Hook sword

Hook swords, used (as is typical) as a pair.

The Hook Sword, Fu Tao or Shuang Gou (simplified Chinese: 钩; traditional Chinese: 鉤; pinyin: Gou) also known as Hu Tou Gou (tiger-head-hook) is an exotic Chinese weapon traditionally associated with Northern styles of Chinese martial arts, but now often practiced by Southern styles as well.

Background

Reliable information on hook swords is difficult to come by. While sometimes called an ancient weapon and described as dating from the Song dynasty to Warring States or even earlier, most antique examples and artistic depictions are from the late Qing era or later, suggesting that they are actually a comparatively recent design. They were also an exclusively civilian weapon, appearing in none of the official listings of Chinese armaments. Surviving sharpened examples point to actual use as weapons, but their rarity, and the training necessary to use them, strongly suggest that they were only rarely used as such.

Characteristics

Also known as tiger hook swords or qian kun ri yue dao (literally "Heaven and Sun Moon Sword"), these weapons have a blade similar to that of the jian, though possibly thicker or unsharpened, with a prong or hook (similar to a shepherd's crook) near the tip. Guards are substantial, in the style of butterfly swords. Often used in pairs, the hooks of the weapons may be used to trap or deflect other weapons.

There are five components to the hook sword:

• The back, which is used as regular swords.
• The hook, which is used to trip enemies and to catch weapons, not to mention the rather more obvious use of slashing.
• The end of the hilt, which is sharpened into daggers.
• The crescent guard, which is used for blocking and slashing.
• And the link, which is used when you have a pair. The two hooks can loosely connect together, and the wielder swings one hook sword, so in a way that the second is extended further out, almost 6 feet. While the second is in the air, the dagger upon the hilt slashes any target. In this way, the wielder can extend his/her reach out from three feet to six.

Use

Routines for hook swords are taught in such Northern schools as Northern Shaolin and Seven-Star Mantis, and in some schools of Southern arts such as Choy Lay Fut. Modern routines for hook swords are often very flashy, and may involve techniques such as linking paired weapons and wielding them as a single long, flexible weapon. Some schools of Baguazhang also teach a similar weapon, often called "Deer Horn Knives" or "Mandarin Duck Knives." These weapons typically feature a much shorter or entirely missing main hook, and instead focus on the various cutting and stabbing blades arranged around the guard.

In popular culture

• In the movie The One Armed Swordsman, the villain Long-Armed Devil and his men use hook swords with a mechanically enhanced hook.
• In the duel between Shulien (Michelle Yeoh) and Jen Yu (Zhang Ziyi) in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Shulien uses a number of traditional Chinese weapons in turn, one of which is a pair of hook swords. The other weapons she uses are the four major weapons of Chinese martial culture: the single-edged sword or Dao; the spear or Qiang; the staff or Gùn; and the double-edged straight sword or Jian. She also picks up but does not manage to use a Monk's Spade or Yuèyáchǎn.
• In Avatar: The Last Airbender, Jet wields hook swords.
• In the Mortal Kombat series of games, Kabal and Mavado both use hook swords

See also

• Chicken Sickles

References

• Kennedy, Brian; Elizabeth Guo (2005). Chinese Martial Arts Training Manuals: A Historical Survey. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books. ISBN 1-55643-557-6. 
• Lee, Kam Wing (1985). The Secret of Seven-Star Mantis Style. Hong Kong: Lee Kam Wing Martial Art Sports Association.