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Two-section staff

Chinese weapon

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Source updated September 9, 2025

The two-section staff or changxiaobang (Chinese: 長小棒; pinyin: cháng xiǎo bàng; lit. 'long/short pole') is a versatile weapon which originated in China from the ancient Shaolin temple and Shaolin martial arts. It is a flail-type weapon which consists of a long staff with a shorter rod attached by a chain, to serve as a cudgel.

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This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Two-section staff”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Flail (weapon)

A flail is a weapon consisting of one or more striking heads attached to a handle by flexible rope, strap, hinge or chain connectors that can be wielded in combat to produce powerful concussive impacts. Flails have various tactical virtues, such as being cheap to produce; intuitive to use for those familiar with their tool form; being easily transportable when folded while still allowing the reach of a longer weapon when used; and having the capacity to strike around a defender's shield or parry or over an obstacle.

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