Baat Cham Dao
Literally: eight cutting knives
Also known as: Baat Jaam Do
Paired short Chinese swords with a blade of about 29 cm, sharpened only from the middle to the tip, and a small sai-like guard.
Quick Facts
ChinaAbout the weapon
Baat cham dao, in English butterfly swords, are a paired short blade weapon. In Wing Chun they are called baat jaam do after the form of the same name; the Cantonese name literally means "eight cutting knives". The weapon is thought to date from the early 19th century. Several English reports from the 1840s describe local militias in Guangdong province trained with "double swords" – short swords with a hook projecting from the guard. Today's blade measures on average about 29 cm and the hilt about 15 cm. The edge is sharpened only over half its length, from the middle of the blade to the tip. A small guard like that of the sai protects the hand and can be used to block or hook an opponent's weapon. The swords were not mass-produced but made to order for a specific fighter, so every pair is different. Butterfly swords are practised mainly in Wing Chun, Hung Ga and Choy Li Fut. In Wing Chun, the principles of fighting with them underlie all further weapons work. Thanks to their length they could easily be hidden in wide sleeves or boots; the pair was often carried side by side in a single scabbard, to look like a single weapon. It is a different weapon from the folding balisong knife, also called a butterfly knife in English.
Parts of the weapon
- Blade
- Guard
- Scabbard