Random fact: It was customs of that era for emperors to be equiped with a 七尺剑 (7 chi sword), which equates to around roughly 161cm as part of their uniform. Just imagine being a short man of that era and seeing a sword that towers over your head lol.
I'm 5'4". This sword is almost as tall as me. There's something incredible about the fact we found this sword and by doing so allowed the world to experience the magnificence of whoever forged this sword's work.
Excellent review as always, sifu! Everything you have said here is perfectly aligned with my findings in my review. Glad to be confirmed by a professional, and very nice false-edge snap cuts you did there!
This is a beautiful sword! I prefer the Roaring Dragon but the Striking Eagle is an amazing example of a Chinese "Longsword" as well. If I'm ever able to get another LK Chen sword I will definitely be picking up either the Roaring Dragon or Striking Eagle.
Do we know which of the kingdoms of the Warring States and later eras used these long two handed swords? I've commonly heard that these long swords were forged by the Kingdom of Chu, who had advanced steel sword smithing knowledge and used those thick rino-hide armors in your video. However, the examples of the swords are found in the Kingdom of Nanyue, which was to the south of the Kingdom of Chu. Nanyue was founded by a Qin Dynasty general when he took an army of hundreds of thousands to conquer the Sino-Viet kingdom of Au Lac, and then he decided to stay in the area and make himself king. There is also the story that the first Qin Emperor had a sword so long that he had trouble drawing it when confronted by an assassin who hid a weapon inside a map. There are also portrayals of swordsmen with long two handed swords in Han Dynasty tomb murals (suggesting the Han Dynasty and Han kingdom either independently developed this longsword technology or adopted it when they conquered the Kingdom of Chu). If the Qin Dynasty, Nanyue Kingdom, Chu Kingdom, and the Han Kingdom & Han Dynasty all used these longswords, then that means they would've been paired with the very different & unique armors of each kingdom/dynasty.
That is a very interesting question! At this point, I have not heard specific geographical or kingdom ties to the sword, but hopefully there is some information about it out there!
Ya and one of the longest swords found in dig sites is a 94.8cm/37.32 inches bronze jian. So many technologies from the Qin Dynasty and formerly the Qin kingdom are lost. One of the most brutally amazing things that they did was to have the sword smiths etch their names and the names of the factories on the standard-issue weapons. If a soldier's weapon broke in combat, he would bring the sword to his CO as proof, and if the weapon did prove to be flawed, the sword smith, the factory head, and the aristocrat that runs the factory will be executed, or severely fined. Maybe this is how they were able to produce weapons ahead of its time.
You're talking about completely different circumstances, context, fighting tactics... A long sword like this would not work in a tight formation like a maniple or testudo, and would likely only get in the way of your fellow soldiers. The gladius is much better suited to close quarters formation fighting in units, and more manoeuvrable in crowded situations, which is how it was used. And remember, the first/primary weapon of the Roman army was the pilum or javelin, archery, and war machines like the ballista and scorpio. Comparing apples to oranges. Both sword types are beautiful, effective, and designed to suit the needs of their unique and different cultural and martial contexts.
@@mjb7015I don't think they used this type of long sword in the battlefield as well. But before the Song dynasty, to carry a Jian was a sign of status and swordsmanship were highly regarded to noble and scholar
This really counters the influencers who always claim medieval European weapons were far superior than Asian weapons. A spear/long sword combo that is light and flexible would be a nightmare on the battlefield
I would think that even though they may have been used under different formations and circumstances, there would be a good amount of similar techniques.
Vietnamese classic fantasy, when Han people entered the south, they were still in the Stone Age, and bronzes were all from trade with Han Chinese countries.😊In addition, the more regional words of the Han nationality, not ethnic tribal words! Vietnam is south of Yue, not Yue.😂
