What is a Guandao? Part I: Shape, Length, and Weight

Guandao are Chinese pole weapons with crescent shaped blades. In this video, I compare modern and historical versions of the weapon, focusing on shape, length, and weight.

Correction: at about 22:18, I flub my words and say “Guandao’s blade … was said to be 85 jin.” I should have said “Guan Yu’s blade … was said to be 82 jin.” Apologies.

What is a Guandao? Part I: Shape, Length, and Weight

Secretly Transmitted Methods of the Guandao is my series for discussing all things Guandao. The Guandao is a weapon that has been used in Chinese martial arts for several centuries. It is a pole weapon with a large crescent blade at one end and a spike at the other end. I examine the Guandao from the perspectives of traditional and historical martial arts, history, performance, and religion.

Image credits:

Images of Guandao from Wubei zhi and Chouhai tubian have been reversed to keep them consistent with other illustrations.

Bibliography/Further Reading:

Cheng Zi Yi 程子頤. Wubei yaolüe 武備要畧. 1632.
The Guandao form is from juan 8.14-21.

Gongbu junqi zeli工部軍器則例 (Regulations and Precedents on Military Equipment for the Board of Works). 1815.

Mao Yuanyi 茅元儀 (1594–1640?). Wubei zhi 武備志 (Records of Armaments and Military Provisions). Yue dong: Ming jing ge粤東 : 明經閣, 1621.

Xu Qixian 徐啟憲, zhubian. Gugong bowuyuan cang wenwu zhenpin quanji 56: Qing gong wu bei故宫博物院藏文物珍品全集56: 清宮武備 (The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Beijing 56: Armaments and Military Provisions). Xianggang: Shang wu yin shu guan, 2008.

Yunlu 允祿 (1695-1767), ed. Huángcháo lǐqì túshì 皇朝禮器圖式 (Illustrated Regulations on the Ceremonial Paraphernalia of the Dynasty). 1766.
Guandao information is on 15.34a-b.

Zheng Dayu 鄭大郁. Jing guo xiong lüe經國雄略 (Ambitious Strategies of Statecraft). Longwu tanyang wang jiejue guan she, 1645.
Available from the Curiosity Collections of Harvard Library:
The physical specs of guandao are on seq. 1725 (p.5.7a of 武備攷); the guandao form is on seq. 1684 – 1691 (p.4.1-8 of 武備攷)

Zheng Ruoceng 鄭若曾 (1503-1570). Chouhai tubian 籌海圖編 (Illustrated Book on Maritime Defense). 1562.

[jacksam]

This video is very timely for me. I'm not particularly experienced in weapon creation but I am in the process of designing and building a guandao with an ovular steel shaft. Thank you for the content!

[VChong]

I love guan daos. Impractical but the concept of a sword on a stick and you basically drop it down on people during ancient times is so fascinating.