Why is there a chain of iron rings on the back of the ancient big knife? Is it for beauty?

As the main melee weapon in ancient China, broadsword is one of the standard equipment of infantry in the historical stage. After dynasties, the shape and style of Dao have been evolving and improving. Knife is different from sword, and the main means of attack are "chopping" and "chopping". Compared with the "pick" and "stab" of the sword, the knife is easier to use and more popular. As the title suggests, we often see a row of big swords with neat iron rings on their backs in film and television dramas. So what is this design concept for?

The most common saying is that the iron ring on the back of the knife can increase the chopping effect and master the center of gravity. When a person holds a broadsword vertically, the iron ring hangs down, and the center of gravity of the knife will shift to the direction of the hand, which is convenient for holding the knife. When people throw broadsword, the iron ring will throw forward because of inertia, which increases the lethality of chopping, of course, this is also based on the power of broadsword users. There are also many kinds of big ring knives, which can be roughly divided into three types: three rings, seven rings and nine rings. According to the user's mastery and wrist strength, different ring knives are suitable for different people.

There is also a saying that it is easy to close the knife. Generally speaking, a knife is heavier than a sword, with a large handle and a thick blade. Therefore, after cutting a person's body, it is very likely that the knife will not be pulled out because it is embedded too deep, especially when shopping with people, which is very fatal. Therefore, these iron rings can help users to establish a stress point on the blade. When the blade can't be pulled out, pulling the ring by hand is far more efficient than just pulling the handle.

However, if we really check the history of the Great Ring Knife, we will find that there are very few descriptions of the Ring Knife in ancient books and documents. There is no such knife in the official military establishment, so the big ring knives we see are basically private weapons. Judging from the only remaining physical data, the style of ring Dao can only be traced back to the Qing Dynasty, but it was not recorded in the previous dynasty. On the contrary, in modern martial arts novels, storytelling, drama and other literary works, we often see the figure around the island.

Therefore, personally, I think that the value of this folk product should be closer to the masses rather than killing the enemy on the battlefield. We all know that when users play with big circle knives, they will make a very crisp and loud sound of iron rings hitting the back of the knives. So is this style of knife a special way for some Jianghu artists to attract street audiences?

It's like a vaudeville troupe beating gongs and drums before a white performance, soliciting customers manually, and replacing it with the sound of dancing knives and circling.

In addition, we mentioned above that there are several kinds of ring knives, including seven rings and nine rings and so on. So this broadsword is probably a kind of practice knife, and the iron ring knife is definitely heavier than the ordinary knife. Do you dare to speculate that this knife may be a tool used by martial arts masters to teach disciples how to use sabers?

This is more in line with the first statement, according to different people's wrist strength and mastery, using different ring knife practice. This can also explain why this kind of knife can only be seen in martial arts novels and other literary works, because art comes from life and is based on life. We ordinary people are not exposed to the official saber at ordinary times, but this kind of ring knife, so we render it and process it, and all kinds of martial arts chivalrous men begin to wander the rivers and lakes with it.

However, although the big ring knife often appears in novels, its position in novels is not very high. Most novels still stay away from knives. People who use knives are often portrayed as reckless people, and they become NPCs who brush their experience and achievements.

However, there is also a saying that people who play with big ring knives are often aboveboard, because if they can't do it, they will rattle when they mention the knife. And the more rings there are, the higher the status of this person in the Jianghu. If you use a nine-ring sword, you can even defeat the enemy without fighting.

Of course, all the above are my personal speculations. As for what the ring behind this knife is for, I have to ask the person who made this knife what he thinks. Maybe we complicate things ourselves, or maybe people just design them for beauty.

Finally, it ends with the opening song of "The Legend of the Bridled Hero":

What do you think the ring on the broadsword is for?

Ancient broadswords generally did not have iron rings. Those with iron rings are called big ring knives, also called "gentlemen's knives". This kind of knife is actually used for training, not for actual combat.

The reason is simple, because it is more difficult to control the center of gravity of the knife every time there is an iron ring on the back of the knife. Whether lifting a knife or chopping, because the iron ring is not fixed, it will increase the weight with the direction of the blade movement, which puts forward higher requirements for the arm strength and wrist strength of the knife user.

Therefore, it is often the people who practice the knife method. With the gradual mastery of the knife method, they continue to add rings. Adding a ring to the back of the knife is basically the same as tying sandbags to your legs to practice lightness skill.

According to historical records, the top big ring knife is nine rings. The person who can control the nine-ring big ring knife is quite amazing in both arm strength and wrist strength. Therefore, once such people play with ordinary knives, they will not be too slippery at all.

Therefore, in many martial arts novels, people who use the nine-ring knife are at the forefront of the martial arts list. For example, Liang Xu, who used a big gold ring knife in The Legend of the Bridled Hero; The nine-eared eight-ring knife used by Yu Jinbiao in Ming Yinglie; In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhang Liao used a nine-hole big ring knife, and so on.

But on the whole, Liang Xu is the best, because his gold ring knife has the shortest handle and the center of gravity is the most difficult to control with one hand. Therefore, netizens can joke that he can wear a big gold ring around Yan's neck.

The reason why the big ring knife appears in martial arts novels is that it can hardly become a practical weapon because of their different requirements.

Because the center of gravity of the knife is not easy to control; And there is an inconvenient sneak attack; It is inconvenient to combine knives and so on, which leads to the use of large ring knives in actual combat, with too many disadvantages.

But it is different when it appears in martial arts novels. Because you can use this big ring knife, which essentially represents the strength of this person. The more rings, the more powerful this person is. This is an indisputable fact. Moreover, when the big ring knife is mentioned, there is a sound. Naturally, it is impossible to sneak up on others, indicating that the person who uses the knife is aboveboard.

Therefore, you'd better stay away from the chivalrous man who uses the Nine-Chain Knife, because even if he doesn't use a knife, he may tear you up with his wrist.

Text/fried rice perspective

We often see a bunch of iron rings on the back of the broadsword used by samurai in movies and martial arts movies. Many people understand, I don't know what these iron rings are for. Today I will talk to my friends about my understanding.

First, it is to save a little effort.

As we all know, the ancient man-made broadsword is unambiguous and genuine. Cast a broadsword for more than ten kilograms. Think about it, it is very difficult to weigh it with your hands. Then go to the battlefield and dance with a broadsword of more than ten kilograms, which is quite difficult. Therefore, people who practice martial arts must go through long and arduous exercises and improve their arm strength before they can wield this mighty broadsword.

But anyway, after a long time, people still can't support it. At this time, the ancients tried to add iron rings to the back of the broadsword, so that when dancing the broadsword, air could flow out of the iron rings. People can save a little effort by using the inertia generated by the iron ring when dancing the broadsword. Of course, if you want to wield a broadsword or use it freely, you must strengthen your strength training at ordinary times, so that you will have no strength to use it.

Second, strengthen the momentum in the battle.

To kill the enemy on the battlefield, you must use a broadsword, but in the face of the enemy and opponents, you sometimes have to rely on momentum to win.

The broadsword is heavy and needs a lot of strength. In order to enhance the lethality, when wielding the broadsword, the iron rings on the back of the knife collide with each other, making a loud metal crash. The opponent in the fight is already very nervous. At this moment, the broadsword fluttered up and down, and a rush sounded together, which not only distracted his attention, but also overwhelmed him in momentum. When he is in a mess, winning is a cinch.

Third, it can resist the attack of the opponent's sword

When you fight the enemy with a big knife, because you both use cold weapons, the other side may be invulnerable. In order to protect yourself from being stabbed, you can use the iron ring on the back of the big knife.

How to use it? When the opponent's sword or spear comes at you, you should take it, not with the blade, because the blade is likely to slip down and hurt yourself. You should use the back of the knife to block the opponent's knife and gun by using the gap between the iron rings on the back of the knife, so that it can't move. You have a chance to surprise yourself, get rid of it and beat each other. If the back of the knife is bare, it is difficult to resist the opponent's attack.

Fourth, the level of Wushu symbols.

When people used to fight, they couldn't understand how tall their opponents were. So in order to give the other side a scare, but also to show off their kung fu. You need to make some marks on the weapon. For example, the number of iron rings on the back of a big knife is a sign of rank. The more iron rings, the higher your martial arts level. If you have nine iron rings, you will be one of the best martial arts experts.

Of course, the above functions are the most basic functions in use, and it is difficult to verify what the iron ring on the back of the knife is for. But as a weapon, it is convenient and economical to use, looks beautiful and has a deterrent effect. This is the main thing.

Welcome to open the historical treasure.

Seeing this question, I remembered an old lyric:

What kind of knife is this? It's a big gold ring knife.

The big gold ring here refers to the broadsword with a string of iron rings on the back of the knife mentioned in the title.

There are seven rings on the back of the common big ring knife, which is called the seven-ring knife.

There is also the Nine Rings, as the name implies, called the Nine Ring Knife. Of course, there are also simplified versions with only one ring or two rings.

Why is there such a magical existence as the Great Ring Knife?

The knife cuts people with a sharp blade. The ring on the back of the knife seems useless.

Of course, some people will say that the ring on the back of this knife is used to prevent it from being difficult to pull out after cutting into the human body, especially after cutting into the bone. At this time, it is easy to pull out the iron ring on the back of the knife by hand.

It may be really useful in actual combat.

But if it is really used in actual combat, it is estimated that it is rare to see a broadsword with a ring, because it is not conducive to concealment because of its tinkling. It's easy to expose your whereabouts and be discovered by the enemy from a distance, which is not good.

The effect of this wild swing can only be popular in one scene, that is, when juggling attracts people's attention.

In the juggling place where bloggers earn money, such a big ring knife can quickly attract the surrounding audience by waving it tinklingly, and with its cool appearance, it has become the focus of the audience.

In a sense, these big ring knives appearing in TV dramas are also of a performance nature, but in actual combat purposes, such rings have no practical use. Not only is it inconvenient to create, it wastes manpower and material resources, but it is also not conducive to hiding oneself and has no practical use for increasing lethality.

To sum up, such a big ring knife is actually an artistic expression of a knife. These jingles have no special practical effect except attracting people's attention.

Seeing this question, I can't help thinking of a lyric that will reveal my age: "What is a knife? Gold wire big ring knife. What sword is it? Closed month shame lightsaber ... "

This is the theme song of an old TV series "Hero with White Eyebrows". The big gold ring knife mentioned in it has a string of iron rings on its back. Playing with a knife is a very powerful thing.

("White-browed Heroes" stills)

A string of iron rings is designed on the back of the knife, which has two purposes:

First, increase the sense of beauty. Don't think that all Jianghu people are downright ashamed. Everyone loves beauty, and heroes are no exception. They decorate their weapons, just as we decorate mobile phones now. Different personalities have different mobile phone cases.

A knife is just the body and handle. There is no way to do any design on the blade. You can add more accessories to the handle, such as jewelry, gold and silver spikes, but this involves a problem. Not all heroes are rich enough to set gems on the hilt.

In fact, heroes don't rob the rich and help the poor, and life is hard. But no matter how bitter you are, you love beauty, so the big ring knife came into being, breaking through the monotony of ordinary knives and having a special design beauty.

Great heroes who pay attention to the point will also change the iron ring into a gold ring to show a different style.

If ordinary knives are carved by natural little girls, then big ring knives are makeup. Some people love nature, others love heavy makeup.

(network diagram)

Second, practicality. After all, broadsword is a weapon, and its appreciation is only secondary, mainly its lethality.

After a period of use, the heroes found that the metal ring on the back of the knife can increase the chopping effect.

When the knife is erected, each metal ring hangs down, and the center of gravity of the knife will shift to the direction of the hand, which is convenient for controlling the knife; When chopping, the metal ring will be thrown forward under the action of inertia, and the center of gravity of the knife will shift to the direction of the cutter head, which can increase the chopping strength.

In some cases, the ringing of the metal ring can also shake the enemy's will when waving a broadsword.

In this way, adding iron rings or gold rings on the back of the big knife has become a fashion. Not only big gold ring knives, but also nine ring knives, seven ring knives and so on. When using cold weapons, they are all heavy weapons.

When we watch costume TV series, we can often see martial arts practitioners holding broadswords. Some of these broadswords will have several iron rings on them, and the most famous one should be Xu Liang's golden ring knife. So are the iron rings on these broadswords for beauty or something else?

According to broadsword experts, powerful experts use nine rings, weak amateurs use six rings, and old and weak use three rings.

When you pick up the knife vertically, the iron ring on the back of the knife faces down, and then the center of gravity of the whole knife will shift to the palm of your hand, which can better control the knife. When chopping, the iron ring will be thrown forward due to inertia, and the center of gravity of the knife will move forward with the iron ring, which increases the chopping lethality of the broadsword. Although the deviation of the center of gravity is not great, it is still practical.

There is also a loud noise when the iron ring collides with the broadsword, which has a deterrent effect on the opponent.

A master who is used to honing his knife skills and practicing martial arts usually uses a big ring knife only when he is practicing his own knife, but he doesn't actually use it in actual combat.

When you use a knife, you pay attention to the momentum and strength, which is what the saying goes: stability, accuracy and reality. This is not cutting with a knife. It takes a long time to temper strength and control the knife in the process of training.

Therefore, many beginners use lighter knives when they first start practicing. With the improvement of knife technique, iron rings will be gradually added to the knife, which will increase the difficulty.

Increase the artistic effect of knives In ancient times, some street performers often used big ring knives. They added iron rings to the knives, which not only beautified the broadsword and made it look more imposing, but also attracted more onlookers when waving the broadsword.

Friends born after 70' s and 80' s must be very familiar with the costume martial arts drama "The White-browed Heroes", and of course they will never forget the shocking theme song:

Sword is a beautiful combination of ancient knights. Closed Moon Shame Sword is a peerless sword, which is more natural to describe. Where's the big gold ring knife?

The golden silk big ring knife is realistic, that is, there are really several big rings on the broadsword. Why do you want to make several big rings?

Some people say that it is for the sake of beautiful decoration, hanging several big rings on the back of the knife immediately adds a lot of momentum. Not to mention a big gold ring?

Some people say that it can show the lethality, and the big ring can increase the counterweight of the knife, which is more powerful between chopping.

Some people say that this is the need of actual combat, and the ring can buckle the enemy's guns and spears and other weapons.

What kind is it?

We looked up relevant ancient books, and there were countless records about knives, but it was difficult to find the one with a ring on its back. For example, it has been recorded in "Qing Chao Ji Yong" that in the traditional society that pays attention to skill and courage, people are extremely partial to broadswords, and there are records such as "frying a monk's iron knife weighs 80 Jin" and "yellow dancing knife". During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, cold weapons and firearms coexisted, and local culture collided with foreign culture seriously. Waving broadsword to show national self-confidence has gradually become a fighting choice.

This illustrates a problem. Knife with ring, which we call ring knife, is not a conventional standard weapon. After all, standard weapons can be found in ancient books with a fixed number and certain standards.

But it also shows a problem: the ring knife is not practical enough to be equipped on a large scale, otherwise it would have become a standard weapon. Why? Actually, it's quite understandable Cold weapons pay attention to self-integration, so that they can play together and their strength will not offset each other. Isn't it a self-mutilation target for soldiers to sneak up with a knife with a ring? However, the ring knife does exist. After all, everyone has seen a lot of ring knives in the Qing Dynasty.

Careful observation of the real thing can still find some answers. Although the ring knife is rusty, its back is broad and powerful, but its blade doesn't open. Obviously, a knife without a blade cannot be used in actual combat. It's actually just a training knife or a performance knife. This kind of knife is added with a ring, on the one hand, it can be judged by the ring, on the other hand, it can make a rushing sound, which increases the effectiveness of viewing.

Perhaps people think that waving broadsword in this way is very imposing, so they write the ring knife into plays and movies, forming a unique narrative literature of "ring knife". However, this kind of circular knife is also common in modern film and television, and it is rare in literary works in the Qing Dynasty and even before.

There is no such thing as a big ring knife in ancient standard weapons, so this kind of knife can only appear among the people.

When we are listening to storytelling and watching TV, we often hear and see a mighty warrior falling from the sky with a "golden ring knife" in his hand, eradicating evil and upholding justice. You might think that when you meet the white-browed warrior, you will naturally ask, "What kind of knife is this?" And replied, "golden silk big ring knife." What a classic line!

Judging from the existing historical materials and unearthed cultural relics, the Great Ring Knife only appeared in the Qing Dynasty, but interestingly, Chu Xu of the Three Kingdoms used the "Nine Ears and Eight Rings Knife", and I wonder if it was the ancestor of the Great Ring Knife. Since there is no real thing, let's take it as a product of the Qing Dynasty. In ancient times, the sword was not banned as a decorative weapon for a long time, but the knife was different. No matter what dynasty, it is a standard weapon with powerful lethality, and it can't help it. So why did the big circle knife appear in the Qing Dynasty?

As the Qing Dynasty was a minority political power, the Manchu implemented military control, so weapons were the most common thing among ordinary flag-bearers. After a long period of rule, the standard-bearer gradually merged into the Han people, and the weapons held by Manchu and Han people were equally matched. In order to distinguish ordinary folk weapons from standard weapons, the Qing government forced the folk Tibetan Dao to be distinguished from the official standard Dao. How to change it? This made the government at that time very embarrassed. Knives of all sizes and shapes have been made throughout the ages, so it is impossible for people to make the same knives according to the standards of a certain dynasty.

Finally, an official had a brainwave, thinking that all monks in temples in past dynasties were legally armed, and their Buddhist monk's knives and mord were inlaid with "righteous rings", which meant aboveboard and upright, so the Qing government forced the folk knives to be changed into monk's knives with rings on them. In this way, folk Dao is different from official Dao. When used by traitors, it is easy to be caught, so it gradually becomes a special sabre for jugglers to escort the martial arts school.

So to sum up, the main functions of the "ring" on the big ring knife are:

First, in order to distinguish it from standard weapons.

Secondly, it is mainly for decoration, which is common in street jugglers to improve the appreciation.

Third, martial artists specialize in practicing martial arts, and the number of rings shows that martial artists have strong control over knives. When Chu Xu was old, he removed several knife rings to reduce his weight, which showed that his manipulation of the knife was poor.

Of course, it is impossible to use this weapon in real combat. It is difficult to control weight. The ring on the back of the knife makes a sound, which will not deter the enemy, but will expose its intention to use the knife. Obviously, this is a thankless weapon. Judging from the unearthed cultural relics and the big circle knives left over from the Qing Dynasty, most of them have no blades, so only people who play tricks usually use this weapon. The so-called master who uses this weapon like the white-browed warrior generally exists only in film and television dramas and novels.

Conclusion: In the historical development of ancient cold weapons in China, the development of knives is also varied, but no matter how it develops, the chopping performance of knives is irreplaceable by other weapons. Therefore, the emergence of the big ring knife is mainly restricted by the government, not by the people.

This kind of knife can only be used for folk performing arts or fighting strength, and it is absolutely impossible to go to the battlefield.

Several kinds of knives popular in ancient battlefields in China, whether they are ring-headed knives, tangdao knives or Yanling knives, are light and flexible, allowing users to operate at will. Horse-chopping knives, strange knives, giant knives and other broadswords pay attention to a wide range of attack, strong potential and ten defeats in one stroke.

The big ring knife is too light to reach. In terms of weight and attack range, it can't be compared with Mo Dao and other long-handled knives. And there are so many rings on it, and an army is sonorous. No army is stupid enough to use a big ring knife as a weapon.

And this knife first appeared in the records of the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, Shou believes that the Great Ring Knife was mostly created by an artist in Qing Dynasty to make the program more powerful. When the big ring knife dances, the iron ring on the back of the knife sounds with your rhythm, which is quite beautiful.

Of course, some people use it to practice, which is a good exercise for wrist strength, arm strength and waist strength.

No, actually, it's adding weight. When hard chopping, the iron ring can increase the instantaneous gravitational potential energy of the cutter head, causing greater damage to the enemy.