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Another version of the Five Weapons lists the bow and crossbow as one weapon, the jian and dao as one weapon, in addition to halberd, shield, and armour. [26] The jian was a popular personal weapon during the Han era, and a class of swordsmen emerged who made their living through fencing. Sword fencing was also a popular pastime for aristocrats.
Soon after dao began to be issued to infantry, beginning the replacement of the jian as a standard-issue weapon. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Late Han dynasty dao had round grips and ring-shaped pommels, and ranged between 85 and 114 centimeters in length.
A minority of jian featured the disc-shaped guards associated with dao. The jian's hilt can accommodate the grip of both hands or one hand plus two or three fingers of the other hand. Two-handed jiàn of up to 1.6 meters (63 inches) in length, known as shuangshou jian, existed but were not as common as the one-handed version. The longer two ...
When paired with a shield, the dao made for a practical replacement for the jian, hence it became the more popular choice as time went on. After the Han, sword dances using the dao rather than the jian are mentioned to have occurred. Archaeological samples range from 86 to 114 cm in length. [37]
The jian was mentioned as one of the "Five Weapons" during the Han dynasty, the other four being dao, spear, halberd, and staff. Another version of the Five Weapons lists the bow and crossbow as one weapon, the jian and dao as one weapon, in addition to halberd, shield, and armour.
The Complete Taiji Dao: The Art of the Chinese Saber, Blue Snake Books, ISBN 978-1-58394-227-7 Zhang Yun. Art Of Chinese Swordsmanship: Manual Of Taiji Jian , Weatherhill, ISBN 978-0-8348-0412-8
By the end of the Three Kingdoms, the single edged dao, with its thicker and more durable dull side, had overtaken the straight double-edged jian as the primary close combat weapon. [23] The more expensive, lighter, and less durable jian entered the domain of court dancers, officials, and expert warriors. [24]
The difference between the two is that zhanmajian is double-edged whereas the zhanmadao is single-edged, which persists with the meaning of jian and dao. Another suggestion is that the zhanmajian was an execution tool used on special occasions rather than a military weapon. [5]