I'm certainly not the expert the others are, but I have seen loose guards on modern wushu implements, and they're used essentially as castanets to make a more interesting performance--they rattle when swung. I don't know whether this is done deliberately, or whether the wushu artists are simply making the best of a bad implement (hate to call those things weapons), but there you have it. If it is done deliberately, it would be nice to find out how old the tradition is.
Best,
F
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