Guandao
关刀 · guāndāo
Also known as: yanyuedao
A Chinese weapon with a heavy cutting blade on a long shaft, properly yanyuedao; tradition credits it to Guan Yu, but attested only from the 11th century.
Quick Facts
ChinaAbout the weapon
Guandao is a Chinese weapon with a heavy cutting blade on a long shaft; properly called yanyuedao (偃月刀), "blade of the reclining moon". According to traditional legend it was invented by the famous general Guan Yu, and his weapon bore the name Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Historians, however, find nothing to support Guan Yu's use of this weapon, and they have not attested the weapon in its current form before the 11th century. It is first depicted in the 11th-century military manual Wujing Zongyao. The weapon has a heavy blade with a spike on the back, sometimes with a notch near its upper base. The blade sits on a wooden or metal shaft 1.5 to 1.8 m long, with a pointed metal counterweight at the other end. Today's versions often have a red sash or tassel by the blade. Guan Yu's legendary blade is said to have weighed 82 jin, meaning, depending on the dynasty, 18 to 48 kg; Qing-era test weapons weighed 80, 100 or 120 jin, and the heaviest surviving piece weighs 83 kg. Under the Qing dynasty it was used by the Green Standard Army, made up exclusively of Han. Candidates for officer rank raised progressively heavier pieces during examinations, and success led to appointment as an officer. Today's versions for martial arts usually weigh 2 to 10 kg and their shaft measures 3 to 5 feet. Training relies on powerful cuts and the use of momentum, and also serves overall conditioning.