i know a lot of contemporary & traditional wushu forms use double broadswords...i was introduced to them using only basic techniques...very fun very cool to do
I have developed 'Horse cutter' techniques with a one-meter blade two handed broad sword common in the Qin Dynasty. This sword was primarily used by foot soldiers against mounted soldiers. Variations of this sword continued to be important up until the Mongols invaded China with fast light calvary and this sowrd was ineffective. The speed, use of archery and light weapons on horse back made the larger heavier weapons useless. In the Tang Dynasty this two handed sword went to Japan and change to become the lighter curved single-edged Japanese sword.
It's most common in the northern chinese systems using the willow leaf style broadsword. The progression is broadsword, broadsword and sheild, double broadsword, broadsword and chain whip.
My mistake in use of the the word broad sword. Most of the people on this thread are using broad sword to refer to a Dao with a wide blade. I was using the term broad sword to refer to along straight double edged sword (Jian) with a wide blade. I'm used to referring to them in China as the Dao - a curved blade with a single edge or a partial double edge. Jian - a long straight sword usually double edged.
