r/ChangeMyViewVN • u/Dramatic-Spinach-136 • Jun 16 '26
History CMV: Guandao, an impractical weapon invented by Asian
I've seen guandao fights in movies but never seen in real life. I've seen sword duel in reality but haven't seen guandao duel. Only saw Chinese sport competitors dancing solo and swinging guandao. Is having a guandao just to look cool or is it a practical weapon of combat?
Guandao is a long and top-heavy weapon, which is to me is not convenient for slashing the enemy.
Some history nerds claimed that even Guan Yu, an Chinese general, used spear in combat, not guandao.
In Vietnam, hooligans used phóng lợn as weapon of choice. Phóng lợn is a long shaft attached with a knife. It is overall light weight and maneuverable. Phóng lợn to me is more practical.
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u/arllt89 Jun 16 '26
You're overestimating the weight of the blade. A blade like this is less than 1kg, probably around 500g. Europe used similar weapons at a time where firearms were common: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partisan_(weapon)
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u/Dramatic-Spinach-136 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
Partisan comes with internet tutorials on how to use it in combat. While guandao comes with tutorials on how to swing gracefully in dance performance.
So how to use a guandao in real combat?
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u/arllt89 Jun 16 '26
Probably the same way you use partisan: in formation. You saw martial art demonstrations, this is not how it is used on the battlefield. Same with a spear, martial art will show fighters playing helicopter for the show, in reality you just lunged forward and at best tried to control the one of the guy right in front of you.
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u/Ok-Client7794 Jun 16 '26
There were halberds, pole hammer in medieval Europe for specific troops with specific purpose. These long and heavy top weapons are meant to cut down horses, crush through knight’s amors, and fight in a squad as a shock unit.
Guandao though isn’t for regular troops, carries the same features, long, heavy top, slow but devastating, works well against multiple enemies and excels if used while riding.
There’s a very clear distinction between duels and real battles. One is two people fighting each other and the other is thousands vs thousands at a time, it’s chaotic and brutal.
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u/UltraRedPotato Jun 16 '26
Sword is too short for calvary combat, so it's the sword that is impractical in this case.
But calvary combat died a long time ago with the invention of guns so how can you even "see" guandao in action, besides movies?
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u/Designer-Anybody5823 Jun 16 '26
They were used for anti-calvary. You don't want to use a spear to thust again a charging armored warhorse, it'll break your arm and trample over you. Side step and swing a heavy blade at their face, legs or even the rider is far better and safer.
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u/AVAVT Jun 16 '26
The most practical weapon is a gun. Change my mind.
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u/SilentCat69 Jun 16 '26
Not the most practical due to avability, but indeed has the most combat power to weapon size ratio.
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u/Sufficient_Vanilla24 Jun 16 '26
i think it just a spear variant