SHIELD TRAINING
盾 - 干 - 牌
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Shield training is an advanced weapon study taught at Imperial Combat Arts in Denver CO. There are many types of Shields that were used throughout the history of China with the most recent still being military issue in the early 1900's. Many assume with the invention of firearms that shields have become obsolete. In reality they have again just evolved and Masters today train with ballistic shields able to stop the rounds of some firearms. A Shield is most always and advantage against melee weapons, and can also be improvised in many modern combat situations.
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While Shield training may seem fairly simple its is actuality a complex study, as involved as training a weapon. If held or used improperly a Shield is vulnerable to all manner of attacks from a weapon Master. Even at a glance a weapon Master can assess is someone holding a shield has real combat training. Shield can be quite aggressively used in combat and even in modern sparring many people refrain from the true applications of shield to avoid hurting their partner. It is important for combat however that these brutal techniques are still developed at a fully integrated level with practice in routine sets and on training dummies.
CENTER HELD OR STRAPPEDMany Shields used in Chinese battlefield systems are held by in the center by a bar, and do not actually use and arm strap. Held Shields are much more dynamic and aggressive in combat and can be dropped in an instant if broken or if the free hand is quickly needed. Strapped shields fight with a different style and some like the cavalry shield were strapped to the forearm to allow horse archers to operate their bows.
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CENTER BOSSWooden Round Shields almost always have a convex or conical piece of metal in the center that protects the hand and is used for the shields techniques and applications. This metal piece is most commonly known in the west as a Boss or Umbo and also serves the purpose of providing a space to mount the grip of the Shield. Many traditional Chinese Round Shields made for the battle-field feature a center Boss.
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WOODEN ROUND SHIELD
圆盾
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YUAN TUN | YUAN DUN
This primary Shield trained at Imperial Combat Arts is a wooden round shield that can range from 26'-36' inches across and is either flat with a center boss or slightly conical in shape. These Shields are all center held with a bar and not strapped, though many people confuse these shields for strapped round shields. This primary wooden shield design was used in many parts of the world, and its function is similar to Viking and other European round shields. |
STEEL ROUND SHIELD
鋼圆盾
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KANG YUAN TUN | GANG YUAN DUN
Steel Round Shields are often still held by hand and actively used despite their increased weight. While these shields no longer need a Boss they sometimes feature an ornamental one for shield applications. At Imperial Combat Arts these shields are trained with both center held and strapped fighting styles. Metal Shields are often on the smaller side around 26' to compensate for the weight and otherwise offer greater protection from both melee and ranged weapons. |
WILLOW WICKER SHIELD
柳条盾
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LIU T'IAO TUN | LIUTIAODUN
Wicker Shields from northern China are made from Willow and and covered in rawhide or leather. These woven shields are lighter and much easier to make from nature. While some of these shields feature no metal, many traditional wicker shields have a metal Boss in the center. Wicker shields from various plants were some of the first shields ever made around the world and much stronger than the appear. These shields can be conical up to a foot deep. |
RATTAN SHIELD
藤盾
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TENG TUN | TENG DUN
In Southern China wicker shields are made from Rattan which is a species of vine like climbing palm. This material is superior to wooden plank shields in that it has no grain and cannot split. In the time of muskets Rattan shields were considered "near bullet proof" by historical accounts. Rattan is light, flexible, cheap, durable, and still one of the most common shields we use in styles with or without a metal boss. These Shields are also often worn on the head as a sun hat in daily use. |
CAVALRY SHIELD
骑兵盾
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CHI PING TUN | QIBINGDUN
Ch'ing shields for Light Cavalry are very similar to our other round Shields with the exception that they do strap on to the forearm to allow for Horse Archers to still fire their bow. We still use these styles of shield for archery today. Heavy Cavalry used mostly wooden and steel round shields that were hand held so they could be used on both sides of the horse when paired with a sword. Some of these cavalry shields are also oval shaped to offer more protection for the thigh and head of the rider. |
ROUND BUCKLER
手盾
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SHOU TUN | SHOU DUN
A Buckler is a European term for a small shield either held in the hand or at times strapped on the forearm for archery. Known simply as a "Hand Shield" to the Chinese, these small shields are most often round, fully metal, and used in a manner similar to the Boss of a round shield. These small and highly active light shields are favored in our arts of Leopard and Falcon Kung Fu and often paired with shorter weapons such as the Short Sword or Axe. |
HOOK SHIELD
钩盾
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KOU TUN | GOU DUN
The Hook Shield is a unique shield that is a small, round or Heater (Clothes Iron) shaped hand shield, with a thin and curved piece of metal extending from both the top and bottom. These extensions are used to hook and control opponents weapons, as well as protect more of the body from enemy attacks. This shield, also known as the Gou Rang, dates to China's Han Dynasty and also features a small metal spike on the front for smashing attacks and additional controls. |
DOUBLE ARC
雙弧盾
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SHUANG HU UN | SHUANG HU DUN
This signature shield dates back to China's Warring States Period and is trained in both lacquered wood with a leather wrap, as well as full metal. The unique shape of this shield allows for weapons, or the weapon arm, to extend beyond the shield while still offering protection. This design, that is truly ancient, speaks to the evolution of shields in that it has reemerged as a modern ballistic shield design that is used today with firearms. |
TOWER SHIELD
塔盾
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T'A TUN | TA DUN
This classic rectangular shaped shield also dates back to the Warring States Period and is made of wooden planks that are traditionally joined together by rattan and a metal boss. A Chinese Tower Shield is three feet tall by a foot and half across. The shape of these shields allows for close formations of soldiers to overlap their shields to provide an effective barrier against projectiles. The Tower Shield is somewhat similar in shape and function the legendary Roman Scutum. |
LONG SHIELDS
长盾
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CH'ANG TUN | CHANG DU
Aside from the Tower Shield several other Long Shields have been developed in China's history with various design and function. This family of shields includes Oval, Hexagonal, and Pentagonal shields that all serve the same basic training and function. These shields may vary somewhat in size but for the most part do not exceed three by one and a half feet in size. Many long shields have a metal Boss and sometimes metal edging. There were however Chinese Great Shields that were used to make interlocking fences around the Emperors. |
PAVISE SHIELDS
步兵旁盾
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PU PING P'ANG TUN | BUBINGPANGDUN
Pavise Shields feature a prop or kickstand that allows the Shield to stand freely so an archer or crossbowman can reload and shoot from behind it. In Chinese style these shields were often v-shaped to increase the chance of arrow deflection. These shields that date to the Song Dynasty were made of either wood or vertical bamboo rods and were five feet tall by three feet in diameter. Seemingly extinct the Pavise shield has reemerged as a wheeled or robotic moving ballistic barrier. |
BRONZE & IRON SHIELD
青铜盾-铁盾
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CH'ING TUNG TUN - T'IEH TUN
Prior to tempered steel, metal shields of the world were made of first bronze, and then Iron, with the oldest metal shields dating to China's Bronze age 2000 BCE. Today at Imperial Combat Arts Bronze and Iron Shields are trained alongside Bronze and Iron weapons for increased weight training, or for martial nostalgia. Ironically shields made of these metals were once cheaper as inferior metals, and are now expensive and difficult to obtain. |
PRIMITIVE SHIELDS
革盾-纸盾
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KE TUN - CHIH TUN
Primitive shields are the most simple shields one can make from nature and can still serve the function of protection from animals and melee weapons. These shields are made of animal hide, woven plant matter, turtle shells, or layers of bark. Even traditional Paper Shields made of bark have been recorded as able to stop musket fire. These shields are made as part of wilderness survival courses alongside primitive weapons and tools. |
LIGHT BALLISTIC SHIELDS
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These modern shields are made of level III body armor and capable of stopping pistol rounds. Even with full body armor the face and therefore the brain is still exposed, and these shields can fill that gap in modern armor. Masters today will also line their traditional shields with this common fabric to modernize their shields. Shields like these are most common today with special law enforcement groups and other high risk units. While many people believe modern firearms have made shields obsolete, they have only brought them to evolve, yet again.
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HEAVY BALLISTIC SHIELDS
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Heavy modern shields are capable of stopping most all rifle rounds and are made of the same types of plates steel in modern plate carrier body armor. Some of these shields are carried in the hand or rest on the ground and are shaped to allow a firearm or shooting arm a position to shoot from. The heaviest of these shields are modern movable pavise shields that roll on wheels or robotic treads and are even used for bomb disarmament. Today these armor plates are often used in backpacks or suitcases to provide a modern concealable shield.
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SHIELD TRAINING
Shields are not meant to simply hide behind, they are an active part of combat that still requires movement, stance, pivoting, striking, and techniques that give an advantage for attack. While there are several types of shields trained at Imperial Combat Arts many of them share the same characteristics and training.
SHIELD DRILLS
Drills are an important part of training Shields. These drills teach primary positions, stances, maneuvers, blocks, parries, and attacks, and build these important movements into the body as a second nature reflex. Shield drills are done in the air, vs partners, and against dummies. The intricate artwork painted on the floor of the school at Imperial Combat Arts is designed for students to drill shield attacks and defenses against multiple opponents in all 8 directions.
SHIELD IN FORMS
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Shields are trained in the forms of several weapons. These forms are one of the primary ways Masters pass on the ancient knowledge of shield-fighting to the next generation of Warriors. These challenging forms teach dynamic flow, maneuvers, shield handling, and numerous proven and effective techniques. Every movement and technique in the weapon forms at Imperial Combat Arts relate directly to combat, and are trained dynamically in sets, and matching.
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SHIELD SETS
Dynamic sets allow students to learn effective techniques and shield applications that could never be used in sparring. Even with full pads a training weapon can cause serious injury or death, therefore mastering shields requires a skilled and dedicated partner with focus and control. This repetitive partner interaction is one of the ways proven techniques are taught. At Imperial Combat Arts weapon shield sets are done vs multiple opponents and all types of melee weapons.
SHIELD MATCHING
Matching with training shields is an important part of preparing for the chaos and fray of battle. 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. Aggressive Shield matching can only be done safely with padded weapons and armor and still requires a degree of control.
SHIELD EMPTY HAND
There are a series of Shield techniques and tactics that have transferred to Chinese empty hand fighting styles. Throughout many styles these battlefield concepts are still present and by training shield one can further understand and develop Kung Fu. These techniques share the same pivots, maneuvers, and use of a forearm that is held out curved in the same way as if shield is strapped on. This training serves the important function of controlling space vs fighting multiple opponents.
IMPROVISED SHIELD
A basic shield can be a quickly improvised armament in modern combat, as simple as a backpack or chair. Even these makeshift shields can offer a huge advantage in melee combat as they offer protection against most common melee weapons such as knives, crowbars, tasers, etc. With these improvised shields and the numerous shields that can be bought or made, an Imperial Spear Master can apply their shield training to almost any world setting.