Editing Chinese sword (section)

==Song dynasty (960–1279)==
[[File:Jin Iron Sword 1.jpg|thumb|[[Jin dynasty (1115-1234)]] iron jian]]

Some warriors and bandits duel wielded daos to break deadlocks in confined terrain during the late [[Song dynasty]].{{sfn|Lorge|2011|p=148}}

Many of the Song dynasty's soldiers wielded 2 handed long swords as their weapon to fight against the incoming nomadic cavalry of the North. According to the ''Xu Zizhi Tongjian Changbian'', written in 1183, the "Horse Beheading Dao" (''zhanmadao'') was a two handed long saber with a {{convert|93.6|cm|abbr=on}} blade, {{convert|31.2|cm|abbr=on}} hilt, and ring pommel.<ref>{{citation |url=http://greatmingmilitary.blogspot.com/2015/04/zhan-ma-dao.html|title=Zhan Ma Dao (斬馬刀)|date=7 April 2015 |access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> The zhanmadao was the main 2 handed long sword used against cavalry, but other long sabers like the [[podao]] and modao were also used.

Besides very long swords, the Song dynasty also used short but wide daos as sidearms called Shou Dao(手刀), meaning "hand saber". These daos were good for short range melee, being short and easy to move but also thick and having the force to chop through heavy armor.

<gallery widths="180" heights="180">
File:Song soldiers from a tomb in Pengshan, Sichuan.png|Song soldiers carrying daos
File:宋朝雕刻 08.jpg|Song stone relief of a swordsman wearing mountain pattern and mail armour
File:Sword Truncheon, Northern Song, Heirloom (33549743291).jpg|Truncheon, Song dynasty
File:Liao and Jin swords.jpg|Liao and Jin swords
File:大定二十九年战刀.jpg|Jin dao sabre
File:Yuan Iron Sword (19791478201).jpg|Yuan dao
</gallery>