What's up with noisy rings on Chinese weapons?

Walking Man · Apr 17, 2005

After seeing a few movies and seeing a few cheap swords for sale with quarter to 1/2 dollar sized rings attached to the blade, or spear, or other weapon, I've got to ask!??! What's up with that? They are quite noisy, and definately not fit for tactical ninja use.
I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it's for "tactical" psychological strategic combat or something like that. But the real answer is!?!?.............
(your turn)

gorlank · Apr 17, 2005

I'm a lifelong kung fu flick fan and the rings have a purpose. Several films have them being used to trap an opponents weapon. Likewise the furry tip on Chinese spears, they can distract an opponent's vision when flashed in his face.

For an excellent weapons flick check out Heroes of the East.

Walking Man · Apr 17, 2005

gorlank, can you please describe (if you can) how these rings are used to trap weapons. I can't picture it. thanks.

Johnny Blaze · Apr 17, 2005

No they are not for trapping, it's to distract the opponent. Like you said very noisy things. Also it serves to dull the opponents blade. Usually the rings are accompanied by horse hair, which serves as a distraction and to soak up the blood so that it doesn't reach the wielders hand / grip.

Johnny Blaze · Apr 17, 2005

one wouldn't carry a nine ring broadsword on a stealthy mission ofcourse

It's used to advertise and intimidate on a battle field. Also the eyes tend to follow the red hairs which often misleads the true direction of the blade. Very hard to concentrate against a wielder of one of these beauties!

gorlank · Apr 17, 2005

I think Johnny is right, one of the movies that I saw by Lau Kar Leung had the wielder trapping the long thin bladed sword in the rings. Pretty fanciful but Lau has always been known as a fanatical devotee of traditional weaponry.

I googled a found this on the broadsword.

Chinese historians and poets chronicled many famous sabre wielding martial artists. Wang Wu was a martial artist known for his sabre skills. He wielded a big broadsword with nine rings on the back of the blade. The rings were used to distract the enemy and dull his weapon. The broadsword play of Wang Wu was described as being as 'violent as a tiger on a prairie'. One poet described broadsword play as 'hurricane sweeping leaves off the trees'.

Johnny Blaze · Apr 17, 2005

Yeah the chinese language is really poetic and everything is described in that nature, but one thing about these swords was that you'd have to be a fierce warrior to wield one of these. No peon would be found with one, and the strength it takes to swing one for hours on end is brutal. So it's no wonder when people heard the chimes of the rings they would fear the warrior behind it.

S2nd · Apr 17, 2005

Johnny Blaze said:
No they are not for trapping, it's to distract the opponent. Like you said very noisy things. Also it serves to dull the opponents blade. Usually the rings are accompanied by horse hair, which serves as a distraction and to soak up the blood so that it doesn't reach the wielders hand / grip.

This is what my Kung Fu instructor told me as well.