I put these together some time ago, but they may prove useful/inspirational:
Chinese Melee Weapons
Bian: “Hard Whip”. Not really a whip at all, the bian is a 30-35 inch long, heavy, metal baton which vaguely resembles a length of bamboo, complete with metal “knots”.
Bi Shou: A common fighting knife with a small, leaf-shaped blade and ring-pommel, often wielded in pairs.
Chan Zhang: “Monk’s Cudgel”. A short, stout wooden stave topped with a strange striking head that most resembles a round metal cage.
Chan Zi Dao: “Cicada Wing Sword”. This unusual weapon is a metal bar around 2 feet in length protected by two crescent-shaped blade handguards, each end of the bar tipped with a short, curved, single-edged blade.
Variants include:
- Qian Kun Ri Yue Dao: “Heaven and Earth, Sun and Moon Sword”. This weapon is almost identical to the chan zi dao, but its handguards are further apart, and its blades are more heavily curved.
Chi Shou: “Push Dagger”. A simple, easily concealed weapon, the chi shou is a small, short, triangular knife blade that protrudes between the knuckles when clenched in the fist.
Da Dao: A short, broad-bladed chopping sword, single-edged, slightly curved, and blunt-ended, with a long hilt for two-handed use.
Variants include: - Gui Tao Dao: “Ghost Head Broadsword”. Da dao the back edge of which is ornamentally-shaped, often bearing a short, red horsehair tassel.
- Jiu Gou Dao: “Nine Hook Broadsword”. Da dao with a back edge shaped into nine hooks, each decorated with a red horsehair tassel.
- Jiu Huan Dao: “Nine Ring Broadsword”. Da dao the back edge of which is pierced by nine metal rings, jingling with each strike.
Dao: The basic Chinese Broadsword, a one-handed sword with a cup-shaped guard and curved, single-edged scimitar-like blade, the pommel often decorated with a sash tassel.
Variants include: - Yan Zi Dao: “Swallow Tail Broadsword”. Slimmer and longer than the typical dao, the yan zi dao is also used in one hand.
- Zha Dao: “Long Broadsword”. Used in one hand, this slim, single-edged broadsword has a straighter blade, and S-shaped guard.
Emei Ci: “Emei Piercer”. These thin metal rods are mounted on a central metal ring that is worn on the index finger, and swivel easily, each end sharpened into a thrusting point. They are used in pairs.
Er Jie Gun: “Two-Section Staff”. The Chinese name for the famous nunchaku.
Feng Huo Lun: “Wind and Fire Wheel”. An exotic weapon resembling a flat metal ring just over a foot in diameter, the outside edge of which is decorated by several flame-shaped blades. Always sold as a pair, and wielded as such.
Variants include: - Ri Yue Huan: “Sun and Moon Ring”. Similar to the feng huo lun, but has a plain, flat metal ring, inside of which is a crescent-shaped metal handguard.
- She Huan: “Snake Ring”. Similar to the ri yue huan, the she huan also has a plain, flat metal ring, but where the ring is wrapped to form the hilt, two wavy blades project outwards.
Gou Long Cha: “Nine Dragon Trident”. An extremely rare weapon used only in Choy Li Fut, this 20 lb. polearm resembles a trident, with two additional short metal arms beneath the trident head, extending at right angles from the shaft, each terminating in a T-shaped hooked blade. Beneath those additional arms is yet another additional pair of identical arms, this time extending from the shaft on the sides of it that the uppermost arms did not extend from, giving the weapon an appearance somewhat like a lethal hatstand.
Gun: A simple wooden fighting staff.
Variants include: - Shu Wei Ba: “Rat Tail”. A staff that tapers towards the ends.
Hu Cha: “Tiger Fork”. A heavy, broad-head fighting trident originally used to hunt tigers.
Hu Die Dao: “Butterfly Sword”. The hu die dao is used in pairs, and is a short, broad-blade, singleedged short sword, with a knuckle guard, and parrying hook at the back of the blade.
Variants include: - Lin Jiao Dao: “Unicorn Horn Sword”. This unusual short sword is used in pairs, and has a forward-curving, single edged blade, crescent-shaped blade handguard, and rear-facing parrying hooked blade.
Hu Gou: “Tiger Hook”. Used and sold in pairs, hu gou are sword-like weapons, metal blades curving heavily forward near the tip to form hooks, the hilts protected by crescent-shaped metal blade handguards.
Variants include: - Jiu Zi Gou: “Nine Teeth Hook”. Used in pairs, these flat metal, sword-like weapons are tipped with spear-like points at the base of which are small, backwards-facing hooks. The hilts are protected by metal handguards the outside edges of which are shaped into nine vicious hooks.
Ji: “Halberd”. The Chinese halberd is a normal spear fitted with a crescent-shaped axehead at the base of the spearhead. Some varieties affix a crescent-shaped blade to each side of the shaft.
Jian: “Straight Sword”. The traditional slim, straight, double-edged Chinese sword with a triangular guard and intricate pommel tassel. Considered an elegant, noble weapon.
Variants include: - Ci Jian: “Straight Sword Piercer”. This jian has serrations along the length of its blade.
- She Xing Jian: “Snake Straight Sword”. This jian has a wavy blade rather than a purely straight one, and a split tip.
Jin Gua Chui: “Golden Melon Hammer”. A brutal, one-handed bludgeon, a short wooden shaft topped with a spherical, oversized, hollow metal striking head the size of a melon. Sold and wielded in pairs.
Variants include: - Ba Ling Chui: “Eight Corner Hammer”.
A less common variation of the jin gua chui, the large, metal head of which is a truncated cube.
Jin Qian Chan: “Gold Coin Spade”. A wooden stave topped by a large metal striking head that resembles a pierced, ornamental Chinese coin with sharpened edges.
Kwan Dao: “General Kwan’s Halberd”. One of the quintessential Chinese polearms, the Kwan dao has a broad, single-edged, heavily-curved chopping head with an ornamental back edge typically sporting a short horsehair tassel.
Variants include: - Xiang Bi Dao: “Elephant Trunk Sword”. The heavy, single-edged chopping head of this kwan dao ends in a spiral said to resemble the trunk of an elephant.
Lan Ya Ban: “Wolf Teeth Club”. A vicious, heavy bludgeon, the lan ya ban is a heavy wooden stave topped with a spiked metal striking head.
Lan Ya Dang: “Wolf-Teeth Spiked Trident”. The tines of this slim trident are serrated and spikelike.
Variants include: - Long Xu Cha: “Dragon Whisker Fork”. A slender trident, the two outside tines of which are wavy.
- Niu Jiao Cha: “Ox Horn Fork”. A slender trident-like weapon with only two tines instead of the normal three.
Lian Dao: “Sickle”. The Chinese name for the Okinawan kama. Often wielded in pairs.
Li Kwei Fu: “Li Kwei’s Axes”. Named after a famous Chinese hero, Li Kwei fu are simple, one-handed battleaxes, short wooden hafts topped with single axeheads always sold and used in pairs.
Pa: “Rake”. Its tines sharpened to inflict greater damage, the pa is a basic agricultural rake, a wooden shaft topped with a metal head.
Pan Guan Bi: “Scholar’s Brush”. Crafted to resemble a solid calligraphy brush of metal or wood, the pan guan bi is used in pairs to thrust and bludgeon. Also referred to as a Judge’s Brush.
Pu Dao: “Horse Sword”. Often called a Ma Dao, this weapon is a wooden stave of half or full length topped with a broad, single-edged, slightly curved sword blade of varying length.
Qiang: A basic spear, the wooden haft topped with a simple metal spearhead, the throat of which is often ornamented with a red horsehair tassel.
Variants include: - Lian Dao Qiang: “Hooked Single Spear”. A simple spear with a small, backwards facing metal hook fitted to the base of the spearhead.
- She Qiang: “Snake Spear”. A spear with a wavy striking head.
- Shuang Tou Qiang: “Double Headed Spear”. A spear, but with a striking head mounted at each end of the shaft.
Qi Jie Bian: “Seven Section Whip”. Wielded onehanded, the qi jie bian links seven short, slim metal rods together, attaching them to a wooden hilt, creating a flailing weapon around 4-foot in length.
Variants include: - San Jie Bian: “Three Section Whip”. The san jie bian is identical to the qi jie bian but has three longer sections instead of seven shorter ones.
San Jie Gun: “Three Section Staff”. A common martial arts’ weapon that combines three longer batons of wood in the same way the famous nunchaku combines two.
Shuang Shou Dao: “Two-Handed Broadsword”. Also referred to as a “Bagua Dao” on account of it being used almost exclusively with that martial art, the shuang shou dao is a massively oversized dan dao, the blade of which is typically over four feet in length.
Tie Shan: “Steel Fan”. A large, decorative, silkcovered folding fan, the tines of which are metal and may be sharpened. When folded it is also used as a light baton. Often used in pairs.
Xiong Dao: “Rooster Blade”. This exotic weapon looks like a flattened metal tonfa, with a spearlike thrusting point, and hooked handguard. Always sold and wielded in pairs.
Yuan Yang Chan: “Mandarin Duck Spade”. More accurately a variety of axe, the yuan yang chan is a large axehead with a very short handle, the bottom of which is tipped with a barbed thrusting point. It is used in pairs.
Yue: “Long Stick Axe”. A basic poleaxe with a single large axehead affixed to the top of a wooden stave.
Yue Ya Chan: “Monk’s Spade”. A wooden stave topped on one end with a sharpened shovel-like head, and the other by a crescent-shaped blade.
Yuen Yang Yue: “Mandarin Duck Blades”. A paired weapon, the yuen yang yue is formed from two large interlocking crescent-shaped blades. Also commonly called Deerhorn Knives.