China has produced many kinds of weapons, some of them unique in the world, througout its History. The jiàn 劍 sword, the hú dié dāo 蝴蝶刀 (butterfly sword), the sān jié gùn 三截棍 (three-section staff) or the hǔ tóu gōu 虎头钩 (tiger hook swords) are unique creations of the Chinese martial culture.
In this section we pretend to analize the history, uses and features of weapons used in Chinese Martial Arts.
The jiàn 劍 or double-edged straight sword appeared in China two thousand seven hundred years ago. However, over time its use would be abandoned on the battlefield and became a symbolic and ritual weapon, which would end up being associated with scholarship and the upper class.
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In many styles of Kung Fu, in addition to empty hand combat techniques, different kinds of weapon techniques are practiced. These weapons include a series of everyday objects that, if necessary, can be used in combat. We are talking about, among others, the fan, the bench, the cane or crutch, the hoe, the flute…
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The Hook Swords or Seung Ngau 双鈎 are an exclusively Chinese weapon, unparalleled anywhere else in the world. With a very peculiar shape, it is a weapon as devastating as it is difficult to master. Its unique design makes them a versatile and very effective weapon.
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From the first sabres of the Shāng 商 dynasty, to the most recent of the twentieth century, the sabre (dāo 刀) is a weapon that has continued to evolve throughout the history of China, and has been used by regular armies as well as by all kinds of militias, bandits and martial artists.
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The rattan shield (téng pái 藤牌) was used in China since the time of the Míng 明 dynasty, especially in the south of the country. It was commonly used in conjunction with a short single-edged sabre (dāo 刀) by both vanguard military units, civilian militias and martial artists.
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The spear (枪, qiāng/choeng) is considered in China as the queen of long weapons. Possibly it is the oldest military weapon in China, and was originally used as a cavalry weapon. Formerly the infantry used a spear that could reach more than five meters in length, thus being able to face adversaries at a long distance.
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Yuèyá chǎn 月牙铲 (Crescent Moon Shovel) or “Monk Spade” is one of the classic Shaolin weapons which was later inherited by our style. Its origin is quite odd, for it is related to the funerary services performed by wandering monks.
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