Lance 
The lance is an ancient Chinese martial arts weapon which was used by soldiers on horse back. It is heavy in weight and therefore used by strong persons. The handle of the lance is about two meters long and made of hard wood; a melon-shaped hammer with six to eight rows of iron nails is fixed at the end of the handle, and under the handle is a diamond-shaped iron auger. This is therefore called the wolf fang lance. There are also finger-shaped lance, palm-shaped lance, double lance and broad lance. The hitting techniques are the same as those of the broad sword and include chopping, covering, cutting, pulling, lifting, thrusting, floating, carrying and poking. The modern Chinese martial arts practice routines include the single lance.

 

Talon (Claw) 
The talon is a widely used weapon. It is divided into two kinds, including long talon and soft talon. The handle of long talon, called the golden dragon talon, is about two meters long with a hand-shaped claw at the end. The middle finger of the claw is straight and the four other fingers are crooked. In the Ming Dynasty, there were bronze fist-talon and iron-brush talon. The iron-brush talon is shaped so that the middle finger and forefinger are straightforward while the thumb, ring finger and little finger stay on the iron brush. It uses the tips of the nails or the iron brush to hit acupuncture points or crucial points on the enemy's body. In addition to hitting these points, the movements also include grasping, pulling and thrusting.

 

The soft talon, called the double flying talons, is a hidden weapon. It is made of iron in the shape of an eagle claw. Tied with a long cord, it can be used to attack people and horses.

Rake 
The rake was evolved from ancient farm tools. It is about two and a half meters long and 2.5 kilograms in weight and with sharp iron cramps. It is powerful in attacking. During the Ming Dynasty, the rice rake and the trident rake were used in military fighting. Because the rake could be used for attacking and defending and had the merits of spear and shield, it gradually became a powerful military weapon. The playing techniques include pushing and pulling, charging from one's side, hitting with its back and pressing.

Ring 
The ring is also one of the famous Chinese martial arts weapon. It is circular in shape, about 30 cm in diameter, and made of metal with sharp blades around the outer rim. When using such weapon, the people could hold two rings in two hands and use them as twin weapons. In ancient times the ring was a hidden weapon. Like a bracelet, it has different shapes including round and oblate ones with saw-teeth around the outside rim. In practice you throw it and make it turn and turn around to hurt the opponent.

 

In modern Chinese martial arts practices, the ring has neither sharp edge nor teeth, but it is tied with a color silk ribbon. Each hand holds one ring to turn, tumble, jump and leap and set up beautiful patterns. It is suitable for boys and girls to practice and the movements include turning, hitting, throwing, carrying, blocking and pressing.

 

The routines at the national Chinese martial arts competition in recent years included double rings, Qiankun (heaven and earth) ring and wind-and-fire wheel.

 

Meteor Hammer 
Meteor hammer, known as flying hammer, is one of the soft weapons. In ancient times, when hunting, man used vine rope to tie stone balls and throw them so as to bind the legs of wild animals. There are two kinds of meteor hammer, including single ones and double ones. The rope for the single hammer is about five meters long with one end tied to a hand and another to a duck-egg bronze hammer, shaped like a melon. The rope for the twin weights is about 1.7 meters in length and there is a small bronze hammer on each end. When in action, the hammer in the front hand is used for attack and the other for protection.