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European Sword
This is a list of types of swords. The term sword used here is a narrow definition. This is not a general List of premodern combat weapons and does not include the machete or similar "sword-like" weapons. African swords North African swords * Flyssa (19th century Algeria) * Kaskara (19th century Sudan) * Khopesh (Egyptian) * Mameluke sword (18th to 19th century Egyptian) * Nimcha (18th century Morocco and Algeria) East African swords * Billao (Somali) * Shotel (Eritrea and Ethiopian) West African swords * Akrafena (Ghana and Togo) * Ida (Nigeria and Benin) * Takoba (Mali and Niger) Central African swords * Mambele Asian swords East Asian swords China * Dao (刀 pinyin dāo) "sabre" ** Baguadao (八卦道) ** Butterfly sword (蝴蝶雙刀) ** Changdao (長刀) ** Dadao (大刀) ** Liuyedao (柳針刀) ** Miao dao (苗刀) ** Nandao (南刀) ** Piandao (片刀) ** Wodao (倭刀) ** Yanmaodao (雁翎刀) ** Zhanmadao (斬馬刀) * Jian (劍 pinyin jiàn) ** Shuangsho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sword
A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip. A slashing sword is more likely to be curved and to have a sharpened cutting edge on one or both sides of the blade. Many swords are designed for both thrusting and slashing. The precise definition of a sword varies by historical epoch and geographic region. Historically, the sword developed in the Bronze Age, evolving from the dagger; the earliest specimens date to about 1600 BC. The later Iron Age sword remained fairly short and without a crossguard. The spatha, as it developed in the Late Roman army, became the predecessor of the European sword of the Middle Ages, at first adopted as the Migration Period sword, and only in the High Middle Ages, developed into the classical arming sword with crossguard. The word '' sword'' continue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baguazhang
Baguazhang or Pakua chang () is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being T'ai chi and Xing Yi Quan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia quan). ''Bāguà zhǎng'' literally means "eight trigram palm", referring to the bagua "trigrams" of the ''I Ching'' (''Yijing''), one of the canons of Taoism.Lie, Zhang. “Classical Baguazhang Volume V: Yin Style Baguazhang.” Trans. Joseph Crandall. Pinole, California: Smiling Tiger Martial Arts 1995. History The creation of Baguazhang as a formalized martial art, is attributed to Dong Haichuan (), who is said to have learned from Taoist and Buddhist masters in the mountains of rural China during the early 19th century. Many Chinese authorities do not accept the Buddhist origin, instead maintaining that those teachers were purely Taoist in origin, the evidence lying in Baguazhang's frequent reference to core concepts central to Taoism, such as Yin and Yang theory, I Ching ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihonto
A is one of several types of traditionally made swords from Japan. Bronze swords were made as early as the Yayoi period (1000 BC – 300 AD), though most people generally refer to the curved blades made from the Heian period (794 – 1185) to the present day when speaking of "Japanese swords". There are many types of Japanese swords that differ by size, shape, field of application and method of manufacture. Some of the more commonly known types of Japanese swords are the ''katana'', ''tachi'', '' odachi'', ''wakizashi'', and ''tantō''. Classification Classification by shape and usage In modern times the most commonly known type of Japanese sword is the ''Shinogi-Zukuri'' ''katana'', which is a single-edged and usually curved longsword traditionally worn by samurai from the 15th century onwards. Western historians have said that Japanese katana were among the finest cutting weapons in world military history, for their intended use. Other types of Japanese swords inclu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hook Sword
The hook sword, twin hooks, ''fu tao'', ''hu tou gou'' (tiger head hook) or ''shuang gou'' () is a Chinese weapon traditionally associated with northern styles of Chinese martial arts and Wushu weapons routines, but now often practiced by southern styles as well. Background Reliable information on hook swords is difficult to come by. While sometimes called an ancient weapon and described as dating from the Song dynasty to Warring States or even earlier, most antique examples and artistic depictions are from the late Qing era or later, suggesting that they are actually a comparatively recent design. They were also an exclusively civilian weapon, appearing in none of the official listings of Chinese armaments. Surviving sharpened examples point to actual use as weapons, but their rarity, and the training necessary to use them, strongly suggest that they were only rarely used as such. Characteristics Also known as "tiger hook swords" or ''qian kun ri yue dao'' (literally "Heave ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shuangshou Jian
The shuangshou jian is a Chinese two-handed double-edged straight sword (''jian The ''jian'' (pronunciation （劍）, English approximation: ) 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 BCE, during the Spring and ...''). Historically, ''shuangshou jian'' were up to 1.6 meters (65") in length, and the two-handed grip could be used as a lever to lock the opponent's arm if necessary. Large ring pommels are prevalent in the construction of shuangshou jian. Chinese swords Weapons of China {{Sword-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation （劍）, English approximation: ) 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 BCE, during the Spring and Autumn period; one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian. Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from in length. The weight of an average sword of blade-length would be in a range of approximately 700 to 900 grams (1.5 to 2 pounds). There are also larger two-handed versions used for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts. Professional ''jian'' practitioners are referred to as ''jianke'' ( or "swordsmen"; a term dating from the Han dynasty). 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). These swords are also sometimes referred to as ''taijijian'' or "tai ch ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zhanmadao
The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279). General characteristics The zhanmadao is a single-edged sabre with a long broad blade, and a long handle suitable for two-handed use. It was used as an anti- cavalry weapon, dating from Emperor Cheng of Han, made to slice through a horse's legs. This is mentioned in the ''Wujing Zongyao'', a Song Military Manual from 1072. It featured prominently against the Jin armies in campaigns between 1129 and 1141. The earliest variant of the zhanmadao is called zhanmajian (), literally "horse beheading jian". Zhanmajian existed during the Han dynasty, so called because it was supposedly able to cut off a horse's head. The difference between the two is that zhanma''jian'' is double-edged whereas the zhanma''dao'' is single-edged, which persists with the meaning of jian and dao. Another suggestion is that the z ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yanmaodao
The ''Yanmaodao'' () is a type of dao used as a standard military weapon during the Ming Dynasty and middle Qing Dynasty (1368–1800). The blade is straight until the curve begins around the center of percussion along the last 1/4 or so of the blade approaching the tip. The center of percussion is the point on the blade with the least vibration on hard contact, the spot on the blade that transmits the most power to the target in a hard chop. This allows for thrusting attacks and overall handling similar to that of the jian The ''jian'' (pronunciation （劍）, English approximation: ) 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 BCE, during the Spring and ..., while still preserving much of the dao's strengths in cutting and slashing.Tom 2005, p. 77 This type of sword seems to have lost its popularity with military and martial arts practitioners alike by the end of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wodao
The ''wodao'' () is a Chinese sword from the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. It is typically long and slender, but heavy, with a curved back and sharp blade. It bears a strong resemblance to the Tang sword, zhanmadao, Tachi or Odachi in form. Extant examples show a handle approximately 25.5 cm long, with a gently curved blade 80 cm long. The Chinese word "wo" literally means "Japanese", so "wodao" literally means "Japanese sword". The term "wodao" sometimes refers to Japanese swords, but it mainly refers to similar swords developed in China with Japanese swords used as reference. Chinese wodao was developed based on the Japanese sword used by the wokou pirates, a mixed group of Japanese and Chinese who repeatedly looted in the Chinese coast.Rekishi Gunzo. (2 July 2011) ''The Complete Work on Strategic and Tactical Weapons. From Ancient China to Modern China''. Gakken. Qi Jiguang (1528-1588 AD), a general of the Ming Dynasty, studied wokou's tactics and Japanese swords to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Piandao
The ''Piandao'' (片刀) is a type of Chinese sabre (dao) used during the late Ming Dynasty. A deeply curved dao meant for slashing and draw-cutting, it bore a strong resemblance to the shamshir and scimitar A scimitar ( or ) is a single-edged sword with a convex curved blade associated with Middle Eastern, South Asian, or North African cultures. A European term, ''scimitar'' does not refer to one specific sword type, but an assortment of different .... A fairly uncommon weapon, it was generally used by skirmishers in conjunction with a shield. Chinese swords Blade weapons {{China-hist-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nandao
Nandao is a kind of sword that is used mostly in contemporary Chinese wushu exercises and forms. It is the southern variation of the "northern broadsword", or Beidao. Its blade bears some resemblance to the butterfly sword The butterfly sword is a short dao, or single-edged sword, originally from southern China, though it has also seen use in the north. It is thought that butterfly swords date from the early 19th century. Several English language accounts from t ..., also a southern Chinese single-bladed weapon; the main difference is the size, and the fact that the butterfly swords have D-shaped knuckle guards. The main difference with the beidao is that the nandao is mostly used two-handed due to its larger amount of weight, and it has a large metal crossguard useful in deflecting blows and hooking the opponent's weapon; also, although it is single-edged, the nandao is not curved like the northern broadsword. The differentiation between beidao and nandao appear to be ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miaodao
The ''miaodao'' (苗刀) is a Chinese two-handed dao or saber of the Republican Era, with a narrow blade, long hilt, and an overall length of or more. The name means "sprout saber", presumably referring to a likeness between the weapon and a newly sprouted plant. An early reference, in Jin Yiming’s ''Single Defense-Saber'', makes a connection between the ''miaodao'' and the Qing-era ''wodao'', as well as mentioning both single and two-handed versions of the ‘’miaodao’’, suggesting that the name originally described the shape only, without any connotations of size. While the ''miaodao'' is a recent weapon, the name has come to be applied to a variety of earlier Chinese long sabers, such as the zhanmadao and changdao. Along with the dadao, miaodao were used by some Chinese troops during the Second Sino-Japanese War. While the miaodao is rarely practiced in modern Chinese martial arts, some schools of piguaquan and tongbeiquan (in the Guo Changsheng lineage) and xingyiqu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
