Most of you have probably never trained with a spear, though some of you have probably had bayonet training, which is essentially using a longarm as a short spear.
It doesn't take long with a spear to understand just how deadly they are at close range. I have said a few times, and still believe, that a decent spearman will defeat a good swordsman with boring regularity. They are really that good.
Now, oddly enough, spears are back in the hands of one of the largest armies in the world. China and India are in a tense standoff that appears to have been created by Indian attempts to improve their military infrastructure in the area. Indian and Chinese troops have clashed on several occasions, but each side seems to be trying to avoid shooting at the other- but have thrown rocks and even used "spiked bats".
In September, Chinese troops armed with spears (in addition to their slung assault rifles) attempted to intimidate, drive off or force a confrontation with Indian troops. Each side again appeared to be working to avoid shooting at the other.
The Chinese appeared to be using a commercially produced, small blade version of yanyuedao (偃月刀; lit. "reclining moon blade"), sometimes called a gundao. This is a polearm with a curving blade. This version appears to be one piece, cast entirely of steel.
It doesn't take long with a spear to understand just how deadly they are at close range. I have said a few times, and still believe, that a decent spearman will defeat a good swordsman with boring regularity. They are really that good.
Now, oddly enough, spears are back in the hands of one of the largest armies in the world. China and India are in a tense standoff that appears to have been created by Indian attempts to improve their military infrastructure in the area. Indian and Chinese troops have clashed on several occasions, but each side seems to be trying to avoid shooting at the other- but have thrown rocks and even used "spiked bats".
In September, Chinese troops armed with spears (in addition to their slung assault rifles) attempted to intimidate, drive off or force a confrontation with Indian troops. Each side again appeared to be working to avoid shooting at the other.
The Chinese appeared to be using a commercially produced, small blade version of yanyuedao (偃月刀; lit. "reclining moon blade"), sometimes called a gundao. This is a polearm with a curving blade. This version appears to be one piece, cast entirely of steel.
