Nandao
Encyclopedia
Nandao is a kind of sword
that is nowadays used mostly in contemporary Chinese wushu
exercises and forms. It is the southern variation of the "northern broadsword", or Beidao
. Its blade bears some resemblance to the butterfly sword
, also a southern Chinese single-bladed weapon; the main difference is the size, and the fact that the butterfly swords have D-shaped knuckle guards. The main difference with the beidao is that the nandao is mostly used two-handed due to its larger amount of weight, and it has a large metal crossguard useful in deflecting blows and hooking the opponent's weapon; also, although it is single-edged, the nandao is not curved like the northern broadsword.
The differentiation between beidao and nandao appear to be rather modern. There are no historical references to the term and few antique weapons have been found with a shape that resembles a "nandao".Therefore, it can never have been a major form as widely used as niuweidao
, yanmaodao
, liuyedao
and the Butterfly swords.
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
that is nowadays used mostly in contemporary Chinese wushu
Wushu (sport)
The sport of wushu is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was created in the People's Republic of China after 1949, in an attempt to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts...
exercises and forms. It is the southern variation of the "northern broadsword", or Beidao
Dao (sword)
Daois a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping , often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the gun , qiang , and the jian , and referred...
. Its blade bears some resemblance to the butterfly sword
Butterfly sword
The butterfly sword is a short dāo, or single-edged blade, originally from the South of China, though it has seen use in the North.The blade of a butterfly sword is roughly as long as a human forearm, which allows for easy concealment inside loose sleeves or boots, and allows greater...
, also a southern Chinese single-bladed weapon; the main difference is the size, and the fact that the butterfly swords have D-shaped knuckle guards. The main difference with the beidao is that the nandao is mostly used two-handed due to its larger amount of weight, and it has a large metal crossguard useful in deflecting blows and hooking the opponent's weapon; also, although it is single-edged, the nandao is not curved like the northern broadsword.
The differentiation between beidao and nandao appear to be rather modern. There are no historical references to the term and few antique weapons have been found with a shape that resembles a "nandao".Therefore, it can never have been a major form as widely used as niuweidao
Niuweidao
The Niuweidao was a type of Chinese saber of the late Qing Dynasty period. A heavy bladed weapon with a characteristic flaring tip, it was primarily a civilian weapon, as Imperial troops were never issued it....
, yanmaodao
Yanmaodao
The Yanmaodao is a type of dao used as a standard military weapon during the Ming Dynasty and middle Qing Dynasty . The blade is straight until the curve begins around the center of percussion along the last 1/4 or so of the blade approaching the tip...
, liuyedao
Liuyedao
The Liuyedao , is a type of dao that was commonly used as a military sidearm for both cavalry and infantry during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This weapon features a moderate curve along the length of the blade. This reduces thrusting ability while increasing the power of cuts and slashes....
and the Butterfly swords.