Hook Sword

 

The hook sword, double hooks, fu tao, hu tou Gou (tiger hook) or Shuang Gou is a Chinese weapon traditionally associated with northern Chinese martial arts styles and wushu weapon practices, but is now commonly used in southern styles as well.

Reliable information about hook swords is hard to come by. Although it is sometimes referred to as an ancient weapon and described as dating from the Song Dynasty to the Warring States or even earlier, most ancient examples and artistic depictions date from the late Qing period or later, suggesting that it is a relatively new design. They were also exclusively civilian weapons, not included in any of China's official weapon lists. Extant pointed examples indicate actual use as weapons, but their rarity and the training required to use them strongly suggest that they were rarely used as such.

Also known as "tiger hook swords" or Qian ku ri Yue dao (literally "Sword of Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon"), these weapons have a sharp blade similar to the Jian, though perhaps thicker or sometimes unsharpened, with a barb or a spike. hook (as a shepherd rogue) near the end. The guards are prominent, in the style of butterfly swords. Often, the hooks of paired weapons can be used to grab or redirect other weapons.

 A halberd has five parts:

• Back, often used as a normal sword.
• A bar hook was used to trip enemies, grab weapons and strike.
• The end of the handle that is sharpened.
• A crescent shield used for blocking, grappling and slashing.
• The link used when using a pair.

The two hooks can be loosely connected and the swordsman swings one hook sword, the other extends further, almost six feet. When the other is in the air, the dagger in the handle will cut the target. In this way, the operator can extend his reach from three feet to six. Hook sword exercises are taught in northern schools such as Northern Shaolin and Seven-Star Mantis, as well as some southern martial art schools such as Choy Lay Fut. Modern hook sword routines are often very spectacular and may include techniques such as combining paired weapons and using them as one long, flexible weapon. One person does most of the routines. Some Baguazhang schools also teach a similar weapon, often called the "deer antler knife" or "mandarin duck knife."

These weapons usually have a much shorter or missing main hook and instead focus on various cutting and stabbing blades around the sheath. Due to the various protruding parts and the high probability of accidental hooking or stabbing, they are almost never used in fighting and are rarely used in two-person routines.