The Green Dragon Crescent Moon Knife demonstrated by Grandmaster Wong

There are a few types of “Tai Tou” or “Big Knives”, and the one demonstrated here is called a ”Kwan Tou” (“Guan Dao” in Mandarin), named after the famous warrior of the Three Kingdom Period of Chinese history, Kwan Yu, who is worshipped as the God of Righteousness (but often mentioned in the West as the God of War). This particular Kwan Tou set is called “Green Dragon Crescent Moon Knife”, or “Cheng Loong Yim Yuit Tou”. Grandmaster Wong learned this set in his young days from his siheng, or elder kungfu brother, from the Uncle Righteousness lineage.

As the Kwan Tou is a long, heavy weapon, good stances and good force are necessary to use this weapon proficiently. When Grandmaster Wong applied force in a horizontal sweep while teaching it, the shaft broke into two. The bladed part of the weapon was then lashed onto another shaft. But when Grandmaster Wong later made a reverse sweep, the blade came out of the shaft. We regret that the set, therefore, had to be taught with an improvised staff acting as a Kwan Tou.

1 Black Tiger Presents Claws	2 White Crane Flaps Wings

3 Dragon and Tiger Appear	4 Guarding the Wah Yoong Gate

5-1 Sweep a Thousdand Armies	5-2 Sweep a Thousdand Armies

6-1 Jade Belt Circles Waist	6-2 Jade Belt Circles Waist

7-1 Sweep a Thousand Armies	7-2 Sweep a Thousand Armies

8-1 Jade Belt Circles Waist	8-2 Jade Belt Circles Waist

9-1 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom	9-2 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom

10-1 Reverse Hitting of Purple Bell	10-2 Reverse Hitting of purple Bell

11 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom	12 Separate Grass to Find Snake

13 Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain	14 Phoenix Dots Head

15-1 Point to Star, Look at Moon	15-2 Point to Star, Look at Moon

16 Attend Meeting with Single Knife	17-1 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom

17-2 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom	18-1 Reverse Hitting of Purple Bell

18-2 Reverse Hitting of Purple Bell	19-1 Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain

19-2 Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain	20-1 Shark Monk Flicks Spear

20-2 Shark Monk Flicks Spear	21 Phoenix Dots Head

22-1 Green Dragon Churns Water	22-2 Green Dragon Churns Water

23-1 Carp Slices through Water	23-2 Carp Slices through Water

24 Dark Dragon Wags Tail	25 Chop the Hua Mountain

26 Lord Kwan Flicks Robe	27 Sideway Chop Ngan Leong

28 Phoenix Dots Head	29 Lone Drake Emerges from Group

30 Fierce Tiger Crouches on Ground	31-1 Reverse Hitting of Purple Bell

31-2 Reverse Hitting of purple Bell	32-1 Whirlwind Chop Tiger

32-2 Whirlwind Chop Tiger	32-3 Whirlwind Chop Tiger

32-4 Whirlwind Chop Tiger	32-5 Whirlwind Chop Tiger

32-6 Whirlwind Chop Tiger	33-1 Jade Belt Circles Waist

33-2 Jade Belt Circles Waist	34-1 Sweep a Thousand Armies

34-2 Sweep a Thousand Armies	34-3 Sweep a Thousand Armies

34-4 Sweep a Thousand Armies	35-1 Jade Belt Circles Waist

35-2 Jade Belt Circles Waist	35-3 Jade Belt Circles Waist

35-4 Jade Belt Circles Waist	36 Hold Knife Up Horse

37-1 Red Rabbit Chases Wind	37-2 Red Rabbit Chases Wind

37-3 Red Rabbit Chases Wind	37-4 Red Rabbit Chases Wind

38-1 Sweep a Thousand Armies	38-2 Sweep a Thousand Armies

38-3 Sweep a Thousand Armies	38-4 Sweep a Thousand Armies

39-1 Jade Belt Circles Waist	39-2 Jade Belt Circles Waist

40-1 Sweep a Thousand Armies	40-2 Sweep a Thousand Armies

41-1 Snow Flecks on Top	41-2 Snow Flecks on Top

41-3 Snow Flecks on Top	41-4 Snow Flecks on Top

41-5 Snow Flecks on Top	41-6 Snow Flecks on Top

41-7 Snow Flecks on Top	41-8 Snow Flecks on Top

42-1 Kwan Lord Strokes Bead	42-2 Kwan Lord Strokes Bead

43 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom	44 Kwan Lord Holds Knife

45 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom	46 Reverse Hitting of Purple Bell

47 Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain	48 Point at Star, Look at Moon

49 Sideway Chop Ngan Leong	50 Reverse Knife Slice Mun Chow

51 Sideway Chop Generals	52 Straight Enter Plains

53 Reverse Dragging of Knife	54 Lead Horse Return Camp

55-1 Drag Knife Chop Choy Yeong	55-2 Drag Knife Chop Choy Yeong

56-1 Pass Gates Chop Generals	56-2 Pass Gates Chop Generals

56-3 Pass Gates Chop Generals	57-1 Grinding Knife for Battles

57-2 Grinding Knife for Battles	58-1 Jade Belt Circles Waist

58-2 Jade Belt Circles Waist	59-1 Whirlwind Sweeps Leaves

59-2 Whirlwind Sweeps Leaves	59-3 Whirlwind Sweeps Leaves

59-4 Whirlwind Sweeps Leaves	60 Phoenix Dots Head

61 Sit on Horse, Listen to Wind	62-1 Green Dragon Shoots Pearl

62-2 Green Dragon Shoots Pearl	63 Seong Tzi Blows Flute

64 Chop the Hua Mountain	65 Bail Moon from Sea Bottom

66 Chop the Hua Mountain	67 Golden Beam Supports Sea

68 Phoenix Dots Head	69-1 Double Butterflies Flying Together

69-2 Double Butterflies Flying Together	69-3 Double Butterflies Flying Together

69-4 Double Butterflies Flying Together	70 High Mountain Flow Water

71 Dragon and Tiger Appear	72 Flowing Breeze Swaying Willows

The names of the patterns, the Chinese (Cantonese) pronunciation and the Chinese characters are provided by Sifu Michael Chow of Shaolin Wahnam Canada, with the help of Zhang Wuji of Shaolin Wahnam Singapore. We wish to thank Sifu Michael Chow and Zhang Wuji for their splendid effort.

• Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course
• Intensive Taijiquan Course
• Intensive Chi Kung Course