LU BU SPEAR OR CRESCENT-MOON SPEAR
The crescent-moon spear is often called the Lu Bu spear
Question
Can you please tell us more about the famous Lu Bu spear and its history?
Sifu Roland Mastel
Answer
Lu Bu was regarded as the invincible warrior of the Three Kingdom Period (220-285). . His weapon was the crescent-moon spear, Lu Bu was so skilful in using the crescent-moon spear that it is often called Lu Bu spear.
Lu Bu was at first the adopted son of a court minister called Ding Yuan. However, Lu Bu betrayed and killed Ding Yuan and became an adopted son of Dong Zhou, the warlord and Chancellor of the Eastern Han Dynasty,
A loyal minister, Wang Yun, with the help of Diao Chan, one of the four greatest beauties of China, laid a trap for Lu Bu to kill Dong Zhuo. Hence, Lu Bu was taunted by his enemies as the bastard with three fathers, his own blood father, Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo.
A famous story in Chinese history was called “Three Warriors Battled with Lu Bu”. Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei fought Lu Bu for 3 days and 3 nights to a draw. Guan Yu and Zhang Zee were terrific warriors, Guan Yu using a Big Knife named after him called the Guan Dao, and Zhang Fei using a snake-headed lance. Yet the three warriors combined could not beat Lu Bu, showing how formidable was Lu Bu with his crescent-moon spear.
However Lu Bu had brawn but little brain. Later he was captured by Cao Cao, a warlord who later became the King of Wei. Lu Bu was betrayed by his lieutenant, Zhang Liao, who was spanked by Lu Bu because Zhang Liao was drunk when given an assignment. Zhang Liao tied up Lu Bu and presented Lu Bu to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao wanted to keep Lu Bu as his general. But Liu Bei, who was with Cao Cao at the time, reminded Cao Cao of this “bastard of three fathers”. Cal Cao was worried he would be betrayed, and so had Lu Bu beheaded.
The spear has a long history and was used since ancient time by both generals and soldiers. Another invincible warrior of the Three-Kingdom Period, Zhao Yun, but he never met Lu Bu, used the spear. Many centuries later, the famous Song marshal, Yue Fei, who invented two opposing kungfu styles, Xingyiquan and Eagle Claw Kungfu, also used the spear. Lu Bu was probably the first to add the crescent moon blade to the regular spear.
The crescent-moon spear has the properties of five weapons, namely a spear, a trident, a hook, a dagger and a staff. It is a formidable weapon, but it needs much skill to use it. We shall learn the crescent-moon spear at the coming Special Weapon Course.
The crescent-moon spear has one blade shaped like a crescent moon added to one side of the spear head. There is another weapon with two blades shaped like a crescent moon added to both sides of the spear head. It is called the square-heaven spear, probably because the two crescent moon blades on both sides of the spear head resemble a square, if you use some imagination.
However, this square-heaven spear is not a popular weapon. It is probably because the double crescent-moon blades make the weapon clumsy in combat, whereas a single crescent-moon blade serves combat functions better. Here is a good example of “less is more”.
Nonetheless, the square-heaven spearhead is usually used nowadays to hold big banners showing names of kungfu organisations. A pair of short square-heaven spears as a heavy short weapon was used by Dan Wei, another formidable general of the Three-Kingdom Period who was well known for his tremendous strength, and who often protected Cao Cao.
The crescent-moon spear is a combination of five weapons
This answer is taken from Special Weapon Course: 10 Questions to Grandmaster Wong of the Shaolin Wahnam Institute Discussion Forum.
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