The Chinese Spear: The King of Chinese Weapons

Following is a minor update of an article that I wrote many years ago.

The Chinese Spear:
The King of Chinese Weapons
By M.E.H.

"When you use the spear you must judge where you are going to hit and focus your eyes on the target. Focus your eyes on your opponent's head, torso, or foot. When the spear is thrust, you should coordinate the weapon with your mind, hands, and feet. Your spear should shoot like a dragon rising from the sea. The motion must be able to surround the opponent body. With that action, you will be able to hit him."

The spear (ch'iang/qiang) is as ancient as China. Not only is it considered to be the oldest military weapon in China, the spear was originally developed as a horse soldier's weapon. Before 400 B.C., foot soldiers used either a nine foot spear or an eighteen foot spear. These spears combined a thrusting point with a hooking or slicing blade.

As a footnote, there are other types of spears-snake-head pattern spear, single hook spear (hooking fish spear), and double hook spear (hooking fish spear). (This particular topic will be discussed in a later article on Chinese weaponry.)

Unlike the spear that is used in other parts of the world, the Chinese spear was never meant to be thrown. Instead, a specialized set of techniques was developed that strongly resembled the single-headed staff techniques. Staffs of various lengths derived spillover value from some of the spear tactics, although they have complete systems of their own.

HISTORY
In ancient China, many advanced martial artists/warriors knew that this pointed implement under the usage of a proficient spear player was usually both lethal and formidable.

Two of the top spear proponents were the famous General Yueh Fei and the first Woman Warrior-Fa Mu Lan. Both warriors were considered invincible due to their proficiency of the spear in combat. (Stories have it that General Yueh Fei developed the Xing Yi mind-shaping boxing system based on his proficiency with the spear and other martial art systems.)

It has been rumored that during the "Water Margin" period of ancient China some of "Leung Mountains" heroes of the "Water Margin" fame were proficient spear players. The best spear player of that group was a "Leopard Head" Lin Chung whose finishing move was the "Returning Horse Spear Thrust." This movement was a reverse body, retreating tactic that lures the pursuing attacker into a state of frenzy. Then the spear player would abruptly stop and deploy an overturning body spear thrust at his opponent. When executed correctly, the spear rarely misses its target.

Yang Cheng Fu of the Yang Family Tai Chi fame always carried a short single-head spear for protection. It served the dual training function of a straight sword and a short staff.

Under the guise of warfare, the British in the mid-nineteenth century concluded that the Chinese spear was far superior to their bayonets. Currently, the weapon is smaller and its uses are compressed into about thirty different methods.

Some of the famous spear exercises are from the Stone family; the Horse family; the Yang family, and the Northern Shaolin system.

In the 1950s and 1960s, there were weapon competitions in both China and Taiwan featuring only the straight sword and the spear.




ABSTRACT
From my experience regarding most Chinese marital arts training programs, the student must learn at least several martial art open-hand, saber, and staff sets before a spear set is taught. The spear is generally taught after the student has obtained a firm understanding of the staff. It is the ideal weapon for the student whose physical characteristics are agility and speed. In the hands of an expert, the execution of a spear can be considered to be nearly invincible.

Regardless of the martial arts systems, spear techniques are designed to teach the principles and the importance of fluidity, grace (smoothness), good balance, precision-based attack, and defense techniques. With proper practice, the quickness and overall agility of the spear player can be enhanced.

While the Chinese straight sword is considered to be the most difficult to learn (discussed in a later article), the spear is considered to be the next most difficult of all Chinese weapons to master. Like the straight sword, the proper execution of the spear can also improve the concentration of the practitioner.

Due to its history and its lethal but proficient techniques, the spear has been nicknamed The Emperor of All Chinese Long Weapons. During ancient China, certain spear forms were practiced on a horse.

With current martial art systems, most of the spear exercises are mixed with staff movements. When utilizing a spear in combat, it is important that one should never move the spear too far away from the center line of the torso.

For basic spear training, the recommended length for a spear with tassel is 7 feet and 2.5 to 3.0 pounds). One way for a beginning spear player to evaluate the proper height of a spear is to point the fingers upward to the sky and then measure from the ground to the same vertical plane where the middle finger is pointed upward. From there the proper height of the spear is assessed.






In the Bagua system, the daqiang ("long spear") has one spear head and is normally a minimum length of 3 meters long. The average Weight of basic spear head is 0.75 lb.


Chinese Spear as a Weapon



The picture shows a Ba Gua system player demonstrating a double-headed spear technique (Shuangtou sheqiang aka "snake spear with two heads"), which is normally about 2 meters long, with a spear head on each end.


Technical Emphasis
Compared to heavier bladed weapons, the spear was light and possessed a long reach. Its techniques were simple but efficient. During combat, spear players were never underestimated in combat by smart non-spear players. One wrong move by the opposition and the sharper point of the spear could immediately thrust in and through their body.

The main purpose of learning to use a spear is to build power by learning correct body methods (Shenfa) that open up the joints and dynamically stretches the tendons. This method must be used to improve one's skill. People, who do not practice martial arts or do not practice it correctly, will have rather stiff joints that limit their range of movements. Through proper long spear practice, one can open the joints, increase flexibility, and hence improve agility of movements. Some spear sets emphasize subtle wrist and waist movements that can emit powerful circular movements, which can be technically lethal is combat.

Externally, the proper practice of the spear is all about full body coordination and the mastery of the point thrust techniques with no hard force. The ancient Chinese Martial Art Classics stated that "a spear that moves in a constant rapid-fire pace can never be defeated."

Basic spear exercises usually feature elements of twirling, thrusting, swinging and figure-eight spinning. The two basic combinational movements of the spear are the upward slash and the jab-thrust (poke). Some of the advanced spear techniques can be characterized by free-swinging smoothness and a sequence of confused foot patterns, the same characteristics that apply to the each school's unarmed tactics.

Thrusting
In the beginning of any training, emphasis should be placed on the use of its point or tip. The spear player must be able to thrust the tip of the spear quickly and accurately in any direction. The consummate spear player should be able to move like a "dragon" when using the spear; that is, the movement should be agile and precise.

The spear is held with the front hand to balance the spear while the back hand is used to control and guide. It has been said that a spear in motion "starts like a flying phoenix and accelerates toward the target like a comet." (The tassel should be moving as one unit with the spear.) If the striking motion of a spear is consistently straight, it is then considered that the spear player has achieved the acme of perfection.

Another classic description of a correctly performed spear action is "quick as a serpent's tongue."

Some spear thrusting techniques require the rotation of the spear's head to be as small as the circumference of an orange. If this movement is achieved consistently, it is said that the spear player has mastered the striking ability.

Besides the basic act of thrusting, there are many different types of offensive spear techniques and surprise maneuvers that can be utilized by the spear player. A spear player should never be underestimated in combat.


Other Techniques
Thrusting is not the only thing that a spear player practices on. Other techniques range from deploying circular movements to changing the grasp of the weapon without loosing contact with it. Both actions are difficult tasks to deploy when going full speed with a spear.


The Technical Parallels Between the Chinese Spear and Chinese Straight Sword
Depending on the Chinese martial art systems, the biomechanical movements and principles of the spear concepts can be applied to the straight sword. In rare martial arts systems, the biomechanical movements and principles can be interchangeable between the straight sword and the spear. (There are also select open-hand combat concepts that can be applied to the straight sword and vice-versa.)

While the spear is a longer weapon, the straight sword is physically a faster weapon. It has been said that the sword can sometimes win against the spear. The general adage of martial arts combat is that the player of the weapon makes the weapon, not that the weapon makes the player.

What makes the Chinese long spear a supreme combat implement is the emphasis on the point first and then the edge. (Again, very similar to the Chinese straight sword). In combat, the point is more effective than the edge and the advantages in using the point are greater range, centralized power, and safety from counter.


The two principal techniques that are involved in the usage of the spear are the point and the edge.

[ The Point ] [ The Edge ]
----------------------- ----------------
Thrusting Wide-hooking Tactics
Parrying
Feinting

#

The following are some of the traditional ways for using a spear (very similar to a straight sword):

1. Piercing, thrusting upward
2. Hacking, bringing downward
3. Splitting, going right to left and then downward
4. Jabbing
5. Thrusting upward
6. Chiseling, cutting the edge back
7. Groping, holding the spear or sword parallel to the body
8. Throwing, wielding the spear or the sword flatly right to left
9. Rushing, holding the point upward
10. Deflecting, by horizontal cross-cutting
11. Hooking, with the point dangling downward
12. Upholding, parrying with the spear or the sword crosswise
13. Spinning, to and from maneuver
14. Scraping, with the edge half cutting
15. Stretching, by poking the point upward
16. Whirling, with the point moving circularly

As a historical note, advanced Chinese straight sword and Chinese spear training included the targeting and striking of the nerve points on the opponent's body. This phase of lethal training is usually privately taught to the advanced and loyal students.


Utilizing the Spear in Combat
In combat, the mastery of the spear is all about mastering the various techniques of thrusting. From an old marital arts classic, it has been said that "technique will get you through times of no muscle better than muscle will get you through times of no technique."

The combat strategy of the consummate spear player usually consists of a series of rapid and baffling turns and attacks. Fighting maneuvers and movements should be executed abruptly against the opponent. Often enough, the opponent would not be able to build a defense or mount an offense against it.




Conclusion
Currently, the spear exercises of most Chinese martial art systems feature both the "point-thrust" method and the various "baton twirling" techniques from single- and double-headed staff exercises. As mentioned before, research shows that during the Ming Dynasty most spear exercises contained more spear-like thrusting movements than twirling staff techniques.

Some of the systems that teach the Chinese spear are the Chinese internal marital arts systems (Ba Gua, Tai Ji, and Xing Yi) and most northern Chinese external martial art systems. However this usually depends whether the teachers of those systems teach that particular implement.

The following is a list of why the spear earned the name the "Emperor of Chinese Long Weapons:"

• A favorite implement for training one's concentration
• A favorite of many advanced martial artists
• Historically known for its remarkable effectiveness on the battlefield
• More weapon exercises for spears and straight swords than there are for sabers and staff
• Usually one of the two primary weapons used in most Chinese weapon sparring sets
  

Six Harmonies Spear Video
To budding students of the Chinese spear, Six Harmonies Spear video training available at Wing Lam Enterprises (www.wle.com) is highly recommended. Wing Lam Enterprises also provides other spear training videos.

"To master any spear or straight sword thrust technique, one must merge the body and its function. Concentrate your eyes on a point without letting your eyes wander. Your ch'i and mind will sink, and your inside and outside will coordinate. Focusing your mind and eyes onto that one point is the most important thing when you begin to practice." - Anonymous Spear/Sword Player

Original source: http://www.jadedragon.com/martarts/spear1.html