Gun (staff)

A gun (pronunciation [kwə̂n], English approximation: /ɡuən/ gwən, Chinese: 棍; pinyin: gùn; Jyutping: gwan3; lit. 'rod', 'stick') or bang (Chinese: 棒; pinyin: bàng; Jyutping: paang5; lit. 'rod', 'club') is a long Chinese staff weapon used in Chinese martial arts. It is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the qiang (spear), dao (sabre), and the jian (straight sword). It is called, in this group, "The Grandfather of all Weapons". In Vietnam (as a result of Chinese influence), the gun is known as côn in Vietnamese martial arts.