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Han dynasty steel ring-headed dao of different sizes (bottom). The earliest dao date from the Shang dynasty in China's Bronze Age, and are known as zhibeidao (直背刀) – straight-backed knives. As the name implies, these were straight-bladed or slightly curved weapons with a single edge.
The dadao (Chinese: 大刀; pinyin: dàdāo; lit. 'large knife/sabre') was a type of Chinese saber of the late Qing dynasty which remained in use as a civilian and military sword through the end of World War 2. [1] The term refers to a whole family of swords, which can vary in blade, guard, and grip configurations.
Historically, Chinese swords are classified into two types, the jian and the dao.A Jian is a straight, double-edged sword mainly used for stabbing, and has been commonly translated into the English language as a longsword; while a dao is a single-edged sword (mostly curved from the Song dynasty forward) mainly used for cutting, and has been translated as a saber or a "knife".
The miaodao (苗刀) is a Chinese two-handed dao or saber, with a narrow blade, long hilt, and an overall length of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) or longer. The name means "sprout saber", presumably referring to a likeness between the weapon and a newly sprouted plant.
The dao has a thick and heavy form, which varies in length from 45 centimetres (18 in) to 65 centimetres (26 in). The unique design of this long backsword is that, instead of a point, the tip of the sword is a bevel which creates the appearance of a squarish shape. This form is also found in the Burmese dha, which is derived from the dao.
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The butterfly sword has a small crossguard to protect the hands of the wielder, similar to that of a sai, which can also be used to block or hook an opponent's weapon. In some versions the crossguard is enlarged offering a second handhold, held in this position the swords can be manipulated in a manner akin to a pair of tonfa .
Historical one-handed versions have blades varying from 45 to 80 cm (18 to 31 in) in length. The weight of an average sword of 70 cm (28 in) blade-length would weigh about 700 to 900 g (1.5 to 2.0 lb). [20] There are also larger two-handed versions used by ancient and medieval armies and for training by many styles of Chinese martial arts.
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