Standard Guandao (Spring Autumn Broadsword)

- Standard 2-section Guandao with high-quality stainless steel screw fitting
- Steel blade, guard and spike
- Brass under guard and base
- 6-ring spike
- Beautiful hard wood shaft
- Bell, tassel and carry bag included
- Total length 195cm approx.
- Blade length 52cm approx.
- Spike length 19cm approx.
- Shaft length 124cm approx.
- Available in 2 weights: Light for performance (1.95kg approx.) and Heavy for traditional training (2.4kg approx.).

Available for PICK UP ONLY VIA THE ONLINE SHOP. DELIVERY CAN BE ARRANGED BUT PLEASE CONTACT US FOR COSTINGS AND DETAILS.

More About Guandao
In Chinese the Guandao is formally called the Yǎnyuèdāo, which translates to “reclining moon blade”. However, it is popularly known as the Guandao, sharing its name with the mythological Chinese general Guanyu who was said to have first invented the blade, and the two share many rich stories and tales together. According to legend, the General Guanyu had the blade forged sometime in the 3rd century AD, during the Three Kingdoms Era in China; a period of civil war that led to the downfall of ancient China’s Han Dynasty. Guanyu’s blade was known as the green dragon blade, named for the tale that Guanyu slayed a dragon that was following him, the blade then absorbed the dragon’s soul and imbued the Guandao with the beast’s power and ferocity.

Another story of the Guandao was that it was used to grade soldiers seeking senior positions in the military. These Guandao, also known as Wukedao, were purposely made to be extremely heavy and the aspiring generals would have to demonstrate many forms to prove their physical competence and prowess. The heaviest testing Guandao resides in a museum in Shanhaiguan and weighs 83 kilograms.

The Guandao was also the preferred weapon of Chen Wang Ting, founder of Chen-style Taijiquan and the famous Chen Village; because of this the Guandao weapon styles encompass some of the oldest Chen-style Taijiquan forms. The Chen-style Guandao movements will often have a seven-character poem associated with them, telling the many stories of Guanyu. To wield a Guandao in Chen-style is to perform and re-enact the many exploits of Guanyu himself.