Chinese Hook Swords

Reliable information on hook swords is difficult to come by. While sometimes called an ancient weapon and described as dating from the Song dynasty to Warring States or even earlier, most antique examples and artistic depictions are from the late Qing era or later, suggesting that they are actually a comparatively recent design. They were also an exclusively civilian weapon, appearing in none of the official listings of Chinese armaments. Surviving sharpened examples point to actual use as weapons, but their rarity, and the training necessary to use them, strongly suggest that they were only rarely used as such.

Routines for hook swords are taught in such Northern schools as Northern Shaolin and Seven-Star Mantis, and in some schools of Southern arts such as Choy Lay Fut. Modern routines for hook swords are often very flashy, and may involve techniques such as linking paired weapons and wielding them as a single long, flexible weapon.

Chinese hook swords have been made famous in recent years by movies and video games like Mortal Kombat. Now you can own your own pair of these awesome weapons.