Types of Swords in China Kungfu

Although there are numerous kinds of swords, only five will be described here. Among these, the first two (A and B) are the most common sword types and are the designs used most often by today's practitioners. The other three types are specialized modifications  of the first two. Although they can be used with most common sword techniques, there are additional special techniques made possible by their design.

A.  Scholar's Sword (Wen Jian). This sword is also called a female sword. It is long and light, with a rounded tip. It is not commonly used for war, but for self-defense and for dancing. It was also commonly carried by scholars to present an elegant appearance or was hung on a wall to decorate a room.

B. Martial Sword (Wu Jian. This sword, also known as a male sword, is long and heavy, with a pointed tip. Be- cause of its killing potential, it was mainly used in battle. 

C.  Wu Hooked Sword (Wu Gou Jian). This sword was invented during the Wu dynasty (AD 222–280) and is designed for cutting an enemy's limbs, or his horse's legs, after blocking a weapon.

D. Saw Toothed Sword (Ju Chi Jian ). This sword has a serrated edge to give it greater cutting ability. The edge design probably originated when someone found that a badly nicked blade seemed to cut more viciously. The two holes in the tip of the sword resemble the eyes of a snake and make a whooshing noise when the sword is swung.

E.  Snake Tongue Sword (She She Jian ). This sword has a wavy blade, which again makes for a fearful cut. The double point may have given the fighter a way to catch his opponent's weapon at long range.

The Blood Groove (Xue Gou ). When a sword fighter stabs his enemy, the blade is fixed in the enemy's body by the body's attempt to close the wound. It creates a suction effect on the blade. These factors make it difficult to withdraw the weapon. To solve this problem, most martial swords (wu jian ) were forged with a groove down each side of the blade, called a blood groove. In battle, the warrior is faced with a multitude of enemies, so he must be able to get the blade free as quickly as possible. Without the blood groove, freeing the embedded sword would require the swordsman to either widen the wound by twisting the blade or thrust the sword completely through the body to break the suction.

The Tassel (Jian Sui ). Many swords in use today have a tassel hanging from the hilt to enhance its appearance. Generally, this tassel has no martial usefulness for the jian. However, there are some swords with long tassels (chang sui jian), where the tassel is designed to attack the opponent's eyes. Click to learn how Chinese medicine treats Ulcerative Colitis.

Historically, the scholar's sword, the dancing sword, and the decorative sword usually had a tassel, and the martial sword almost never did. The reasons for not using a tassel are as follows: first, the tassel changes the balance of the sword, making it harder to handle; second, it can become entangled in the sword arm, distracting the sword fighter; third, the opponent can grab the tassel and gain control of the sword.

The Sheath (Jian Qiao). There are two types of scabbards: the scholar sheath and the martial sheath. The scholar sheath is made of wood, covered with snake or alligator skin to make it waterproof and to protect the sword from moisture. The martial sheath is made of metal to enable it to withstand more abuse; in addition, the metal sheath can be used for blocking. Sheaths should be straight and stiff, and the brackets for the hanger must be tight and not slide up and down the sheath.