A kungfu gapyear project!

[Whitebelt]

It's been a while since I started a post here, in the intervening years I've learned alot and I'm certain that the knowlegable people of MTwill be able to help me.

Enough preamble- I want to make a training broadsword:

The Chinese kind used in Shaolin kungfu; I hope to make it relatively historically accurate to the period when they would have been used in training and application in the roots of the martial art but also practical for modern training. It should probably be some kind of wood with a good weight to it to make it useful for proper training... oh, and it must look awesome.

I expect to get a black belt within a year and then I'll be moving away so it would make an awesome memento as well.


Here is what I want to know so you don't need to read the above nonsense.

What design of broadsword was used in the hayday of Shaolin kungfu's development? (specs like weight, length of blade and handle etc would be useful)
What design was most used in battles by troops and civillians during the same time?
What design is most favoured in modern training?

What woods are awesome looking, heavyish and not all that soft?



Thanks for your patience. Historians and designers; to your stations!

 

[Whitebelt]

I also should have mentioned that I will be making it out of wood because, well... I'm not quite nuts enough to want to use it in anger.

Any comments welcome

josh

 

[Whitebelt]

From my own research I've found that the common "Ox tail" pattern used by modern kung fu schools was invented in the 1800s and used only by civillians, the broadswords used by soldiers were the "Willow leaf" and "Goose quill" patterns in the Ming and Qing dynasties, i.e. after 1368.

This seems to say that skilled swordsmen prefer narrower blades with a gentler curve and a stabbing point more in line with the hilt axis whereas untrained civvies find it easier to swing the sharpened baseball bat that is the "Ox tail". Maybe I'll make a compromise between all these characteristics.

Any thoughts?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Here is what I want to know so you don't need to read the above nonsense.

What design was most used in battles by troops and civillians during the same time?

These are not generally the same Troop and Civilian and depending on dynasty thing can change. Look here for various types of Dao used

What design is most favoured in modern training?

The tend toward this dao and the jian but that can vary greatly depending on style. Example some Xingyiquan styles use the Chicken-Sabre Sickle

 

[Whitebelt]

These are not generally the same Troop and Civilian and depending on dynasty thing can change. Look here for various types of Dao used
Sorry, I should have written designs instead of design implying different types for the different groups. My intent was to find out what Dao pattern could be considered most practically popular during the period when early Shaolin temples were developing their reputation for martial training.


The tend toward this dao and the jian but that can vary greatly depending on style. Example some Xingyiquan styles use the Chicken-Sabre Sickle

Thanks alot, so thats a pointer towards the oxtail dao.

 

[David43515]

As far as hard heavy woods, ironwood is great. So is Cocobolo. You might get by with a nice piece of Maple.

Your local library should have good books on how to finish it to make the grain pop out at you. If they don`t they can get them through inter-library loan.
www.woodcraft.com sells over 100 species of wood (so there`s a description of each type) and also stocks books on finishing etc.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Thanks alot, so thats a pointer towards the oxtail dao.

Ox-Tail Saber or Niuweidao

The Niuweidao (牛尾刀; literally "Ox-Tailed Sword"") was a type of Chinese saber of the late Qing Dynasty period (1644-1911). A heavy bladed weapon with a characteristic flaring tip, it was primarily a civilian weapon, as Imperial troops were never issued it.