A
guandao is a type of
Chinese pole weapon that is used in some forms of
Chinese martial arts. In Chinese, it is properly called a
yanyuedao (偃月刀; lit. "reclining moon blade"), the name under which it always appears in texts from the Song to Qing dynasties such as the
Wujing Zongyao and
Huangchao Liqi Tushi. It is comparable to a European
fauchard or
glaive and consists of a heavy blade with a spike at the back and sometimes also a notch at the spike's upper base that can catch an opponent's weapon. In addition there are often irregular serrations that lead the back edge of the blade to the spike. The blade is mounted atop a 1.5 m to 1.8 m (5–6 foot) long wooden or metal pole with a pointed metal counter weight used to balance the heavy blade and for striking on the opposite end.