Most of the weapons used in Chinese wushu have evolved from arms used in fighting in ancient China. Roughly speaking, they fall into four categories: short weapons, long weapons, double weapons and soft weapons.
The most common short weapons are
Most of the weapons used in Chinese wushu have evolved from arms used in fighting in ancient China. Roughly speaking, they fall into four categories: short weapons, long weapons, double weapons and soft weapons.
The most common short weapons are the broadsword and the sword.
The broadsword is the most popular of all the weapons used in Chinese wushu. It is of antique origin, being used by soldiers as a major weapon as far back as the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220). There are a great variety of broadswords. The main types used in modern wushu exercises include short-handle broadswords, choppers, sabres, nine-ringed broadswords and so on. In spite of the immense variety, they are all quite similar in structure, each consisting of a handle, a hand-guard, and a blade that has a convex cutting edge and a pointing tip at the fore end.
A sword is made up of the following parts: a hilt, a guard, a blade that has two cutting edges and a sharp point at the fore end. In modern wushu practice, the length of a sword should be such that its point is as high as the performer's ear-lobe when it is held at the back of one arm with its tip pointing up.
The spear and the cudgel are representative of the long weapons.
The spear was an important weapon used in ancient battles. Down through the ages it appeared in countless varieties, as evidenced by detailed descriptions in the Song and Ming dynasties from the late 10th to the middle of the 17th century. A modern spear consists of a shaft made of Chinese ash and fit with a steel tip at one end, with red tassels tied to the intersection between the shaft and the tip. A spear used in competitions should be of such a length that when it is placed upright by your side you can reach its upper end with your fingertips.
The cudgel is yet another major type of weapon used in ancient warfare. A modern cudgel is usually made of Chinese ash and should be at least as long as the performer's body height. Its thickness may vary with different ages and sexes.
Typical of the double weapons are the double broadswords, double sw