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The Miao Dao is a rare form of Chinese two handed swordsmanship arising out of a long history of two handed sword use in China. The two handed Chinese swords appeared during history in various versions such as Mo Dao, Zhang Ma Dao, Tang Dao and Chang Dao
During Tang dynasty the famous General Li siye was known for his outstanding skill in the use of Mo Dao and was later nicknamed “Mo Dao general” due to his skill in battle. Later on Mo Dao became one of the key weapons of soldiers in battle.
The Mo Dao was transported to Japan during cultural exchange with China and was a major influence to the creation of the Katana. Due to the prestige of the double edge weapon (Jian) as being the noblemen weapon, the two handed sword was gradually abandoned. During the Ming dynasty China suffered from Japanese pirate raiders (Wo kou) along the south-eastern coastline. General Qi jiguang, In charge of defending the south-eastern coastline, adopted the Japanese raiders’ swords and revived the Chinese Changdao. After successfully defending the coastline the general and his troops were sent to the north of China to defend against the Tatar’s invasions. A version of the two handed sword called Zhan Ma Dao was introduced to the battlefield. The Zhan Ma Dao was an anti-cavalry sword and it’s main use was to chop the legs of the charging Tatar’s horses.
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