The hard whip consists of a short rod of tapered metal with a handle. The shape of the rod can vary, but it is always straight. Most of the time, the point of the rod is not sharp. Instead it tends to taper to a small nub. They are usually used in pairs.

Some hard whips have hand guards, similar to sword guards. Others have guards that resemble parrying hooks like the Okinawan sai. This type is used in southern styles of Kung Fu and is known in Cantonese as gen. The overall designs are similar, but the rods have a significant difference. Sai's have a straight rod that may be round, square, hexagonal or octagonal. The Gen usually has a bamboo-like pattern on the rod. This design is not for decoration but serves a purpose. When striking, the length of the rod can be drawn like a saw, and produce a more unpleasant wound. Some patterns were exclusive to particular clans or schools. This way you could identify your allies by the weapons they used.

The police of ancient China used hard whips. One reason that the police preferred this weapon was that the parrying hook guard made it easier to disarm a criminal. Also, the nub point of the Gen could be used on pressure points.

The Gen or hard whip is a perfect example of the southern Chinese Kung Fu martial artist that use then: simple, effective and to the point.

Written By Sifu Rino Côté