Daoshu
刀术
Daoshu is a perfomance in wushu practice and show with certain sets to use broadswords as weapons. It originates from the ancient military training. Early in the reigns of the emperors Yan and Huang, the broadswords made of bronze had been used in battles. Up to Han dynasty, dao had become one of the most key weapons.
刀术是以刀为器械，并配以一定套路的一种武术训练和表演项目。主要源于古代的军事训练。早在炎黄时期，以青铜制成的刀就开始在战争中运用。至汉代，刀已成为最主要的兵器之一。
The broadswords are mainly used in the close bare-handed fight so the skills of the practitioners decide their death or survival.
刀在战场上主要用于近身肉搏，因此，持刀者用刀本领的高下，直接决定着他的生死存亡。
There are more than one hundred kinds of daoshu such as taiji daoshu, six-harmony daoshu, meihua daoshu, zhuifeng daoshu and eight-trigram daoshu. They can further be divided in detail into the single-broad-sword daoshu, the double-broad-sword daoshu and the long-handle-broadsword daoshu. The single-broadsword daoshu means the athlete has a broadsword in one hand and cut, thrust, and sweep etc. while the other hand stretches and withdraws with it. Meanwhile the body rolls and jumps together with the movements of broadsword. The double-broadsword daoshu means the athlete has broadswords in the two hands. The skills of it is similar to the single-sword daoshu but it values more on the harmony and cooperation of the postures and footwork. The long-handle broadsword is thick and heavy and it usually weighs tens of jin. The skills are cut, thrust upward and upward parry etc. and it is being played with power of the waist.
刀术种类很多，有太极刀、六合刀、梅花刀、追风刀、八卦刀等上百种之多，它们又可以被分为单刀、双刀和大刀三个大类。单刀即一手执刀，做出斩、刺、扫腕等各种动作，另一手随刀法而伸缩、开合，身体也随之翻滚、腾挪。双刀即双手各持一刀舞动，其刀法与单刀相似，但侧重双刀与身形、步法的协调、配合。大刀较为浑厚。因大刀舞动时用双手握持，故它的刀柄很长，刀身也很厚，其重量通常达数十斤。大刀的刀法有斩、撩、挂等动作，舞动时，主要依靠腰部发力。
Daoshu is one of the most important games in wushu. Therefore it has been decided as an official competition in the national wushu contest since 1949. Up to 1991, it was decided as the official competition in the World Wushu Championship.
刀术是中国武术中最主要项目之一，因此，1949年以后，它被列为全国武术比赛项目。至1991年，则被列为世界武术锦标赛比赛项目。
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