9 Ring Broadsword

[David Jamieson]

Here is a picture of my eerrrrr 8 ring sword http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/inde...ageID=33360409

gotta be your friend to see your pics.

durn privacy settings! lol

[David Jamieson]

Greetings,

I meditated on this and received the following answer:

The rings were, at one time, weighted so as to give extra chopping power from the broadsword in a way that could only otherwise possible by making the entire blade heavy, as with the Kwan Dao. So with the nine rings you have the cutting power with the additional component of speed.

mickey

Ok...that's out there.

there is plenty enough cutting power without rings, and if you had trouble cutting with your sword, you will have extra difficulty wielding something that is heavier and possibly not as balanced because of decorative rings on it.

just make a thicker blade.

[sanjuro_ronin]

When you add holes to a blade, you add a "fracture point', the more holes, the more "fracture points".
Not a good trade off regardless of what you THINK you may get out of it.

[mickey]

Hi DJ,

It is not that far out there. I have seen 9 ring broadsword technique. It features very large chopping actions, a little different from the dan dao technique that we are accustomed to see. The 9 ring technique, in ways, maintains the technique of the long handle 9 ring technique. If you see a 9 ring form that looks more like a simple dan dao form, throw up immediately. They are definitely out there. Conversely, if you see someone doing a dan dao form with the strength of 9 ring broadsword technique, sit up and enjoy.

It is most unfortunate that we have cheap factory fabrications to make hopological study on. That is why I use meditation. There is a lot of knowledge "out there". I have yet to be disappointed.



mickey

[GeneChing]

...but deleted threads will pop up on a search I do, as long as they weren't completely removed. The problem is that 'rings' is such a general term that it's to noisy for a decent search. I've noodled with some other keywords but haven't found it yet.

My take on rings has always been that it's an homage to Buddhist ring staffs. I searched that term too, since I'm sure that was my response to the earlier discussion, but it was fruitless. Shahar has a nice discussion of ring staffs.

[David Jamieson]

...but deleted threads will pop up on a search I do, as long as they weren't completely removed. The problem is that 'rings' is such a general term that it's to noisy for a decent search. I've noodled with some other keywords but haven't found it yet.

My take on rings has always been that it's an homage to Buddhist ring staffs. I searched that term too, since I'm sure that was my response to the earlier discussion, but it was fruitless. Shahar has a nice discussion of ring staffs.

indeed. i found that part of his book quite interesting.

[MasterKiller]

...but deleted threads will pop up on a search I do, as long as they weren't completely removed. The problem is that 'rings' is such a general term that it's to noisy for a decent search. I've noodled with some other keywords but haven't found it yet.

My take on rings has always been that it's an homage to Buddhist ring staffs. I searched that term too, since I'm sure that was my response to the earlier discussion, but it was fruitless. Shahar has a nice discussion of ring staffs.

It was on the Sword Tassel thread, i think.

[GeneChing]

I thought it was there also. I only found this one, which ends in me wondering what became of that thread. I'm beginning to wonder if the web ate it.

[MasterKiller]

I thought it was there also. I only found this one, which ends in me wondering what became of that thread. I'm beginning to wonder if the web ate it.

No, that's not it. The title was somethign like "ATTN: GENE. Sword Tassels" or something.

Oh well. Impermanence is Liberation!

[GeneChing]

...but thanks for at least confirming that it may have been on a sword tassel thread. That's where I remember it too. And that was one of our better threads, where we actually discussed something.

Perhaps it's crying to be reincarnated here.

[David Jamieson]

It's a lanyard!

not the rings, the tassle.

also used to make sure you aren't moving like a retarded chimpanzee.

[GeneChing]

2024-Tiger-Claw-Elite-Championships-amp-KUNG-FU-TAI-CHI-DAY-May-4-5-San-Jose-CA
9-Ring-Broadsword

[YinOrYan]

2024-Tiger-Claw-Elite-Championships-amp-KUNG-FU-TAI-CHI-DAY-May-4-5-San-Jose-CA
9-Ring-Broadsword

Great form! Wonder if the rings ever had some functionality like having the backing hand grasp it hard for block from a staff or something...

[GeneChing]

Great form! Wonder if the rings ever had some functionality like having the backing hand grasp it hard for block from a staff or something...

There's a lot of theories propounded about rings on weapons. Many cite applicative ideas like what you mentioned YinOrYan, or that the rings cause more damage, or that they can be used to entangle opponent's weapons somehow. Those postulations fall apart with the most cursory attempts to replicate such actions in combat simulations.

I have two personal theories, neither of which I can prove because it'd be a lot of archeological research beyond my scope.

Theory 1: Rings on Chinese weapons descend from Buddhist ring staffs. Buddhist monks adorned their walking sticks with rings, allegedly to alert beasts (wild animals, bandits) of their approach so they wouldn't surprise them. This was carried over to the weapons racks that are positioned on the flanks next to Chinese Buddhist temple altars. Most of these weapons are largely symbolic, based on Buddhist mudras and such. For many folk, these temple weapons were the primary exposure to weapons. That bled over to rings being incorporated on many other weapons, regardless of the purpose.

Theory 2: Rings on Chinese weapons descend from Chinese opera. There is a niche subcategory of Chinese weapons that embraces those made for theater. These are usually light wood and paper mache, meant to read well from stage and be sturdy enough for controlled fight choreography. The rings were added to enhance the drama of the fight with sound. Again, these opera weapons were the primary exposure to weapons for common folk, and they might have just bled over.

Perhaps it's a hybrid of these two developments.

I'm open to hear other theories.

[YinOrYan]

I'm open to hear other theories.

Okay, whenever I see unused rings on a bladed weapon, I imagine cords running through them for something using centripetal force, even the nipple-rings on a samurai's cuirass, haha