Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
The jian (Mandarin Chinese:, Chinese: 劍, English approximation: / dʒ j ɛ n / jyehn, Cantonese:) 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; [1] one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian.
The modern guandao as adopted by martial artists today usually weighs between 2 and 10 kg (4.4 and 22.0 lb), and is typically composed of a wood shaft of about 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m) in length, a short blade of about 12 to 18 in (300 to 460 mm) on one end, and a mace head on the other (which serves mostly as a counterweight to the blade but ...