Spike-toothed Rake

The design of the prop rake truly reflects its origin as a mud rake used to plough the earth. The rake is the signature weapon accompanying Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) in the many adaptations of Journey to the West. This long, heavy weapon belongs to the ranseur family and a three-pronged hunting trident is called daba (literally, ‘big rake’). Legend has it that martial arts master Lam Sai Wing learned to wield this weapon when he was a fugitive hiding in a farming region of Guangxi province. He later incorporated it into his kungfu routine and named it the ‘Yiu Rake’ as a tribute to his mentors of the Yiu ethnicity in Guangxi. In The Story of Wong Fei-hung, Part 3: The Battle by Lau Fa Bridge (1950), Tso Tat Wah does an impressive job of wielding the hefty daba.

Hefty, powerful and lethal, a daba is as effective in direct smiting as in immobilising an enemy’s weapon. Alone, Lau Kar Leung takes down his enemies with a single daba in The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984).

Spike-toothed Rake (left) and Crescent Spade (right)