Tai Chi Spear
Quiang is the Chinese term for a spear and like the sword, broadsword and staff it is one of the four classic weapons of Chinese martial arts. The quiang has always been popular as a battlefield weapon in China. A spear is quick and cheap to produce and has been used endemically on the battlefield by all but the most ritual of armies across the world.
Chinese cavalry used long spears to pick off ground troops and likewise the infantry sought to dismount horsemen with the same weapon. As such, spear work forms a part of most martial arts training and Tai Chi Chuan is no exception.
The quiang is composed of a flexible wooden shaft, often made from wax wood and a sharp metal point fringed by a generous tassle, usually red, at the end. The tassle serves to provide a visual distraction, making it harder for an opponent to grab the spear shaft.
The flowing red tassle also enhances the visual spectacle of a Tai Chi spear form in competitions or for show. The flexible shaft means the spear can be wielded to impressive effect and makes the spear shaft less likely to snap upon impact. Also, a flexible spear is less predictable than a rigid one in real combat situations. In Tai Chi forms, the quiang is thrust, spun and swept in a dazzling display of martial arts skill.