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A guan dao or kwan dao
(Chinese: 關刀; Mandarin Pinyin: guān dāo; Cantonese IPA: /kwan55
təu55/, Jyutping: gwaan1 dou1) is a type of Chinese pole weapon that
is currently used in some forms of Chinese wushu. In Chinese it is
properly called a Yanyue dao (偃月刀) which translates as 'reclining
moon blade'). It is an ornate version of a plainer Chinese weapon
known as a long-handled sabre or horsecutter and consists of a heavy
blade mounted atop a 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 deep and curved on
its face; this resembles a Chinese sabre or the Japanese naginata
and bisento, or the European glaive and voulge. Often the edge will
taper to a point on the top for thrusting. The reverse has a spike
used for hooking and dismounting victims. In addition there are
sometimes irregular serrations that lead the back edge of the blade
to the spike. Usually 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, or featuring a more ornate design as exemplified by the dragon
head guan dao.
History
According to legend, the guan dao was invented by the famous general
Guan Yu during the early 3rd century AD, hence the name. Due to his
large stature, he was able to wield such an imposing weapon and
developed the guan dao into a versatile tool. Guan Yu's guan dao was
called 'Green Dragon Crescent Blade' (青龍偃月刀) which weighed 82
Chinese jin (estimated 49 kg.).
However, historically speaking it is likely that Guan Yu used a
lance or a dagger-axe (ji) and not his epynonymous sword. While the
famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong
describes him as wielding the guan dao, this description is an
anachronistic one, as there is no proof that it was ever used prior
to the Song dynasty when it was first illustrated in the military
manual Wujing Zongyao. The guan dao, therefore, was likely neither
invented nor ever used by Guan Yu, meaning that it is somewhat of a
pop culture-derived misnomer. Howver, some historians believe that
the Guan Dao was simply an uncommon, rare weapon prior to the Song
dynasty and was thus not illustrated before then.
While it could be used from horseback, the guan dao could also be
used by infantry as an anti-personnel and anti-cavalry weapon.It is
said that Guan Yu's original guan dao weighed between 100 and 200 lb
(45 and 90 kg), the modern guan dao which has been adopted by
martial artists today usually weighs between 5 and 20 lb (2 and 10
kg). Combat
Uses
The guan dao is used quite frequently in the part of contemporary
Wushu that is deemed to have derived from 'Shaolin' form of martial
arts in modern times and in popular fictional depictions. According
to contemporary Wushu practice, its purpose is more to disarm an
opponent and deflect his strikes rather than to attack. To that end,
a large veil cloth is attached to the end to dissuade and confuse
opponents. However, there is no evidence of this being an authentic
aspect of the weapon's usage. Tassles and cloths are attached to
numerous weapons such as jian, dao, and guan dao used in Chinese
opera, one of the sources of movements found in contemporary wushu.
In addition, we do not see these tassles and cloths attached to
weaponry in other cultures, so we can assume this feature would have
been of little consequence - if confusion was a great element surely
they would be found in later European dueling-type swords and we
would perhaps see it filtered into modern day fencing. There is a
notch located on the back side of the blade used to grasp opposing
weapons. Moreover, the long range of the guan dao allows the wielder
to keep his distance. In modern
training, the proper wielding of a guan dao resembles an intricate
dance. Historically however it shares design similarities with some
european polearms - as both a heavy and a long weapon it is doubtful
that theatric techniques could have been practically employed. Like
most Chinese weapons, the exact usage and technique is not clear.
[Annotation, lr: The guan dao form of
the Tien Shan Pai style has a clear usage for combat. The form tells
also the history of general Guan Yu, e.g. him riding on the horse.
Because of the difficulty of handling a weapon with such weight, and
its character of soft and hard techniques, the guan dao furthermore
strengthens the body of a practitioner on a very high level. One has
to use his energy in an absolutely correct way. Therefore it is the
weapon of the master.] |
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