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WABUKAN Arsenal · Spears and polearms · China

Ge (dagger-axe)

The dagger-axe of ancient China: a bronze blade set at right angles on a shaft, the main infantry weapon from the Shang to the Han dynasty.

Ceremonial Dagger-Axe with Animal Masks (Ge)
Ceremonial Dagger-Axe with Animal Masks (Ge), c. 1600–1050 BCE. Photo: Cleveland Museum of Art, public domain (CC0) · Museum record

Also known as

戈 · gē; dagger-axe; ji (halberd, related)

Origin and history

The ge, or dagger-axe, was the main weapon of Chinese infantry and chariot crews from the Shang dynasty (about 1600–1046 BC) to the Han. Its hooking blade pulled riders and charioteers down; it was later combined with a spear point to form the ji halberd.

Martial arts that use it

Kung Fu Wushu Taolu

Construction

A dagger-shaped blade, first of bronze and later iron, fixed at right angles to a wooden shaft of about 1 m for infantry and up to 3 m for chariot use, lashed through slots in the tang.

Basic techniques

Training

Polearm training begins with handling: sliding the hands along the shaft, turning the weapon end to end and keeping distance. Thrusts, sweeps and blocks are drilled solo, then in prearranged forms with a partner using wooden versions with padded or blunt tips.

Safety

Long weapons need room: check the ceiling and the space behind you, and warn partners before turning the weapon. Inspect wooden shafts for cracks and splinters and replace them rather than repair them.

Legality (general information)

Swords, knives and other edged weapons are regulated very differently from country to country (and sometimes from region to region): owning one at home is often allowed, while carrying it in public, buying it under a certain age or importing it may be restricted or banned. Practitioners usually transport them cased, out of reach and straight between home and dojo. This is general information, not legal advice: check the law where you live.

Did you know?

Ceremonial ge with animal masks, like the example in the Cleveland Museum of Art, show that the weapon was also a symbol of rank and ritual.

More weapons

Halberd Taiaha Naginata Yari Qiang (spear) Guandao

Sources

Original WABUKAN text, written from these cross-checked sources (facts, not sentences).

  1. Wikipedia — Dagger-axe
  2. Wikipedia — Ji (polearm)