Engineering:Dangpa

Short description: Korean pole weapon

Dangpa
Korean name
Hangul	당파
Revised Romanization
McCune–Reischauer

Dangpa, or dang pa, is the Korean name for a Ranseur (three-pronged trident-like spear) first described in the Muyejebo, a Korean martial arts manual of the Joseon Dynasty (published 1610).

Types

There were several types of dangpa, such as the iron (철파, 鐵鈀) and the wooden (목파, 木鈀). The two outer teeth of the would be slightly crooked. The teeth of the were made of wood, but covered with iron.

The middle tip would always be slightly longer than the two other tips. This design was intended to lessen the chance of the weapon becoming stuck in an opponent's body.

At the other end of the pole would be a sharp tip as well, in the event that two-handed combat with the dangpa became necessary in battle - this way soldiers fighting with the dangpa had fighting edges on both ends of the weapon.

Usage

The dangpa is a defensive close combat weapon used to trap an enemy's sword between two of the three prongs.

Techniques

In the Muyedobotongji one set of techniques is given. This form of 22 movements is called (당파총보, 鐺鈀總譜) accompanied by a diagram to explain the same form called (당파총도, 鐺鈀總圖).