The ''jangchang'' () is a Korean weapon first described in the 16th century martial arts manual, ''

Muyejebo The '' Muyejebo'' (''Compendium of Several Martial Arts'') is the oldest extant Korean martial arts manual, compiled by Han Gyo (韓嶠) in 1598 during the reign of King Seonjo. With the addition of material from Japanese martial arts, a sup ...

''. The weapon was preferably made from the

wood Wood is a structural tissue/material found as xylem in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulosic fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin t ...

of the

yew Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus '' Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus ...

tree, but other types of wood could be used as well, such as

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

and

chestnut The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Description ...

. On average, the spear measures about , making it unwieldy and unsuitable for use as a thrown projectile weapon.

Techniques

In the

Muyedobotongji ''Muyedobot'ongji'' (; ''Muye Dobo Tong Ji'') was a Korean martial arts text written by , Pak Chega, and Paek Tongsu and published in four volumes in 1795. It was commissioned in 1790 by King Jeongjo (r. 1740–1810). It expanded on the eigh ...

, two forms are described to practice with the ''jangchang''. The first one being ''jangchang jun chong bo'' (장창전총보, 長槍前總譜), and the second one being ''jangchang hubo'' (장창후보, 長槍後譜); the forward and backward moving forms, respectively. The movements of these forms are also illustrated in diagrams called ''jangchang jun chong do'' and ''jangchang hudo'', where the word ''do'' (도, 圖) means 'drawing' and stands for 'diagram'. Spears were used by both the infantry as well as the cavalry.

Techniques

See also