There are four basic kungfu weapons, two short ones and two long ones. All
of the other weapons derive from these four. These basic four bear a slight
northern accent. Some southern styles emphasize only two basic weapons: the
long pole and the butterfly swords. We will, however, honor these basic
four, since they are more universal.
Long weapons are generally taller than the user and require both hands.
Most of these are pole arms, and kungfu has hundreds of variations of pole
arms alone. Every weird pole arm head has a different Chinese name, some
of which are redundant and overlapping.
Buddha Hand (Fo Shou)
Kwan Dao(刀)
Cicada Wing Sword (Chan Zi Dao)(刀)
Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon Sword (Qian Kun
Ri Yue Dao)(刀)
Double-Bladed Axe(Ge)(斧)
Double-Blade Crescent Shovel (Monk Spade) (Chan)
Nine Dragon Single Blade
Shovel
Eagle Head Sword (Ying Tao Dao)(刀)
Dragon Whisker Fork (Long Xu) Cha(叉)
Blunt-End Fork (Fei) Cha(叉)
Inward Pointed Fork (Fei)
Cha(叉)
Outward Pointed Fork (Fei)
Cha(叉)
Two Teeth Fork (Two Point Fork)(Liang Jian Cha)
or (Ox Horn Fork) (Niu Jiao) Cha (叉)
Upward Pointed Fork (Fei)
Cha(叉)
Gold Coin Spade (Jin Qian Chan)
Single(Dan) Halberd (Ji)(戟)
Double
Halberd (Ji)(戟)
Snake
Halberd
(Ji)(戟)
Heaven Lotus Phoenix Tail (Tian He Feng Wei Tang)
Hoe (Chu Tou)
Horse Chopping Sword (Zhan Ma Dao)(刀)
Lance , Long-handled spear (Mao)(槊)
Lashing Staff (Shao Zi Gun)(棍)
Long-Tip Staff (Gun)(棍)
Long Handled Sword(Da Dao)(刀)
Long Stick Axe (Yue)
Monk Cudgel (Chan Zhang, Zen Stick)
Pu Dao(刀)
Rake (Pa)
Hooked Single Spear (Lian Dao Qiang)(刀 槍)
Snake Spear (She Qiang)(槍)
Spear (Qiang)(槍)
Double Headed Spear (Shuang Tou Qiang)(槍)
Talon, Claw (Zhua) (才過)
Three-Point Double-Blade Sword (San Jian Liang Ren Dao)(刀)
Short weapons can be used one handed, like a sword. Generally speaking,
these are personal side arms. Many of these when used in pairs are twin
weapons, although our twin weapon list is limited to those weapons that
are only used as twins. Furthermore, some short weapons have soft
versions.
Bench (Ban Deng)
Crutch or Cane (Guai)
Cymbals (Ba)
Eight Corner Hammer (Ba Ling Chui)(錘)
Fly Whisk (Fei Mao Dan)
Ghost Head Broadsword (Gui Tao Dao)(刀)
Hammer (Chui)(錘)
Iron Flute (Tie Di)
Iron Ruler (Tie Chi)
Iron Smoking Pipe (Tie Yan Dou)
Double Hand Sword
Long Broadsword (Zha Dao)(刀)
Mace (Jian)(鐧)
Nine Hook Broadsword (Jiu Gou Dao)(鈎 刀)
Nine Ring Broadsword (Jiu Huan Dao)(刀)
Push Dagger (Chi Shou)
Shield (Dun)
Snake Straight Sword (She Jian)(劍)
Southern Sword (Nan Dao)(刀)
Steel Fan (Tie Shan)
Straight Sword Piercer (Jian Ci)
Swallow Tail Broadsword (Yan Zi Dao)(刀)
Sword (Jian)(劍)
Sword of the Eight Diagrams
(Jian)(劍)
Two-Handed Broadsword (Shuang Shou Dao, also Bagua Dao)(刀)
Soft weapons, or flexible weapons, have a joint or are attached to a rope.
These weapons require great skill, since they are always changing. Many of
these can also be hidden weapons, since they are very compact when
collapsed.
Double Flying Claw (Shuang Fei) Zhua(才過)
Talon (抓)
Dragon Head Stick (Long Tao Gan Ban)
Flying Weight (Shuang Tao Fei Chui)(錘)
Four Section Sickle (Si Jie) Tang (金堂)
Meteor Hammer (Liu Xing Chui)(流星錘)
Mother and Son Hammer (Zi Mu Chui)(錘)
Rope Javelin (Sen Biao)
Three Section Staff (San Jie Gun)(棍)
Two Section Staff (Er Jie Gun)(棍)
Whip Chain (Qi Jie Bian, Seven Section Whip or Jiu Jie Bian, Nine Section
Whip)
Twin weapons are two mirror-image weapons, one held in each hand. In
modern kungfu, the practice of twin weapons balances out the left hand
with the right, since many styles have a predetermined dominance.
Axe Fu (斧)
Butterfly Knives (Hu Die Shuang Dao, Butterfly Double Sword or Niu Er Jin
Dao, Ox Ear Sharp Sword)
Deer Antler Knives (Lu Jiao Dao)
Double Broadsword (Dao)(刀)
Double Octagon Hammer (Chui)(錘)
Piercers (Emei Ci)
Golden Melon Hammer Pair (Chui)(錘)
Heaven And Earth Rings
Horse Halberd (Ma Ji)(戟)
Hook (Gou) (鈎)
Iron Chopsticks (Tie Kuai Zi)
Iron Comb (Tie Su Zi)
Iron Ring (Shuo Huan)(槊 )
Mandarin Duck Spade (Yuan Yang Chan)
Midnight And Noon Yue (鉞)
Sun and Moon Speared Sword
(Qian Kun Ri Yue Qiang Dao)(刀)
Hidden weapons are a fascinating sub-topic of Chinese weaponry. Used to
expand the range of offense beyond close combat, a great number of
ingenious hidden weapons were created to surprise the enemy. Small enough
to be hidden in a sleeve or robe, and particularly useful in a surprise
attack or when you are outnumbered, these are generally small weapons,
with the exception of the bows.
Arhat Coin (Luohan Qian)
Bow (Dan Gong)
Crossbow (Lu)
Flying Dart (Fei Biao)
Flying Knife (Fei Dao)(刀)
Flying Locust Stone (Fei Huang Shi)
Iron Toad (Tie Chan Chu)
Scholar's Brush (Pan Guan Bi or Zhaung Yuan Bi - Judge's Brush or Champion
Place Brush)
