Butterfly sword

Butterfly sword
Information
Weapon type:	Dao , short sword
Designations:	Butterfly sword , ; butterfly knife, ; Húdié Shuāngdāo , ; Húdiédāo - coll.
Use:	weapon
Region of origin / ; author:	China
Distribution:	China
Overall length:	about 45-55 cm
Blade length:	about 30-45 cm
Handle:	Wood , metal , fish skin, fabric
Particularities:	run in pairs
Lists on the subject

Historical “double swords ” from the Qing period - 清朝雙刀 (below), Tang Klan in Ping Shan Hong Kong

The butterfly sword , also butterfly knife ( Chinese 蝴蝶刀 , Pinyin Húdiédāo , Jyutping Wu ⁴ dip ¹ dou ¹ , Cantonese Wu Dip Do , short from 蝴蝶雙刀 / 蝴蝶双刀 , Húdié Shuāngdāo , Jyutping Wu ⁴ dip ¹ Soeng ¹ dou ¹ , Cantonese Wu Dip Seung Do ), is a single-edged paired Chinese short sword or Dao . This weapon comes from southern China and is a typical weapon of the southern Chinese martial arts school. However, it is also occasionally used in the northern Chinese martial arts school. Today they are an integral part of Chinese tradition and are among the classic weapons in many Kung Fu styles , especially in Wing Chun .

designation

The butterfly sword is in standard Chinese originally Hudie Shuangdao or after the Cantonese pronunciation Wu Dip Seung Do ( 蝴蝶雙刀 / 蝴蝶双刀 ) and is correctly translated as "butterfly double sword" or "butterfly double knife". The Chinese term Dāo ( 刀 , Jyutping dou ¹ , Cantonese do ) technically describes a cutting tool with a single-edged blade , regardless of its external shape - "curved" or "straight" - and length. The linguistic translation of Dāo is correct with both the word sword and knife . In terms of weapons, the term Shuāngdāo , literally double knife, double swords ( 雙刀 / 双刀 , Jyutping soeng ¹ dou ¹ , Cantonese seung do ), is technically the closest to this blade weapon . Sometimes this weapon is also referred to as a “Buddha hand knife” or “Buddha hand sword” ( 佛掌刀 , fózhǎngdāo , Jyutping fat ⁶ zoeng ² dou ¹ ). Not to be confused is the designation of the form Bāzhǎndāo - standard Chinese - or Bart Cham Do , Pa Cham Do - Cantonese - ( 八斬刀 / 八斩刀 , Jyutping baat ³ zaam ² dou ¹ ), for example "eight-cut knife form" , an exercise in leadership and technique with the edged weapon itself.

Appearance

The butterfly sword is a short sword with a wide, single-edged blade. This is about the length of a forearm and about 10 cm high. The booklet is a Parierbügel surrounded. On the back of the blades, the bracket runs into a hook similar to the crossguard of a sais , also called a sai fork. Therefore, it is also called Shuāngchādāo in Chinese , literally “double fork knife” or “double fork sword” ( 雙叉刀 / 双叉刀 , Jyutping Soeng ¹ caa ¹ dou ¹ ). Blade lengths can differ greatly depending on the purpose and era. (see historical weapons)

The shape of the weapon is often adapted to the respective Kung Fu style. Often it is only designed as a cutting weapon and the blade has only a moderately pointed point . Earlier designs often emphasized the defensive character of the weapon and were only half sharpened. The ricasso extended to the middle of the blade.

Historical butterfly swords
Modern butterfly swords

use

Butterfly swords are typically worn in pairs. They are designed as defensive weapons and many techniques contain very body-hugging movements. The length of the blade is therefore crucial for the weapon user and must correspond to the wearer's forearm. Too short a blade does not provide sufficient protection and too long a blade can cause injury to the wearer himself. The cross-guard, shaped into a hook, is used to block and catch the enemy weapon. In some fighting styles, the hook is wider so it can also be used as an extra handle.

Web links

Commons : Dao (saber) - collection of images

Commons : Doppelschwerter (double knives) - Collection of images

Individual evidence

^ ^A ^b Joseph Wayne Smith: Wing Chun Kung-Fu Volume 3: Weapons & Advanced Techniques . 1st edition. Tuttle Publishing, 1992, ISBN 0-8048-1720-0 , pp. 45–46 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).
↑ 江志強師傅 - "Master Jiang, Zhiqiang": 黑帶論壇 —— 詠春派的雙刀 - "Black belt shape - Wingchun's double knife". In: news.stheadline.com. October 24, 2014, accessed on January 15, 2019 (Chinese, term: 佛掌刀 - "Buddha hand knife").
↑ 蝴蝶双刀咏春八斩刀法 - "Butterfly double knife Wingchun's eight-cut knife". In: www.6okok.com. January 1, 1999, accessed on January 15, 2019 (Chinese, term: 八斬刀 / 八斩刀 - "eight-cut knife").
↑ 詠春派獨門冷兵器 - 蝴蝶雙刀 - "Wing Chun's unique edged weapon - butterfly double knife". In: kknews.cc. January 3, 2017, Retrieved January 15, 2019 (Chinese).
↑ ^a ^b An Updated and Revised Social History of the Hudiedao (Butterfly Swords). In: Kung Fu Tea. February 13, 2017, accessed February 19, 2020 .

[Smith_Wing_Chun-1] A ^b Joseph Wayne Smith: Wing Chun Kung-Fu Volume 3: Weapons & Advanced Techniques . 1st edition. Tuttle Publishing, 1992, ISBN 0-8048-1720-0 , pp. 45–46 ( limited preview in Google Book Search).

[Buddhahandmesser-2] 江志強師傅 - "Master Jiang, Zhiqiang": 黑帶論壇 —— 詠春派的雙刀 - "Black belt shape - Wingchun's double knife". In: news.stheadline.com. October 24, 2014, accessed on January 15, 2019 (Chinese, term: 佛掌刀 - "Buddha hand knife").

[Achtschnitttechnik-Messer-3] 蝴蝶双刀咏春八斩刀法 - "Butterfly double knife Wingchun's eight-cut knife". In: www.6okok.com. January 1, 1999, accessed on January 15, 2019 (Chinese, term: 八斬刀 / 八斩刀 - "eight-cut knife").

[Doppelmesser_01-4] 詠春派獨門冷兵器 - 蝴蝶雙刀 - "Wing Chun's unique edged weapon - butterfly double knife". In: kknews.cc. January 3, 2017, Retrieved January 15, 2019 (Chinese).

[Doppelmesser_03-5] An Updated and Revised Social History of the Hudiedao (Butterfly Swords). In: Kung Fu Tea. February 13, 2017, accessed February 19, 2020 .