Interesting Chinese Swords: The Roaring Dragon & Striking Eagle by LK Chen

[@rehanmemon3969]

The names are always so cool that they seem overhyped. you never see mundane names on a sword like "the strutting donkey", "the taxing paying monkey", "the depressed and slightly drunk carp".

[@shawn6860]

I ever play a game I can name starships I will use those names. 😄

[@Santisima_Trinidad]

everyone has a death bringer or a dragon's flame. But your enemies will never be able to outlive the shame of being killed by the fluffy bunny.

[@General_Kenobi_212]

it's like how my grandfather named his boat "unsinkable 3" yes in case you were wondering the other 2 sunk one in the dock during a hurricane and the other striking the underside of a bridge pillar in rough waters, third times the charm i hope lol 😄

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@General_Kenobi_212 that's just asking for trouble.

[@hunterlurvey698]

"The underwhelming pigeon"

[@gaspanifrinzi3318]

I really appreciate that more people are showing more of Chinese swords or culture in general, few years ago I couldn't even manage to think to find some Chinese swords videos here in KZbin. Glad to see this one!

[@LarryGarfieldCrell]

I think a lot of it is LK Chen specifically. They've been flooding the KZbin reviewer community with review blades in the past year and none of the review channels are going to say no to quality free stuff. :-) It is good to see more stiff than just European and katana, though I agree. I'd love to see more on African weapons, as that's a very under-covered area.

[@gaspanifrinzi3318]

@@LarryGarfieldCrell also African armors.

[@DccAnh]

@@gaspanifrinzi3318 african barely have any armor worth noting

[@HistoricalWeapons]

chinese swords are underrated

[@thescholar-general5975]

That’s why I made my channel about them!

[@tiamat9360]

Yea they are... Asian sword representation in the west is 60% katana, 20% other japanese swords, 20% everything else

[@emmanuelchavez7748]

I think it's cause we focus more on the hand to hand combat like kung fu

[@thescholar-general5975]

Emmanuel Chavez Yeah its true, but kind of ironic that just a little over 100 years ago in China the weapons were way more important than the hand fighting systems.

[@k3ps00n7]

@@thescholar-general5975 Checked your channel thanks to that comment. Really interesting videos and topics. Already subscribed!

[@ld2hunter]

Long time subscriber, first time commenter. I had heard, during my training in various Asian martial arts, Chinese jians (Straight swords) and their 2-handed variants, like this, were supposedly designed to be flexible enough to slip between armor joints and ribs during thrusting attacks. These jians are from a specific era and/or region where their design was meant for a style more akin to fencing, in that agility was the focus, as opposed to jians from other eras and/or regions which were designed to be a heavy slashing type of weapon with a point that could be used for secondary thrusting attacks, where strength was the primary focus. You can certainly tell the difference based on the mass and width of the blades from the different eras. Just my input from what I had been taught while on my journey through the martial arts. Can't speak to the accuracy, as I never studied the actual history, nor practiced on armored targets, I was there for the discipline and exercise mainly. Love your videos!

[@kyomademon453]

Chinese swords have this sort of simplicity in their design, so elegant

[@erikblarg5498]

Yeah, And I love how the simple design kind of subconsciously misleads to thinking that it's purpose is simple. But the move and intentions for a sword like that are alot more complicated than first assumed.

[@hmuphilly9129]

@@erikblarg5498 I dont like how there are some people who think it cant cut.

[@erikblarg5498]

@@hmuphilly9129 Right?! More accurately: "THEY can't cut with it" More people should really put more effort into figuring out what is different about a unique item, and why something is having issues, because a little critical thinking often reveals that problems had, were induced by user error. Most people who are used to heftier swords are more used to using the mass for momentum. But if you just look at this sword, you can tell that its momentum comes from leverage, a long, light blade like that gets crazy tip speed, since momentum is mass times velocity, the higher velocity it can reach the less mass it needs. Failed cut tests with blades like this one seem to be caused by the user trying to "plow" through the target rather than "whip" through it like these blade designs are intended to.

[@jackl2257]

Historically nobles still has fancy stuff

[@lonid4608]

well on this one i think maybe because this type sword was used around 300bc to 100bc, it just cant make that complicated 2000 years ago. and heres my suggest to skallagrim if you are interesting chinese swords and martial arts, you should looking for swords closer to now , like ming dynasty and qing dynasty when around and after late medieval ,they will have more papers to found and maybe some martial family are inherit the technique . on this sorwd's martial technique basiclly all we can do is guess, at that time writing was still on bamboo pieces , and i dont see anyone in china dare to say himself or his family inherit the martial arts from 2000 years ago

[@MarcusVance]

Love two-handed jian. They were often used by bodyguards, and are pretty perfect for that.

[@welcomegumungus]

interesting, because from what i have heard, greatswords have also been used similarly.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

@@welcomegumungus It makes sense. The first duty of a body guard is to keep bad guys away. A long weapon does this better than a shorter one, especially if you're in an environment where the people trying to attack are being low key.....and therefore not carrying shields or wearing armour. If you're a bodyguard on a field of battle.......and may be facing swords, axes or spears it may still be a better all around choice. Long enough to defend against spears but short enough to still be effect at closer than spear range should someone get in closer. WHile still being able to threaten a wide arc of foes.

[@welcomegumungus]

@@MrBottlecapBill oooh thanks for the explanation!

[@MalloonTarka]

@@welcomegumungus Same with the Iberian Montante, another big-ass sword.

[@tianxiu]

why bodyguards use two-handed jians or greatswords? I would have thought they would carry better concealable and more agile weapons?

[@itinerantpoet1341]

Here's an application for the flexible swords most won't know. It's preserved in applications like "Birds fly into the woods at nightfall" in Yang tai chi sword. It comes after a classical wudang leg counter where you guide the opponent's blade off-line, then continue into what looks like a classic shaolin thrust, up through the gutsto pierce the heart and exit through the upper back. But impaling is a great way to lose your sword. Instead, the flexible sword slides up the torso, bending, to be inserted under the chin and penetrate the brain via the spinal column. It takes more calm, control and skill, but it makes withdrawing the sword much easier, so that one can be ready for the next attacker. The name connotes piercing the tongue to reach the brain, as most birds are silent in the woods at night. (Like Skalla, I prefer heavier, stiffer blades for a variety of reasons, but believe that there are uses for every type of blade. The last generation of Chinese fighters from about a century ago seem to have heavily favored these flexible blades for dueling.)

[@Cruxador]

Keep in mind that the original striking eagle wasn't intended to first and foremost be a good blade, it's a commemorative weapon. Its length is the same as the height of the owner's deceased son. As a subject for reproduction, it's notable for being the longest intact specimen, I believe. The roaring dragon is more typical of what was actually used, but still they seem to have been very specialized.

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

True, but do consider that a sword as long as a person is tall were reasonably common for their respective times. Especially in East Asia, people were shorter back then, and even the Roaring Dragon would have been maybe only a little shorter than the height of the user. As far as weight and balance of the blade is concerned, I'm not quite sure if the ratio of body mass to height would have been dissimilar enough to change the balance characteristics to their original users. Topics like these don't usually make a difference, but with this sword design being so ancient and nutrition poorer and average height shorter, it very well might have.

[@hamasmillitant1]

thanks for the info but in my opinion not really a specialized weapon except in regards to fact only a few cultures knew how to make a sword that long that didnt break immediately(bk then they all had a ridge not a fuller across all cultures that managed more than a meter of blade) if a sword weights 1.2 KG it dosent mater how long it is u can use it 1 handed or 2 if u arent using a shield at time and unless your fighting in close formation longer reach is very valuable. thats why the celts where notorious for skirmish warfare'. because they could make the weapons for it. cultures with lesser smiths opted for massed spears or roman/saxon style of massed short swords & shields. ps blade only wobbles if YOUR force isnt focused thats why they had tassels on practice sword if the tassel is wobbling so is the tip. your not being smooth enough in motions

[@hamasmillitant1]

@@TheWhiteDragon3 yes and no. yes for last 200yrs/post colonial period no for most of time before that/when these swords where used nutrition was pretty good for warrior castes, the brits where always writing about how natives where a foot taller than them wherever they went. it was post colonization they shrunk to eu sizes(traditionally the most malnourished continent)

[@Caboose-td7mj]

Quite a unique style of use with chinese weapons in particular. Very different from Japanese and European. I love that you don't just solely focus on European arts and diversify your videos between all historic weapons.

[@m4xs0ng66]

Well those are han period (around 100 ad) chinese Jian, in this period single edge swords are rare even in Europe and Japan. In fact early japanese swords are based on chinese jians. But later china and japan both transitioned to single edged dao or in japanese “katana”.

[@3xeplodng_3agle_studios]

@@m4xs0ng66 partially incorrect, the Japanese first transitioned to the "tachi". Katana came even later

[@m4xs0ng66]

@@3xeplodng_3agle_studios tachi basically means knife as well.

[@3xeplodng_3agle_studios]

@@m4xs0ng66 Indeed it does

[@treyfelter5133]

@@m4xs0ng66 i belive the roaring dragon is modeled off a Chu sword actually.

[@dubyaw9511]

LK Chen: I am going to turn all these HEMA youtubers into HCMA youtubers

[@horstnasenblut8364]

Also called Gong fu

[@treyfelter5133]

I'm already both but definately picked up a Roaring dragon after seeing so many favorable LK chen reviews. I've been looking for a long Jian for a while, and I think its perfect for my needs (cutting and drills)

[@juniperrodley9843]

That sounds like I'm hiccupping.

[@NoverMaC]

@@horstnasenblut8364 just CMA. nobody calls it that afaik

[@cyborgchicken3502]

@av latta meguca maybe they shouldn't because in China Gong Fu is also related to Hard Work or Hard Labour, it's not always about martial arts only Kung Fu movies make it seem that way...it's actually more related to striving for perfection through hard work and practice, that's really it's only connection to martial arts, the proper the for martial arts in China is Wushu, and for Chinese hand to hand martial arts they use Chuan Fah

[@imstupid880]

I have a theory about the disk pommels: you see them primarily on earlier swords, during the transition from bronze to iron/steel. Bronze swords were definitely shorter, and also evolved from knives/daggers; I think that similar to a rondel dagger, the disk pommels is a leftover from a want to have a surface to push against for additional thrusting power, and as knives grew longer and became swords, the disk pommels was a leftover.

[@Cruxador]

This makes sense, it's consistent with the swords getting round towards the pommel too.

[@Robert399]

But surely a longer blade will need that additional thrusting power more (because it's more flexible) - once they're made of steel at least, I know bronze isn't spring-tempered.

[@imstupid880]

@@Robert399 Sure, but I think it's harder to use a disk pommel to accentuate a thrust when the blade is longer; daggers tend to be used at closer range, where it's easier to stick it into a guy and hammer it home.

[@Robert399]

@@imstupid880 Intuitively that makes sense to me but it is also shown in longsword treatises.

[@itinerantpoet1341]

From actual experience, I can tell you definitively that Chinese swords use disc pommels, or no pommel, because Chinese practitioners can hyper-extend the wrists in a cut, getting an extra 15 to 25 degrees, allowing jabbing around an opponent's guard, and jabbing at the hands and wrists while taking ones own hands and wrists off target. This is why many wudang schools teach tanglang (Northern Praying Mantis) which builds the wrist strength and flexibility necessary for jabs.

[@goliathz9l597]

I think I might be surprised by its nimbleness if I ever actually handled one of those. Chinese swords are quite interesting. And your reviews are always awesome.

[@WyFoster]

I don't own any swords, nor do I practice any sword arts. But I find this stuff fascinating.

[@williamfescemyer4739]

Why not start :)

[@stc3145]

I would like to buy a sword but they’re banned where i live. I have firearms but i cannot get a blade thats longer than 25 cm

[@natsukimasamune7766]

@@stc3145 because everybody knows Shuriken are weapons of mass destruction!

[@GuitarsRockForever]

@@stc3145 The world is full of retarded laws.

[@arthurbanksforbeijingopera3091]

In China a good sword is somewhat like a pet at least, your child more. You must feed it, maintain it carefully. Certainly seldom anyone can afford too many pets.

[@neonnwave1]

Not many times I hear a 'swish' sound when a sword is swung. It's music to my ears.

[@jaysblades]

"Sword wind" is both a beautiful and hilarious phrase to me, because I can't help but think of "break wind."

[@neonnwave1]

@@jaysblades More like cutting wind than breaking it. But cutting wind doesn't have the same meaning.

[@thegreatandmightyseff7214]

Golden Wind.

[@neonnwave1]

@@thegreatandmightyseff7214 Yare yare daze

[@varuug]

@@neonnwave1 In southern US accent: yaer yaer dayz?

[@Arthion]

Gosh, I love the swooshing sound they make when slashing with them. I'm quite curious how jian and long jian are used compared to more western blades in a bit more detail. Given that the description of the Roaring Dragon refering to it as being used more like a spear, it sounds like the focus is higher on swift thrusts and probably just keeping people out of reach.

[@nathanyau2164]

I think the main idea of a Chinese "sword" or double edged blade is that it's more for unarmored duelling, between , mostly, noblemen. For actual armoured combat and war, spears or polearms, dao (Chinese broadswords) and even staves are used.

[@xeio1122]

Literally just learned about these blades yesterday and suddenly this video. I am not disappoint

[@jaysblades]

Same. I ran across them while browsing their site just yesterday too. Skallagrim Wizard confirmed

[@parryhotter4283]

You know this moment when you learn something new and literally the next day they talk about it in a documentation or in the next episode of your favorite Netflix show?

[@yannk95]

Just heard the swoosh of the blade at the 3:40 mark and thought it was movie. Was surprised at the sound of the blade. Had a good pitch to it.

[@whitewolf4910]

How Skallagrim is looking with these two swords in the beginning: Fly you fools! I will kill ya all! How his intro music feels like: come, sit with me and let's talk about the beauty of historical weapons

[@DinnerForkTongue]

NGL, this lute ballad is the Skall intro I enjoy the most. The lineart viking is pretty badass but this one makes the channel feel cozy and welcoming.

[@whitewolf4910]

@@DinnerForkTongue Totally. I was pumped up when I turned this episode on, and after this intro I simply paused it, made myself some coffe, sit down on balcony and watched it while enjoying the weather. It was so unbeliveble nice and calm

[@JosephArata]

This is one of those weird hybrid swords that was designed for thrusting but it can also slash to guard vs spears/staves. It follows the same rules as the traditional one-handed Chinese swords, thin, straight and doubled edged, but they made these longer for more reach.

[@honkhonk6443]

I love the design, this is peak performance right there

[@keyem4504]

LK Chen really makes great swords. I have several of them and all of them are superb.

[@justsomewitcherwithalongsw4233]

“Just smack the devil out of it.”

[@joshuaxiong8377]

Chinese Dood: _I shall fight you with the Swift Coursing River Forceful Great Typhoon Raging Fire Mysterious Dark Side Of The Moon._ Everyone else: *A Steel Jian, gotcha fam.*

[@rhett5058]

What a MAN

[@thepastaprogenitor851]

American dood: _well I counter with the masterful unit: grasshopper's tech9!_

[@-Devy-]

@@thepastaprogenitor851 At least you tried.

[@kylestanley7843]

@@thepastaprogenitor851 An _actual_ American dood: _Pulls out a fucking Glock_

[@StryderK]

@@rhett5058 what a man whatta man what a mighty good man!

[@Brahmdagh]

This is like seeing two gorgeous sisters, and not being sure which one you are developing a crush on.

[@Torrenaxe]

Odd

[@KorithStoneheart]

I've been totally geeking out on your channel! These swords are awesome!

[@christophercook4819]

Really cool swords it’s nice seeing Chinese swords getting some spotlight. My personal favorite and the one I’m proficient with is the tai chi long sword

[@keithallardice6139]

Great reviews - that Roaring Dragon has certainly caught my eye ... cheers Skal! Stay safe and have a good one

[@TheTyyros]

i like the setup at the beginning with the view outside; looks great

[@meilanyu5209]

Lightweight = speed Blade sharp = minimum kinetic energy required to end the battle This is a design two thousand years ago

[@itinerantpoet1341]

Bear in mind that 2000 years ago, we're talking iron, not steel, and poor durability/temper. The degredation of the surviving blade surely resulted in a loss of weight and moving of the point of balance closer to the guard. Even 2000 years ago these straight swords must have been finesse weapons, because they lack the durability of polearms or single-edged cutting blades. In my opinion, hacking is never good with a straight sword, even if that seems to be the dominant use by modern practitioners. But if you ever get the chance to learn from an expert, you'll notice they can generate power for cuts without opening their guards, and use chops rarely.

[@hiimryan2388]

@@itinerantpoet1341this is wrong in so many ways. Steel swords in China have been used for MORE than 2000 years and to say that they were “badly tempered” or had terrible durability is just nonsense as these were battlefield and bodyguard swords and were buried with nobles in tombs. Besides in the reference picture of the sword the rust didn’t lead to severe deterioration meaning it probably added mass onto the sword.

[@chrisfields8077]

I've studied some of the originals. And I have to question the thickness they choose to replicate as they used the existing measurements. However the blade was heavily corroded and I don't think they took that into account. So the original piece was originally a bit thicker. And as a maker, even a few thousands of thickness can stiffen up a blade and add weight quick.

[@chrisfields8077]

Still they are doing fantastic work!

[@itinerantpoet1341]

Excellent point. I'd also add that most modern practitioners seem pretty weak, with weak hand and wrists from insufficient practice, which fosters a culture of lighter blades with point of balance too close to the guard. There is a theory that surviving blades tend to be ceremonial or decorative ("fop" blades) because these were objects of art and didn't see much actual use. I find it funny b/c people used to laugh at the light Chinese performance blades of the late 20th century, but the sparring feders aren't much heavier and have similar suboptimal pob for serious swordplay. (You can still make it work with these light blades, but it takes higher skill, which is why most of what one sees in sparring is non-viable hacking strategies, not pris de fer and envelopment, which reflects the real art.)

[@Quoxozist]

The thing about this style of blade is that, the flexibility and the agility of the light blades were designed from the ground up to slip past light armor and stab and pierce and cut with the flick of the tip, so actual killing usage is very different in terms of technique from european blades, which were designed to penetrate very different armor in very different circumstances. these types of weapons are essentially the longer, stylized version of something that was often used in duels, between opponents wearing flowing robes and little else - pure tests of skill and speed to see who could draw blood first with extremely fast and flexible blades. the length in the case of these blades would provide an enormous advantage in such an unarmored dueling situation, for obvious reasons.

[@lukapichler3666]

I agree - historical context must always be considered when dealing with such ancient chinese weapons. these particular jian took advantage of the stupid fast tip speed they could generate to either strike with the top 4th of the blade or do wide, sweeping cuts at high speeds. You'd take advantage of the high moment of inertia to compensate for lack of mass.

[@anoninunen]

With that flexibility, it might be possible to 'flick' the tip around a guard/parry, as in rapier fencing. Whip-sword!

[@dordly]

as a lover of rapier and longsword, this is my dream sword. e: I was confused by the focus on cut for the Striking Eagle since this looks like more of a thrusting sword, as you later realized. yes you normally want something rigid for thrusting, but in a blade that's meant to thrust yet also cut, I can imagine flexibility being useful.' that said, I'd definitely want the Roaring Dragon!

[@mainerjasoon1501]

In fact, in ancient China, a sword of this length was used for decoration (to show one's cultivation and status) and was usually carried in a luxurious, jade-filled scabbard. Only powerful men wore such long swords around their waists (e.g. Confucius, Qin Shi Huang) and were unable to pull them out themselves because they were too long. If the sword was to be used, another person would have to help him remove the scabbard. A shorter sword was also present in their daily swords for defence

[@MrHrannsi]

Fantastic video Skallagrímur, one thing I found quite facinating was at 11:20 when you where talking about you had an off day. I think it would be a interesting comparison to see how you perform relaxed and rested, versus tired and agitated using the same sword.

[@natmorse-noland9133]

Oh! That video that you linked to demonstrating Chinese martial technique was filmed at my school! 😁😁

[@Milligan618]

I know you focus on armed martial arts but I wish there was a channel like yours that went in depth with all martial arts.

[@lastdingo]

About cutting horses' legs: Keep in mind you don't need to chop a leg off to make the leg unusable to the horse. You just have to cut the sinews (or muscles) on one side. For graphic illustration, see the old Stephen King's "Pet Sematary" movie...

[@farkasmactavish]

Yeah turns out horses are extremely fragile lmao

[@itinerantpoet1341]

The pre-"sharpened" era (pre-2000's) Chinese longsword I have weighs close to 5lbs, with a balance point 1/3 of the way from the guard. This puts significantly more inertial into the blade, and makes it ideal for enveloping an opponent's weapon. (You see a good deal of envelopment work in the better fights on Game of Thrones.) Using wudang waist technique, the heavy blade can still be used for Yu Chenghui's form, but obviously requires the practitioner to be more defensive and patient against a lighter blade, waiting for an opportunity to control the opponent's blade and riposte cleanly without the possibility of reply. This heavy longsword also thrusts significantly faster and more powerfully than the lighter blades because the point wants to fall, such that thrusting from the center guard position begins with releasing the tension of the guard and launching the blade forward with the waist. The strong of the sword is extended with this 1/3 pob, and the point of percussion is moved to a stronger part of the blade, which makes it even more ideal for chops and cuts. The caveat is that it takes an enormous amount of strength training and patience to be able to cut with it without damaging one's tendons. I haven't tested against armor, but I have no doubt of that sword's abilities in context-it is clearly meant to bite through armor if necessary, even if exploiting gaps in armor is optimal, and the optimal use against unarmored foes is still point-work and slashing from inside. From working with this heavy blade I can definitively state that wielding with the hands separated is always suboptimal from the standpoint of generating power and of leverage. (Baseball and golf similarly use such grip.) Cutting power should be obvious to anyone who tries it both ways with a heavy sword, but leverage is more subtle-separating the hands required maintaining an extra point of rotation between the hands which inhibits the relationship between the rotation of the core (which we call "waist) and the place on the sword the practitioner is putting the inertia to lever the opponent's blade. The longer handle on these ancient swords, to me, validates that the technique in ancient times is inferior to the modern body mechanics of tai chi, bagua and hsingyi, which form the foundation for wudang sword. Wudang and internal arts arose in the 17th and 18th centuries as a response to the medieval "force against force" style of combat. These arts flowered again in the late 19th century (Sung Wei-I) and in the early 20th century (Li Jinglin, Fu Zhensong, Guo Qi Feng, and a small number of their students and their students' students.)

[@itinerantpoet1341]

One of the most famous modern kung fu movie stars is a 4th generation disciple of Fu Zhensong and Li Jinglin. The wudang waist training has allowed him to demonstrate everything from advanced MMA to classical weapons, including several famous on-screen duels with polearms against Jet Li. Although the modern wudang schools focus on hsingyi and baji striking for speed and power, the waist technique also allowed him to convincingly demonstrate Wing Chun at a high level.

[@VibrioidClover]

I'm in love with the Roaring Dragon

[@AbyssEyes02]

ive been waiting for a review of these by you

[@GuitarsRockForever]

We all know more stiffness means better penetrating power. The stiffer sword would perform better on penetration test I think.

[@monsterboomer8051]

benis

[@SoI_Badguy]

Wow, I never expected Skallagrim to be a Zhan-Hu main.

[@NikFlatcher]

Ni si ding le!

[@SoI_Badguy]

@@NikFlatcher IGNLY DINGLY

[@spacetacos7574]

ZONE

[@sonofsparda3767]

Zhanu got cool buffs

[@StryderK]

@@SoI_Badguy it’s Chinese for you’re dead meat! Lol.

[@kittenclaws5775]

I always appreciate that you qualify your reviews of non-european blades with a statement of your training history and note that that has an effect on your review and ability to discuss the blades within their own context. I am *so* tired of white boys telling me why [culture's sword] is bad/good without any doubt because you know, they totally know everything about swords having once held a stage steel arming sword in highschool. Meanwhile you have experience and you'll note "This... feels off to me, but that also may be a lot because it's just not designed around how I have studied to used blades, and that doesn't make it bad, it makes it an ill-fit *for my skillset*" and that's.. just very cool of you

[@ANDELE3025]

One doesnt need to be white to note that sword with different material properties from another is worse or better. History (and especially the exporting of not just iron and steel to pretty much every other place for over 800 years, but also the designs being brought over) does kinda show what properties of a sword won over, much like how during times of ancient rome steel was imported from the middle east (when not sourced from weird little scandinavian and alps which would nowdays be austrian/swiss that couldnt even produce enough for a cohort god forbid entire armies), yet the designs were quickly dropped. For a analogy, no amount of skill can change the fact that a detail leather working hammers hide face will be wrecked when used as a regular hammer, yet a nice steel roundface works for both with very little performance difference and no more use to it than regular. Tho TBF reproductions ignoring that china had a (at the time stupid) thing for decarburizing their metal before forging does contribute a lot to swords feeling off (LK being a case of a good middleground short of doing multi alloy differential hardening).

[@kittenclaws5775]

@@ANDELE3025 I- yes. My point was more about weebs who like to talk about their "expertise" on things on construction they know little to nothing about, like the katana fans who think that katanas are somehow superior metal in a superior design rather than groking that the design was significant because it was creating a design that worked around the grade of iron they had available. There's a lot of "This thing good/bad" without the historical context of why they were done, which Skallagrim makes a point of either not doing or at least doesn't pass some supposedly "objective" opinion on. He specifically is aware that swords are built to a purpose relevant to their culture and period, and that his reviews are solely taken from a specific perspective of a modern practitioner of european blade work.

[@JordanClymer-fh3pf]

wisdom and humility are hand in hand.

[@AnnaCurser]

im liking the new background, nice green screen! the swords also look nice!

[@crackedjabber]

I really like these, I think this will push me over the edge into buying one in the next year or so. As for the zombie heads... I say go for it! It's not a Skallagrim test if you haven't made a leaky mess of a zombie head with a weapon, and it would allow you to revisit thrusting tests. Win/win.

[@JERKIMBALL1]

Great swords, interesting shaping on them. I want one!

[@Jim58223]

I still would have liked to see you test these to the same degree you do with other swords. Everyone seems to be going too easy on LK chen swords. I wanna see where the limit is.

[@Intranetusa]

Watch scholagladitoria's review of these swords if you want harsher tests. He uses them to cut into thick tree branches.

[@Jim58223]

@@Intranetusa I've seen those too, and he tested them even more lightly than skall. Matt is not know for rigorous testing. Also those branches were pretty thin and green.

[@StryderK]

@@Intranetusa yeah. He also put a set in his Striking Eagle. As he and Skallagrim d Said, you can only put so much on these flexible blades.

[@Intranetusa]

@@Jim58223 Matt has an earlier video from November 2020 where he tests one of these swords on a relatively thick branch of dried silver birch that is thicker than the diameter of a polearm. See 20:00 of the following video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXyrZYOJdp2XhqM

[@Intranetusa]

@@StryderK Yeh, those 2 inch dried silver birchwood branches seem to be near the upper limit of these blade's durability since it caused a small set on the Striking Eagle one. These blades definitely can't handle chopping into a thick block of wood.

[@80Kpml08]

Chinese anti cavalry swords were more like the Dadao you've reviewed in the past just longer (and probably thinner) there were some that were essentially nodachi but if I recall correctly the larger profile swords came later.

[@zacharyvolz4860]

you know its a great day when you wake up to a Skallagrim notification 😆

[@Megatron_95]

Indeed

[@sagagis]

Skall and The Curse of Silverthorn videos at the same day... I must be in the heaven or something

[@therandomdickhead5744]

Except i never get notifications, god bless youtube

[@rhel373]

Some of the best around in my opinion, speaking purely on aesthetics! They look so elegant!

[@ScottKenny1978]

My Flying Phoenix is a wonderful blade. Even if she did give me 6 stitches when I was unwrapping her. If you order a sharp blade, they come *holy shit I'm bleeding* sharp!

[@KuddlesbergTheFirst]

1:26 Were greatswords exaggerated? Just how is that gonna chop the heads or legs of full-grown horses charging at the wielder? Maybe it requires good aim and timing at the joints of the neck?

[@lred1383]

Greatswords weren't actually meant to be used against horses, but if they were used this way, it would usually be a cut to the legs. The neck is just too thick, the chance of killing the horse in a single strike would be quite low. But even if you cut halfway through one leg, the horse will just drop. So yeah, i'd say their horse-killing capabilities were exaggerated

[@nathanyau2164]

I think the main idea of a Chinese "sword" or double edged blade is that it's more for unarmored duelling, between , mostly, noblemen. For actual armoured combat and war, spears or polearms, dao (Chinese broadswords) and even staves are used.

[@InsufficientGravitas]

Dao are specifically single edged swords, not an equivalent to the broadsword.

[@VeganJutsu]

Yup I don't like the longer blades for those same reasons. I'd rather have a bit shorter and more solid overall presentation.

[@GameTimeWhy]

I like that you discuss so many different aspects and that you even talk about edge alignment being different for different blades. Comparing that to the history channel one where if the blade fails a cut its always the blades fault.

[@StryderK]

On LKChen videos, he readily admits the reason why he made both is the Striking Eagle is a little too floppy for its own good and heartily recommend the Roaring Dragon to a beginner since it’s far less stringent. The flexibility vs toughness is also mentioned by Matt Easton. In fact, he put a set on his Striking Eagle but was able to put a foot on it and fix it. It’s just the nature of the beast. You win some, you always gonna loose some.

[@Adam_okaay]

The hollow grind is beautiful with the damascus pattern.

[@gerudo849]

The flexibility is intentional for a jian. It's meant to be used in a more whip-like way than you would see for European or Japanese swordfighting.

[@thepain-apple7821]

I always loved these kinds of swords. So pleasing to look at.

[@redaerf2b414]

They look epic. China is like another planet full of history and discoveries.

[@thescholar-general5975]

Indeed! Check out my channel if you want a sampling!

[@ursoatum8379]

Could you do a training routine on movement and striking with swords with all proper technique?

[@xiaowen6876]

I think this is some kind of decorative and ceremonial sword. Maybe it can also play a role in dealing with unarmed enemies.

[@itinerantpoet1341]

Exactly right. You can also use it to exploit gaps in the armor, such as slashing the knee tendons. (We saw this recently in "The Last Duel", although an axe was used to strike the target in that example:) There's a reason modern fencers are all lean and wiry and flexible-the extra bulk hurts you for unarmored combat, where for armored combat, bulk provides a significant advantage.

[@JackEspadas]

Skall are you going to review the Silver Swallow from the recommendation video? I've been thinking about purchasing it (as a martial arts practitioner) and I'd love a bit more depth on the opinion. Thanks for all your stuff man!

[@akantoschan]

The design of Roaring Dragon is more likely following the ancient era (around 3-500 years before the Qin dynasty) esp the pummel and the scabbard. The usage of the sword at the time was the main weapon for commanding officer who would follow the troopers to the field. At that moment of time, most Chinese swords were designed for thrusting given the protection of armour is not enough. Something like plate armour in Europe still does not exists. Users of the swords mostly are facing the main troops of the enemy who uses spikes or spears, wielded by two hands, without a shield. The length of the sword was for a longer reach to thrust through the enemy with the least protection, or a 1 on 1 combat with the officer of the opponent. The most important protection skill will be something like parrying and twisting the body with footwork so that you are out of the target area of enemies' thrust. For the comment on horse cutting, the Chinese Horse Cutting Sword comes to the battlefield at about 500 AD in the earliest (per my best memory, probably later), given the forging technique limitation and the design come different. A Horse Cutting Sword is a Two-Handed, Single Edged, Thick back, Curved blade weapon, designed for cutting horses' leg (though I doubt whether the senior officials will mass equip a number of troops to do this for facing cavalry). A bit off-topic but I want to point out that in discussing Chinese Sword, we have to first divide into the single-edged sword (Dao in mandarin or Dou in Cantonese) and the double-edged sword (Jian in Mandarin or Gim in Cantonese). Dou and Gim are categorised as different types of weapons and they have 2 different systems of technique to wield. Thanks for reading and hope it helps the discussion progress.

[@ongsosr6308]

Such a beautiful blade. The demascus looks so cool!

[@YauRemi]

These kinds of weapons were used to thrust more than to slash. The flexibility of the blade allowed it to slide into open parts of the body that body armor did not cover.

[@nonsononessunooko4066]

5:12 MY BOY

[@TOMMYBOY6969]

Chinese swords always favour agility over blunt force. These Chinese swords are designed only against light or no armoured opponents. The spring or bounciness of the tip of the blade adds to the agility. They rather have the precision to cut between the amour where it is soft like under the arm pits etc than to cut through armour. Cutting open the leather clothing is good enough, as long as you get to the skin and tendons. You dont need to cut the arm clean off because cutting the arm clean off will require a heavier sword which will make it less agile and more slow.

[@metalwolf717]

never thought i would see master pesina in one of skall's videos...nice

[@antonjoseph3307]

chinese straight swords are for slicing primarily and stabbing after. No hacking at all. The methodology is quite different just like with katanas. cuts are made as the edge drags along against the target.

[@bradm.c.9569]

Hypothesis about the thin & flexible factor: if the armour of opponents in their context was a sort of lamellar, being swift and numble may have been useful for strinking at the gaps in the armour. Perhaps, unlike medieval Europe, these gaps did not have chainmail (as under a brigandine or some plate armour) - therefore the sword wouldn't need to be as rigid as European longswords. Another, less likely hypothesis: as lamellar armour consists of plates tied together by leather or silk cords, what if a light and nimble sword was able to follow along the plates and slice the cords, making the armour fall apart?

[@junky2fk]

Good thoughts on your hypothesis. Historically though, Jian is hard and used mainly for stabbing. And the old Jian design were more brittle than the modern malleable bendiness you see in the video. This is mainly because the sword replica production regulations in China to prevent sparring sword from becoming actual weapons. But yeah, I said on my other comment, old design Jian actually would shatter on the battlefield due to usage and because of how hard it is. It’s a delicate, graceful weapon.

[@Toxoplasma13]

Lamellar armour is supposed to be made of overlapping, not isolated segments. The idea is that at any point in time you'll be striking two or three thicknesses at once.

[@retryhikaru184]

I would love to see stab tests with these, any chance you would reconsider doing it?

[@itinerantpoet1341]

Understand that the main thrusting target is the abdomen, inserting the blade only to sufficient depth to damage liver, kidney or spleen, then quickly withdrawing, sometimes with a twist. The late Qing/early Republican spring steel blades were meant to flex before popping to penetrate, to remove the possibility of impaling. (Impaling is a great way to lose your blade.) Avoiding bone is always the goal, even for heavy stiff blades, but these light flexible blades can be thrust horizontally for slip between ribs. (Not optimal, as blade can get stuck or even break.) Nevertheless, for one handed wielding, palm up center guard position is always preferred, and thrusts with the blade horizontal are considered "higher level' and more optimal. Throat is also an excellent target, but in real life (as opposed to protective-gear sparring) we will always prefer abdomen to throat for the same reason aiming for center mass is always recommended with firearms. It's great that European enthusiasts are evaluating these Chinese blades, but don't expect them to understand the use. (Not their fault, it's just that Chinesesword play is diverse, specialized, and deep, and it takes at least decade of study and daily practice to be able to wield them correctly, and significantly longer to achieve a high level. Without an expert instructor who specializes, even basic competency is unlikely.)

[@quelorakathrethikhaalis2117]

This style of sword just make me nervous, i'm allways nervous im gonna damage it, and these ones really just terrify me

[@paulgreen2416]

For modern day home defence against unarmoured opponents I'd definitely consider the Roaring Dragon.

[@ragnarlothbrok7973]

Most people when they think of asian swords think of katanas and Japanese swords not saying Japanese swords bad or anythin but thx so much for shedding light of on chinese swords and arab persian swords are great too

[@hiimryan2388]

12:03 I would disagree. During the time of this sword (around 200 BC) cavalry were pretty instrumental in warfare especially by the hedgemon king of chu who used it to rapidly subdue enemies faster than traditional chariot and pikemen

[@nicolobraghini1546]

I knew this weapon thanks to a For Honor character that uses it. It's so fun to use in the game!

[@wolftanktreads9085]

You mean to tell me the steak I ate last night weighs more than this sword? That’s crazy 😂

[@alvarocattani1323]

More than 1.2 kg? That's a mighty steak.

[@wolftanktreads9085]

40 oz ribeye (2.4pd)

[@prophetrexlexful8783]

i like this background much more than the greenscreen

[@HalIOfFamer]

Simple looking swords are my favourite ones, not necessarily plain, but ones that look good simple and highly decorated. Theese ones are cool as all hell.

[@natedude95]

long thin swords like these are my favorite, on top of the simplicity

[@Pinkooru]

Quite possibly my favourite weapons to look and chuckle at, are that of the Adventure Quest series. The weapon designers really go crazy with the non-functional fantasy weapons, some are pretty cool looking like the fan favourite blinding light, or awe blade. You should look at a few of them at some point, might get a laugh out of them

[@thegreatlemmon7487]

i mean, if you think about a person from asia back long ago, ya a big tall man does not come to mind. it kinda makes sense that they would have long light and agile swords. it would be a longsword length for a nord but to them its a greatsword

[@TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight]

Depends on where in Asia. IIRC northern Chinese people were often taller than southern Chinese people. Tis a very big country formed from centuries of conflict between many ethnic groups, not one monolithic race of people.

[@silverjohn6037]

NBA rule. Average height in North America is 5'11'' right now but professional basketball teams can find players up to 7' tall. Same idea for historic Asia, especially among families prosperous enough to afford a diet that included more protein and fat for the growing children.

[@jiamingzhang147]

It has more to do with lack of nutrition at that time rather than race. The mean height of Europeans at that time is also quite low. Because people back then can’t afford eating meat even once a month.

[@theveganwujeeta]

@@silverjohn6037 What stats are you looking at where the average height is 5' 11"?

[@DiscRover]

@@Beffudled and to the OP as well, it would've been light for ancient Chinese people too. Ancient Europeans on average were taller but only by a few inches. There wasn't this hulking difference. War was waged very much the same way. You have to pay attention to the era it was made in. This was during a time (before 200BC) where steel was just being forged in China and the work that would've went into making these blades meant that they were quite expensive and hard to come by. Only specialist regiments and officers and kings would be able to have these in their arsenal. And because of the era it was made in, you can't really compare them to their European counterparts which were made over a millennia afterwards when the entire civilized world had refined iron harvesting and steel production by that point. If you look at Chinese swords during the mid Medieval/High Middle Ages period onwards, you'll see blades become broader and thicker compared to their predecessors.

[@howzany6832]

I would be very curious to know what the "fighting techniques" that go with that sword are... like how did people actually fight with it? Mainly stabbing? Mainly swinging? It seems to be able to do a bit of both but not really anything in particular, and it has a really nice reach.

[@churrundog]

They are really pretty!

[@itinerantpoet1341]

With Chinese Jian, it's critical to make a distinction between battlefield weapons suitable for armored combat, and those intended for unarmored combat. The blades evaluated in this video are for unarmored combat and sword dance, with emphasis on thrusting and slashing from inside the opponent's guard in the former case, as opposed to cutting per se. Modern wudang sword in general prefers to control the opponent's blade by envelopment, and slice from very close range. Even these light weapons are effective against cloth and presumable light leather because the slicing is effected by twisting the waist in an arc, where the straightness of the blade presses the last few inches into the opponent's body-it's the last few inches that does the cutting, and many jian were only sharpened near the point. Wudang mastery is very rare, and very few masters reach a high level. Yu Chenghui is the most famous, and tested his sword on ox carcasses: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oWTOimZoidp9e7s These light blades are especially good for wielding one handed, and my instructor, of similar reputation to Yu, wielded one in each hand in classical Wudang massively multi-opponent forms. Avoiding contact with bone is a main goal of wudang fencing, both classical and modern, because the blade can get stuck in bone and contact with bone can degrade the edge. Thus tendon slicing is always the primary goal for disabling (gentle), and inserting the point into the abdomen is always the primary goal for killing. This, of course, can change where armor is involved, such that ankle or kneed tendons, and other gaps in the armor, become the primary targets with these light slashing blades.

[@GamePalace-jo5tu]

Can it also be carried with one hand?

[@ryanmac8829]

14:26 I usually give my sword a "firm tug" to get it out, too.

[@Archontasil]

These swords are like my girlfriend. When i slap the bottom it vibrates

[@thesubtitler5721]

XDD

[@MrYago-xd7um]

Is your girlfriend named Siri? jk

[@martialman12]

I have a two handed jian that is quite heavy for its length, almost like a katana in weight and PoB on a 30 inch blade

[@frankharr9466]

It's a shame about the thrusting tests, because it does feel like it's designed for thrusting more than cutting, but what are you going to do? Maybe later It's nice to see that the quality's reasonable as well as Mr. Sage again. 1.12 kg= 39.5 oz., not that half an ounce matters and nor does 20 grams. Mr. Grim, are you reading my comments? If so, cool. I really do thing ounces is right avoirdupois units for swords.

[@todo9633]

European Martial Arts: Move weapon forward and stab. Asian Martial Arts: *I must dance*

[@0That_Guy0]

That's a couple of beautiful swords!

[@allengordon6929]

Reversed spears. Change my mind.

[@zhoupact8567]

I like the idea of a sword like that, but with the option to attach one, or even two extra handles. Basically just the idea of having a weapon that you could regulate the length of. Polearms are great, but you may not want to walk around with one. Especially in a fantasy setting I love the idea of something like that. In addition, if such a consept would work, then one could use different weapon heads. Need something more smashy? Well add a warhammer head instead.

[@mahmoudhammo9389]

Do a video about double bladed sword

[@colemansmith4704]

I think they're really cool, just a different beast

[@DasHurzify]

Just a theoretical thing, would you say the sleeker and light chinese kinds of swords would be easier to use for someone that never handled a sword? Or would something with more weight be easier to use because the weight also does more work?

[@wizardswine]

That's an interesting question I'd like to a video on. I think you're onto something with the weight doing work, it makes cutting and edge alignment that little bit easier, but honestly I think a blade that thin and light can be difficult to handle due to the flexibility.

[@ScottKenny1978]

These are definitely not beginner swords. I have a Flying Phoenix, the "little sister" of these blades, and I can feel it in my wrist really quickly when swinging her. (Yes, I need a lot more practice!) You need a lot more precision and control with a light blade because there's little inertia to pull the blade through the motion.

[@byroneacheight7743]

Any master who thinks this stuff seems not as good as longswords or rapiers might be ought to know: this sword was designed over 2000 years ago.

[@farkasmactavish]

So it's even MORE likely to be not as good, is what you're saying.

[@byroneacheight7743]

@@farkasmactavish Ok, all I meant is just that this sword was designed for absolutely different battlegrounds and era. So it makes no sense to expect a Chinese person in 2nd century B.C. to think like a medieval European one.

[@byroneacheight7743]

@@farkasmactavish Sorry, mate. I missed a word in the comment...

[@ScottKenny1978]

@@farkasmactavish completely different armor that it was facing on the battlefield. Bronze and leather, not steel. So yes, it's going to suck against steel armor designed over a thousand years later.

[@jahnsemtex]

That must have been a scary weapon back in the day!

[@sethguest781]

@ 2:33 My word, she's ENORMOUS!!!! Probably not easy to draw and have ready for a confrontation likewise, swords of that stature, to the extent of my knowledge, were mainly just worn to show off the wealth and status of important high-ranking officials and nobility, etc.