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All the martial arts weapons (ancient and modern)

With this guide, we aim to create (and update) an, as much as possible, complete list of martial arts weapons and the (eventual) relation that 6 Dragons Kung Fu has with them.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

Important:

We are working to fulfill and deepen the list
We have started with the most famous weapons but we will gradually add more and more details
Feel free to suggest other weapons and corrections in the comments or by writing to [email protected]

The full list of martial arts weapons

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3 section stick – Similar to a Nunchaku with a third section, it is a very complex weapon; used in many martial arts, it is one of the last weapons of 6 Dragons Kung Fu)
9 section chain whip – It is a metal flexible weapon divided into 9 sections; used in Shaolin temple it is one of the most dangerous weapons of 6 Dragons Kung Fu (read The Shaolin 9 Section Chain Whip)

A

Ankus – It is a hooked goad used to control elephants (in India and Southeast Asia); it was also used as a weapon in close combat
Arnis – A wooden stick of about 75 cm (also used in 6 Dragons Kung Fu); it is made of wood (kamagong, rattan, etc.) or metal (read The basics of short sticks: safety and grip)
Ahlspiess – A polearm with a long spike / blade at its end; it was effective against armored opponents (in Germany and Austria from the 15th to 16th centuries)
Assagaia – A lightweight throwing spear used by southern African Bantu people; it is characterized by a long thin blade and a short tang for gripping
Atlatl – An ancient weapon (probably from the Paleolithic age) used as a spear-throwing device; it enhances the speed and range of the thrown element

B

Bang – In Mandarin, the Chinese version of the Japanese Bo
Beidao – A modern southern Chinese saber (dao) with a blade vaguely similar to the butterfly sword (and to the Nandao); commonly used in contemporary wushu practice
Bo – A wooden staff of about 180cm (used in Okinawa); it is held with two hands and has a relatively long-range
Bong – It is the Korean version of the Bo

C

Chinese spear – Traditionally known as the “king of all weapons” it can be found on various lengths (but always more than the height of the practitioner) and with different types of tips (with 1-3 tips) and with a red ornament at the base the metal part

D

Dao – A Chinese single-bladed sword (saber); there exist many types but the common aspect is that its tip is flaring
Darts – Used in many martial arts, they are similar to small knives, balanced to be thrown (read An exercise to learn to throw darts)
Double hammers – A couple of big hammers with a long handle, sometimes with a parallelepiped at the top, sometimes with other shapes (eg. with triangular faces)
Double tiger hook swords – A couple of Chinese swords with a hook at the top

F

Fangtiang Ji – A Chinese halberd-like weapon with a long wooden shaft, a metal spearhead and 2 crescent moon-like lateral blades; during the Song dynasty, it was used for thrusting, slashing, hooking, and disarming opponents

G

Ge – A Chinese halberd-like weapon with a long wooden shaft that ends with a metal hook that extends laterally at 90°
Guandao – It is a famous Chinese massive weapon with a long, curved blade and a prominent crescent moon-shaped guard; it is as if it were a thick saber mounted on top of a pole (there are various lengths of this weapon); it is commonly associated with the legendary warrior Guan Yu and is known for its sweeping and powerful attacks

H

Hachiwari – See Kabutowari

I

Improper weapons – It is a group of tools that do not born for combat purposes but that are exploited for that use (read The ideal improper weapons for defense)

J

Ji – A Chinese halberd-like weapon with a long wooden shaft, a metal spearhead and a lateral hook (the 2 parts describe a sort of “L” letter); it was used for thrusting, slashing, hooking, and disarming opponents
Jian – It is the classical double-edged Chinese Tai Chi sword
Jiu jie bian – See 9 section chain whip
Jo – A wooden stick with a length between a sword and a staff (used for example in Aikido)

K

Kabutowari – A Japanese knife-shaped weapon carried as a side-arm by the samurai (used to broke the helmets of the enemies)
Kama – A Japanese weapon (often attributed to ninja and samurai) that consists in a wooden short stick with a blade at its top; the blade is perpendicular to the wooden part but curved and ends with a tip
Katana – Extremely famous, it is the most important weapon of the Samurai (read also Buy junk Katana); used even today by the Japanese army, it is a single-edged curved sword (very sharpened); its best implementation is in open fields
Ko-Naginata – A Naginata with a smaller blade (typically used by women)
Kubotan – It is a self-defense tool developed by Soke Kubota Takayuki; it essentially derives from the yawara and is approximately 14 cm long with a diameter of 1,5 cm (it often has a key ring to disguise it)
Kun – Okinawa, see Bo
Kusari-fundo – Kabutowari – A Japanese knife-shaped weapon carried as a side-arm by the samurai (used to break the helmets of the enemies)
Katana – Extremely famous, it is the most important weapon of the Samurai (read also Buy junk Katana); used even today by the Japanese army, it is a single-edged curved sword (very sharpened); its best implementation is in open fields
Ko-Naginata – A Naginata with a smaller blade (typically used by women)
Kun – Okinawa, see Bo
Kusari-fundo – A Japanese weapon (often attributed to ninja and samurai) that consists of a metal chain (kusari) with a heavy iron weight on one or both its ends (fundo)
Kusarigama – A Japanese weapon (often attributed to ninjas and samurai) that consists of a metal chain with a heavy iron weight on one end (a kusari-fundo) and a wooden short stick with a blade at its top on the other (a kama)

L

Liuyedao – One of the most famous Chinese saber (dao) with a blade characterized by a gentle curve

M

Machete – A long single-edged knife relatively heavy
Meteor Hammer – A very long and complex Shaolin weapon; it is composed of a long rope with a metal weight at its end (read The Shaolin Meteor Hammer)

N

Naginata – A Japanese long-bladed pole, heavier and slower than a Katana
Nandao – A modern northern Chinese saber (dao) with the blade straight until its end (similar to the Beidao); commonly used in contemporary wushu practice
Ninjato – A Japanese sword that, in the twentieth century, has been connected to the modern figure of the ninja; there are several versions, straight, curved, etc. (in some cases they were even obtained from broken Katanas)
Niuweidao – A Chinese saber (dao) with a flaring tip that remembers the tail of an ox
Nunchaku – After the Katana, it is one of the most famous oriental weapons; it is substantially composed of 2 wooden sticks connected by a chain (its length rarely overcomes the 70-75cm, read Starting with the Nunchaku)

O

O-Naginata – From Japan, the Naginata of the male warrior (see also Ko-Naginata)

P

Pang – In Cantonese, the Chinese version of the Bo
Piandao – A Chinese saber (dao) with a deeply curved blade (designed to slash and draw cuts)
Pudao – It is a heavy, single-edged blade mounted on a long wooden haft; this weapon was effective for chopping, thrusting, and sweeping attacks

Q

Quinglong Ji – A Chinese halberd-like weapon with a long wooden shaft, a metal spearhead and a single crescent moon-like lateral blade; during the Song dynasty, it was used for thrusting, slashing, hooking, and disarming opponents
Qiang – See Chinese spear

R

Rokushakubo – A type of Japanese long wooden staff (Bo), with a diameter of about 1.82 cm and a length of 182 cm
Rope – In 6 Dragons Kung Fu, it is an elastic cord used in training (to prepare for more complex weapons); at an advanced level it can also be used as a defensive tool itself (read Stance and basic rotations of the rope)
Rope dart – A Chinese weapon made of a long rope and a metal pointed dart at the top

S

Saber – A single-edged sword with a curved blade
Sai – Used both in China and Japan, it is a metal weapon composed commonly of a sharp metal prong and 2 curved side-prongs that start from the handle (but there are various versions); the central block can have a circular or polygonal section but can even be a blade
Sanjie gun – See 3 section stick
Sarong – A kind of solid fabric scarf sewn in a circle that is carried over the shoulder in silat; it is used to perform various techniques of control, strangulation, etc.
Scimitar – Implemented in Middle Eastern, South Asian and North African cultures, it is a sword with a single and deeply curved blade (there are various versions of it)
Sheng Biao – A Chinese rope dart typical of Mei Hua Chuan
Shuanggou – See double tiger hook swords
Shuangshoujian – It is a double-handed sword with a broad blade; due to its design, it requires considerable strength and skill to wield effectively
Shuang Chui – See double hammers
Shuriken – It is a Japanese flattened throwing weapon made of metal (often attributed to ninjas and samurai); there are various shapes but the most common are the 4 tips star and the dart; often they were impregnated with poison (their first use, however, was not lethal but as a sortie to slow down or distract the enemy)

T

Tanto – It is a very sharpened Japanese knife; it is the third weapon always with a samurai
Tengpai – A Chinese shield made of wood (rattan)
Tonfa – It is a wooden stick slightly longer than a forearm with a perpendicular handle

W

Wakizashi – Slightly shorter, it is the younger sister of the Katana; the samurai used it in closed / small spaces (where the Katana has fewer mobility options)

Y

Ya – The arrow of the Yumi
Yanmaodao – A Chinese saber (dao) with the blade straight until its middle point
Yawara – It is a Japanese small, club-like weapon; it is essentially a short rod, typically made of wood, that extends slightly from both ends of a closed fist; it is designed for strikes and pressure points attacks on sensitive areas like neck, joints and bones
Yumi – A Japanese asymmetric bow (over 2m)

In-depth video courses

Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu exercises – The exercises to make our martial skills effective in combat
Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu weapons – A step-by-step path to our fundamental martial weapons
Weapon disarming: what works and what not – A rational point of view toward weapon disarming
The basics of the knife – A specific video course dedicated to knife mastering

In-depth articles

6 Dragons Kung Fu: what does it teach? – The core teachings of our school
The complete list of all the martial arts – A constantly updated list of all the martial disciplines

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

What is your favorite? Have we forgotten something? Help us in the comments!

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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A complete list of all the martial arts weapons