BLUNT WEAPONS TRAINING
锤 - 棒 - ​棍

Blunt Weapon training is an advanced weapon study taught at Imperial Combat Arts in Denver CO. Blunt weapons have been used on the battlefield for thousands of years and are still some of the most common melee weapons used today. These weapons include; Clubs, Batons, Nightsticks, War Hammers, Mace's, Sticks, Staves, Throwing Clubs, and Various Flails. Blunt Weapons have some distinct advantages over bladed weapons for self-defense and combat, and can be easily improvised from common objects.
Blunt Weapon training at a historically accurate combat level is a very different study than the theatrical and acrobatic weapon training seen in many modern Chinese martial arts schools. Our combat level Blunt Weapon training has direct lineage to the battlefield, and can hold its own with, or surpass any other weapon system in the world, and blends seamlessly with our hand to hand, ground systems, and chin na, as a complete study.

CLUBS & BATONS
梃​

A standard Club is one the first weapons taught to students at Imperial Combat Arts, this training is done vs other weapons and includes 100's of Chin Na (joint lock) techniques, grappling, and various chokes. Other Traditional Clubs made for the battlefield are later trained such as the; T-Batons, Iron Clubs, and Judges Pens. Some of these weapons feature hand guards such as the Iron Whips. Enter Page> Clubs

WARHAMMERS & MACES
铜锤​

War Hammers are devastating weapons that have been used in many cultures and are still primary weapons trained in our combat systems. Unlike most modern Wushu demonstrations that use light, hollow, mock weapons, our practitioners train with actual full weight weapons, and real combat sets. Spiked Maces like the Wolfs Tooth Club are trained as well as blunt Maces. Enter Page> War Hammer

STICKS & STAVES
棒子​

Stick and Staff fighting is a traditional and important part of melee weapon mastery. Training wooden staves of various lengths teaches weapon handling for many other weapons such as Swords and Pole-arms. Sticks and staves are also common everyday objects. At an advanced level this study also includes Iron Staves, Cane Fighting and traditional other staff variants like the 8 Sided Staff. Enter Page> Staves

FLAILS & SOFT WEAPONS
​武器梿

Flail Weapons can deliver tremendous impact force and strike around enemy defense on unpredictable angles. These weapons evolved from ancient farming tools to become common place on many battlefields. Classic Chinese flails taught at Imperial Combat Arts include weapons such as The Meteor Hammers, Spiked and Ball Flails with one to three heads, as well as Two and Three Section Staves. Enter Page> Flails

IMPROVISED BLUNT WEAPONS

Some great benefits of training blunt weapons at an interactive combat level is that they are easily crafted or improvised from everyday objects, or from nature. Blunt improvised weapons start day one at Imperial Combat Arts with the classic "Iron Finger", a small rod used as a pressure point weapon that can also break bones. This study teaches how to use many objects as weapons. Enter Page> Improvised

THROWN BLUNT WEAPONS

There are a series of clubs and sticks taught in the Arts that are designed to be thrown. These easily crafted weapon designs have been used in hunting for centuries, and hit hard enough to kill animals as large as coyotes. In combat these clubs can be used as hand-held clubs or thrown to soften opponents while upon approach with a primary weapon. Some of these are blunt, others made to impale. 

TRAINING BLUNT WEAPONS

Melee weapons are as important today as they ever have been. Most any man with the intent to kill you will use a weapon, or improvise one. This training taught at Imperial Combat Arts was forged in a time where melee weapons were the primary focus of battle, and have proven to be just as effective in modern combat. 

BLUNT WEAPON DRILLS

Drills and exercises are one of the first steps in training Blunt Weapons. These drills teach the fundamentals of weapon handling for every specific type of Blunt Weapon. These include drills for striking, blocking/controlling, and performing joint locks, pain controls, throws, and chokes. Drills are a key part of learning a weapon, and developing the muscle memory and familiarity to use the weapon in the heat of battle. Even the basic drills taught for Blunt Weapons can give someone a huge advantage in today's world.

BLUNT WEAPON SETS

Sets are an important part of training combat martial arts and are still the primary way soldiers are taught throughout the world today. Dynamic sets allow students to learn effective techniques and weapon applications that could never be used in sparring. Blunt Weapon sets are done vs multiple opponents and vs other weapons. One strike with a Blunt Weapon can easily kill or break a bone, the training to engage weapons such as these is much different than that of sport martial arts. 

STRENGTH TRAINING

Opposed to hollow aluminum Kung Fu weapons, true Blunt Weapons can be heavy and require a very high level of strength training and joint conditioning to wield dynamically. Some of these weapons such as the Chui (War Hammer) and Iron Staff require the whole body from head to toe, to be not only strong, but also working together in perfect form. If you can imagine an hour of forms, sets, and hitting targets with a 15lb kettle ball on the end of 2 foot club. This strength development then transfers to all martial applications. 

FORMS

Forms teach basic weapon handling and maneuvers that allow weapon practitioners to train high percentage weapon engagements over and over.  Forms are a way to practice your techniques routinely, and turn them to muscle memory, as needed for battle. Every movement and technique in the Blunt Weapon forms at Imperial Combat Arts relate directly to combat, and are trained dynamically in sets, and matching. Traditional forms are one of the primary ways Masters pass on the ancient knowledge of weapons to next generation Warriors.

WEAPON MATCHING

Aggressive matching with training weapons is an important part of preparing for the chaos and fray of battle. This matching is done with all the weapons taught at Imperial Combat Arts and often in unusual and compromised ways, such as in low light, or on beams and posts. Most all matching done at our school, whether armed or unarmed, is done versus multiple opponents. These intense matching sessions are designed to be painful, yet safe, and push practitioners ever forward in skill.

VS OTHER WEAPONS

Opposed to systems that focus only on like weapon matching such as Sword vs Sword, Blunt Weapons at Imperial Combat Arts are also trained vs all other types of weapons. There are specific sets that teach these concepts of weapon interaction. This traditional study is an important part of all weapons taught at the school. Many of these concepts and lessons transfer back to empty hand tactics such as fighting opponents with superior reach and unarmed against melee weapons.

BLUNT WEAPONS & SHIELD

Traditional Shield training is taught with many of the weapons at Imperial Combat Arts. Sword-length Blunt Weapons such as Maces and Flails are commonly trained with shields. The Shield itself has a whole array of concepts and techniques that once learned transfer directly to other weapons that pair with shield. Shield training for combat is much more aggressive that Shield training for sparring or competitions. In combat the Shield itself is a weapon that can easily injure a training partner or opponent. Enter Page> Shield Training

DUAL WIELDING

Dual wielding weapons was quite common in Chinese history, more so than in other cultures. Blunt Weapons such as the Chui (War Hammer) are often sold and used in pairs. Dual wielding is an important part of weapon training that quickly shows its strength in matching and combat. A person armed with two weapons will demonstrably more often win against a person who has only one. This training also transfers to unarmed combat where both hands may be highly active at the same time.

BLUNT WEAPON CHIN NA

There are a lot of Chin Na (joint locks, chokes) applications mastered in some Blunt Weapons like Club. The extra length of the weapon allows for tremendous leverage to to be applied against opponents joints. This Chin Na blends seamlessly with the strikes of the weapon, as well as the highly toughened strikes and grips of the Wielders free hand. Blunt Weapon Chin Na is performed standing, on the ground, and vs multiple opponents. This combat study is much more brutal and complex than sport grappling.

HAMMER-FIST HAND TOUGHENING

The Hammer-fist is an empty hand Blunt Weapon and allows one to use their blunt weapon training without their weapon. The same muscles that are developed by the weapon practice add much more power and speed to the empty hand, as the arm and body follow nearly the exact same movements when unarmed. More complex fist striking like the highly toughened 8 Trigrams Fist taught at Imperial Combat Arts also applies to Blunt Weapons like the 8 Sided Hammer with its points on all sides. Enter Page> Hand Toughening