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(Redirected from Guan Dao)
A 'guandao' or 'kwandao' 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"). Alternatively the guan dao is also known as 春秋大刀 ''chun qiu da dao'' ("Spring-Autumn great knife"). It is an ornate version of a more plain Chinese weapon known as a pudao (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.
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 most likely would not have used a dagger-axe (ji) . While the famous novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong describes him as wielding the guan dao, this description might be an anachronistic one, as there is no illustration to show that it was ever used prior to the 7th cent. Tang dynasty or 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. However, 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). During the Qing dynasty some extraordinarily heavy versions of guan dao were made for use in military examinations: a candidate had to be able to wield a weapon weighing 80, 100, or 120 jin in order to pass.
Historical guan dao, for the most part, were largely used by Chinese military officers. Compared to jian (sword), dao (sabre), or qiang (spear), the historical guan dao is significantly larger in size and mass, making it inconvenient for civilian use. In terms of military applications, both the guan dao and the qiang are capable of engaging cavalry and infantry alike. Qiang were cheaper to produce and required less training to be effective. Therefore, qiang were distributed to regular infantry, and guan dao became reserved for wealthy officers. Due to the exclusive and expensive nature of the guan dao, it became a symbol of military rank, and is often well decorated.
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. Tassels 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 tassels and cloths attached to weaponry in other cultures, so we can assume this feature would have been of little consequence - because such combat uses of Guan Dao hasn't been shown to be able to confuse opponents in the near years. 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. It however shares design similarities with some European polearms - as both a heavy and a long weapon it is doubtful that theatrical techniques could have been practically employed. Forms utilizing the weapon in styles such as Hung Ga Kuen, emphasize strong slashing movements and momentum to keep the heavy blade moving through a series of spinning cuts. The considerable weight of the weapon also makes guan dao forms good for training the overall strength of the body.
★ In the animated series ''Xiaolin Showdown'', a character named Master Monk Guan uses a Guan Dao-like weapon named "The Spear of Guan".
★ In the Shonen Jump manga and anime ''Shaman King'', the character Tao Ren uses a collapsable Guan Dao that he carries in a suitcase when not in use.
★ In the ''Mortal Kombat'' video game series, the character Sindel uses a Guan Dao as her weapon (in the game is called "Kwan Dao").
★ In the video game '', there is a rare weapon called the Yunchang which is quite similar to the Guan Dao.
★ In the film ''Curse of the Golden Flower'', Prince Jai wields a Guan Dao towards the end of the story.
★ In the popular manga ''One Piece'', Whitebeard wields a massive Guan Dao when seen fighting Red-Haired Shanks.
★ In the video game ''Soul Calibur'', Seong Mi-na uses a Guan Dao like weapon with many variations such as a halberd or a feather broom.
★ In the Shonen Jump manga and animé ''Bleach'', the character Ikkaku Madarame uses a Guan Dao that splits into three sections.
★ In the OEL manga ''OMFG!'', Li Xiao Hû (a.k.a. Super Sensei) is given a fire-emitting Guan Dao from his grandfather.
★ In the manga and anime ''Ikki Tousen'', uses a Dragon-head Guan Dao called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, though she also wields the sword Kusanagi.
★ In the MMORPG ''Dungeon Runners'', a Unique-class two-handed piercing weapon called a "Plunger" is visually styled on the Guan Dao.
★ In the MMORPG ''Phantasy Star Online'', Hunter-class players can weild a weapon similar to the Guan Dao called the Partisan.
★ Dadao
★ ''Dynasty Warriors'': a video game series that allows you to play as Guan Yu, the weapon's namesake.
A 'guandao' or 'kwandao' 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"). Alternatively the guan dao is also known as 春秋大刀 ''chun qiu da dao'' ("Spring-Autumn great knife"). It is an ornate version of a more plain Chinese weapon known as a pudao (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.
| Contents |
| History |
| Combat Uses |
| Guan dao in media |
| See also |
| References |
History
A statue of Guan Yu with a Guan Dao in his hand.
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 most likely would not have used a dagger-axe (ji) . While the famous novel ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' by Luo Guanzhong describes him as wielding the guan dao, this description might be an anachronistic one, as there is no illustration to show that it was ever used prior to the 7th cent. Tang dynasty or 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. However, 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). During the Qing dynasty some extraordinarily heavy versions of guan dao were made for use in military examinations: a candidate had to be able to wield a weapon weighing 80, 100, or 120 jin in order to pass.
Historical guan dao, for the most part, were largely used by Chinese military officers. Compared to jian (sword), dao (sabre), or qiang (spear), the historical guan dao is significantly larger in size and mass, making it inconvenient for civilian use. In terms of military applications, both the guan dao and the qiang are capable of engaging cavalry and infantry alike. Qiang were cheaper to produce and required less training to be effective. Therefore, qiang were distributed to regular infantry, and guan dao became reserved for wealthy officers. Due to the exclusive and expensive nature of the guan dao, it became a symbol of military rank, and is often well decorated.
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. Tassels 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 tassels and cloths attached to weaponry in other cultures, so we can assume this feature would have been of little consequence - because such combat uses of Guan Dao hasn't been shown to be able to confuse opponents in the near years. 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. It however shares design similarities with some European polearms - as both a heavy and a long weapon it is doubtful that theatrical techniques could have been practically employed. Forms utilizing the weapon in styles such as Hung Ga Kuen, emphasize strong slashing movements and momentum to keep the heavy blade moving through a series of spinning cuts. The considerable weight of the weapon also makes guan dao forms good for training the overall strength of the body.
Guan dao in media
★ In the animated series ''Xiaolin Showdown'', a character named Master Monk Guan uses a Guan Dao-like weapon named "The Spear of Guan".
★ In the Shonen Jump manga and anime ''Shaman King'', the character Tao Ren uses a collapsable Guan Dao that he carries in a suitcase when not in use.
★ In the ''Mortal Kombat'' video game series, the character Sindel uses a Guan Dao as her weapon (in the game is called "Kwan Dao").
★ In the video game '', there is a rare weapon called the Yunchang which is quite similar to the Guan Dao.
★ In the film ''Curse of the Golden Flower'', Prince Jai wields a Guan Dao towards the end of the story.
★ In the popular manga ''One Piece'', Whitebeard wields a massive Guan Dao when seen fighting Red-Haired Shanks.
★ In the video game ''Soul Calibur'', Seong Mi-na uses a Guan Dao like weapon with many variations such as a halberd or a feather broom.
★ In the Shonen Jump manga and animé ''Bleach'', the character Ikkaku Madarame uses a Guan Dao that splits into three sections.
★ In the OEL manga ''OMFG!'', Li Xiao Hû (a.k.a. Super Sensei) is given a fire-emitting Guan Dao from his grandfather.
★ In the manga and anime ''Ikki Tousen'', uses a Dragon-head Guan Dao called the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, though she also wields the sword Kusanagi.
★ In the MMORPG ''Dungeon Runners'', a Unique-class two-handed piercing weapon called a "Plunger" is visually styled on the Guan Dao.
★ In the MMORPG ''Phantasy Star Online'', Hunter-class players can weild a weapon similar to the Guan Dao called the Partisan.
See also
★ Dadao
★ ''Dynasty Warriors'': a video game series that allows you to play as Guan Yu, the weapon's namesake.
References
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