the pole and blade. Variations include having rings along the length of the straight back edge as found in the nine-ring guan dao, having the tip curl into a rounded spiral as in the elephant guan dao (literally Elephant Knife”, or featuring a more ornate design as exemplified by the Dragon head guan dao. However, apart from the “Elephant knife” none of these variations seem to have historical ground.
The jian is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BC during the Spring and Autumn Period;[1] one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 centimeters (17.7 to 31.5 inches) in length. The weight of an average sword of 70-centimeter (28-inch) blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds).[2] There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts.
Dao (Chinese: 刀; pinyin: dāo; Wade-Giles: tao1, “knife”) is a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping (sabres), often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the Gun (staff), Qiang (spear), and the Jian (sword), and referred to as “The General of All Weapons”. Dao is actually a generic word used to denote any member of a family of single-edged, broad-bladed cutting or slicing tools, but in common, everyday usage means knife.
The Chinese weapon known as the pudao (朴刀, literally: celtis sabre) was originally an edged infantry weapon which is still used for training in many Chinese martial arts. The pudao is also known as the horse-cutter sword since it was used to slice the legs out from under a horse during battle. The blade of a pudao is shaped like a Chinese broadsword, but the weapon has a longer handle usually around one and a half to two meters (about four to six feet) which is circular in cross section. It looks somewhat similar to a guandao but the difference is that a podao has a lighter and longer blade with a ring at the other end and is an infantryman’s weapon while a guandao has a heavier blade with a longer haft, a pointed tip at the other end and is usually a cavalryman’s weapon.
A guandao kwandao or kuantao is a type of Chinese pole weapon that is currently used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese it is properly called a 偃月刀 yan yue dao (”reclining moon blade”), the name under which it always appears in texts from the Song to Qing dynasties such as the Wujing Zongyao and Huangchao Liqi Tushi. It is comparable to a European fauchard and consists of a heavy blade with a spike at the back and sometimes also a notch at the spike’s upper base that can catch an opponent’s weapon. In addition there are often irregular serrations that lead the back edge of the blade to the spike.