One of the most potent Martial Arts Weapons from olden times was the Chinese spear which is called the 'Qiang,' which is frequently referred to as the King of Weapons. It was held in high esteem because in the hands of a Shaolin Master, or other Gung Fu Expert, the long length would give one a decisive advantage in combat. In this bit of writing we will go over the basic structure of the Qiang, in a second article we will detail a couple of Martial Arts training methods for this incredible weapon.
The Qiang has been around as long as people have found straight branches. It is predominately a pre-modern martial arts weapon, and it is popular in many schools of Gung Fu, notably Shaolin and Tai Chi Chuan. Several schools, such as Hsing i and Bagua Zhang, claim that the weapon was crucial to the founding of and the main concepts of their particular schools.
The shaft of the Qiang is made from wax wood, which is very springy, and it normally ranges in size from 7 to 14 feet. One can make a small circle with the hands, and because the wood bends so easily, the tip will describe a quicker but larger circle. This gives a tremendous amount of back and forth 'snap' to the weapon, should the practitioner so decide.
The blade is often designed in the shape of a leaf. This makes it perfect for either small cuts when you snap the wrists and cause the tip to whip back and forth, And, of course, the thrusting power of the tool is amazing dangerous to the attacker.
The blade is usually butted by a tubular section, which will be affixed to the end of the shaft. This tube is hollow, and it has a hole in it, and a small ball bearing. This particular arrangement is brilliant, and shows the Chinese ingenuity in crafting the blade.
The hole, when the spear is moving at speed, will make a whistling sound. This can easily distract the enemy. The ball bearing inside the hollow pushes any blood that has seeped into the tube right back out.
Lastly, we have the tassel, a hunk of horsehair affixed to the base of the blade. This is incredibly useful, as it blurs the sight of the attacker being 'jabbed' (smile), so that they cannot make a defense, or even grab the spear, A second reason for the tassel is to stop any flow of blood from coming down the shaft of the Qiang and making it difficult to use.
In closing, a Qiang is a potent and far reaching weapon. A favorite of armies in times past, it could be used to keep a foe at bay, and even kill a horse. Please check out part two, in which we will consider training methods used to train warriors in the ancient Chinese spear.
The Qiang has been around as long as people have found straight branches. It is predominately a pre-modern martial arts weapon, and it is popular in many schools of Gung Fu, notably Shaolin and Tai Chi Chuan. Several schools, such as Hsing i and Bagua Zhang, claim that the weapon was crucial to the founding of and the main concepts of their particular schools.
The shaft of the Qiang is made from wax wood, which is very springy, and it normally ranges in size from 7 to 14 feet. One can make a small circle with the hands, and because the wood bends so easily, the tip will describe a quicker but larger circle. This gives a tremendous amount of back and forth 'snap' to the weapon, should the practitioner so decide.
The blade is often designed in the shape of a leaf. This makes it perfect for either small cuts when you snap the wrists and cause the tip to whip back and forth, And, of course, the thrusting power of the tool is amazing dangerous to the attacker.
The blade is usually butted by a tubular section, which will be affixed to the end of the shaft. This tube is hollow, and it has a hole in it, and a small ball bearing. This particular arrangement is brilliant, and shows the Chinese ingenuity in crafting the blade.
The hole, when the spear is moving at speed, will make a whistling sound. This can easily distract the enemy. The ball bearing inside the hollow pushes any blood that has seeped into the tube right back out.
Lastly, we have the tassel, a hunk of horsehair affixed to the base of the blade. This is incredibly useful, as it blurs the sight of the attacker being 'jabbed' (smile), so that they cannot make a defense, or even grab the spear, A second reason for the tassel is to stop any flow of blood from coming down the shaft of the Qiang and making it difficult to use.
In closing, a Qiang is a potent and far reaching weapon. A favorite of armies in times past, it could be used to keep a foe at bay, and even kill a horse. Please check out part two, in which we will consider training methods used to train warriors in the ancient Chinese spear.
About the Author:
If you desire more data on the usage of martial arts weapons, I recommend '6th Sense Swordfighting.' Also, becausage it is sometimes suspicious to walk around with a spear for protection (smile), I recommend the Blinding Steel Course at Monster Martial Arts.
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