Green Hornet, 雙節/截棍 & the weapons (Kungfu)

I heard on the radio the lately released film Green Hornet has been a huge success in the northern American box office. In the film Jay Chou 周杰倫(chou jie2 lun2) plays what was played by Bruce Lee 李小龍(Lee3 xiao3 long2) and uses what was used by Bruce as weapon,雙節棍(shuang jie2 gun4)( or雙截棍 as some people use.)

According to Wikipedia, 雙節棍, the nunchucks, is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope. It is said that they were made in Song Dynasty (960-1279) and were used a lot in Bruce Lee’s films. The other night when the radio was playing Jay Chou’s song “the nunchucks” on my way home, I started to remember those versatile weapons I’ve read in the Kungfu, or 武俠(wu3 xia2) novels.

Generally we use 十八般武器(shi2 ba ban wu3 qi4), eighteen weapons, to catalog the traditional Chinese weapons, each with various kinds under it. Some people divide them into two kinds as long and short weapons. Others do in a more detailed way by dividing them into shooting, long, short, soft, secret weapons, . . . I’m no expert at this. But my point here is to teach you some useful words and phrases, as well as to share some interesting stuff in Kungfu novels.

刀(dao), the knife, is used as a weapon as well as a tool in the kitchen, 菜刀(ce4 dao). The best-known刀 for the Chinese people, I think, would be 關刀(guan dao), which belongs to 關公(guan gong) or 關羽(guan yu3), a prestigious military figure in Eastern Han Dynasty 東漢(dong han4) If you try to show off your skill at playing golf in Tiger Woods’ face, we’ll use a歇後語Xie hou4 yu4, 關公面前耍大刀—自不量力(guan gong mian4 qian2 shua3 da4 dao—zi4 bu2 liang4 li4), which means you do not know your own limitations and show off your skills at playing knife in guan gong’s face.

Another often used weapon is 劍(jian4), the sword. With sharp blades on both sides, it could be used to sweep across or pierce directly through the object. And about斧(fu3), ax, we have a similar idiom as關公面前耍大刀: 班門弄斧(ban men2 nong4 fu3), here 班 means 魯班(lu3 ban), a famous craftsman.

I think the coolest weapon is those soft ones. It’s nothing unusual to kill or cut with hard weapons made of metals. But what about the soft ones, such as a piece of silk cloth or animal’s hair used to wipe dust? In wu-xia novels, when you see a beautiful girl with a shining silk scarf, or a nun with a duster in her hand, don’t take them just as adornments. As to the pretty chick or slim nun, they could be kungfu masters with advanced 氣功(qi4 gong), which makes the non-weapons killing.

There is a saying 明槍易躲，暗箭難防(ming2 qiang yi4 duo3, an4 jian4 nian2 fang2) It’s easy to dodge 明槍, an obvious gun, but it’s hard to avoid 暗箭, the secret arrow from behind. I think 暗器(an4 qi4), the secret weapon, is also another interesting catalog to talk about. But I guess I’ll just leave it until later. Take care, my dear friends-- for you might get one from behind when you’re not alert!

雙節/截棍=双节/截棍

李小龍=李小龙

武俠=武侠

東漢=东汉

關公=关公

劍=剑

班門弄斧=班门弄斧

魯班=鲁班

氣功=气功

明槍易躲，暗箭難防=明枪易躲，暗箭难防