Hook+Swords

The hook sword is an exotic Chinese weapon traditionally associated with Northern styles of Chinese martial arts, but now often practiced by Southern styles as well. Also known as tiger hook swords or //qian kun ri yue dao// (literally "Heaven and Earth Sun Moon Sword"), these weapons have a blade similar to that of the jian, though possibly thicker or unsharpened, with a prong or hook (similar to a shepherd's crook) near the tip. Guards are substantial, in the style of butterfly swords, Often used in pairs, the hooks of the weapons may be used to trap or deflect other weapons. Hook swords are considered a difficult weapon to learn, and the variety of blades projecting from different directions would make this weapon very difficult to master unless you know someone with experience with swords and a Martial Arts background. Reliable information on hook swords is difficult to come by. While sometimes called an ancient weapon and described as dating from the Song dynasty to Warring States or even earlier, most antique examples and artistic depictions are from the late Qing era or later, suggesting that they are actually a comparatively recent design. They were also an exclusively civilian weapon, appearing in none of the official listings of Chinese armaments. Surviving sharpened examples point to actual use as weapons, but their rarity, and the training necessary to use them, strongly suggest that they were only rarely used as such.



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