Hook Sword

The Hook Sword, Hu Tou Gou, Shuang Gou, or the Fu Tao is known as a Chinese weapon that is commonly associated with the style of northern Chinese martial arts but today, these are also associated with the southern style as well.

Twin Hook Swords are highly favored in Wushu and Shaolin Kung Fu, plus these are weapons with an ancient lineage that go all the way back to the Qing dynasty. Others believe that the weapon is a little on the contemporary side especially now since a lot of people practicing the Southern-style Chinese martial arts wield these together with their double swords.

Uses of the Hook Sword

Various routines and methods for these Hook Swords are commonly taught as the Seven-Star Mantis and Northern Shaolin for the northern schools, while the Choy Lay Fut is taught in a couple of schools in the north.

Contemporary routines for the Hook Swords are usually flashy and may involve various styles such as combining paired blades and wielding these as a single, flexible, and long weapon. A couple of the Baguazhang schools also educate their practitioners in using similar weapons which are called the Mandarin Duck Knives or the Deer Horn Knives.

These weapons usually feature a shorter (or none at times) main hook and primarily focuses on the stabbing and cutting blades that are arranged along with the guard. Due to the protrusions and increased possibility of accidental stabbing or hooking, these weapons are rarely used for sparring and are utilized sparingly during two-person routines.

Chinese Swords for Sale

Features of the Hook Sword

The Hook Sword is also known as the Tiger Hook Swords and it is a weapon with a sharpened blade that is similar to the Jian. However, it may be quite thicker or unsharpened with a hook or prong that is located close to the tip.

Guards are basically important especially for the style and construction of the Hook Swords; these are commonly utilized in pairs and the weapon’s hooks may be used to deflect or trap other weapons.

There are five vital elements to the Hook Sword and these include the following:

• The back of the sword is commonly utilized as a regular sword
• The hook is utilized to trip and slash opponents while also being useful in catching weapons
• The end of its hilt is sharpened to perfection
• The crescent guard is essential for trapping, blocking, and slashing
• The link is important when using the weapon in pairs

The weapon’s two hooks can connect loosely and the wielder can swing a Hook Sword while the other is extended to almost six feet.

While the second weapon is extended in the air, the dagger set on the hilt can slash the target; this will allow the wielder to freely broaden its reach from about three to six feet.

Historical Background of the Hook Sword

Reliable information and details regarding the Hook Swords are quite difficult to acquire; the blade is at times, referred to as an ancient weapon that dates all the way back to the Song dynasty or even earlier.

Most antique pieces and artistic descriptions come from the late Qing period or later, suggesting that the Hook Sword features a relatively current style. Also, the weapon was considered as a civilian weapon since it did not appear in any of the official Chinese weapon’s listing.

Advantages of the Hook Sword

The Hook Sword has multiple movements and techniques that utilize its hooks to catch the enemy; practitioners are taught to wield the sword as a single weapon for some styles but are commonly utilized and taught in pairs.

Forms are extremely handy for weapons such as this since one can readily build-up their confidence, coordination, as well as fluidity when utilizing the weapon. Additionally, there are numerous movements and forms that make use of the Crescent Moon Blade while close to the hand to readily slash or block an opponent.

While there are not many stabbing techniques using the sword’s pommel tip, the handguards and hooks of these weapons can be utilized for disarming and trapping; its points at the bottom can also be used just like daggers when in close proximity.

Hook Sword in Popular Culture

In the popular television series named Avatar: The Last Air Bender, the Earth Kingdom rebel called Jet makes use of a pair of Hook Swords for battle. In the movie The One-Armed Swordsman, Long Armed Devil and his troop’s utilized Hook Swords that had a mechanical appearance.

The battle between Jen Yu and Shu Lien in the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Shu Lien makes use of numerous classic Chinese weapons and one of these is a pair of Hook Swords; the other types of weapons that she wields include the four primary weapons of the martial arts culture of the Chinese: the Dao, the whip, Qiang, and the Jian.

The character also picks up but does not manage to utilize the Yueyachan or the monk’s spade.

In the series of Mortal Kombat games, characters such as Mavado, Kabal, and Erron Black make use of the Hook Swords; additionally, in the anime adaptation of the popular manga series called Bleach, the character named Amagai Shusuke uses a Zanpakuto that exhibits the form of a Hook Sword that features a hook that faces the other direction than it usually does.

Hook Swords for Sale

For anyone who is interested to buy Hook Swords, these are readily available in numerous online weapon shops that offer Chinese swords for sale.

When searching for hook swords in these online shops, one can find a variety of Chinese swords that range from decorative pieces that feature intricate designs, or the fully functional pieces that are excellent for cutting targets. We do not have Hook Swords for sale offered in our store.