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Legendary Weapons Of China
''Legendary Weapons of China'' (aka ''Legendary Weapons of Kung Fu'') is a 1982 martial arts wuxia film or wuxia pian directed by Lau Kar-Leung. It takes place during the late Qing Dynasty when Empress Dowager Cixi dispatches her agents to various factions of the Boxer Rebellion in order to find supernatural martial artists that are invulnerable to western bullets. When one of the leaders of these groups disbands his forces, assassins from the remaining factions are sent out to kill him for his apparent treason. As the title of the film suggests, a great variety of fights take place involving the "legendary weapons." Although Lau Kar-Leung is known for showing "real Kung-Fu" in his films, he does take some artistic license by incorporating elements of Taoist Maoshan folk magic with hand-to-hand combat. This is similar to what he did in another of film of his, Heroes of the East (or "Challenge of the Ninja"). Plot Ti Hau is a pupil of Master Ti, a high-ranking member of a boxer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lau Kar-leung
Lau Kar-leung (28 July 1934 – 25 June 2013), was a Chinese actor, filmmaker, choreographer, and martial artist from Hong Kong. Lau is best known for the films he made in the 1970s and 1980s for the Shaw Brothers Studio. His most famous works include ''The 36th Chamber of Shaolin'' starring Gordon Liu as well as ''Drunken Master II'' starring Jackie Chan. History Lau began learning kung fu when he was nine years old, under strict tutelage from his father. Before becoming famous, Lau worked as an extra and choreographer on black and white Wong Fei-hung movies. He teamed up with fellow Wong Fei-hung choreographer on the 1963 Hu Peng-directed wuxia film ''South Dragon, North Phoenix''. Their collaboration would continue on until the mid-1970s. His first appearance in a film was in ''Brave Lad of Guangong'' (1950). In the 1960s he became one of Shaw Brothers' main choreographers and had a strong working relationship with director Chang Cheh, working on many of Chang's films as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heroes Of The East
''Heroes of the East'' (), also known as ''Challenge of the Ninja'', ''Shaolin vs. Ninja'' and ''Shaolin Challenges Ninja'' is a martial arts film produced in 1978. It starred Gordon Liu and was directed by Lau Kar-Leung. Lau Kar-Leung has a cameo role as So Chan, a master of Zui Quan. It's notable for portraying Japanese martial arts alongside the more typical kung fu used in most Hong Kong martial arts films. Plot In Shanghai about the 1930s, Ho Tao (Gordon Liu) is a kung fu student. His rich father has set up an arranged marriage for him with the daughter of a Japanese business associate. Ho Tao initially objects and feigns illness, but soon thereafter agrees to the marriage when he finds bride to be, Yumiko Kōda ("Kung Zi" in Mandarin), is attractive. After the wedding, he finds out that she is also a martial artist. Ho Tao finds her style of karate to be violent, unladylike, and potentially immodest and tries to persuade her to learn feminine but also effectual styles of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monk's Spade
A monk's spade (; also, ), also called a Shaolin Spade, is a Chinese pole weapon consisting of a long pole with a flat spade-like blade on one end and a smaller crescent shaped blade on the other. Neither blade was designed to be sharpened. In old China, Buddhist monks often carried spades (shovels) with them when travelling. This served two purposes: if they came upon a corpse on the road, they could properly bury it with Buddhist rites, and the large implement could serve as a weapon for defence against bandits. The crescent was designed as defense against small to medium-sized predators such as wild dogs and leopards. The way it is used is to hold the animal at bay by positioning the crescent at the animal's neck and pushing it away if needed. Over time, they were stylised into the ''monk's spade'' weapon. See also * Khakkhara * Sasumata References * Holmes Welch, ''The Practice of Chinese Buddhism 1900—1950'', Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tonfa
The ''tonfa'' ( Okinawan: , lit. ''old man's staff'' / ''"crutch"''), also spelled as ''tongfa'' or ''tuifa'', also known as T-baton is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts. It consists of a stick with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, and is about long. It was traditionally made from red or white oak, and wielded in pairs. The tonfa is believed to have originated in either China, Okinawa or Southeast Asia, where it is used in the respective fighting styles. History Traditional origin story The tonfa belongs to a group of ancient weapons called kobudo weapons. 400 years ago, the Ryukyu islanders used the tonfa against the Japanese samurai. The Japanese took all the weapons of the Ryukyuans. The Ryukyu islanders developed clever ways to defend themselves using everyday objects. The millstone handle evolved into the tonfa. The tonfa along with the other kobudo weapons were working too ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use definition of a dagger, which has been used to describe everything from an ice pick to a folding knife with pointed blade as a 'dagger'. The Missouri Supreme Court used the popular definition of 'dagger' found in Webster's New Universal Dictionary ("a short weapon with a sharp point used for stabbing") to rule that an ordinary pointed knife with four-to-five inch blade constitutes a 'dagger' under the Missouri criminal code.California Penal Code 12020(a)(24):"dagger" means a ''knife or other instrument'' with or without a handguard that is ''capable of ready use as a stabbing weapon'' that may inflict great bodily injury or death. The State of California and other jurisdictions have seized upon the popular-use definition of a dagger to clas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chain Whip
The chain whip, also known as the soft whip, is a weapon used in some Chinese martial arts, particularly traditional Chinese disciplines, in addition to modern and traditional wushu. It consists of several metal rods, which are joined end-to-end by rings to form a flexible chain. Generally, the whip has a handle at one end and a metal dart, used for slashing or piercing an opponent, at the other. A cloth flag is often attached at or near the dart end of the whip and a second flag may cover the whip's handle. The flag or flags adds visual appeal and produces a rushing sound as the whip swings through the air. The rushing noise also helps the user with identifying the location of the other end, since the weapon moves too fast to be normally noticed by human eyes. Construction There is no standard on the length of the chain whip. The typical length is also different between north and south China. The chain is shorter in the south which make it more suitable for close quarter fight ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qiang (spear)
''Qiang'' (pronunciation: , English approximation: , ) 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'' (straight 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. The tassel shows elite troop status. It also serves a tactical purpose. 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 2.5 meters long, increasing up t ... [...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] |
Dao (Chinese Sword)
''Dao'' (pronunciation: , English approximation: , Chinese: 刀; pinyin: ''dāo'') are single-edged Chinese swords, primarily used for slashing and chopping. The most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre, although those with wider blades are sometimes referred to as Chinese broadswords. In China, the dao is considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with the ''gun'' (stick or staff), '' qiang'' (spear), and the ''jian'' (double-edged sword), called in this group "The General of Weapons". Name In Chinese, the word can be applied to ''any'' weapon with a single-edged blade and usually refers to knives. Because of this, the term is sometimes translated as knife or Nonetheless, within Chinese martial arts and in military contexts, the larger "sword" versions of the ''dao'' are usually intended. General characteristics While dao have varied greatly over the centuries, most single-handed dao of the Ming period and later and the modern swords based on them s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kwan Dao
A ''guandao'' is a type of Chinese pole weapon that is used in some forms of Chinese martial arts. In Chinese, it is properly called a yanyuedao (偃月刀; lit. "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 the Japanese naginata and the European fauchard or glaive 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. 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 str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ji (halberd)
The ''ji'' (pronunciation: , English approximation: , ) was a Chinese polearm, sometimes translated into English as spear or halberd, though they are fundamentally different weapons. They were used in one form or another for over 3000 years, from at least as early as the Zhou dynasty, until the end of the Qing dynasty. They are still used for training purposes in many Chinese martial arts. History The ''ji'' was initially a hybrid between a spear and a dagger-axe. It was a relatively common infantry weapon in Ancient China, and was also used by cavalry and charioteers. In the Song dynasty, several weapons were referred to as ''ji'', but they were developed from spears, not from ancient ''ji''. One variety was called the ''qinglong ji'' (), and had a spear tip with a crescent blade on one side. Another type was the ''fangtian ji'' (), which had a spear tip with crescent blades on both sides. They had multiple means of attack: the side blade or blades, the spear tip, plus oft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lochaber Axe
The Lochaber axe ( Gaëlic: tuagh-chatha) is a type of poleaxe that was used almost exclusively in Scotland. It was usually mounted on a staff about five feet long. Specifics of the weapon The Lochaber axe is first recorded in 1501, as an "old Scottish batale ax of Lochaber fasoun". Waldman (2005) pp. 195–197. The weapon is very similar to the Jedburgh axe, although the crescent blade of the former is larger and heavier than that of the latter. The Lochaber axe took many incarnations, all of them having a few elements in common. It was a heavy weapon, used by infantry for a defense against cavalry and as a pike against infantry. Like most other polearms of the time, it consisted of two parts: shaft and blade. The shaft was usually some long. The blade was about in length which usually resembled a bardiche or voulge in form. The blade might be attached in two places and often had a sharp point coming off the top. In addition a hook (or ''cleek'') was attached to the bac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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