II.
THE MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

3 - The Pole-Arms

THE HALBERD

KÍCH
戟

       The Halberd "Kích" (戟) is named « The Valiant of Five Armies - Ngũ Binh Chi Hùng - 五 兵 之 雄 » by comparaison with a valourous Generallisimo of Five Armies, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western and Central, on the battlefield.

      The Halberd has existed since ancient times and takes form from the Qua. By consequent, the Halberd is one of the oldest medieval weapons.

       The Halberd (戟) comprises five parts called : 1 - Quản (still called Bí 祕) ; 2 - Nội ; 3 - Viên ; 4 - Hồ ; 5 - Thích, inherent in the structure of antique Qua (戈) blade, specialized in combats with assault chariot. It's precisesly because of this that the character Kích (戟) is made up of the character Xa (車) = Chariot and the character Qua (戈) = Antique Halberd.

        In bygone days, the lords and the nobilities used regularly the Halberd "Kích" (戟) for showing their power during their outings to the exterior. That's why the Halberd "Kích" (戟) had his blade protected by a scabbard - made of red lacquered wood envelopped in red silk - and called « Khể Kích » (棨 戟). And that is the reason for which we have this expression « Khể-Kích Diêu Lâm » (棨 戟 遥 臨) for designating the fact of the visite from a person of power and nobility.
        

        It exists several kinds of Halberd "Kích" (戟) and, in their wielding, the one of Long Halberd Trường-Kích (長 戟) and the one of Short Halberd Đoản-Kích (短 戟) are teached :

             A - The Long Halberd « Trường-Kích » (長 戟) includes : 1. the «Spike-Halberd» (Kích-Giáo - 戟 槊) ; 2. the «Sabre-Halberd» (Kích-Đao - 戟 刀) and 3. the « Spear-Halberd » (Kích-Thương - 戟 槍).

              1 - The «Spike-Halberd» ( Kích-Giáo - 戟 槊 ) is a kind of Halberd holding a blade of Spear and it's divided into three models :
                   a) - The model of « Spike-Halberd with a single apical blade », called «Phương-Thiên Họa-Kích» ;
                   b) - The model of « Spike-Halberd with two apical blades », callled «Thanh-Long Kích».
                These two models of « Spear-Halberd » are of a common use in Vietnamese and Chinese Drill Halls.

                1a - The « Spike-Halberd » appeared under the form of « Phương-Thiên Họa-Kích » (方 偏 禍  戟) for the first time in the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 AC) ; that's the celebrious Halberd of exceptional warrior Lữ-Bố, still called «Phụng-Tiên Kích», from knickname « Phụng-Tiên » (奉 先) of Lữ-Bố. It was the model of Halberd still in use later on battlefields at medieval times in China.
                The Pole-Arm « Phương-Thiên Họa-Kích » of warrior Lữ-Bố represented in various engravings is in reality the Spike-Halberd Kích-Giáo under MING Dynasty (1368-1644).

                This « Spike-Halberd » (Phương-Thiên Họa-Kích - Fatal Halberd holding perpendicular Lateral Blades) is a blade of spike to whom are fixed laterally two blades of Sickle, called "Teeth of Moon" (Nguyệt-Nha), which make a straight angle with this same blade of Spike ; so it is called "Phương Thiên" (Phương 方 = Straight Angle and Thiên 偏 = Lateral), forming a blade of Halberd "Kích" causing fatal desasters "Họa" in the ennemies ranks, so it's  named "Họa-Kích" 禍 戟 (Cf. Vietnamien-Chinois-Français Dictionnary - Eugène GOUIN - Printed at Saigon, Ed. 1957).

                1b - When the Halberd "Kích" owns only one "Tooth of Moon" (Nguyệt-Nha) fixed on the side of the  blade of Spike from an extremity of the Halberd, it takes the name of « Green-Azured Dragon Halberd - Thanh-Long Kích » (青 龍 戟) ; when the Halberd "Kích" owns at two ends two Apical Blades of Spike to whom are fixed laterally two "Teeth of Moon" (Nguyệt-Nha), but arranged in staggered rows, it takes the name of « Green-Azured Dragon Halberd with Two Apical Blade - Thanh-Long Song-Đầu Kích » (青 龍 双 頭 戟).

                 c) - In addition, there is also a kind of « Spike-Halberd - Kích-Giáo » (長 戟 槊) with one end holding two edged and pointed hooks, fluently in use in Đại-Việt, that the SONG Dynasty had called « Stick equipped with Hooks - Câu Bổng » (鈎 棒).

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                2 - The « Sabre-Halberd » (Kích-Đao - 戟 刀) ls a specific Halberd - Kích to Đại-Việt, holding a large blade of Sabre and includes two models :
                   a) - The model of « Sabre-Halberd Kích-Đao with one end », called « Long Sabre-Halberd » (Trường Kích-Đao - 長 戟 刀 ) ;
                  b) - The model of « Sabre-Halberd Kích-Đao with two ends », called « Sabre-Halberd with Two Apical Blades » (Lưỡng-Đầu Kích-Đao - 兩 頭 戟 刀).

                2a - The « Long Sabre-Halberd » (Trường Kích-Đao) is a kind of Halberd owning a large Blade of Sabre with a raised point and whom the back of blade holds two edged and pointed hooks.

                That's a kind of specific Halberd from Đại-Việt, invented under LÝ Dynasty (1010-1225), and that SONG Dynasty (960 - 1279) had imitated the model. In times of MING Dynasty (1368-1644), Chineses had classified by error the « Spear-Halberd - Phương-Thiên Họa-Kích » in this category of « Sabre-Halberd - Kích-Đao - 戟 刀 ».

                 2b - The « Sabre-Halberd with Two Apical Blades » (Lưỡng-Đầu Kích-Đao), is a Halberd owning two Blades of Sabre, fixed on two ends, but arranged in staggered rowswith a raised point and whom the back of blade holds two edged and pointed hooks.

                     In nowadays, only Codified Sequence of this kind of « Sabre-Halberd with Two Apical Blades - Lưỡng Kích-Đao - 兩 頭 戟 刀 » which is teached in somes rare drill halls in Việt-Nam, whom the drill halls of Master Trần Quang Diễn.

             3 - The « Spear-Halberd » (Kích-Thương - 戟 槍) is the model of Halberd wich is specific to Đại-Việt, holding a Spear Blade and owning two sharpened and pointed hooks on the edge, and includes too models :
                   a) - The model of « Spear-Halberd » owning one end, called « Long Spear-Halberd - Trường Kích-Thương »

                In nowadays, the Codified Sequence from this category of « Long Spear-Halberd - Trường Kích-Thương » specific to Đại-Việt is very rarely teached.

               What is worth talking about is that this « Spear-Halberd - Kích-Thương » gave rise to a Category of specific Weapons from Đại-Việt Navy Force during the LÝ Dynasty (1010~1225) Period. That is the Category of « Spear Paddles - Mái Chèo Trận » (Quải-Nhận-Thương, Quải-Thương, etc.), holding this Spear-Halberd Blade.

                   b) - The model of « Spear-Halberd » owning two ends, called « Two Headed Spear-Halberd - Lưỡng-Đầu Kích-Thương - 兩 頭 戟 槍 ». That's the model of Spear-Halberd with two apical edged blades, but arranged in staggered rows and holding two edged and pointed hooks, fixed on each edge. It's still called « Song-Đầu Kích-Thương - 双 頭 戟 槍», often briefly called by error « Doble Halberd - Song-Kích » ( 双 戟 ).

                In nowadays, only Codified Sequence of this kind of « Spear-Halberd owning two ends » which is teached in somes drill halls in Việt-Nam.

              B - The Short Halberd « Đoản-Kích » (短 戟) : it's a specific medieval weapon from China, designed according to the « Spear-Halberd - Phương-Thiên Họa-Kích » shaped, and it's always used by peer, belonging to the Category of «Two Matched Short Spears- Halberds - Song Đoản-Kích-Giáo ». However, it's often called « Two Matched Halberd - Song-Kích ».
                                         
                                         

• Discussion about the Halberd Wielding