Wodao

The Chinese Wodao which literally translates to knives or swords of the Wo people is a Chinese sword that appeared during the Ming dynasty.

Swords have a very long and rich history in China; there were different types of pieces available and some of these include the bronze swords which were weapons that have been traced all the way back to the Shang dynasty. These types of long bronze Chinese swords suddenly appeared in the middle of the third century BC.

As time passed, the later swords that were created were made from steel or iron. The materials were also always wrought and they were not cast, and as for the sizes of these weapons, they commonly featured a length of about seventy to a hundred centimeters but there were definitely much longer swords that have been found.

Chinese swords made of iron were utilized in Japan throughout the third to the sixth century AD yet were eventually replaced with Korean and authentic Japanese swords around the middle of the Heian period.

Generally, the Chinese classify all of the swords into two categories, namely the Jian and the Dao; the Dao swords are usually single-edged weapons while the Jian are commonly double-edged.

Chinese Swords for Sale

The Wodao

The Wodao is commonly slender and long yet it is heavy with an arched back and a sharpened edge. Its form is greatly similar to the Zhanmadao, Tachi, Tang sword, or the Odachi. Additionally, it is also said that the Samurai were also adopted at wielding the Wodao.

The word wo generally translate to Japanese so the word Wodao means a Japanese katana / sword; it is said that the term was used in China during the Ming dynasty when general Qi Jiguang forced the Wokou pirates out of China coast.

General Qi also wrote the book Jixiao Xinshu which described the detailed utilization of the Chinese Wodao; the general also included the Wodao sword for his troop together with other varying weapons.

Li Chengxun, another general from the Ming dynasty, quoted General Qi in his revised edition of the Jixiao Xinshu and stated that the long sword (which is believed to be him referring to the Wodao sword) was first introduced to the country during the Wokou attack of the Ming.

Wielding the Wodao Sword

The art of wielding the Wodao is said to be a mix of the traditional Chinese styles and medieval Japanese double-handed sword fighting techniques.

The term Wodao was still used during the Qing dynasty as evidence in numerous Chinese novels that were present during that time. In the year 1921, the Chinese warlord named Cao Kun made a branch of his troops that specialized in using double-handed and single-edged weapons, calling this the Miaodao branch.

Since then, it became the name of these types of Chinese swords and the term Wodao fell out of use.

The Wodao is Popular Culture

The Wodao may have been one of the popular weapons utilized in China, but in this day and age, it is also a weapon that appears in the Fire Emblem Series (a tactical role-playing game). The weapon in this game is characterized by its lightweight and the high critical rate at the cost of low might and durability.

In one of the Fire Emblem series, the Wodao is specifically utilized by the Swordmaster and Myrmidon classes; additionally, it is a weapon that is similar to the Shamshir, another weapon present in the series.

Chinese Swords for Sale

Due to the efficiency and excellence of the Wodao, there are modern Wodao swords for sale that can be found in numerous sword shops. There are different types of offered swords such as the fully functional and battle-ready, and those that are made specifically for decorative purposes.

You can find at our shop some high-quality Chinese swords for sale that are full tang and made of high carbon steel content, most of the swords can be customized for your specification, simply send us an email with more details.