When watching the movies, we are often most captivated by the cool arsenal of Chinese weaponry. Most people thought they’ll just learn empty hand combat, thinking weapons are harder to learn; however they just love the weapons. Of the Chinese weapons, the most impactful weapon on screen will be the Big Saber, or Da Dao in mandarin.
Armed with the Big Saber, the protagonists will hack through hordes of enemies fiercely. Spears and swords which stands in its way will be chopped through. Shield wielders will be pulverized from the shock of the impact. It’s almost like the big boss of the battlefield.
Armed with the Big Saber, the protagonists will hack through hordes of enemies fiercely. Spears and swords which stands in its way will be chopped through. Shield wielders will be pulverized from the shock of the impact. It’s almost like the big boss of the battlefield.
Chinese Weapons Training at SCAPE, Singapore Orchard Road.
Its power alone is enough to make it a significant representation of Chinese weapons. From the Song Dynasty onwards, broad sabers came into fashion among the martial arts clans. In fact it’s believed that travelling pugilists use the Da Dao more than the single handed one sided Dao.
The big saber has powerful ballistic properties, this means when two weapons meet, it will dominate over the force of the impact. The thin and narrow Japanese katana will find it hard to block the slash of the big saber directly. Being heavier and more concentrated, the big saber will move the katana back as though the latter offers insubstantial resistance, the wielder of the katana will still be hacked by the big saber’s edge. However when a katana swings down on a big saber, it will not move the saber much as the saber still bears more weight; it requires more force to move something heavier.
With the advantage of powerful ballistic properties, the Da Dao gives strong wielders the advantage in both offense and defense against other weapons. The highly respected Chinese Jian (straight sword) will also not be able to face the Da Dao in a direct angle clash too.
The Da Dao also fares very well as a cutting weapon. It is proven to be able to chop through a person’s limb with ease, even if the wielder has little training. Its chopping power is considerably greater than the katana. Besides that, the Da Dao also has strong cutting power on material such as metal, wood and plastic. The attribute that makes its penetration power on material stronger than a normal light sword is that there is more mass and volume in the blade to support the sharp edge. A thin sword will not just lack in driving force, it will also bend or face the risk of breaking when not making contact with the target at the correct angle.
The big saber has powerful ballistic properties, this means when two weapons meet, it will dominate over the force of the impact. The thin and narrow Japanese katana will find it hard to block the slash of the big saber directly. Being heavier and more concentrated, the big saber will move the katana back as though the latter offers insubstantial resistance, the wielder of the katana will still be hacked by the big saber’s edge. However when a katana swings down on a big saber, it will not move the saber much as the saber still bears more weight; it requires more force to move something heavier.
With the advantage of powerful ballistic properties, the Da Dao gives strong wielders the advantage in both offense and defense against other weapons. The highly respected Chinese Jian (straight sword) will also not be able to face the Da Dao in a direct angle clash too.
The Da Dao also fares very well as a cutting weapon. It is proven to be able to chop through a person’s limb with ease, even if the wielder has little training. Its chopping power is considerably greater than the katana. Besides that, the Da Dao also has strong cutting power on material such as metal, wood and plastic. The attribute that makes its penetration power on material stronger than a normal light sword is that there is more mass and volume in the blade to support the sharp edge. A thin sword will not just lack in driving force, it will also bend or face the risk of breaking when not making contact with the target at the correct angle.
Chinese Weapons Training at SCAPE, Singapore Orchard Road.
When a person new to the weapon holds the Da Dao in hand, it will quickly sink in to the instincts. This is because using the weapon is pretty much common sense. The technical details of the weapons involves ousting other weapons aside and skills such as immediate counter attack from a block. Other than that, chopping and stabbing with the Da Dao is a natural, especially when we’ve seen so much of it in the movies and the real techniques in Kung Fu is like in the movies.
The benefits of learning the Da Dao for personal development are: - It develops key function strength such as hip and shoulder rotation power. These parts contain the big compound muscles of our body. They are responsible for supporting weight which we carry, including our own upper body weight when we move around. They also generate a big fraction of our body’s kinetic energy output. The most important point is that our torso connects strength and kinetic energy from bottom to top, and top to bottom. It is not just important in martial arts, but also in daily life physical activities. - Grip strength. Mankind has the gift of handling objects with their hands, bringing them a level above animals. So basically grip strength is key to functionality in almost everything we do from turning the spanner to stir frying rice in the wok. - Handling weight of foreign object. Being strong in the gym and having beefy body does not mean you have the capability to manage objects especially when they carry weight in different shapes, sizes and center of balance.
Swordsmanship enthusiasts will be thinking about the difference between the Japanese Katana and Chinese Da Dao. Compared to the katana which is thin and long, the Da Dao is thick and broad. Due to this the katana is held with arms extended and far from the body so it can take advantage of the long reach and light weight. The Da Dao is held with the handle and hilt close to the body so there can be enough leverage to push out the heavier weapon to attack. This is because the weight of the weapon is closer to the dan tian (center of chi and mass) so the weapon can be held better; swings can be powered with more control.
The Da Dao is usually held with wider and stronger stances than thin swords. This is because there is more weight and the base of the stance has to be enough to support the initiation and stoppage of these movements. Wider stance can also give more reach when the saber wielder steps up to slash.
Because the Da Dao is held close to the body, it is suitable for close quarters combat. For other weapons at that time, such as the rifle bayonet and the military sword, they have a minimum effective range of 2 to 3 feet from the user. Within that range they have to either switch weapon or use unarmed combat. However the Da Dao techniques allow the user to deliver stabs and slicing attacks at ranges which render other weapons ineffective. In fact one of the first things a normal Dao user learns is to do tight coiling slashes around the body.
The Da Dao is heavy and sturdy so it allows the user to put his body weight behind it for close range attacks. It is broad enough to hold the back of the blade with the other hand to use it as a close range blocking and bashing weapon, giving it superior leverage to oust the opponent’s weapon aside at the same time. Thin swords such as the katana, jian and western rapier will not allow this function.
The benefits of learning the Da Dao for personal development are: - It develops key function strength such as hip and shoulder rotation power. These parts contain the big compound muscles of our body. They are responsible for supporting weight which we carry, including our own upper body weight when we move around. They also generate a big fraction of our body’s kinetic energy output. The most important point is that our torso connects strength and kinetic energy from bottom to top, and top to bottom. It is not just important in martial arts, but also in daily life physical activities. - Grip strength. Mankind has the gift of handling objects with their hands, bringing them a level above animals. So basically grip strength is key to functionality in almost everything we do from turning the spanner to stir frying rice in the wok. - Handling weight of foreign object. Being strong in the gym and having beefy body does not mean you have the capability to manage objects especially when they carry weight in different shapes, sizes and center of balance.
Swordsmanship enthusiasts will be thinking about the difference between the Japanese Katana and Chinese Da Dao. Compared to the katana which is thin and long, the Da Dao is thick and broad. Due to this the katana is held with arms extended and far from the body so it can take advantage of the long reach and light weight. The Da Dao is held with the handle and hilt close to the body so there can be enough leverage to push out the heavier weapon to attack. This is because the weight of the weapon is closer to the dan tian (center of chi and mass) so the weapon can be held better; swings can be powered with more control.
The Da Dao is usually held with wider and stronger stances than thin swords. This is because there is more weight and the base of the stance has to be enough to support the initiation and stoppage of these movements. Wider stance can also give more reach when the saber wielder steps up to slash.
Because the Da Dao is held close to the body, it is suitable for close quarters combat. For other weapons at that time, such as the rifle bayonet and the military sword, they have a minimum effective range of 2 to 3 feet from the user. Within that range they have to either switch weapon or use unarmed combat. However the Da Dao techniques allow the user to deliver stabs and slicing attacks at ranges which render other weapons ineffective. In fact one of the first things a normal Dao user learns is to do tight coiling slashes around the body.
The Da Dao is heavy and sturdy so it allows the user to put his body weight behind it for close range attacks. It is broad enough to hold the back of the blade with the other hand to use it as a close range blocking and bashing weapon, giving it superior leverage to oust the opponent’s weapon aside at the same time. Thin swords such as the katana, jian and western rapier will not allow this function.
Chinese Weapons Training at SCAPE, Singapore Orchard Road.
Being capable of close combat, the Da Dao can not only be used in open battles. It can also be used in urban warfare and jungle warfare too, as the space is too confined to swing a sword held with a long reach. It is easy to maneuver as you can keep it close to your body and hold the back of the blade, it feels almost like a rifle.
This is why the Chinese Da Dao is so effective in World War Two. It is safe to say that at that point of time, the most effective melee weapon will be the Da Dao, compared to daggers, bayonets, katana and smaller machete.
The Chinese big saber has been featured in many movies with a historical setting. Big names like Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Andy Lau etc… have worked with big saber in their fight sequences. You should be able to remember the various movies if you have been following martial arts fighting movies. This is because its strong presence from the might of it captures the audience’s attention much better than thinner swords.
It also relates to men whose character is strong, brave and righteous.
To master the Big Saber, you will need to develop: - Good wrist strength to handle the weapon - Core strength is more important than arm strength - Ability of using chi to propel the weapon for slashes - Swift precise footwork to generate momentum for techniques
In our Da Dao syllabus, you will be doing: - Basic stances and conditioning exercises for wrist - Individual attacks such as slashing and hacking - Close combat techniques - Weapon handling and maintenance - Footwork to deliver and master techniques - Weapon counterattacks - Combination attacks - Partner drills with forms - Big Saber Form - Big Saber Sparring Set
The Da Dao is a fun discipline of Chinese Kung Fu which delivers good full body workout. It allows learners to immerse themselves in the fighting techniques of war patriots and ancient warriors. To start learning, give us a call or email and we will arrange your lessons. You can also add us on facebook, whatsapp or wechat and discuss with us.
This is why the Chinese Da Dao is so effective in World War Two. It is safe to say that at that point of time, the most effective melee weapon will be the Da Dao, compared to daggers, bayonets, katana and smaller machete.
The Chinese big saber has been featured in many movies with a historical setting. Big names like Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Jet Li, Andy Lau etc… have worked with big saber in their fight sequences. You should be able to remember the various movies if you have been following martial arts fighting movies. This is because its strong presence from the might of it captures the audience’s attention much better than thinner swords.
It also relates to men whose character is strong, brave and righteous.
To master the Big Saber, you will need to develop: - Good wrist strength to handle the weapon - Core strength is more important than arm strength - Ability of using chi to propel the weapon for slashes - Swift precise footwork to generate momentum for techniques
In our Da Dao syllabus, you will be doing: - Basic stances and conditioning exercises for wrist - Individual attacks such as slashing and hacking - Close combat techniques - Weapon handling and maintenance - Footwork to deliver and master techniques - Weapon counterattacks - Combination attacks - Partner drills with forms - Big Saber Form - Big Saber Sparring Set
The Da Dao is a fun discipline of Chinese Kung Fu which delivers good full body workout. It allows learners to immerse themselves in the fighting techniques of war patriots and ancient warriors. To start learning, give us a call or email and we will arrange your lessons. You can also add us on facebook, whatsapp or wechat and discuss with us.
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