Is the ‘flying guillotine’ a real weapon? How Hong Kong martial arts films created a myth
An assassins’ weapon that removed heads, the fictional ‘flying guillotine’ was featured in a number of Hong Kong wuxia films
Although it is an unlikely weapon, the “flying guillotine” was a big hit with martial arts fans when it featured in the eponymous film The Flying Guillotine in 1975.
The flying guillotine is a nasty weapon which consists of a circular metallic hood on a long chain. It is a decapitation machine – the user throws it over the head of an adversary and internal blades snap shut, cutting it off.
Not only is the weapon somewhat repulsive, it defies the laws of … everything.
It is big and heavy but glides through the air with ease, and it seems to possess a built-in homing device that enables it to always find its mark, even if deflected.
Many weapons used in wuxia films are genuine, but the flying guillotine as shown in films is a fabrication. It is said to have been based on a real Qing dynasty weapon of unknown design. Ho Meng-hua, who directed the 1975 film, was convinced it was an actual weapon.
