Nan Dao

[Shaolinlueb]

i jsut started this form tonight. its neato so far.

[GeneChing]

You must have a renewed interest in fencing? or at least it's terminology?

If you're going to talk about swordplay in English, fencing terms are the best. Now if you're going to talk about it in Japanese, that's another matter. It's trickiest in Chinese, so I try to avoid that.

[Banjos_dad]

I saw in a documentary about the Japanese occupation of Nanking (sp?), old black and white movie footage, a guy was walking down the road with a kan dao. Had the ring pommel & wide blade. I think that was before 1930 or even 1920? Makes the think the kan dao is not of modern origin?

[CaptinPickAxe]

I haven't been here in awhile. Thanks Gene and everyone for the info on Nan Daos and other related weapons.

The piece of info I found most interesting was the executioner bit... I should of relized that by the looks of it.

Also, I almost bought "little head choppers" at a gun show about 2 years ago. I think y'all refered to them as Kan Dao.

[GeneChing]

Wider blades are better for chopping, just take a butcher knife as an example. They are also easier to fashion, especially if one edged. So yes, there are plenty of antique examples throughout the Qing period. I can't think of any earlier examples, but I wouldn't doubt that they exist.

Interestingly, since decapitation has been in the news, there was a particular kind of sword that arose in Europe as a headsman's sword. It was akin to a broadsword, but with no tip - a wide blade like a kan dao. Since it was only used for chopping, the tip wasn't necessary. There was often a three-foil piercing towards the foible, which I'm told was a reference to the trinity. Also, the example I saw was engraved with the words 'fiat justicia'

[Banjos_dad]

The image of the man walking down the road with the kan dao stays in my minds eye.
Something about the image of this man says, he's not on his way to the park to practice forms. It was chilling to realize that dimension of mortality.
I wish I could cite the program. It was about the Rape of Nanking (I'm sorry). I researched a little bit & it was around 1937.

When I think of decapitations in Western culture I think of a fat shirtless guy in a black mask, with a double-bitted axe...maybe too cliche to be frightening any more.

[GeneChing]

Yeah, that's a funny image of decapitators and torturers - something like out of Shrek (although I think Life of Brian nailed it better). They had some footage of Japanese troops decaptating Chinese with sword in Jackie Chan's Traces of the Dragon. Jackie's dad described witnessing that first hand and it was chilling too. He said something like the neck pulled in at first, like a turtle, then the body fell and the blood gushed. There's that ox decapition in Apocalypse Now too. What a horrible way to go.

[Vince]

GeneChing said: I've just started working with kan/nan dao in O-Mei

I know it is kind of an old topic. But could you please tell me some more on that topic or is there any more source of info on the web?