The ''miaodao'' (苗刀) is a Chinese two-handed dao or

saber A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as the ...

of the

Republican Era Republican Era can refer to: * Minguo calendar, the official era of the Republic of China It may also refer to any era in a country's history when it was governed as a republic or by a Republican Party. In particular, it may refer to: * Roman Rep ...

, with a narrow blade, long

hilt The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pommel ...

, and an overall length of or more. The name means "sprout saber", presumably referring to a likeness between the weapon and a newly sprouted plant. An early reference, in Jin Yiming’s ''Single Defense-Saber'', makes a connection between the ''miaodao'' and the Qing-era ''

wodao The ''wodao'' () is a Chinese sword from the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty. It is typically long and slender, but heavy, with a curved back and sharp blade. It bears a strong resemblance to the Tang sword, zhanmadao, Tachi or Odachi in form. Ex ...

'', as well as mentioning both single and two-handed versions of the ‘’miaodao’’, suggesting that the name originally described the shape only, without any connotations of size. While the ''miaodao'' is a recent weapon, the name has come to be applied to a variety of earlier Chinese long sabers, such as the

zhanmadao The ''zhanmadao'' () was a single-bladed anti-cavalry Chinese sword. It originated during the Han dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) and was especially common in Song China (960–1279). General characteristics The zhanmadao is a single-edged sab ...

and

changdao The ''changdao'' () was a two-handed, single-edged Chinese sword. The term has been translated as "long saber," "saber-staff," or "long-handled saber." During the Ming dynasty, was often used as a general term for two handed swords. After Repu ...

. Along with the

dadao Dadao, formerly romanized ta-tao, may refer to: * ''dadao'' (, p ''dàdāo'', ), a machete-like variety of the dao (sword) ** "The Sword March "The Sword March" is a Chinese music, Chinese patriotic song first sung in the Republic of Chi ...

, miaodao were used by some Chinese troops during the

Second Sino-Japanese War The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific T ...

. While the miaodao is rarely practiced in modern Chinese martial arts, some schools of

piguaquan Piguaquan (), also known as Piguazhang () due to its emphasis on palm techniques, is often practiced along with Bajiquan () and is a style of wushu (Chinese martial arts) that features explosive, long-range power. It originated in Cangzhou, ...

and

tongbeiquan Tongbeiquan (通背拳 ''tōngbèiquán''; literally "Spreading Power from the Back Boxing", as ''tong'' means "through," ''bei'' means "back" and ''quan'' means "fist") is a school of martial arts popular in northern China, known for engaging o ...

(in the Guo Changsheng lineage) and

xingyiquan Xing Yi Quan is classified as one of the internal styles of Chinese martial arts. The name of the art translates approximately to "Form-Intention Fist", or "Shape-Will Fist". Xing Yi is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements ...

train with the weapon. The miaodao is also often mistakenly claimed to have been one of the weapons taught at the Central Military Academy in Nanjing; the weapon in question was actually a European-style officer's saber, though some later schools may have based miaodao techniques on this form. The "miao" of miaodao should not be confused with the Miao ethnic group, who are not associated with this weapon.

Gallery

File:Wang Zhihai MiaoDao.jpg

References

* Dekker, Peter (2016), “Chinese long sabers of the Qing dynasty”, Mandarin Mansio

* Duan Ping (段平), Zheng Shouzhi (郑守志) et al. Wushu Cidian (武术词典) Wushu Dictionary. Renmin Tiyu Chubanshe, 2007. . * Ma Mingda (马明达), Shuo jian cong gao (说剑丛稿), . * Rovere, Dennis with Chow Hon Huen (2008). ''The Xingyi Quan of the Chinese Army: Huang Bo Nien's Xingyi Fist and Weapon Instruction''. Blue Snake Books. . * Tom, Philip (February 2005). "An Introduction to Chinese Single-Edged Hilt Weapons (Dao) and Their Use in the Ming and Qing Dynasties". ''Kung Fu Tai Chi'', p. 85. * Jin Yiming (金一明) (1932), ''Single Defense-Saber'' (單戒刀), New Asia Press, translated by Paul Brennan 201

External links

A comprehensive article about the miaodao
* https://web.archive.org/web/20081103074622/http://www.freewebs.com/jingangbashi/miaodaointro.htm Blade weapons Chinese swords World War II infantry weapons of China {{Sword-stub

Gallery

See also

References

External links