Dao (Chinese sword)

Dao (pronunciation: [táu], English approximation: /daʊ/ dow,

Chinese: 刀 ; pinyin: dāo) are single-edged Chinese
Dao
swords, primarily used for slashing and chopping. The
most common form is also known as the Chinese sabre,
although those with wider blades are sometimes referred
to as Chinese broadswords. In China, the dao is
considered one of the four traditional weapons, along with
the gun (stick or staff), qiang (spear), and the jian (double-
edged sword), called in this group "The General of
Weapons".

A Chinese dao and scabbard of the 18th

Contents century

Name
Chinese 刀
Literal (single-edged) sword
General characteristics
meaning weapon with a single-edged blade
Early history knife
Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties Transcriptions
Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties Standard Mandarin
Yanmaodao
Hanyu Pinyin dāo
Liuyedao
Wade–Giles tao1
Piandao
Niuweidao IPA [táu]
Yue: Cantonese
Recent history
Nandao Yale Romanization dou1
IPA [tóu]
In contemporary wushu
In popular culture
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

Name
In Chinese, the word 刀 can be applied to any weapon with a single-edged blade and usually refers to
knives. Because of this, the term is sometimes translated as knife or sword-knife. Nonetheless, within
Chinese martial arts and in military contexts, the larger "sword" versions of the dao are usually intended.

General characteristics
While dao have varied greatly over the centuries, most single-handed dao of the Ming period and later, and
the modern swords that are based on them share a number of characteristics. Dao blades are moderately
curved and single-edged, though often with a few inches of the back edge sharpened as well; the moderate
curve allows them to be reasonably effective in the thrust. Hilts are sometimes canted, curving in the
opposite direction of the blade which improves handling in some forms of cuts and thrusts. Cord is usually
wrapped over the wood of the handle. Hilts may also be pierced like those of jian (straight-bladed Chinese
sword) for the addition of lanyards, though modern swords for performances will often have tassels or
scarves instead. Guards are typically disc-shaped and often cupped. This was to prevent rainwater from
getting into the sheath, and to prevent blood from dripping down to the handle, which would make it more
difficult to grip. Sometimes guards are thinner pieces of metal with an s-curve, the lower limb of the curve
protecting the user's knuckles; very rarely they may have guards like those of the jian.

Other variations to the basic pattern include the large bagua dao and the long handled pudao.

Early history
The earliest dao date from the Shang Dynasty in China's Bronze
Age, and are known as zhibeidao ( 直背刀 )  – straight backed
knives. As the name implies, these were straight-bladed or slightly
curved weapons with a single edge. Originally bronze, these
weapons were made of iron or steel by the time of the late Warring
States period as metallurgical knowledge became sufficiently
advanced to control the carbon content. Originally less common as
a military weapon than the jian – the straight, double-edged blade
of China  – the dao became popular with cavalry during the Han Han dynasty steel ringheaded dao of
dynasty due to its sturdiness, superiority as a chopping weapon, different sizes (bottom).
and relative ease of use – it was generally said that it takes a week
to attain competence with a dao/saber, a month to attain
competence with a qiang/spear, and a year to attain competence with a jian/straight sword. Soon after dao
began to be issued to infantry, beginning the replacement of the jian as a standard-issue weapon.[1][2] Late
Han dynasty dao had round grips and ring-shaped pommels, and ranged between 85 and 114 centimeters in
length. These weapons were used alongside rectangular shields.[3]

By the end of the Three Kingdoms period, the single-edged dao had almost completely replaced the jian on
the battlefield.[4] The jian henceforth became known as a weapon of self-defense for the scholarly
aristocratic class, worn as part of court dress.[5]

Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties

As in the preceding dynasties, Tang dynasty dao
were straight along the entire length of the blade.
Single-handed peidao ("belt dao") were the most
common sidearm in the Tang dynasty. These were
also known as hengdao ("horizontal dao" or "cross
dao") in the preceding Sui dynasty. Two-handed
changdao ("long dao") or modao were also used in Two Sui dynasty zhibeidao with ring-shaped pommels.
the Tang, with some units specializing in their
use.[6]
During the Song Dynasty, one form of infantry dao was the shoudao, a chopping weapon with a clip point.
While some illustrations show them as straight, the 11th century Song military encyclopedia Wujing
Zongyao depicts them with curved blades – possibly an influence from the steppe tribes of Central Asia,
who would conquer parts of China during the Song period. Also dating from the Song are the falchion-like
dadao,[7] the long, two-handed zhanmadao,[8] and the long-handled, similarly two-handed buzhandao ( 步
戰刀 ).

Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties

With the Mongol invasion of China in
the early 13th century and the
formation of the Yuan dynasty, the
curved steppe saber became a greater
influence on Chinese sword designs.
Sabers had been used by Turkic,
Tungusic, and other steppe peoples of
Central Asia since at least the 8th
century CE, and it was a favored
weapon among the Mongol
aristocracy. Its effectiveness for
mounted warfare and popularity
among soldiers across the entirety of
the Mongol empire had lasting
effects.[9]
Swords and polearms as depicted in the Wubei Zhi, including dao.
In China, Mongol influence lasted
long after the collapse of the Yuan
dynasty at the hands of the Ming, continuing through both the Ming and the Qing dynasties, furthering the
popularity of the dao and spawning a variety of new blades. Blades with greater curvature became popular,
and these new styles are collectively referred to as peidao. During the mid-Ming these new sabers would
completely replace the jian as a military-issue weapon.[10] The four main types of peidao are:[11][12]

Yanmaodao

The yanmaodao or "goose-quill saber" is largely straight like the earlier zhibeidao, with a curve appearing
at the center of percussion near the blade's tip. This allows for thrusting attacks and overall handling similar
to that of the jian, while still preserving much of the dao's strengths in cutting and slashing.[13]

Liuyedao

The liuyedao or "willow leaf saber" is the most common form of Chinese saber. It first appeared during the
Ming dynasty, and features a moderate curve along the length of the blade. This weapon became the
standard sidearm for both cavalry and infantry, replacing the yanmaodao, and is the sort of saber originally
used by many schools of Chinese martial arts.[14]

Piandao
The piandao or "slashing saber" is a deeply curved dao meant
for slashing and draw-cutting. This weapon bears a strong
resemblance to the shamshir and scimitar. A fairly uncommon
weapon, it was generally used by skirmishers in conjunction
with a shield.[15]

Niuweidao

The niuweidao or "oxtail saber" is a heavy bladed weapon with

a characteristic flaring tip. It is the archetypal "Chinese
broadsword" of kung fu movies today. It is first recorded in the
early 19th century (the latter half of the Qing dynasty) and only
as a civilian weapon: there is no record of it being issued to
troops, and it does not appear in any listing of official
weaponry. Its appearance in movies and modern literature is
thus often anachronistic.[16][17]

Besides these four major types of dao, the duandao or "short

dao" was also used, this being a compact weapon generally in
the shape of a liuyedao.[18] The dadao saw continued use, and
during the Ming dynasty the large two-handed changdao and
zhanmadao were used both against the cavalry of the northern
steppes and the wokou (pirates) of the southeast coast; these
latter weapons (sometimes under different names) would
continue to see limited use during the Qing period.[19] Also
during the Qing there appear weapons such as the nandao, Zhanyinbao, an Imperial bodyguard,
regional variants in name or shape of some of the above dao, wearing a sheathed dao. Notice the
and more obscure variants such as the "nine ringed lanyard through the handle. (1760)
broadsword", these last likely invented for street demonstrations
and theatrical performances rather than for use as weapons. The
word dao is also used in the names of several polearms that feature a single-edged blade, such as the pudao
and guandao.

The Chinese spear and dao (liuyedao and yanmaodao) were commonly issued to infantry due to the
expense of and relatively greater amount of training required for the effective use of Chinese straight sword,
or jian. Dao can often be seen depicted in period artwork worn by officers and infantry.

During the Yuan dynasty and after, some aesthetic features of Persian, Indian, and Turkish swords would
appear on dao. These could include intricate carvings on the blade and "rolling pearls": small metal balls
that would roll along fuller-like grooves in the blade.[20]

Recent history
The dadao was used by some Chinese militia units against Japanese invaders in the Second Sino-Japanese
War, occasioning "The Sword March". The miaodao, a descendant of the changdao, also saw use. These
were used during planned ambushes on Japanese troops because the Chinese military and patriotic
resistance groups often had a shortage of firearms.

Most Chinese martial arts schools still train extensively with the dao, seeing it as a powerful conditioning
tool and a versatile weapon, with self-defense techniques transferable to similarly sized objects more
commonly found in the modern world, such as canes, baseball or cricket bats, for example. There are also
schools that teach double sword shuangdao 雙 刀 , forms and
fencing, one dao for each hand.

One measure of the proper length of the sword should be from the
hilt in your hand and the tip of the blade at the brow and in some
schools, the height of shoulder. Alternatively, the length of the
sword should be from the middle of the throat along the length of
the outstretched arm. There are also significantly larger versions of
dao used for training in some Baguazhang and Taijiquan schools.
Chinese soldiers from a "Big Sword
Unit" during the Japanese invasion of
Nandao Jehol Province, China, 1933

The nandao or "southern broadsword" is a modern innovation used

for contemporary wushu practice.

In contemporary wushu
Daoshu refers to the competitive event in modern wushu taolu where athletes utilize a dao in a routine. It
was one of the four main weapon events implemented at the 1st World Wushu Championships due to its
popularity.[21] The dao itself, consists of a flimsy blade that makes noise when stabbing or cutting
techniques are used. Over time, the blade has become more flimsy to create more noise, the sword has
become lighter to allow for faster techniques, and the flag of the broadsword has become smaller to become
less of a distraction. The IWUF has also created three different standardized routines for competition as
well as an elementary routine. The first compulsory routine was created and recorded by Zhao Changjun in
1989.

Daoshu routines in international competition require certain sword techniques including:

Chán Tóu (Broadsword Twining)

Guǒ Nǎo,(Wrapping with the Broadsword)
Pī Dāo (Broadsword Chop)
Zhā Dāo (Broadsword Thrust)
Zhǎn Dāo (Broadsword Hack)
Guà Dāo (Broadsword Hooking Parry)
Yún Dāo (Broadsword Cloud Waving)
Bèi Huā Dāo (Broadsword Wrist Figure 8 Behind the Back).

Only the Chán Tóu and Guǒ Nǎo techniques have deduction content (code 62) where the back of the
blade has to be kept close to the body. Daoshu routines have been judged with the degree of difficulty
criteria at the World Wushu Championships since 2005.

In popular culture
In Heroes of the East, a dao sword was one of many weapons used by the hero Ho Tao.
In Ranma ½, Shampoo uses a dao sword.
In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Shu Lien uses a dao sword which split to two while
teaching Princess Jen.
In Inuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time, Menomaru's follower Hari wields
two dao swords.
 In Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Last Airbender,
Zuko uses two dao swords.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Sao Feng,
the Pirate Lord of Singapore and scourge of the South
China Sea wields a dao sword.
In Power Rangers Jungle Fury, the Jungle Swords are
based on dao swords.
In Deadliest Warrior, a Ming Warrior uses a dao sword to
fight a Musketeer. A dao as seen in modern wushu
In Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, many
locals in Ta Lo as well as Trevor Slattery and Razor Fist
use dao swords of dragon scales to fight the followers of the Dweller-in-Darkness.

See also
Chinese swords
Dha (sword)
Sabre

References
1. Tom 2001, p. 207
2. Graff 2002, p. 41
3. Lorge 2011, pp. 69–70.
4. Lorge 2011, p. 78.
5. Lorge 2011, pp. 83–84.
6. Lorge 2011, p. 103.
7. Tom & Rodell 2005, p. 84
8. Hanson 2004
9. Tom 2001, p. 207
10. Tom 2001, pp. 207–209
11. Tom 2001, p. 211
12. Tom & Rodell 2005, p. 76
13. Tom & Rodell 2005, p. 77
14. Tom & Rodell 2005, pp. 77–78
15. Tom & Rodell 2005, p. 78
16. Tom 2001, p. 211
17. Tom & Rodell 2005, pp. 78–79
18. Tom & Rodell 2005, pp. 80, 84
19. Tom & Rodell 2005, p. 85
20. Tom 2001, pp. 209, 218
21. "Results" (http://www.iwuf.org/competition-results/). IWUF. Retrieved 2021-01-09.

Bibliography
 Graff, David A. (2002), Medieval Chinese Warfare, 300–900, London: Routledge, ISBN 0-
415-23955-9
Grancsay, Stephen (1930), "Two Chinese Swords", The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Bulletin, 25 (9): 194–196, doi:10.2307/3255712 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F3255712),
JSTOR 3255712 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/3255712)
Hanson, Chris (2004), The Mongol Siege of Xiangyang and Fan-ch'eng and the Song
military (http://deremilitari.org/2014/05/the-mongol-siege-of-xiangyang-and-fan-cheng-and-th
e-song-military/), retrieved August 23, 2014
Lorge, Peter A. (2011), Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-87881-4
Tom, Philip M. W. (2001), "Some Notable Sabers of the Qing Dynasty at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art", Metropolitan Museum Journal, 36: 11, 207–222, doi:10.2307/1513063 (http
s://doi.org/10.2307%2F1513063), JSTOR 1513063 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/1513063),
S2CID 191359442 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:191359442)
Tom, Philip M. W.; Rodell, Scott M. (February 2005), "An Introduction to Chinese Single-
Edged Hilt Weapons (Dao) and Their Use in the Ming and Qing Dynasties", Kung Fu Tai
Chi: 76–85
Werner, E. T. C. (1989), Chinese Weapons, Singapore: Graham Brash, ISBN 9971-4-9116-8

External links
Sword with Scabbard (http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/33
573) - 17th century example - Metropolitan Museum of Art
Saber (Peidao) with Scabbard (http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/s
earch/22412) – 18th or 19th century example – Metropolitan Museum of Art

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